Livingstone owes its existence to the Victoria
Falls. It was named after the missionary and explorer Dr.
David Livingstone, the first European to discover, name and
tell the rest of world about the mighty waterfall. In 1904
the bridge was built, taking the railway across the Zambezi
just below the Victoria Falls to what is now Zimbabwe. Livingstone was founded on
completion of the bridge in 1905.
Residents of an earlier riverside settlement called Old
Drift moved to the new site beside the railway line 11 km
upstream from the falls. The move was instigated by the high prevalence
of malaria on the mosquito-infested, swampy banks of the Zambezi.
For a while the town was capital of what was known as North-Western
Rhodesia, before the capital moved to Lusaka in 1931. The main
street is Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, sections of which are lined
with classic colonial buildings. Many of the town’s
100-year-old buildings with their wide verandas and corrugated
iron roofs are still in use, and are typical of the English
settler architecture.
Although a little neglected, the town has colonial character
and easy-going African charm - unlike its neighbour, the Zimbabwean
town of Victoria Falls on the opposite side of the Zambezi, a victim of bad town planning in the 1970s. Livingstone used to be the more visited town
by those wanting to view the falls, then the new town of Victoria
Falls took over. Today people are returning to the Zambian
side because of the ongoing political problems in Zimbabwe.
Livingstone has been rejuvenated. New
hotels are being built along the banks of the Zambezi, and houses
in town are being restored and opened as guest houses. The main
road now boasts a number of eating and drinking venues and
is once again full of safari vehicles and transfer buses.
Livingstone is a compact town and easy to get around, with
a few interesting sights along the main road. These include
the Livingstone Museum, which houses memorabilia related to
David Livingstone and his exploration of the region in the
1850s, and the Railway Museum. Other local attractions include
the Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘smoke that thunders’) National
Park, located adjacent to the Victoria Falls. It’s
possible to go on a walking safari there to stalk a rhino. There
are also a whole host of activities on offer that are Victoria
Falls related, and many operate from the Zambian side of the
Zambezi Bridge. In the Bakota Gorge, you can go white water
rafting and river boarding on the rapids below the falls, or
you can splash around in a powerful jet boat. From the top, you can
throw yourself into the gorge on a gorge swing, flying fox
or abseil. On the edge of town is the airfield
where helicopters and microlights depart for scenic flights
over the falls. One you’ve done all that, you can simply
walk over the bridge to Zimbabwe and try the activities
on offer on that side. Don’t forget to bungi jump
off the bridge itself on the way. It’s said that the
Zambia Railways makes more profit from the bungi jump, whose
operators pay them a fee to use the bridge, than they do from
the whole Zambia rail network each year. |
There are three seasons: cool
and dry from April to August, hot and dry from September to
October and warm and wet from November to March.
Average temperatures range from 23º C in winter, which
is mild with loads of sunshine, to 30º C in summer. It
can get stiflingly hot and humid between October and December
before the rain arrives in November. Rain is usually brought
by heavy showers and thunderstorms, followed by spells of
bright sunshine.
The low water season is between August and December when the
least amount of water comes over Victoria Falls. It's great
for white water rafting in the gorge below as this is when
the rapids are at their most intense, but there are better
months to view the falls. |
The Livingstone Museum is
the country’s largest and oldest museum, dating back
to the 1930s. It has exhibits on the archaeology of the
region, cultural displays of handicrafts and musical instruments,
and a large collection of David Livingstone memorabilia
(including some of his journals) donated by the Livingstone
family.
Maramba market is a bustling colourful market where the
local Zambians come to shop. The market sells everything
from fruit and vegetables, plastic buckets and sacks of charcoal
to second-hand clothes. You’ll also see edible caterpillars
and baskets and brooms made of grass. Curios are available
from another market situated in a small park in the centre
of town midway along the main street. You can also buy curios
at the market next to the entrance to the Victoria Falls.
For steam engine enthusiasts, the Railway Museum houses
a collection of old steam locomotives and vintage coaches,
and some old photographs illustrating life in the pioneer
days of the town.
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There are daily flights to
Livingstone from Johannesburg in South Africa that connect
with all the international airlines flying in and out of Jo’burg.
Livingstone airport is right on the edge of town and it’s
easy to grab a taxi or arrange a transfer. There
is a US$20 departure tax when departing from Livingstone, only
payable in US$ cash.
If you’re coming from Zimbabwe by road, cross the border
from the town of Victoria Falls over the famous Victoria Falls
Bridge, 11 km from Livingstone. From Botswana, cross the border
at Kazungula by ferry, 60 km east of Livingstone. Lusaka
is 470 km along the Great North Road.
Trains run every second day from Livingstone to Lusaka, and
there are connections to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Livingstone
is visited by just about every tour operator in Africa as
the Victoria Falls are an obligatory destination on
any tour of Southern Africa. |
Everything you need in Livingstone
in terms of banks, restaurants, curio markets and museums
is located somewhere along the Mosi-o-tunya Road. This is the main
drag that runs the length of the town, so it’s easy
enough to walk between them. It’s quite a long road
so you may need to grab a taxi to get from one end to the other. These are parked conveniently at many
junctions along the road.
Taxis are cheap but you’ll need to negotiate the fare
before getting in. You’ll also need to take a taxi to
get to the Victoria Falls, 11 km away.
All the adventure companies offer transfers so alternatively
you can ask to be dropped at the falls after you’ve
finished an activity. There are plenty of taxis in the car
park near the entrance gate to ferry you back to town. |
| Petty theft is common in all
Zambian towns as unemployment is high. Be very aware when
walking around and try to avoid carrying anything valuable
as there are master pickpockets here and there. Never leave
your vehicle unlocked and never change money on the streets.
For the most part, however, Zambians are very friendly and
helpful. |
There are two banks along the
main street, Barclays and Standard Bank, both of which have
ATMs. But you can only withdraw Kwacha, and only with a Visa
credit card. The best place to change money is in one of the
three or four bureaux de change along the main drag, which
give the best rates of exchange for both traveller’s
cheques and cash. One of these, MoMoney, has a credit card
swiping machine and, if they’ve got, will sell you US$
cash. But they first have to take Kwacha off your
card and then change it into US$, so exchange rates won't be
great.
There is a black market and there are money changers on the
street, but this is illegal in Zambia, and you are in danger
of being ripped off. |
Livingstone has some big
five-star hotels with a number of restaurants where all-you-can-eat
buffet meals are a speciality.
These meals are not cheap, but they are good value if you are hungry.
Along
the main drag of Mosi-o-tunya Road, are a number of eateries,
ranging from dubious cafes serving deep fried snacks that
suffer from water and electricity shortages, to swish air-conditioned
chain restaurants imported from South Africa.
Thanks to Livingstone’s large Indian community, there
are some good, authentic Indian restaurants – pick
up bahjis and samoosas at the Indian takeaway, Exciting Biting.
There are a number of pubs such as Hippo’s or the
Pig’s Head that have pool tables and serve up pub
grub with the Mosi beer. ZigZag doubles as a booking
office for various adventures as well as serving delicious
breakfasts, lunches and cakes in the garden.
Other restaurants include pizza spots, Chinese at the
Laughing Dragon, and fish and seafood at the Ocean Basket
- though Livingstone is a long way from the sea so expect
it to be frozen. For dining next to the Zambezi, head to
the Waterfront where meals are served on a great deck overlooking
the river. |
Internet access is surprisingly good. There are several internet
cafes along Livingstone’s main street and most of the
big hotels have business centres. The best of these is Zulunet Internet Cafe & Craft
Shop which offers international phone and fax, scanning, colour
printing and digital camera downloads.
Public telephones for international phone calls are available
at the post office or can be made from one of the hotels for
a premium. Sending post from Zambia, particularly souvenirs,
is fairly reliable and not too expensive. |
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