For a few months each year, Victoria Falls slows enough for thrill-seekers to swim in its Devil’s Pool.
ater rushes around me as I scoot closer to the rocky edge. I’m lying on my stomach, peering down through the mist as the Zambezi River thunders 300 feet into the craggy chasm that unfolds below. I let go and stretch my arms out, expanding to fill just a little more of this giant space. My tour guide holds on to my ankles, ensuring that I don’t also catapult over the ledge. My heart beats in sync with the roaring water.
Victoria Falls—originally named Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "the smoke that thunders,” by the Kalolo-Lozi people—straddles Zambia and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa. It is comprised of five separate falls that combine to span approximately 5,600 feet, reaching around 360 feet tall at their highest point. For most of the year, it’s off-limits to swimming as 33,000 cubic feet of water plummet over the gorge every second.
Over two days in Zimbabwe, my husband and I experienced Victoria Falls—one of the seven natural wonders of the world—from nearly every angle. First up: a 15-minute helicopter ride that allowed us to gauge the true scope of this massive crack carved into the landscape by the plunging and churning water. From that bird’s-eye vantage point, the individual falls were delineated and even at that great height, one could easily see the “smoke” the local tribes described.
Once through the border mayhem, we were dropped off at base camp for the obligatory safety briefing. Then we boarded a speedboat for a short, zig-zaggy ride along the Zambezi. Along with a mini safari: We spotted zebras feeding in the grass, and the heads of hippos rose in the water like Whac-A-Mole.Peter Unger/Getty Images
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