Waterfalls

Waterfalls are some of the most spectacular sights that nature has to offer, and are the frequent goal of many travellers.

The Iguaçu Falls Waterfall

Notable waterfalls

Some of the most noteworthy waterfalls are:

• Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, forms the largest single face of falling water in the world, with a width of 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and height of 108 m (354 ft).
• Tugela Falls in South Africa, the worlds highest waterfall with a total drop of 983 m (3,225 ft) in 5 leaps. The highest single drop is 411m.
• Angel Falls in Venezuela was for a long time considered the world's highest waterfall, with one uninterrupted drop of 807 m (2,647 ft), from a total height of 978 m (3,212 ft)
• Iguaçu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, are one of the largest and most impressive in the world.
• Boyoma Falls (formerly, Stanley Falls) on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the falls that have the greatest volume of flow - 17 million litres per second over a drop of 60 m
• Niagara Falls, the most-visited waterfall in the world, on the border between Canada and the United States of America

Africa

Victoria Falls

Congo

• Boyoma Falls (formerly, Stanley Falls) on the Congo River are the falls with the greatest volume of flow - 17 million litres per second over a drop of 60 m

South Africa

• Tugela Falls in the Drakensberg is the worlds second highest waterfall with a total drop of 947m in 5 leaps. The highest single drop is 411m.

Uganda

• Murchison Falls where the Nile River passes through a narrow cleft in the rocks and crashes over a 30 m precipice

Zambia and Zimbabwe

• Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, 1.7 km wide falls, plummeting more than 100 m into the gorge below

Asia

China

China's largest waterfall, the Huangguoshu Waterfall is one of few waterfalls that can be viewed from above, below, front, back, left and right in the world. It is near Anshun in Guizhou.

There is also the Ban Gioc–Detian Falls on the border with Vietnam.

India

• 1 Athirappilly Waterfall (Niagara of India), Athirappilly Panchayeth, Kerala. Athirappilly Falls are the largest waterfall in Kerala and located 28 km from Thrissur.  
• 2 Chitrakote Waterfall (Chitrakote Falls), Chhattisgarh. The widest waterfall in India.  
• 3 Dhuandhar Waterfall, Madhya Pradesh. Dhuandhar's meaning Dhuan (smoke) Dhar (flow). Located on Narmada River in Bhedaghat runs through the famous Marble Rocks before making its plunge.  
• 4 Dudhsagar Falls, Goa. Monsoon rains bring the water to this water fall from the Western Ghats. Dudhsagar Falls is but one of the highest water falls in India.  
• 5 Hogenakal Falls (Hogenakkal Falls), Hogenakal (Village), Tamil Nadu. Referred to as the "Niagara Falls of India" (Athirappilly Waterfall also bears this distinction). This area is has medicinal baths. During dry seasons, boat rides are possible on the river.  
• 6 Jog Falls ((Kannada: ಜೋಗ ಜಲಪಾತ)). It is a high plunge waterfall near Sagara fed by the Sharavathi River falling great heights. Also of interest are the Gerusoppe falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi.  
• 7 Khandadhar Waterfall, Sundagarh, Orissa. One of two Waterfalls with the same name in Orissa. It is one of the highest falls in India.  
• 8 Nohsngithiang waterfall (Mawsmai Falls/Seven Sisters), Meghalaya. A segmented waterfall (multiple cascades). Mawsmai Cave is located nearby.  
• 9 Talakona Waterfall, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh   located in the Sri Venkateswara National Park.
• 10 Thoseghar Waterfalls, Satara, Maharashtra. Series of waterfalls with viewing platform and picnic area. 
• 11 Tirathgarh Waterfalls (Milky Fall or Teerathgarh Falls), Chhattisgarh (near Jagdalpur). Located in Kanger Ghati National Park. Kutumsar Caves are nearby. 

Iran

• Shevi Waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iran with a height of about 85 m.

Japan

• Kegon Falls in Chuzenji - Long famed for its beauty, it became notorious more than a century ago when a poet killed himself here.

• Nachi Falls in Katsuura - Arguably the nation's most famous waterfall, it is over 100 feet and serves as a gorgeous backdrop to Kumano Nachi Shrine. The shrine was built here because of the falls, which is believed to house a water spirit.

Europe

Dettifoss

• Krimml waterfalls in Krimml, Austria (Salzburg region), Europe`s highest waterfalls
• Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Europe's largest falls by volume of water
• Savica Waterfall in Slovenia has two strands and is 78 meters high. France Prešeren's epic poem “Baptism by the Savica” is one of the great works of Slovene literature.
• Stora Sjöfallet in Laponia, Sweden, used to be one of Europe's most impressive waterfalls, but most water is now led away for hydroelectric power

Finland

Fiellus

• Pihtsusköngäs, the largest waterfall of Finland
• Fiellu, a waterfall in the Utsjoki municipality

Iceland

• Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful falls
• Gullfoss, a two-level cascade
• Godafoss in northern Iceland

Norway

Norway has many high waterfalls.

• Kjosfossen by the Flåm railway, with a total fall of around 225 metres.
• Mardalsfossen in Nesset in Møre og Romsdal, with a total fall of 705 metres.
• Rjukan by the namesake village, was an important tourist attraction until built out for hydro power, now a sight at some occasions.
• Vettisfossen in Årdal by Jotunheimen is the highest free falling unregulated waterfall in northern Europe, with a free fall of 273 m.

North America

Niagara Falls

• Multnomah Falls in the Columbia Gorge

• Niagara Falls, the most-visited waterfall in the world, on the border between Canada and the United States

• The Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

• Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, the highest in North America

• Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, second largest falls in North America east of the Mississippi River (after Niagara) and far less touristy.

• Hamilton, Ontario, not far from Toronto on the eastern end of Lake Ontario in Canada, is sometimes called the "City of Waterfalls". The city is bisected by the Niagara Escarpment, the same landform responsible for Niagara Falls, and more than 100 waterfalls exist along the escarpment in Hamilton and the immediate area. Many dry up periodically, but the vast majority are on or near the Bruce Trail, making them readily accessible to hikers.

• Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia is known for its large number of breathtaking waterfalls.

• Banff National Park has a number of famous waterfalls.

Oceania

Jim Him Falls in Kakadu National Park

• Waterfall Way is a 185 km (115 mi) tourist drive on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, passing through several waterfalls in several places. Many of them are located in national (or state) parks, such as Dorrigo National Park or Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and also passes through Dorrigo, colloquially called the waterfall capital of Australia.
• Lamington National Park in southeast Queensland has a couple hundred waterfalls in its rainforests from the Gondwana period.
• 1 Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu National Park is a fairly spectacular sight, and gets pretty wild during the wet season.
• Waterfall Gully in Cleland National Park, South Australia

South America

• Angel Falls in Venezuela, the highest single-drop falls in the world (nearly a kilometer)
• Iguaçu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, are one of the largest and most impressive in the world.
• Kaieteur Falls in Guyana is said to be one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world with 663 cubic meters per second, it also carries the claim to be the highest single drop water fall in the world.

Stay safe

The cliffs around a waterfall are often moist and slippery. There may not be fences in all dangerous places.

A liter of water weighs a kilogram; a gallon weighs ten pounds. When large amounts of water fall long distances, the forces involved are enormous, easily enough to kill a person or sink a boat.