Travel guide: Livingstone, Zambia

Livingstone lies on the north bank of the Zambezi River in southern Zambia at an elevation of 990 meters, directly opposite Victoria Falls and 10 kilometers from the border crossing with Zimbabwe. Named after the Scottish missionary explorer David Livingstone who reached the falls in November 1855 and renamed the indigenous Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) after Queen Victoria, the town of 150,000 people serves as the Zambian gateway to one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The falls themselves are 1,708 meters wide and 108 meters high at their highest point, making them the largest sheet of falling water on Earth by volume during peak flood in April. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park covers the Zambian side with 66 square kilometers of riverine woodland, home to hippos, elephants, giraffes, zebras and a reintroduced population of 12 white rhinos that can be tracked on foot with armed anti-poaching guides for 80 US dollars per person per tour.

The Zambian side of Victoria Falls offers different experiences from the Zimbabwean side across the river. The Devil's Pool, a natural rim-pool at the very edge of the falls accessible only during low water from mid-September to mid-December, allows you to swim to the lip and look down 108 meters into the gorge. Livingstone Island tours include Devil's Pool swim, a lookout walk to the top of the falls and a gourmet brunch or lunch at the Tongabezi Island camp; the tour costs 150 US dollars in low season and must be booked through the official Tongabezi operator. Knife Edge Bridge on the Zambian side offers the best face-on view of the Main Falls and Eastern Cataract, with the famous rainbow spray photos taken from the footbridge between November and June. Entry to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is 20 US dollars per adult for day visitors.

The Victoria Falls Bridge, a Cecil Rhodes-commissioned railway bridge completed in 1905, spans the Second Gorge 128 meters above the Zambezi and links Zambia to Zimbabwe. Bungee jumping from the bridge is operated by Shearwater Adventures at 160 US dollars for a 111-meter freefall over the Zambezi. Bridge tours on the underside walkway reveal the bridge's Edwardian engineering and include a talk on Rhodes's vision for a Cape-to-Cairo railway; tickets 65 US dollars. The Royal Livingstone Express, a restored 1920s steam locomotive and dining carriages operated by Royal Livingstone Hotel, runs dinner journeys from the Livingstone station to the gorge and back for 215 US dollars per person including a five-course meal with Zambian wines. White-water rafting below the falls on the Zambezi is graded among the world's top commercial rafting trips, with Class IV and V rapids including Stairway to Heaven, Morning Glory and Oblivion. Full-day rafting costs 180 US dollars per person from August to January during low-water season.

Safari experiences are a core Livingstone attraction. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park offers morning and sunset game drives for 85 to 120 US dollars per person through hotel operators, with reliable sightings of elephants on the river island, giraffes, zebras, kudu, impala, warthogs, baboons and the rhino herd. The park's reintroduced white rhinos are guarded 24 hours a day by armed rangers, and the Rhino Walk with a ranger for 80 US dollars per person allows you to track the herd on foot from a safe 30-meter distance. Boat cruises on the Zambezi River upstream of the falls depart daily at sunset for 65 to 90 US dollars including drinks and canapes, passing herds of hippos, pods of crocodiles and elephants drinking at dusk. Two-hour bird-watching canoe safaris cost 80 US dollars and target 420 recorded species including African fish eagles, white-fronted bee-eaters and purple heron. Chobe National Park in Botswana, 90 minutes west by road, offers full-day safari trips for 280 to 380 US dollars including meals, park fees and river boat.

Accommodation ranges from five-star riverside lodges to backpacker hostels. The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara, within walking distance of the falls, is the classic colonial luxury property with rooms from 580 US dollars per night including breakfast and falls entry. Tongabezi Lodge upriver on the Zambezi has 13 private villas and houseboats from 850 US dollars per person including all meals and activities. The David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa sits 1.5 kilometers from the falls on the Zambezi with rooms from 240 US dollars. Midrange options include Avani Victoria Falls Resort from 280 US dollars half-board and Protea Hotel by Marriott Livingstone from 180 US dollars. Backpackers use Jollyboys Backpackers or Fawlty Towers, both from 25 US dollars for a dormitory bed. Book six months ahead for the peak viewing months of April, May, June and July.

Livingstone Museum on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road in central town displays the most comprehensive collection in Zambia of David Livingstone personal artifacts including his walking stick, letters to family and missionary journals, plus the archaeology galleries detailing Stone Age finds, Bantu migrations and the nineteenth-century Lozi kingdom. Entry is 3 US dollars. The Railway Museum on Chishimba Falls Road occupies the old Livingstone Railway Station and preserves historic steam locomotives from the Rhodesia Railways network, entry 2 US dollars. For craft shopping, the Mukuni Village Craft Market 9 kilometers south of Livingstone offers direct-from-artisan wooden sculptures, basketry, chitenge fabrics and malachite jewellery; haggling is expected and typical prices run from 10 US dollars for a small carved elephant to 400 US dollars for a large ebony sculpture. The Livingstone Quilters Cooperative on Mambo Drive sells Zambian cotton quilts and bedspreads for 40 to 120 US dollars.

Zambia is served by Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, IATA code LVI, located 4 kilometers west of Livingstone town. Direct flights from Johannesburg on South African Airways and Airlink operate twice daily, taking two hours for around 450 US dollars return. Proflight Zambia connects LVI to Lusaka in 90 minutes for 180 US dollars one way, with onward links to London Heathrow via Lusaka on Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines. A private airport transfer in an air-conditioned sedan from LVI to Livingstone town costs 25 US dollars and takes 10 minutes; transfer to Mosi-oa-Tunya entry gate or riverside lodges is 35 US dollars. Overland travelers can cross the Kazungula Bridge to Botswana's Kasane in 90 minutes and continue to Chobe National Park, or cross the Victoria Falls Bridge to Zimbabwe for 30 US dollars per passenger vehicle plus 50 US dollars Zimbabwe entry visa for most non-SADC nationalities.

Walking safaris, helicopter flights and microlight flights provide aerial perspectives impossible from the ground. Helicopter flights over the falls operated by United Air Charters from Baobab Ridge depart every 30 minutes during daylight hours and cost 180 US dollars per person for a 15-minute Flight of Angels circuit around the falls, 380 US dollars for a 30-minute loop that extends upstream past the Batoka Gorge. Microlight flights from Batoka Sky at Maramba Aerodrome 6 kilometers south of town run for 180 US dollars for 15 minutes and 360 US dollars for 30 minutes, with tandem open-cockpit seating that allows the passenger to feel the spray from the falls on their face. Hot-air balloon flights at sunrise are available seasonally from September to December, launching from Livingstone Island and landing in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park; a 90-minute flight with champagne breakfast costs 450 US dollars per person. Operators provide round-trip hotel transfers for all these options. Zambian food and drink in Livingstone reflect a mix of traditional local cuisine and international lodge menus. Nshima, a white maize porridge similar to polenta, is the national staple and is served at family restaurants like Cafe Zambezi on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road alongside stewed beef, grilled goat or chicken in a peanut sauce called ndiwo. A full plate costs around 50 Zambian kwacha, roughly 3 US dollars, with relish of chibwabwa (pumpkin leaves) included. The Olga's Restaurant on Nakatindi Road, operated by an Italian-Zambian development NGO, serves wood-fired pizzas, homemade pasta and Zambian burgers for 80 to 200 kwacha, and trains local youth in hospitality skills. Fresh Zambezi bream (locally called bream or tigerfish) is best eaten grilled with nshima and tomato-onion relish at the Fez Bar on the Royal Livingstone grounds for 290 kwacha. Mosi Lager, the national beer, costs 25 kwacha per bottle at most restaurants; local gin from Imperial Distilleries in Lusaka has a junipery Zambian twist and is served at 80 kwacha for a large measure. Vegetarian options include bean stew, cassava leaves and roast sweet potato.

Zambian currency is the kwacha, with US dollars widely accepted at lodges and tour operators. ATMs in central Livingstone dispense kwacha with Visa and Mastercard from Zanaco, Standard Chartered and Barclays, with per-withdrawal limits of 5,000 kwacha. Airtel and MTN mobile networks provide 4G data with local SIM cards available at the airport arrivals for 50 kwacha including a 5GB data bundle. English is the official language and widely spoken, alongside Lozi, Tonga, Bemba and Nyanja in the Livingstone area. Hotel WiFi is reliable but slow; upload speeds rarely exceed 2 Mbps outside luxury lodges. Electricity runs at 230V 50Hz using UK-style three-pin plugs, so British visitors need no adaptor. Tipping at restaurants is typically 10 percent, and safari guides typically receive 10 to 20 US dollars per day per group.

Cross-border logistics to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls town are straightforward. The Kaza Univisa, costing 50 US dollars cash per adult, covers Zambia and Zimbabwe entry plus day trips into Botswana's Kasane district, and is the most popular choice for multi-country falls tours. Plan at least four full days