Thunder And Thrills

A trip to Victoria Falls provides excitement and inspirational views in abundance, writes Kate Whitehead.

- Kate Whitehead

I haven’t got a natural head for heights, so leaning over the edge of Victoria Falls and gazing into the boiling chasm already has my heart racing. Then I spot a double rainbow crisscrossing the gorge below just as something nibbles at my feet and I feel a surge of adrenaline. There’s nothing like a magical moment combined with a near death experience to really feel alive.

The aptly named Devil’s Pool is the ultimate thrill-seeker’s infinity pool. It’s just off Livingstone Island, the place where the Scottish missionary turned explorer Dr David Livingstone first glimpsed the falls. You can only visit it in the dry season – September to December – when the water level drops enough to expose the rocks at the top of the falls.

The buzz of sitting on the edge of the world’s biggest waterfall while young tiger fish nibble at your feet more than makes up for the fact that the falls are not at their fullest. Actually, there’s never a bad time to visit. The best views are enjoyed in January and February and in Mid-July to September when the water flow isn’t at its peak. (When the river is at its highest, from April to June, the spray often blocks the views of the falls.)

You can see the falls from miles away – the force of the water throws a cloud of vapour two kilometres into the sky. From a distance the massive plume of spray looks like smoke. Indeed, the indigenous name for the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates as The Smoke That Thunders.

A dip in Devil’s Pool is just one of a string of options for adventurous souls. You can also whitewater raft down the river, bungee jump, abseil off the 111-metre high Victoria Falls Bridge or do a Gorge Swing across the river – all good reasons why the area has earned a reputation as the adrenaline centre of Africa.