In 1855 the famous missionary, David Livingstone came upon Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders” and promptly named them Victoria Falls. These falls are 1.5 km wide and the Zambezi River drops 100m into the gorge below. It is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and it is here that the fun really starts for rafters and kayakers alike.

Famed for it’s huge whitewater and world class rapids the Zambezi is Africa’s most well know river. Rafters putting on below Victoria Falls are in for one of the best single day rafting trips in the world, with over 20 huge rapids in a single day. The immense, jade green waters and enormous rapids will engulf, challenge, scare and excite all at once!

For kayakers the river is mecca for river running and playboating. The river alters throughout the year depending on the water levels with certain rapids becoming ideal playspots as other die away. But all year round kayakers will have to run the big lines and huge crashing whitewater between the more friendly rapids.

Putting in at rapid number one, directly below the bridge that forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, rafters and kayakers have a unique opportunity to cross the river and then head upstream to stand beneath the mighty falls to a place where few people on this earth have ever stood or had access to – it truly is an experience not to be missed.

From then on it’s a headlong dive down from rapids number 1 to 25.

Written by  Ben Mason.

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