Before Dr. David Livingstone happened to cross paths with it during his explorations of Africa back in 1855, most of the Western world had no idea that Victoria Falls even existed. After seeing this stunning natural wonder for the first time, he nicknamed the Falls “the smoke that thunders” because of the thundering crash and clouds of drenching mist that the enormous amount of water falling into the Victoria Falls gorge creates.

After falling in love with its beauty, he formally named it after the British Monarch at the time, Queen Victoria. As I explain in this guide to Victoria Falls, the Falls are located on the mighty Zambezi River, which forms a natural border between the countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. While it may not be the tallest or the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is the world’s largest sheet of water and is a natural wonder that every traveler should see with their own eyes.