Livingstone is probably better oriented towards visitors than any other corner of Zambia. In spite of this, visitors travelling north from Zimbabwe are attracted simply by the Victoria Falls. Until recently the town of Livingstone often remained unseen. In the past, some have even viewed it with suspicion, being bigger and less well known than the small Zimbabwean town which shares the name of the waterfall. As a result of Zimbabwe's political instability, however, much of this has changed in recent years. Zimbabwe is now considerably more expensive than Zambia, and the requirement for high-priced visas has not helped. Add to this concerns over safety, and fuel and food shortages, and it's not hard to see why Livingstone, and the lodges on the Zambian side of the river, are going from strength to strength.

Both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of the river offer different views of the waterfall, and it is worth seeing both sides of the Falls to appreciate the whole waterfall. Yet while this chapter aims to give details of both, it incorporates far more information on Livingstone, reflecting the situation on the ground. Livingstone has developed and become popular in its own right; it's now the destination of first choice for most people visiting the Victoria Falls. Historians might note that most of the adventure activities like rafting, bungee jumping, and microlighting originally started on the Zambian side of the Falls, before being taken over by more commercial Zimbabwean companies.