Victoria Falls has been on my must-see list for quite a long time. A few weeks ago, after two nights on buses and one on a train (read more about that interesting ride on Daryle’s blog – DaryleDickens.com) we finally made it. From the time the train started to pull into the station, you could see the mist in the distance, but it wasn’t until we lifted off in a helicopter that we really got a hint of the full scale of the falls.
While we generally tend to be pretty cheap travelers, we opted to make an exception for the helicoptor ride over the Falls. It was without question a good decision. The combination of the view from the air and the ground gives you the chance to appreciate both the scale and the power of the falls. AND I got my first ever helicopter ride.
The falls stretch 5,603 feet across and crash into a deep canyon, so you aren’t able to view the entire falls from any one location on the ground.
From the air you don’t get to feel the mist generated by the powerful falls forcing its way up out of the canyon or hear the crashing of the water.
There are actually surprisingly few places that the falls can be seen at all. There are parks with viewpoints on both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides and then from the air – that is pretty much it.
Victoria Falls Was Worth Every Penny
The helicopter ride is not a cheap view, the trip lasts 12-13 minutes and will cost you about $140USD per person, but given the amount of effort, time and/or money you likely spent just to get here, it sort of pales in comparison. There are actually surprisingly few places that the falls can be seen at all. There are parks with viewpoints on both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides and then from the air – that is pretty much it. I would say the view from the air was well worth it.
