Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
epic boat journey down the Zambezi River. Livingstone returned to Britain a national hero, and recounted his
travels in the 1857 publication
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
.
In 1858 Livingstone returned to Africa as the head of the 'Zambezi Expedition', a government-funded venture
that aimed to identify natural resource reserves in the region. Unfortunately, the expedition ended when a previ-
ously unexplored section of the Zambezi turned out to be unnavigable.
In 1869 Livingstone reached Lake Tanganyika despite failing health, though several of his followers abandoned
the expedition en route. These desertions were headline news in Britain, sparking rumours regarding Living-
stone's health and sanity. In response to the growing mystery surrounding Livingstone's whereabouts, the
New
York Herald
arranged a publicity stunt by sending journalist Henry Morton Stanley to find Livingstone.
After arriving in Zanzibar and setting out with nearly 200 porters, Stanley finally found Livingstone on 10
November 1871 in Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika and famously greeted him with the line 'Dr Livingstone, I pre-
sume?'.
Although Stanley urged him to leave the continent, Livingstone was determined to find the source of the Nile,
and penetrated deeper into the continent than any European prior. On 1 May 1873 Livingstone died from malaria
and dysentery near Lake Bangweula in present-day Zambia. His body was carried for thousands of kilometres by
his attendants, and now lies in the ground at Westminster Abbey in London.
Sights & Activities
WATERFALL
Victoria Falls World Heritage National Monument Site
(admission ZMW103.5; 6am-6pm)
This is what you're here for, the mighty Victoria
Falls. It's a part of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, 11km outside town before the Zam-
bia border crossing; a path here leads to the visitor information centre, which has modest
displays on local fauna, geology and culture.
From the centre, a network of paths leads through thick vegetation to various view-
points. You can walk upstream along a path free of fences - and warning notices (so take
care!) - to watch the Zambezi waters glide smoothly through rocks and little islands to-
wards the lip of the falls.
For close-up views of the
Eastern Cataract
, nothing beats the hair-raising (and hair-
wetting) walk across the footbridge, through swirling clouds of mist, to a sheer buttress
called the
Knife Edge
. If the water is low, or the wind is favourable, you'll be treated to a
magnificent view of the falls as well as the yawning abyss below. Otherwise, your vision
(and your clothes) will be drenched by spray. Then you can walk down a steep track to the
banks of the great Zambezi to see the huge whirlpool called the
Boiling Pot
. Watch out
for cheeky baboons.
