In April of this year, I returned to Livingstone in Zambia for my first visit a few years later. What a change. For those not familiar with this part of Africa, Livingston is a small town on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. When Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia, Livingstone was the capital. A small smart city with trees, lined avenues and colonial buildings, was considered a place to live. At a short distance, over the Livingstone Bridge, was the city of Victoria Falls in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Until the 1980s, Victoria Falls was a fairly simple city on one horse, and the only Victoria Falls was the only decent place to stay. By the end of the 80s and 90s, these two cities could not be more different. By that time, both countries became independent. Independence was good for the city of Victoria Falls, rocket tourism, and many fine hotels and cabins sprang up on
Zimbabwean side of the Victoria Falls. Meanwhile, Livingston went into decline. Lusaka became the capital of Zambia, and it attracted business and people. Livingston stayed pretty desperate. The expatriate community has long left the area, and small industry has developed to support a growing local population. For comparison, there were many jobs that can be found in the city of Victoria Falls to support local Zimbabweans.
Victoria Falls has always been and always will be a major attraction for travelers, but the recent political instability in Zimbabwe has benefited Livingstone. Over the past two or three years, investors poured money into the area. Like some extremely nice little houses along the banks of the Zambezi River, Royal Livingstone’s new five-star hotel describes a special mention. It was built on the old grounds of the rather harsh Mosi O Tunya Hotel (The Smoke That Thunders). For someone who is not a fan of big hotels, as a rule, I had to eat a modest cake on this one. Designed along the colonial lines, still very obvious in the city, the hotel has the best place imaginable. From mature gardens you can see the Falls spray itself, and the service and food could not be improved in either Europe or the USA.
Livingstone now has daily flights direct from Johannesburg, and the local market is bustling with people who spend their well-earned wages. The city just feels like a great place. It may have taken almost all my life to restore my pride, but I really feel that now she will retain this new prosperity that has been found.
[http://www.aardvarksafaris.com/articles-zambia-livingstone]
