White water rafting

Taking an inflatable raft down the rapids in Batoka Gorge is one of the most exciting activities you can do around here, which is saying something. The churning waters south of the falls provide some of the world's best rapids.

Strap on a helmet, don a lifejacket, say a prayer and float off into Oblivion - the aptly named rapid 18, and the best on the river. To get there you have to start at rapid 1, though that will do nothing to diminish the surge of adrenalin you get when you stare into Oblivion for the first time.

These rapids have been classified by the British Canoe Union as Grade 5, the highest classification available for runnable rapids. What this translates to in layman's terms is that the rapids are huge, but there's very little chance of you hitting any rocks, as there is a generous amount of water covering them. Perfect for a safe yet thrilling white water ride.

The distance between rapids varies from 100m to 2km, so you will have time to relax and take in some of the sights. The walls of the Batoka gorge rise up to 750 feet on either side of the river and there is a lot of birdlife including black eagles and giant kingfishers.

Once you have made it safely to the finish point, one last challenge awaits you - the walk out. It's long, steep and difficult, and will take a person of average fitness about 20 minutes to get to the top, where well-earned cold drinks await you.

Both full and half-day trips are available, but do note that you cannot go white-water rafting when the river is in full flood - the operators play it by ear, but it could be any time between February and May.

So if white-water rafting is high on your list of things to do, take this into account when considering the best time to go to Victoria Falls.

Enquire now |  Add to my enquiry