On June 16, the world celebrates International Waterfall Day. The reason? Well, for one, waterfalls are spectacularly beautiful and awe-inspiring. And what’s more, they also support communities and eco-systems and contribute to tourism revenue. Today, we’re looking at a few top waterfall destinations and waterfalls worldwide. Read on to find out how to make the most of a Europesure annual multi-trip policy, by waterfall hopping around the globe.
Niagara Falls
If planning to visit Niagara Falls, you have a choice. You can head to the Canadian side and see the amazing Horseshoe Falls, the biggest of the three Niagara waterfalls, straddling the border between Canada and the USA. Or, you can go to the American side and see the American and Bridal Veil Falls. Or, if you have an eTA for Canada and visa for the USA, you can cross the Rainbow Bridge between the two countries and see all of the falls.
The first European to discover Niagara Falls was Father Louis Hennepin, in 1678. The American and Bridal Veil Falls have 75,750 gallons of water per second passing over them, whilst Horseshoe has 68,750. The water volume is immense, but then the Niagara River is fed by four of the five Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Erie and Michigan. The five lakes together comprise a fifth of the world’s fresh water supply!
Whichever part of Niagara you wish to visit will not make a difference to your travel insurance policy. Either way, you will need a Europesure annual multi-trip policy, or a single trip policy, for the worldwide region including North America (USA and Canada). This is because medical treatment is just as expensive in Canada as in the USA – the very good reason why you should never neglect to purchase travel insurance for North American travel.
Iguazu
Iguazu is a stunning waterfall again offering you a choice of country from which to gaze upon the wonders of nature. You can either head to the Argentine side, or view the falls from the Brazilian side – or do both, once again. The 82-metre-high and 2700-metre-wide falls became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 but were first known by the Mbyá-Guarani indigenous people, who called them Iguazu (big water).
The land was once owned by an Argentine businessman, who viewed it just as jungle and waterfalls. It was not until 1901 that the first tourist arrived and 1907 when a hotel first appeared. The Iguazu National Park was created in 1934 and, in 2011, the falls became a New Wonder, in the view of the New Seven Wonders Foundation.
The longest drop is the Devil’s Throat, at 80 metres. This is on the Argentinian side, where six different circuits lead to different parts of the falls. To reach Devil’s Throat, you should hop aboard the Ecological Train of the Jungle, which runs every 15 minutes. From the station near Devil’s Throat, it’s then a case of following a 2200-metre path. With tropical jungle around you, you need to apply the sunscreen and insect repellent but also watch out for wildlife, whether that is a toucan, coati, monkey cai or tapir.
If you are viewing Iguazu from the Brazilian side, there is just one circuit, of around 1500 metres and requiring around two hours to tour around the thundering waters. The Brazilian side opens between 9am and 6pm and the Argentinian side opens one hour earlier, at 8am.
When Eleanor Roosevelt witnessed these falls, she commented, ‘My poor Niagara’. That puts into context the wonder of Iguazu.
Here, you will need to pack worldwide annual multi-trip travel insurance policy from Europesure, or one of our single trip policies for the worldwide region. For more Brazilian travel inspiration, read our Europesure blog about São Paulo
Angel Falls
You might be tempted to use your Europesure annual multi-trip travel insurance for another trip to a waterfall in South America during the course of the year. This is Angel Falls, named after the American pilot, Jimmie Angel, who crash-landed here in the 1930s, when the world was unaware of this feat of nature. Standing at 979 metres, Angel Falls is regarded as the world’s tallest waterfall, 16 times the height of Niagara.
Reaching Angel Falls is not easy, lying as it does in the Lost World within Venezuela, an isolated region of the Gran Sabana. Table mountains surround it, as do rivers running over beds of jasper. The two ways to reach it are either by aircraft, flying overhead, or by a curiara local boat. The latter entails a 4-5 hour river journey, followed by a 45-minute trek. If you take this option, do be prepared with sturdy footwear, the right clothing, sunscreen and insect repellent, plus anything you might need for an overnight camp. There are no paths to use and tree roots can be very problematic to negotiate and tough on the feet and legs. Make sure your travel insurance will cover any trekking or boating activities, before you travel.
Tugela Falls
Found in South Africa, these are the world’s second highest falls, although some dispute that and believe them to be taller than Angel Falls. They are falls that cascade in five leaps and are found in the Royal-Natal National Park in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Reaching these falls is tough. It entails a hike to either top or bottom. If opting for the top, it will be a strenuous 4-6 hour affair and you will need a 4x4 vehicle, to reach the Sentinel car park that is your starting point. The hike will cover around 13 km but, if you can make it, will give you a spectacular visual reward. You may then need to camp at the top of the falls, before making a return journey the next day, but it will very much be wild camping, with no ready-made facilities or amenities. Check that the hike would be covered by your travel insurance.
Victoria Falls - a great location for annual multi-trip policy holders
If you’ve got your worldwide annual multi-trip insurance policy, you should also have the cover you need for a trip to Victoria Falls, a 108-metre waterfall, 1700 metres in width. With four drops in Zimbabwe and one in Zambia, this waterfall attracts around one million visitors a year. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989 and is colloquially known as The Smoke That Thunders, by the local Kololo tribe. Its English name was given to it by David Livingstone, who witnessed it in 1855 and named it in honour of Queen Victoria. Its dramatic display means that spray can be seen miles away.
If you travel to Victoria Falls, you will discover an array of adrenalin-filled experiences. The important thing is to make sure your travel insurance policy would cover you for these.
Travel activities available at Victoria Falls and on the Zambezi
Two of the most unique are the Devil’s Pool and Angel’s Pool experiences, where you literally sit in a pool 15 metres from the edge of the Falls in the case of Angel, or right by the drop with a rock lip to stop you from heading over the edge, in the Devil’s Pool. These experiences have to be enjoyed with the help of a registered guide and there is some walking to be done to reach the pool. The water level in the pool is also vital, with too little or too much making it impossible to enjoy the thrill. The best time is usually mid-August to the end of January.
But this is not all. Batoka Gorge, on the Zambezi, has 23 white water rapids to be negotiated and all 23 are usually navigable between June and February. White water rafting experiences can be enjoyed on a half or full-day, or two-day basis.
Hydrospeeding below the Falls’ historic bridge is another activity, using a board to ride the surf created by the water.
Flying, rap jumping and more
A microlight flight over Victoria Falls might appeal, or maybe you’d like to dive in first and do rap jumping (abseiling but going face down the rock). There’s bungee jumping, high wiring and gorge swinging too, with a cable stretched 246 feet above the ground and spanning 135 metres across the gorge. And, at these falls, you can also swim in a pool below the cascade. This entails a walk down the gorge and paddling out to the Boiling Pot in an inflatable raft, so you need to make sure you have a level of fitness to suit. Do also check on the small print of your insurance, before you do more than swim.
If you just fancy strolling around Victoria Falls, that’s not an issue. A forest pathway will take you to places with unrivalled views and to Knife-Edge Bridge, where a stunning vista awaits. You will also be able to look down on the Boiling Point, where the river turns and heads down Batoka Gorge. With other vantage points too, you will not feel short-changed just because you haven’t leapt into a harness and helmet, or picked up a paddle.
Plan ahead for your travel insurance requirements
The secret to visiting these waterfalls – and many more around the world – is to plan ahead, understand what is entailed in reaching them and decide what activities might entice you into participation. From there, you can organise the right travel insurance protection. That means making sure your intended activities are covered and that you have the right geographical coverage behind your annual multi-trip travel insurance policy. Do also check that you have an adequate number of days to cover your trip. Review too the days-per-trip limit and, if you are a more mature traveller, the age limit on the annual multi-trip policy as well.
From there, you just need to make sure any pre-existing medical conditions are covered and then select the level of protection you want from Europesure, be that Platinum, Gold or Silver. Add on any covers, such as Covid cover, that may be relevant for your trip and do not opt for baggage cover, if you think that is already covered by another policy you have in place.
Summing up
Once you’ve easily selected what works best for your trip, you should be well sorted and able to watch the watery wonder of nature at play, at the waterfall of your choice.
However, if you don’t get the right cover in place, whether that is an annual multi-trip policy or a single trip policy, things could very much come crashing down around you.
