After the helicopter rides over the falls, I asked our driver to drop us off at the rainforest entrance rather than taking us back to the lodge. It was time to see it up close! You can really appreciate the enormity of Victoria Falls when you’re walking alongside it.
The waterfall is the largest sheet of falling water in the world at 5,603 feet (1,708 meters) wide. It is also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya which means “the smoke that thunders.” This name comes from the large spray and mist created by the falls: Up to 1,640 feet (500 meters) that can be seen as far as 31 miles (50 km) away.
Victoria Falls Rainforest
We paid the entrance fee and walked through the gate. The footpath is universally accessible but has some rough terrain. Several benches are available and there are periodic side trails if you need to head back to the exit.
Victoria Falls Rainforest
2020 Price: $30 per person
If you visit during the green season, be prepared to get sopping wet! Several vendors at the entrance and the parking lot across the street tried to sell us ponchos. I wore a rain jacket and had a plastic cover for my camera so I declined. Turns out it would have come in handy.
There are 16 numbered lookout points along the 2-mile footpath on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. We followed the path in order but you can pick and choose what you want to see. Point 1, the David Livingstone Statue, is to the left of the entrance.
Devil’s Cataract and Cataract Island
Around the corner from the statue, you can see the Zambezi River flow over the edge by the Devil’s Cataract and peer down the length of the waterfall in the gorge.
There are two islands on the rim big enough to divide the current of water even at peak flow. Cataract Island (or Boaruka Island) on the west and Livingstone Island near the middle. The famous Devil’s Pool is located on Livingstone Island.
As the dry season progresses, the “islands” along the edge of the waterfall become wider and increase in number. At its driest in November, up to half the rock face is visible and the water flow is around a tenth of what it is in April’s peak.
Point 2 has a set of steps down to get a closer view of Devil’s Cataract and Cataract Island.
Cataract Island is also the feature of Points 3 through 6.
If you are visiting any time but the dry season, I suggest taking selfies at this portion of the falls. You’re more likely to get soaked later along the trail.
Baboons run wild in the rainforest so be cautious around them. When we visited, one larger baboon was lying directly on the path while several others ran around.
From the Zimbabwean side to the Zambian side there are a few main streams – Devil’s Cataract (also called Leaping Water), Main Falls, Rainbow Falls, and the Eastern Cataract.
Main Falls
Point 6 starts your view of the Main Falls and continues through Point 12.
Because we visited when the flow was high, this is where the mist and spray started to intensify. There were several sections that we had difficulty clearly seeing the falls.
However, we found that if we waited for a few minutes, the wind would kick up and disperse some of the mist.
Horseshoe Falls and Rainbow Falls
Livingstone Island and Horseshoe Falls come after the Main Falls. We started getting drenched with water around Horseshoe Falls but it got especially bad at Rainbow Falls. The mist and spray created a heavy downpour and stung our eyes. We even ended up running back to the path farther from the edge in hopes of savings ourselves!
Even though we were waterlogged by this point, we wanted to finish the journey. The rainforest ends after Horseshoe Falls, leading to grasslands. Danger Point is the last lookout of the actual waterfall in Zimbabwe. I couldn’t see much but I wanted to be able to say I’d been there. The rocks here are very slippery so take extra care.
Victoria Falls Bridge
A view of the Victoria Falls Bridge is the final point for the Zimbabwe footpath. The bridge spans the Batoka Gorge and serves as a way for vehicles, trains, and pedestrians to cross the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. For this reason, it is sometimes called the Zim-Zam Bridge. At around 420 feet (128 meters) above the Zambezi River, the bridge also offers adventure activities like bungee jumping and a bridge swing.
I wish I had brought a quick dry towel in my bag for when we finished. Everything, including my camera, was wet even though I wore a raincoat and purse.
We needed to dry off and fill our stomachs after that adventure so we decided to eat lunch at Rainforest Café. The restaurant is located just inside the entrance of the Victoria Falls Rainforest. I had a delicious spaghetti Bolognese!
Transport Back To Lodge
There are free shuttles available across the street from the rainforest entrance to take you back to the hotels. Our lodge gave us the shuttle schedule when we checked in. Our shuttle stopped at 4 spots – A’Zambezi, Rainbow Hotel, Shearwater Café/Batoka Safaris, and the rainforest. We weren’t paying attention to the time when we left the rainforest and waited a long while for the next shuttle.
Thankfully a kind driver was dropping off some people from Rainbow Hotel in-between pick-up times and he let us climb aboard. That way we got to sit in the AC while he completed his route, which eventually led to our lodge.
The spray from the waterfall washed my bug spray off. Reapply when you can because that area of Zimbabwe is a malaria zone. It was the only time I was bitten on my entire 3-week trip. Six mosquito bites in one day!
A’Zambezi River Lodge
Back at the A’Zambezi River Lodge we wandered the grounds and got to see some cute animals. There were striped skinks and vervet monkeys.
Dinner was a la carte at the hotel restaurant (Amulonga) with beautiful views of the river. I had a bream (fish) dish. Each night we also enjoyed singing and dancing from local tribesmen while we ate. A gorgeous sunset was the perfect end to the day!
A’Zambezi River Lodge
2020 Price: $772 for 3 nights
The last image which is a video of the Main Falls is so amazing! So glad I took the time to view your videos. I loved watching the mist go in and out. Thank you for sharing.
Your photos stand alone to entice my growing interest. The prose is the icing on the cake. On this another very warm day I would welcome the spray of Victoria Falls. South Africa was not high on my bucket list.. But with each blog I want to see these sights for myself. Thank you.
Thanks Liz! The spray definitely did cool us down 🙂 I recommend southern Africa to anyone looking for adventure, nature, or wildlife.