Victoria Falls

The widest waterfall on Earth, Victoria Falls undoubtedly ranks as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Indeed, when Scottish explorer David Livingstone first set eyes on it in November 1855, he was so impressed that he renamed the falls after his Queen, Victoria.

Known locally as the Mosi-oa-Tunya - "The Smoke That Thunders" - the falls are an amazing 1,708 meters wide, with an average drop of around 100m. In the wet season, more than 19 million cubic feet of water flow over the falls each minute, dropping down into the Zambezi Gorge below. The resulting spray, or smoke, can sometimes be seen from up to 25 miles away.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Victoria Falls sits on the Zambezi River, dividing the African states of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Both countries have national parks named after the falls - the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and the Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe.

Angel Falls, Venezuela

The Angel Falls, in Venezuela, is the tallest waterfall in the world, standing a total of 3,212 feet tall. Unlike some very tall falls, water falls freely for the majority of this distance, with an uninterrupted fall of 2,648 feet.

The Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park, in Venezuela, and gained its name in 1937 when an adventurous American aviator, James Angel, discovered it. Although his plane became stranded upon landing in some marshy ground at the top of the falls, he and his companions made it on foot through the jungle to the nearest village and announced their discovery.

Today, tourists can take sightseeing flights over the falls, but for those who would like to see them on foot, the Angel Falls are still several days' trek through the rainforest, making it a relatively undisturbed natural marvel.