Although this area had been noted in earlier history by travellers, David Livingstone is best known for being the first ‘European’ to discover the waterfalls at Livingstone in 1855 and giving them the name Victoria Falls.
The original settlement by the Zambezi (known as ‘Old Drift’) was moved to the current situation 11km north of the falls in the early 1900’s due to high levels of malaria at the waterside location. Also at this time, the bridge across Batoka Gorge was erected as part of the development of the railway from Cape to Cairo.
Livingstone prospered during colonial times, but as Zambia declined into economic problems in the 70’s much of the town was left derelict. In the 90’s with the advent of booming tourism the town was rejuvenated.
In the 2000’s the town continues to thrive as the adrenalin capital of Zambia and indeed the whole Victoria Falls area with political unrest in Zimbabwe pushing more people across the border into Livingstone.
The town itself provides banks, supermarkets, hotels and markets, buses to Lusaka come and go here and there are a couple of interesting museums. The general museum has some interesting David Livingstone items and local Tonga tribal artifacts, and the Railway Museum has some old locomotives and history for train buffs.
Activities on the river and around the Falls are the main focus of the town with everything from white-water rafting & abseiling the gorge to a sedate river cruise are available here. There is a small national park –Mosi oa Tunya –which is home to Zambia’s only Rhino and worth a visit if you have time. Mosi-ao-Tunya National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
