Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Zambezi River - Zambia's Finest Safari Feature

The Zambezi is Africa's fourth largest river; flowing for about 3000km across central Africa. The river hails from a small brook at the upper Northwest corner of Zambia and it then flows through Angola and borders Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe before finally cutting through Mozambique where it empties its waters into the Indian Ocean through a Delta.

The Zambezi River ebbs and flows depending on season. If there is prolonged rain, the river swells up and bursts its banks in particular areas displacing thousands of people. On the other hand if there is no rain, the waters recede. The river is divided into three sections; the upper Zambezi, middle Zambezi and lower Zambezi.

Though the river, has a lot to offer with every square kilometer it passes through, it has the best of its features in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Perhaps the most spectacular feature along the Zambezi is the magnificent Victoria Falls.

Known locally as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" (the smoke that thunders), the Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The deafening roar of the falls as millions of liters of water cascade down its rocky cliff can be heard from metres away. From the falling water rises a glistening blanket of mist which makes the sight all the more enchanting.

The best time to tour the falls is during the dry winter season which runs from July to August. Around the rainy season, the blanket of mist gets so thick that it makes it impossible to catch a glimpse of the falls. The peak of the dry season is also not best because the falls are at their dullest during this time.

If you wish to, you can catch a helicopter ride and get a bird's eye view of the falls. However, most people prefer the experience from the ground where they can feel the spray of the falls on their faces. If you plan to view the falls from the ground, carry a raincoat as you are bound to get soaked, most people get a kick out of this though.

Not far from the falls stands the grand Victoria Falls Bridge. The bridge is a prized piece of fine architecture that joins Zambia and Zimbabwe while also providing an expansive view of the Zambezi and the adjacent rain forests. The most popular activity at the bridge is bungee jumping. The fall is 111 metres long making it the second longest bungee distance in the world. Other notable sights along the Zambezi include the expansive Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams.

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