Victoria falls is one of the natural wonders of the world that cuts across Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s one of the most spectacular places I have visited that commands power. It is truly majestic. It’s no wonder then that the locals refer to it as ‘Mosi Oa Tunya’ which translates to the smoke that thunders.  As you can see below, Victoria falls lives up that definition. The noise is something you cannot miss, and the ‘smoke’ can be seen as you fly over the falls.

This raises the question, ‘which side should of the Victoria falls should you see?” God knows I’d hate to be in such a position but you may find yourself in that position if your time is limited therefore you can only afford to see one side of the falls.  Before you decide depending on your expectations which side is best, I would like you to know that Victoria falls look entirely different depending on the time of your visit. The falls change dramatically depending on the season of the year.

 

LOW SEASON

Personally, I visited in the month of November 2017  also known as ‘low season’ also known as ‘the waterfalls ain’t sh*t ‘. I made the last part up but honestly, should you visit during the low season, the water is so low that you will find it difficult to believe that this is a natural world wonder. Below is how Victoria falls looks like.  The first picture was taken when I was at the devil’s pool only found on the Zambian side and the second picture is from the Zimbabwean side.

Verdict

If you ever visit Victoria falls during the ‘dry’ season which falls between August and January, then you are better of seeing the falls from the Zimbabwean side because the views are better from that side. However, there will be a catch if you are an adrenaline junkie interested in a swim at the Devil’s pool among other activities that are not available on the Zimbabwean side.

High Season

If you visit during the ‘high season’ that starts from February through sometime in early July. You will see the falls in full flood from both sides. I mean, the falls are majestic at this point you have to walk to through the Victoria Falls park with a raincoat on otherwise you and your phone or camera will get completely drenched. Yes, it’s that serious. The smoke that thunders does not play during the high season and the water will spray on you a good one. Your vision will also blurred thanks to Victoria falls living up to its name ‘ The smoke that thunders’

 

More images – Low Season

More images – High season

Verdict

As you’ve seen from the images above, the falls are not all that during the low season whether you are in Zambia or Zimbabwe. However if you find yourself visiting  the falls during the low season and your time is limited, you’re better off seeing the falls from Zimbabwe simply because Zimbabwe has more viewpoints and more water as opposed to Zambia.

During the high season, the views are epic from both sides, although Zimbabwe still has better views since 75% of the falls are in Zimbabwe.. However, Livingstone allows travellers to see the falls really up close plus it  has a wide variety of activities for the adrenaline junkie .

Final Verdict

Personally, Livingstone is my personal favourite. However, in my opinion if you are interested in seeing the best views of the falls at any time of the year and you have limited time and funds, I’d tell you to go to Zimbabwe. Remember though, it comes at the cost of missing how amazing Livingstone is. Therefore, I’d say the choice really depends on your expectations. However, if you have the time and the money, you can obtain the KAZA visa so that you won’t have to choose. The visa is  50 USD last I checked and it allows you to visit both countries multiple times in a span of 30 days.

Entry Fees

Zambia- USD 20

Zimbabwe- USD 30

Like Justrioba on facebook and instagram for weekly travel updates!