With its breathtaking beauty and powerful intensity, an undeniable African gem is ranked ninth on a recently updated list of the world’s most beautiful places.
Victoria Falls is on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s the world’s largest curtain of falling water, making it one of the most iconic and majestic waterfalls on Earth. The landmark is 354 feet high and 5,604 feet wide, meaning it’s over a mile long. For added scale, PBS previously detailed that Victoria Falls is 45 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and nearly the length of 50 blue whales lined up from head to tail.
Thanks to its captivating mist and the roaring descent of the water, locals near Victoria Falls have given the natural beauty a fitting name. In Kololo, the site is called Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates to “The Smoke That Thunders.”
Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. With its scale, impact, and beauty in mind, it’s unsurprising that the site ranks ninth on Time Out’s list of the world’s 51 “most beautiful places.”
“Immense curtains of water stretch along the edge of Victoria Falls National Park — home to giraffe, zebra, baboons, and other wildlife — and spill over cliff faces into the whirling pools of the Zambezi River,” says Contributor Alicia Erickson in part.
What Should Travelers Know About Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls is 75% in Zimbabwe, with the remaining 25% on the Zambian side of the border.
Last year, TripZapp founder Rory Okoli name-dropped Zambia and Victoria Falls in her destination recommendation for travelers who haven’t visited Africa yet.
“A place where different kinds of travelers can enjoy themselves would be Zambia,” the founder stated. “It’s good for those who still want to play it safe, and those ready for an African adventure. You have waterfalls like Victoria Falls, and you can fly over them in a helicopter ride, or go whitewater rafting in the Zambezi River, or bungee jump over it.”
Other things visitors can do at and around Victoria Falls are safari trips, visiting Chobe National Park, going on a dinner river cruise on the Zambezi, or exploring the surrounding rainforest. The Boma Dinner & Drum Show is a spirited cultural experience. Additionally, many visitors find a nighttime safari, including wildlife viewing and stargazing, to be a truly unforgettable experience.
During the dry season, thrill-seekers can even lie down in the Devil’s Pool, which places them in the water, right at Victoria Falls’ cliff edge. A delight for admirers, sunlight refracting through the site’s midst makes seeing rainbows a common occurrence. During full moons of the high-water season, visitors can see and snapshot awe-striking “lunar rainbows” (also known as “moonbows”) when moonlight creates the colorful phenomenon.
