Did You Know One Of The World’s Largest Waterfalls Throws A ‘Moonbow’?
There hasn’t been much hype over the refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets since 2008’s Double Rainbow viral video, which was shot at Yosemite National Park. But we reckon one natural phenomenon, the “moonbow”, has it beat.
Victoria Falls, dubbed “The Smoke that Thunders”, is right between the two African nations of Zimbabwe and Zambia. It’s not the tallest or widest waterfall in the world, but holds the largest volume of water, by far.
The 1600m tall, 100m wide cascade spills more than 550 mega-litres (220 Olympic swimming pools’ worth) of water every single minute.
But what has tourists in awe isn’t the waterfall itself, but the light that hits the mist from the falls, forming rainbows that can be seen daily and, sometimes, during a full moon. It’s called a “moonbow”.
The falls are a World Heritage-protected site, and are something you need to see for yourself to truly appreciate. If rainbows aren’t your thing, there are even swimming holes around the falls for travellers to cool off during the summer months – even one which forms at the fall’s edge for those brave enough to dive in.
How To Get There
- Fly into Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport
- Drive 15.3 km (22 minutes) via Airport Road
- Victoria Falls, Mosi-o-tunya Road, Livingstone, Zambia
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(Lead Image: Sorasak)