The Victoria Falls is owned by both Zambia and Zimbabwe (see map on the right). The Victoria falls are also on a tip near were four countries meet Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. (SEE MAP BELOW)The names can be confusing so clarify to all misconception here goes with the terminology:The name of the actual Falls is the Victoria Falls known also as the Mosi oa Tunya (meaning the smoke that thunders).Victoria Falls is also the name of the town on the Zimbabwe side of the Falls .The town on the Zambian side of the Falls is Livingstone named after the first European explorer who’ discovered’ the Falls, Dr David Livingstone. Livingstone named the Falls after his queen of his time, Victoria, who incidentally never visited the Falls named after her.
Up until about 10 years ago Zimbabwe was by the far the most popular country to visit the Victoria Falls from. There are plenty of luxury hotels and the infrastructure is good. You can walk to the falls from town along well marked paths and the view is certainly the best from this side because you can stand opposite the falls and see them head on. But, the political situation in Zimbabwe has meant that tourists are opting to visit the falls from the Zambian side. Tourist hotel occupancy on the Zimbabwean side has been hovering around 30% but because of the recent unity government in place tourist are starting to come back and with World Cup 2010 things are improving and it takes less than an hour from Victoria Falls to South Africa.
Visiting the falls from Zambia has some advantages, namely the tickets to enter the park are cheaper and accommodation in the town of Livingstone is also traditionally less expensive. You can see the falls from above as well as below and the surrounding forested areas are more pristine. You can even swim in a natural pool right before the edge of the upper falls. As a town, Livingstone is an interesting place. It used to be the capital of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and its streets are still lined with Victorian-era colonial buildings.
It is recommend visiting from both sides, there is a border post you can cross quite easily and day passes are given out so you don’t need to get a visa in advance. But as with all border formalities, check in advance since rules can change from day to day. The border is open from 8am to 6pm every day. Several hotels on either side offer packages which include a day pass to the other side as well as a night’s stay.
The advantage on the Zimbabwe side is you view the falls straight in front of you while on the Zambian side you see then on a side this is why some tourist on the Zambian side will cross to Zimbabwe so that they could properly see the falls.The monument of David Livingstone is als on Zimbabwean side. If you are at the falls during the dry season (September to December) it is definitely worth taking a look from the Zimbabwean side, which will still be quite spectacular despite less water flowing. The advantage of Zimbabwe side is you just walk from town centre to the falls while on Zambian side you need a taxi or minibuses which regularly ply the route to the falls. Most of the time you don’t need a guide or tour; just enjoy the spectacle at your own leisure.Map of Zimbabwe below
