Victoria Falls: Which Side is Better? Because a waterfall such as Victoria Falls spans two different countries it's natural to ask which side is better. In this case, is the Zimbabwe (or Zim) side or Zambia (or Zam) side better? Unlike other cross-border waterfalls like Niagara Falls where you can say, "the falls are on the American side but the views are on the Canadian side," you can't really say that with Victoria Falls. That's because the border cuts in the middle of the Zambezi River, but the falls spans that river! Therefore, both countries will yield frontal and profile views of the waterfall. It's just that the western side of the cataract is Zimbabwean while the eastern side of the cataract is Zambian. Perhaps after the break down of the differences, pros, and cons of both sides, you'll draw your own conclusions and decide how to plan and prepare for your trip accordingly...
Although Mugabe's antics have made visiting the Zim side much cheaper, I have mixed feelings about visiting this side in its current state. Uncertainty and safety aside, it's the conscience of giving another cent to the Mugabe regime, but at the same time trying to help the Zimbabwe people who are in dire straits these days. Anyways, politics aside, I've provided pictures below give you a taste of what it's like to experience the Zimbabwe side of the falls...
Once you're inside the park, you can get profile views of the Eastern Cataract (with rainbows in the morning) as well as frontal views of that cataract across the Knife Edge Bridge and profile views of the segments of the falls on the Zimbabwe side. Livingstone Island excursions (when conditions permit, which it didn't for us) allow you to experience the falls from the top down. There is also a trail further to the south from the eastern end of the cataract that descends from the main walkway towards the Boiling Pots whirlpool. Below are some of the panoramic photos as seen from the Zambia side...
Personally, we've gone through the trouble of jumping through hoops and over hurdles to visit the Zimbabwe side for a half day in addition to the Zambia side, and we didn't regret it one bit (except for being a bit lighter on the wallet). However, I can totally understand those who forsake the Zimbabwe side. So with all the textual and visual information provided here, we hope you can decide for yourself which side is better and plan your trip accordingly.
|
The viewpoints range from Cataract Point in the far west (which offers a profile view of the falls looking eastward) to Danger Point at the eastern end of the plateau before it drops abruptly into the union of the falls' gorge and a narrower gorge separating the two countries. From Cataract Point, you're closest to the Devil's Cataract though you might glimpse parts of the Main Falls before the rest of the falls gets lost in its mist. From Danger Point, you'll get a frontal view of the so-called Rainbow Falls as well as parts of the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side. In between these points, there are numerous viewpoints connected by the "Chain Walk" offering frontal views of the Devil's Cataract, Cataract Island and its associated falls, the Main Falls, Livingstone Island, Horseshoe Falls, and Rainbow Falls.
The reason why we've been talking about Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls in the past tense as the preferred base is largely due to the country's political situation. Since the current leader (or dictator depending on your view), Robert Mugabe, liberated and took over the country from the British (formerly Rhodesia) in the 1980s, his operation "Drive Out The Trash" (where farms and business were seized and given to Mugabe cronies), the once thriving economy of booming tourism and agricultural exports has now degenerated into a failed state with rampant hyperinflation (Zimbabwean Dollars is practically useless at this point), corruption, food and petrol shortages, and millions of refugees fleeing to neighboring countries of Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique. The result is that there are millions of remaining Zimbabweans starving or are unable to carry on life as many of us are able to enjoy. Begging and even muggings (a result of desperation, no doubt) are more frequent as a result.
During our visit, the country was in the middle of a runoff election between the incumbent and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Unfortunately, Mugabe-controlled police and military tortured and killed Tsvangirai supporters during the main and runoff elections, and were forced to vote under immense pressure (essentially an armed person watching over you as you vote) to vote for Mugabe. Tsvangirai had since dropped out of the runoff allowing Mugabe to be "re-elected."
However, the town of Livingstone is 11km away, and is more of a true African town. You can get around by walking, but you'll find the distances are inconvenient and it could take at least an hour or two of walking from the start of town to the end of town without stops. There are more reasonably priced accommodations (such as Chanter's Lodge) as well as backpacker hostels (such as Fawlty Towers) in town. There are also more curio shops, restaurants, services, and even a few medical clinics. But chances are, you'll be making frequent use of the blue taxis to get places in a more-or-less timely manner. However, some of the paid excursions include transfers to and from your accommodation.
The expensive hotels like the Royal Livingstone and the Zambezi Sun (which have gotten even pricier thanks to the Zimbabwe situation) are closer to Victoria Falls (in some cases close enough to be walkable) but are well away from the town of Livingstone.
