Welcome to Victoria Falls

We are going to view Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side. The other side of the falls is Zambia. The border between the two countries is in the canyon that the falls drop into. Mosi–Oa–Tunya is the name that the Kololp tribe living the area gave to the falls in the 1800s. It means The Smoke That Thunders.

Falls from Above

A helicopter ride above Victoria Falls was one of the activities that we could sign up for. I didn’t take it as I had been on a helicopter ride this year in New Zealand and I didn’t want to press my luck. However, our tour director, Barry, did take the ride during a later tour and he has very nicely given me permission to use the photos he took during the ride. This photo shows the falls and the length of the canyon that the falls cascade into. The width of the Zambezi River, which feeds the falls, is 1.25 miles (2 km) when it is at its fullest. In the photo, you can see that the falls do not cover the whole canyon at this time of the year.

Victoria Falls

We are viewing the falls during the dry season when the falls have breaks in them, exposing the canyon rock. Add to this the Southern African drought and we are seeing the falls reduced about 30–40%. The peak of the rainy reason when the falls are at their most majestic is in April (though some say that February and March are the best months to view the falls); the lowest levels are in October and early November. We are viewing the falls in the middle of September.

Victoria Falls

In this photo, you can see more of the force of the falls, spectacular even though not all the canyon rock is covered. The falls produce a mist which travels over to the Zimbabwe side and also with enough water in it to get visitors wet.

I have put my photos of Victoria Falls on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/victoria–falls–zimbabwe/

(Slide Shows, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe, “Victoria Falls”).

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

We stayed at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge which has this great view of a waterhole. Elephants and other animals use this hole but the animals that I saw at it were mainly storks and vultures and no elephants.

Vulture Feeding-MOVIE-1

A main event at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was the 1 p.m. vulture feeding. Vultures here are critically endangered birds in Zimbabwe. The poachers are using cyanide to poison elephants so that they can remove their tusks. The vultures take in the poison when they feast on the elephants after they die and, hence, also die. The vultures are needed to clean the carcasses of dead animals to prevent outbreaks of rabies and anthrax. Vultures are fed so that their numbers will increase.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/gTJJ7YkGEu0

Vulture Feeding-MOVIE-2

More of the vulture feeding.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/JW40Fv0PYCs

The Elephant Experience

One of the tours that we could go on this afternoon after visiting Victoria Falls was The Elephant Experience. I didn’t go on it as I had already been on two elephant rides on my trips. Some of my tour mates went on the rides. On both of my rides, I had a seat to ride in and the mahout was the only one to sit directly on the elephant. Here, everyone sat right on the elephant. This is one of Emma Boltron’s photos that she very nicely gave me permission to use.

I have put my photos of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and others on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/victoria–falls–safari–lodge/

(Slide Shows, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe, “Victoria Falls Safari Lodge”).