Joanna James
The tourist central of southwestern Zambia and home to the bewitching Victoria Falls, Livingstone is the honoured host to the multitude of visitors to the world-renowned waterfall. Much of the city’s attractions revolve around the falls, making for nothing but the delight of the enlivened traveller.
An 11-kilometre drive outside the city of Livingstone, taking you through a web of paths indigenously embellished with verdant vegetation and scores of incredible vantage points, is the very attraction that brings you to the southwestern Zambian town — the mighty, the wondrous, and the breathtakingly beautiful Victoria Falls. The UNESCO-listed waterfall is the “world’s largest sheet of falling water”, though not the widest or tallest. A walk across the footbridge, while certainly hair-raising (and also hair-wetting), also affords the best views of the falls. During the dry season, when the water level is low to non-existent, cross over to the Zambian side to treat your eyes to the main falls. Mosi-oa-Tunya, a moniker that translates to “the smoke that thunders”, which the falls have earned thanks to the sounds of the plunging sheet of water and the scores of clouds that hover over the falls, is truly a sight that’s worth indulging in immersive contemplation.
The heavenly splendour of Victoria Falls alone makes a visit to the waterfall an idyllic and indeed memorable experience, but there’s more that awaits you, ready to add to your bliss. On Livingstone Island, perched on the edge of the very renowned falls, Devil’s Pool is the true definition of an unmissable Livingstone experience (after Victoria Falls, of course). The natural infinity pool is aptly named, where the spine-chilling view of the 100-metre drop is sure to give your long-awaited rush of adrenaline.
No trip to colossal Africa would be complete without experiencing its world-renowned tropical fauna, and Zambia is no exception, with Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Livingstone being the country’s crown jewel. The sprawling 23 square kilometres of the protected nature reserve isn’t just home to a wide variety of wildlife but also to the Zambian side of the legendary Victoria Falls. The park is best known for its incredible population of white rhinos, while elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, and various species of antelopes also call the nature haven.
Livingstone, a city that is blessed with some of nature’s most mesmerising wonders, is also the possessor of a proud history. Make your way to the largest and the oldest museum in Zambia, the incredible Livingstone Museum, and savour a dose of fascinating history that awakens the history buff in you.
The colourful, vibrant, and bustling Maramba Market, while hardly considered an attraction in Livingstone, is a fantastic place for a slice of authentic retail therapy and a glimpse into authentic local life. After an atmospheric shopping experience, retreat to one of the finest Victoria Falls hotels, including the likes of Avani Victoria Falls Resort.
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