World Report

The Victoria Fall: mostly on the Zambian side

he world’s largest waterfall and one of its most spectacular natural wonders, the Victoria Falls is also one of Africa’s most famous tourist attractions. When the Zambezi River is in full flood, some 500 million litres of water per minute plummet into the gorge more than 300 feet below, and the columns of spray are visible from miles away.

Just an hour’s flight from Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, the Falls have been declared a World Heritage Site and preserve their unspoiled beauty. But the areas is also an adventure playground offering kayaking, canoeing, fishing walking safaris and horse riding. For the more devil-may-care, the Victoria Falls Bridge offers one of the highest bungee jumps in the world – so far more than 50,000 people have taken the plunge.

The Zambian authorities feel that for too long the impression has been allowed to persist that the Falls are in neighbouring Zimbabwe, which has been far more successful in exploiting their tourist potential.

Charity Lumpa, Managing Director of the National Tourist Board points out for most of their width the Falls are on the Zambian side of the border. “We are claiming our heritage,” she says. “The Victoria Falls is Zambian and the best views of of it, without question, are in Zambia.”