Livingstone

Eat

Considering Livingstone is such a tourist destination, you can be certain that Western-style meals are easy to find -- everything from pizza, to burgers, even burritos! Several of the lodges and accommodations have restaurants and pubs on their grounds.

O'Discols Restaurant, near Fawlty Towers Backpackers, is a popular joint that attracts a young crowd. It features al fresco dining that receives mixed reviews. The Funky Munky is just down the street from Jollyboys Backpackers, this is an excellent take away with some very nice pizzas. Pub and Grill in town opposite the main banks, an American-style restaurant with good food in plentiful servings Chanters Lodge - just outside the centre of town, Chanters offers the best pepper steak in town. Chanters can also cater too those wishing to taste an authentic Zambia meal. Sunrise in Kutaway - this street is better known as "second class" from times when African and Asian people were allowed to trade only on that area, not on the main road! - is run by local people and offers the most "Zambian" dining experience in fairly clean and cozy place between the buildings. entry can be easily missed, but it is in the middle of Kutaway on the left hand side when coming from the direction of the town. Even many taxi drivers don't know this place. Armadillo Oriental & Grills is centrally positioned on Mosi O Tunya Road and offers a range of Oriental and Continental dishes. Crocodile Cafe - Enjoy pastries or an al fresco light meal at this cof…

Drink

Every hostel, hotel, and resort in Livingstone features its own bar. If you want to get a cold one, you won't have to look far. There are also a number of nightclubs downtown, where tourists and locals alike dance to local and Western music. Manu local music is from Congo, those artists perform in Congo (DRC) local languages, so many times even local Zambians don't know meaning of the words, but rhythm, twisting and shaking is the issue here.

"Stepright which is reputedly a hub of organized crime (though tourists should not have trouble), as well as an open-air club across the road and the bar and grill has a disco later on again next door in the center of town all very good. There is also a casino a short taxi-ride away where the drinks were slightly more expensive.

Hippos - the bar attached to Fawlty towers is the most common spot where tourists hang out, but many locals socialize there also.

Chez nTemba - typical Zambian nightclub. Open daily. One of the few places there is a door charge and the drink is slightly more expensive.

Rhapsody in new shopping center, Fallspark (locally known better as "spar" according to the supermarket which is in there)is upper-class bar/restaurant.

Sleep

There are a number of places to sleep in Livingstone. Budget here means under US$20/night, mid-range between $20 and $200/night and splurge over $200/night.

Stay safe

Generally, Livingstone is a fairly safe town. They want to continue to attract foreign currency, so they are careful to make travellers feel safe. However, be careful about walking downtown at night, especially if you've been drinking. There are very few street lights, and many of the locals are very poor. Try not to annoy the taxi-drivers, particularly late at night when some have been drinking. It is not generally recommended for tourists to walk the 8 km (5 miles) from Livingstone to Victoria Falls due to a number of reports of crime. The times of year in which bull elephants in musk are another reason for not walking; they become very irritable and aggressive, and are not shy about humans.

Increasing numbers of Zimbabweans are leaving their country. Zambia, especially Livingstone on the border, receives its share of Zimbabwean refugees, many of whom are poor and desperate. There have been some attacks, and some Zambians accuse Zimbabweans being behind them.

Rafting can be dangerous anywhere in the world, and Livingstone is no exception. Make sure you raft with an experienced and genuine guide. Ask around your hotel or resort about a potential guide's reputation: some are not genuine guides. They will either take your money and leave, or worse, lead you on a bogus rafting experience that may endanger your life. Although this is a demanding river, there is no reason why anyone can't partake in a rafting trip, provided they go with experienced guides and a reputable compan…

Go next

From Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park you can walk across the border and into the city of Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).

You can catch a bus in Livingstone to the Lusaka airport, or you can catch a bus in Livingstone that will take you through the desolate Southern Province to the Zambia-Namibia border. (If the bus breaks down, be prepared to wait; bring water and a snack. However, for the independent traveller, this is the fastest, cheapest, most memorable way to Namibia.) The bus will drop you in Sesheke, a small, dusty village on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River.

The safari town of Kasane, Botswana is about an hour and a half away, and regular shared taxi service to the Kazungula border crossing makes getting there easy. The towns service as a gateway to Chobe National Park.

After crossing the Zambezi River by ferry or dugout canoe (!), you'll be in Katimi Mulilo, on the eastern tip of the Caprivi Strip.