The Victoria Falls
Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ - ‘the Smoke that Thunders’. Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Columns of spray can be seen from
miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet
over the edge (at the height of the flood season) over a width of nearly two kilometers into a deep gorge over 100 meters below.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the height of the flood season) over a width of nearly two kilometers into a deep gorge over 100 meters below. The wide basalt cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.

Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor who is prepared to brave the tremendous spray with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls. One special vantage point is across the Knife edge bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls bridge and the Lookout Tree which commands a panoramic view across the Main Falls.
                                       

Hwange National Park:

The park covers an area of 5,656miles² (14,651km²) with an average altitude 1,000m above sea level. Hwange has 480km of roads, many of which are all weather but some get boggy during the rainy season and are closed. There is no off-road or night driving in the National Park.

These sub-tropical thorn and sand flats on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, were once home to the nomadic San (bushmen) who lived off the land and feasted on great herds of migrating game. They were displaced by stronger African tribes, who in turn had their day. Chief Hwange of the Rozi tribe was ousted by the Matabele chief Mzilikazi, and his lands taken over as a royal hunting ground.

It is a place of great contrasts between wet and dry season, with the extremes reminding you of the life-giving properties of water. During the desperately dry months the park can appear very inhospitable to such a large number of animals. The salt-pans are crusted and cracked, the acacia scrub is wilting and the grassy plains are yellow and crunchy. However the animals survive on limited vegetation and the help of man-made waterholes that sustain them until the rains bring forth new growth.

Dry Season:
July to September is hot during the day but can drop to below freezing on particularly cold winter nights. During these dry months the animals are concentrated around the man-made waterholes, without which they would die.
Rainy Season:
Big fluffy clouds release the summer rains and the vegetation bursts into life. The area has a relatively low average rainfall of between 22½-25½ inches (570-650 mm) per annum.  Temperatures can reach  over 100°F  (38°C), while on   average they range   from 65- 83°F(18- 28°C).   Birdlife is most   spectacular at this time.

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Acacia Southern Africa Destinations
P.O. Box 1183, Ferndale 2160. Johannesburg. South Africa
Tel:+27 (0) 11 787 0765 – Fax:+27 (0) 11 787 0833 – e-mail: info@acacia-sa.com