When an awestruck David Livingstone first saw Victoria Falls in 1855, he wrote in his journal 'on sights as beautiful as this, angels in their flight must have gazed'. He named the falls after the queen of England at the time, but they were (and still are) known as Mosi-oa-Tunya in the Kololo language – 'The Smoke that Thunders'. While Zimbabwe struggles to maintain its crumbling infrastructure, the recent tourist swing to Livingstone and the Zambian side of the falls has initiated a construction boom in the area.
Local business owners are riding the tourism wave straight to the bank, and the Zambezi waterfront is rapidly being developed as one of the most exclusive destinations in southern Africa. The town abounds with hotels, restaurants and bars catering to budget and well-to-do travelers alike, and there are enough adrenaline activities on offer to make you think twice about leaving town immediately after stopping to see the falls.