Livingstone is on the divide between Zambia from Zimbabwe at the magnificent Victoria Falls.
The fall is an incredible 1,708 metres wide, and 108 metres high. Compared against Niagara Falls it’s double the height and broader by half a kilometre!
The landscape is flat and uninspiring, however. White spray high in the sky is the only sign something unique might be ahead. Then a thundering sound as you walk closer through the neighbouring rainforest. At last, the largest sheet of falling water in the world comes into view as it crashes down into the Batoka Gorge.
Birds, including the rare African skimmer, love the dancing water. Fish eagles call, and hippos grunt all along the river banks. There are often elephants crossing to the islands where crocodiles bask on the sandy beaches.
The Kololo tribe dubbed the falls ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ or ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. Members of the tribe were the first ones to show Dr David Livingstone the fall. Livingstone named the falls after Queen Victoria, while the locals called the town after him. Once he’d brought the beautiful waterfall to the attention of the rest of the world, it became a popular attraction.
These days it’s a hub of activity. International flights arrive daily from Lusaka, Nairobi or Johannesburg. Many experiences are on offer apart from touring the Victoria Falls. Sunset cruises, boating, adrenalin experiences and scenic flights.
Tips
Two of Zambia’s most memorable wildlife destinations are within comfortable reach of Livingstone and the Victoria Falls, using scheduled small plane flights. The Kafue National Park northwards and the South Luangwa National Park in the east.
