Zambia–Zimbabwe relations are bilateral relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe, two neighbouring states in Southern Africa.

Zambia and Zimbabwe

Ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. When explorer David Livingstone became the first European to set eyes upon the falls in 1855, he commented that "scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight". Certainly, the planet's largest sheet of falling water is an impressive sight. Today, it remains one of the most popular destinations in Southern Africa, with visitors traveling from far and wide to admire the falls from viewpoints on both sides of the river. For those of you who are not familiar with the geography here; the Zambezi River which creates the magnificent Victoria Falls is the border between these two countries. It is therefore possible to see the Falls from either country but deciding on which one can hugely impact your experience and your wallet.

Historically, Zimbabwe was considered the best country to view The Victoria Falls, its infrastructure and the town’s locality to the Falls made it more suitable. However in the last decade due to the political turmoil in Zimbabwe, Zambia has established itself firmly as a tourist destination. They have injected a lot of money into their infrastructure and new hotels and tour operators have sprung up everywhere. Today it enjoys a large slice of the market share. However we would just like to highlight a few fundamental differences between the two so you can make your own decision.

Which Side is Better, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

Because the falls can be viewed from Zambia and Zimbabwe, the first question most visitors ask is which is better? Inevitably, there are pros and cons to both.

Zimbabwe

Two-thirds of the falls are located in Zimbabwe. Head to Victoria Falls National Park to explore a series of well-marked pathways that wind their way through the rainforest to provide access to 16 different viewpoints. From here, enjoy classic, face-on views of the Main Falls, which are impressive even in the height of the dry season. The Zimbabwean side is renowned for its excellent game-viewing opportunities, while Victoria Falls town is closer to the falls than the Zambian gateway, Livingstone. Some visitors worry about security issues, thanks to Zimbabwe's turbulent political past. However, the Victoria Falls region is considered relatively safe.

Zambia

Zambia offers fewer viewpoints, and if you travel during the driest months (October and November), the Zambian section of the falls may have dried up completely. However, many visitors prefer the slightly wilder, 'road-less-traveled' feel of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. The park is also half the price of its Zimbabwean counterpart at $15 per person. Most activities are available on both sides of the falls. The exception is Devil's Pool, a natural swimming pool on the edge of the falls that can only be accessed from Zambia's Livingstone Island. For adrenalin junkies, this is an experience not to be missed.

Long-suffering Zambians and Zimbabweans finally may have something to cheer: daily power cuts that have lasted as long as 18 hours may soon diminish as floodwaters cascade toward the near-empty hydropower dam that’s their biggest source of electricity.Fed by recent heavy rains in Angola, the Zambezi River is carrying a torrent of water that will tumble over the Victoria Falls before arriving in Lake Kariba. The two southern African nation’s depend on the world’s biggest man-made freshwater reservoir for almost half of their electricity generation, but dam levels are currently less than 12% due to the worst regional drought in almost 40 years.Water flows near Zambia’s border with Angola in February peaked at levels last seen in 1978, according to data from the Zambezi River Authority, jointly run by the Zimbabwe and Zambian governments. That water has now filled vast floodplains in western Zambia and is coursing toward Kariba. Flows at Ngonye, 400 kilometers (250 miles) upstream from Kariba, almost trebled over the last two weeks to 3,307 cubic meters a second. That’s more than three times the amount a year ago, when the river was straining under the worst drought in four decades.

If you are coming from the Zambian side and want to visit the Zimbabwe side this is how you do it in a few easy steps:

^ Take a taxi or shuttle from your hotel to the border at Victoria Falls. 
^ Go to immigration and get your passport stamped to exit Zambia.  
^ Walk through the gate. 
^ Walk to the Zim Zam bridge, which takes approx. 10 minutes. 
^ Walk across the bridge, admire the views and watch the bungee jumpers. 
^ Walk to Zimbabwe immigration, which again, takes approx. 10 mins. 
^ Go to immigration and get your passport stamped to enter Zimbabwe. Pay your visa fee if 
^ you don’t have one already. 
^ Walk through the gate.
^ The entrance to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe is a few hundred yards down on your right.

If you don’t want to walk across, you can get a taxi from just inside the gate after Zambian border control that can take you across the bridge and on to the Zimbabwe border. Then you can pick up taxis once you are through into Zimbabwe.

Zambia and Zimbabwe is the largest country in Africa. Best place for your travel, so you can travel.