Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls drop into a wide amphitheatre on the White River in the southeast, and the water is often milky grey because the river drains the sulphurous ground below the Valley of Desolation. Reaching them means walking up the riverbed itself with several crossings, sometimes waist deep, and the route changes after every storm. A guide is effectively required. The falls are powerful and the pool below is turbulent rather than inviting.

What you'll find

• The amphitheatre - the rock bowl the falls drop into at the head of the walk.
• The milky water - the river's grey colour from the sulphurous ground it drains.
• The river route - the walk up the bed itself with repeated crossings.
• The volume - a fall carrying the full White River after rain.

When to go

January to April has lower water and safer crossings. Rain upstream raises the river dangerously with little warning. The route is reset by every major storm.

What to expect

The river rises fast after rain upstream even when it is dry at the coast, and people have been caught out. A local guide is genuinely necessary rather than optional. Swimming in the pool is dangerous.

Nearby

Sari Sari Falls is north, and Delices is the base for both.

Key facts