Victoria Falls is one of the wonders of the natural world. It is called "Mosi-oa-Tunya", meaning, in the local language, "the smoke that thunders", which describes the spray and the roar as the Zambezi River drops over 300 feet into the narrow gorge below. The Falls have fascinated travellers since David Livingstone was the first European explorer to see them in 1855. Sighting the Falls from his dugout canoe in November 1855, Livingstone could hardly believe his eyes at such a spectacle. He named the Falls for his queen, Victoria. The Falls are 1.7 kilometres wide and dump an average of 545 million litres of water over the edge every minute. Victoria Falls are one of Africa's major tourist attractions, and are a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls form the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Each country has a national park and a town: Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and Livingstone in Zambia, and Victoria Falls National Park and the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The viewing of the Falls is better from the Zimbabwe side from October to March when the Falls are at their lowest.
Located in western Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park (formerly Wankie Game Reserve) is the largest natural reserve in the country and is famous for its rich diversity of wildlife. The northern and western areas of the park are different - the northern area is encompassed by the Zambezi watershed, while the western part consists of grasslands, marshes, and scattered woodlands. The natural seeps such as Nehimba and Shakwanki, where animals dig for water, are particularly notable. The park is home to one of the biggest elephant populations in the world, as well as around 100 mammal species, and several protected animals including the endangered wild dog, critically endangered black rhino, and rare roan and sable. Around 500 bird species also inhabit the area. Visitors can look forward to bush hikes, game drives, and horse riding safaris.
