David Livingstone, a medical missionary and Victorian-era explorer, embarked a transcontinental expedition across Africa in search of the source of the Nile River. With almost half a decade past in the dark continent without word from his end, The New York Herald charged Henry Stanley with the task of searching out Livingstone. On November 10, 1871 Stanley found Livingstone in an African village with the immortal introduction: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

This is where our story of the Victoria Falls begins. When Livingstone arrived at the Falls, called Mosi-oa-Tunya by the people; The Smoke That Thunders, he christened it with its current western name, in honor of Queen Victoria (1837–1901).

 are typically at their highest flow in the early dry, winter months from May through June. At this time the falls may generally span the entire width of 1.7km of the Zambezi crest; regrettably however, at this time the spray is far too great to be up close! In the hot, rainy, summer months typical to the region, from October through December the falls divide into strands of subgroups instead of the postcard illusion of “fullness” from a single sheet, leaving much of the bedrock wall exposed. At this time, water activities are possible at the Victoria Falls. Those unaccustomed to high humidity however, will not find this a preferable time to travel to the Victoria Falls. From January onward, especially the area becomes more prone to thunderstorms and humidity is exceptionally high. However, at this time the Falls are at their fullest, perhaps, depending upon the flow of the Zambezi River on that given year.