Victoria Falls is a waterfall on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. At 1,708 metres wide it is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Local peoples knew the site long before Europeans arrived, and their names describe it as thundering smoke and boiling water, which reflect the constant spray rising from the gorge. The Scottish missionary David Livingstone reached it in 1855 and named it after Queen Victoria. The surrounding area is rich in plant and animal species, and it has been a major tourist destination since the mid-20th century.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.