--- 维多利亚瀑布是世界上最高的瀑布。

All the waterfalls I had seen before were fairly narrow streams of water, but this one was an enormous gorge nearly two kilometers wide and as tall as a thirty-story building. It was named after a Scottish explorer who was the first white person to discover this natural wonder and honored it by naming it after Queen Victoria. The local tribes, however, called it simply and pragmatically “The Roaring Smoke” due to the loud noise and the cloud of spray mist rising above the gorge. We visited the waterfall; we flew over it in a helicopter, and even ventured into the “Devil’s Pool” – that small area at the very edge of the waterfall. It’s hard to imagine such an activity in a civilized country, but in Africa, anything is possible...

Unfortunately, we were during the dry season, so we couldn’t see it at its full glory. I took pictures of postcards showing the waterfall during the rainy season.

But this is what we saw:

Two countries border this waterfall: the eastern part belongs to Zambia, and the western part, the largest and most beautiful portion, is in Zimbabwe. This photo was taken from the east side, but soon we would reach the location where the “roaring smoke” rises into the air.

These people are on the opposite shore of the waterfall, in Zimbabwe. From there, the view is the best.

There is a bridge built between Zambia and Zimbabwe that offers tourists the opportunity to bungee jump from it.

Another popular activity for tourists is flying over the waterfall in a deltaplane. Two people can ride on it – a pilot and a passenger. The passenger is secured with a regular seatbelt, just like in a child’s ride at an amusement park. On both sides, there are two small metal handles that you grip tightly during the whole flight. This strange flying device goes quite high, but the sensation is almost like sitting on a tiny stool. There’s nothing around you, and the slightest gust of wind causes the deltaplane to sway violently from side to side. I really love flying, but I have to admit that this experience wasn’t particularly enjoyable. I wasn’t allowed to bring a camera or phone; there was only a camera attached to the deltaplane’s wings that took occasional pictures.

After that, we switched to a more conventional aircraft: a helicopter. From the helicopter cabin, we were able to take comfortable photos, and I captured several scenic views of the waterfall. All this vast area with water and islands is actually the Zambezi River flowing over the waterfall.

The canyon blocks the river’s path, creating the Victoria Falls itself.

The helicopter pilots said that during the rainy season, the mist rises so high that it’s impossible to fly over it.

The pilots made several circles so we could take pictures of the waterfall from all angles.

After passing the waterfall, the river flows through a long and winding canyon where we went rafting.

From this angle, you can see the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia as well as the dam that Zimbabwe built to generate electricity.

Here are a few more pictures of the waterfall:

Those who wanted to ride in a helicopter were given two options: a 15-minute flight or a 30-minute flight. The shorter option was just a leisurely tour around the area, while the longer one included a flight through the canyon.

It happened very unexpectedly: we were flying at a low altitude when the helicopter suddenly plunged into the canyon.

We were only 2 or 3 meters above the water, so safety measures were completely forgotten.

The pilot flew at an extremely fast speed, and it was very reminiscent of a scene from “Star Wars).

At every turn, the helicopter accelerated at full speed.

When we finally emerged from the canyon, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

I included this picture to show you how dramatically the helicopter moves during flight. The right side is the rotor blade of the main rotor.

The next day, we went to visit the “Devil’s Pool.” We were taken in a boat to Livingston Island, where the explorer Livingston first saw the waterfall and named it after the queen.

There was an African man who greeted us; he looked a bit like a Jamaican.

The main attraction of the island is what they call the “toilet with a view.” To understand what this means, you need to see it from the other side.<

You have to see it from that angle to appreciate what it really means.

I suppose Livingston must have enjoyed the view while thinking about other things...

We were then taken to the edge of the cliff.

While we were approaching the “Devil’s Pool,” the previous group of visitors was being slowly escorted away.

The “Devil’s Pool”:

It’s extremely difficult to reach the bottom of it due to the steep descent and the sharp rocks. You have to jump, so it adds an extra layer of excitement to the experience.

In the center of the pool, the water is deep – about two meters. On the edge, there is a natural rock ledge that acts as a safety barrier.

The guide ensured that no one got too close to the edge.

Inside the pool, it was calm and peaceful, but just a meter away, the water turned into a raging torrent.

The guide watched over the tourists carefully.

Within a meter of the pool edge, the water behaved like a violent storm.

The guide said that occasionally, a tourist would die in this area during such an activity.

After some time, we emerged from the pool and let the next group go in.

Soon after, we left that place and continued our journey.

Stay Tuned! ---