Has the drought dried up the Falls? Are hydroelectric projects to blame? Will we ever see the Falls in full spate again? The El Niño-precipitated drought that has ravaged parts of Southern Africa has affected water levels at the Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba (upstream from the Falls on the Zambezi River). When the images appeared on social media, the water flow was certainly lower than usual (causing some locals to refer to the Victoria Walls, not Falls). However, it is also true that every year in November large sections of the Falls are dry.
Are they still dry? No! With the advent of the rainy season, dam levels are rising and the falls are in impressive flow once again. The latest information on the Zambezi River Authority’s website contains great news for travelers wishing to visit Zambia or Zimbabwe to see “the smoke that thunders”:
“The Lake levels continued rising during the week under review with the lake level closing at 479.46m on 6th May 2016, which is lower than the level that was recorded last year (482.13m) on the same date… The end of the week flow [at Victoria Falls] of 2,829m3/s on 13th May 2016 is higher than last year’s flow on the same date of 1,426m3/s.”
Lindi Mthethwa of The Victoria Falls Hotel confirmed that in May the falls are “back in full spate” and “the view of the spray from the hotel is absolutely magnificent.”
So get packing. July to October is the best time to see the falls (some of the spray will have abated); it is also a good time for game-viewing as it’s easier to see animals in the dry season. Could there be a better bucket-list trip to make with your children during the school holidays?
Just remember that along with the big five you’re likely to see many of Africa’s smaller creatures, from ticks to tsetse flies. There will be fewer mosquitoes than in summer but check with your doctor regarding precautions. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are high-risk malaria areas and, with the outbreak of Yellow Fever in Angola, avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes is vitally important.
Consider treating your clothes with a product like Vital Protection. Independent tests have found that it prevents bites from a host of insects including mosquitoes, ticks, bedbugs, flies and midges. When added to 2.5 litres of water, one 20ml sachet of Vital Protection AM1 Soak and Dry allows users to treat 1kg of dry fabric in a single application. Simply soak clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, tents, nets etc. in the solution and then hang out to dry. Treated fabrics will remain effective for a period of 3 months or 30 washes. Vital Protection AM2 is the nifty spray-on version.
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