Sometimes, the true power of an experience doesn’t fully hit you unless you have it all to yourself. That’s the mindset we worked under when we devised this brief but moving exploration of Livingstone, the colonial gem at Zambia’s southernmost tip. Here, you’ll camp at a riverside lodge, visit Victoria Falls, have the chance to canoe, raft and bungee-jump and encounter Livingstone’s incredible wildlife. All the while, a G Adventures CEO handles all your on-trip hassles, freeing you to devote yourself fully to your adventure.
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Day 1 Livingstone
Arrive at any time. Our G Adventures Experience Officer will go over the details of your stay and arrange your choice of optional activities. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, embark on a optional sunset cruise for sundowners and wildlife viewing on the magical Zambezi River. Cruise along the river boundary of the Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, around Siloka Island and back to The Waterfront jetty. The total cruise time is approximately 3 hours and arrives back after sunset. From the boats sightings of elephant, giraffe and even rhino coming down to the river to drink are common. There is also an abundance of hippos, crocodiles and bird life. All cruises have a complimentary bar and serve freshly baked snacks. An experienced guide accompanies each cruise and has good knowledge on the wildlife and local history of the area.
Tonight you will have a good night's sleep in your adventure tent (see "about accommodation" section).
*We highly recommend that your flight into Livingstone arrives no later than 2pm.
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Day 2-3 Livingstone
Livingstone, a great base to see both natural wonders and take part in some exciting optional activities. Get up close (and wet from the spray) while awing at the immense Victoria Falls, raft the whitewater of the mighty Zambezi, and for the more adventurous, bungee jump with the Victoria Falls in view.
David Livingstone was born on March 19, 1813 in the village of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. He first studied Greek, medicine, and theology at the University of Glasgow and while working in London, joined the London Missionary Society became a minister. He originally planned to gain access to China through his medical knowledge. The Opium Wars, which were raging at this stage with no signs of peace on the horizon, forced Livingstone to consider other options. From 1840 he worked in Bechuanaland (present-day Botswana), and in the period 1852–56, he explored the African interior, and was the first European to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya waterfall, which he renamed Victoria Falls after his monarch, Queen Victoria.
The Victoria Falls waterfalls occur in a country that is perfectly flat. From its source on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Zambezi River meanders for 1300 km across the wooded plateau of Zambia, eroding for itself a shallow valley on its mild descent to the site of the falls. The river eventually found a weak spot on the lower lip of the surface over which it passed, and forced a passage which was steadily deepened into an exit gorge. During the last half million years the river has scoured out eight of these cracks across its bed. The Victoria falls occur where the river is 1688m wide, presents the spectacle of an average maximum of 550 million liters of water a minute tumbling over the lip of the trench in five main falls, the Devil’s Cataract, Main falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow falls and the Eastern Cataract. The highest of these is Rainbow falls, on an average 108 m high. A peak flood sees 750 million liters of water in one minute hurtling over the falls.
The name Zambezi comes from the Tonka tribe, also meaning Great River, but the Sotho-speaking Kololo people of the upper reaches of the river gave it the well-known name of Mosi o a Thunya (smoke that rises). The Lozi people call it by the same name but translated it into smoke that sounds. The Ndebele call it aManza Thunqayo (the water that rises like smoke). The Namibian people call it Chinotimba (a noise-making place like the distant sound of digging).
A natural phenomenon and one of the seven natural Wonders of the World, the Victoria Falls is an immense curtain of water cascading down over a sheer 100m drop. Around 550 million litres of the Zambezi spill over the lip every minute, at peak flow this increases to 750 million litres. Around the Falls is a rainforest sustained by the spray which is home to some plant species rarely found elsewhere in Zambia or Zimbabwe. Our tour ends at approximately 11 am. Please arrange your own transfer to the airport, your accommodation can arrange it for you.
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The Zambezi Waterfront Campground -Adventure Tents-
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Optional Tours/activities: Many of the land transfers and optional tours will be by private van, car or taxi, while others may be shared with other travellers depending on availability, nature of the activity and destination. For transfers, you may have a local non English-speaking driver only, though for optional activities, you will be accompanied by an English speaking local guide.
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The tents used for this tour are permanent tents, known as "Adventure Tents". These are permanent dome tents that are set up on raised platforms on the lush grounds of the Zambezi Waterfront Lodge. Each tent has two single beds, with linen/bedding, and pillows provided, and well as a small night table with a lamp.
Please note that there are no towels provided.
Bathroom facilities are shared with others in the same type of accommodation, and other groups of campers on the ground. There is a swimming pool near your tent, and you are welcome to your the facilities at the public area of the lodge itself - restaurant, bar, pool, internet, shop, and activity center.
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Eating is a big part of traveling. Travelling with G Adventures you experience the vast array of wonderful food that is available out in the world. Generally meals are not included in the trip price when there is a choice of eating options, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat.
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Optional activity prices are subject to change and can fluctuate in relation to the high/low season and the number of people on a specific excursion. Not all excursions listed here may be available, due to season, or weather conditions. As generally not a lot of time is spent in start/end cities, you may want to arrange to arrive early, or stay longer after the trip in order to allow sufficient time to participate in optional activities there.
All prices are per person, are in US dollar amounts, are subject to availability and are only an indication due to currency fluctuations.
ZAMBIA
Livingstone
Mwandi Community Farm building and interaction
$50/$100 half day/ full day
African cooking tour (cultural tour) $50 (half day). Learn about the African culture on food and the basic languages used in the Livingstone area. It also offers clients an experience of shopping at an African market the way the Africans do it plus an overview on the history of Zambia and Livingston town.
Musokotwane village day tour $120
Visit a typical African village, purchase food from the local market, enjoy a cooking lesson, interact with the Tokayela people and learn their rich culture while having lunch with them. In your tour prize a donation to the village community project is included.
Victoria Falls Entrance (Zambia) $20
White water rafting (half day/full day) $135/155
River conditions are vary depending on the seasons. Low water season generally runs from August to January each year - this is when the Zambezi is at its very wildest. High water season is from about February to July with a "closed season" for a few months, usually in March, and April, depending on the season's rains. During this time rafting on the river is not permitted.
River boarding $125
Horse Riding (1 1/2 hrs) $75
Elephant Riding (am/pm) $160 /
Bungy jumping $120
Helicopter Ride over Victoria Falls (15min) $135
Ultralight Ride over Victoria Falls (15min) $120
Zambezi River Sunset, lunch or breakfast cruise $55 (1 ½ hr)
Zambezi River Dinner cruise $60 (2hr)
Cultural village tour (Mukuni village) $50
Lion Walk Encounter $140
All prices are per person (unless stated otherwise), and are subject to change as services are provided by third party operators.
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Livingstone offers many optional activities - something for everyone: Enjoying an African sunset on Zambezi River boat cruise, Feeling the thrill of white water rafting along the Zambezi, Abseiling or zip-lining, Marvelling at the Zambian side of the mighty Victoria Falls.
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Permanent tent (3 nts).
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