Zambia
by David Sutcliffe
Most people's gateway to Zambia will be into Livingstone airport via Johannesburg in South Africa. The town, named after the 19th Century explorer David Livingstone, is famous for one thing only - Victoria Falls. But if anything is worth a stopover then this is it!
I stayed at the Royal Livingstone hotel - a 5 star resort on the banks of the Zambezi River and within a 10-minute walk of the Falls themselves (it's sister hotel, the 4 star Zambezi Sun, is closer still). As you enter the Falls area you suddenly come across the same startling view that Dr Livingstone must have seen 150 years ago. I saw it in November when it is not at its peak flow, but is none-the-less mightily impressive.
For a lot of people Zambia is just the Falls, but ask any safari expert and they will tell you that some of the best game viewing in Africa is available in this country. Further down river is the Lower Zambezi National Park which boasts great camps such as Chiawa Camp, Royal Zambezi Lodge & my personal favourite name for any camp on the continent - Sausage Tree Camp!
Livingstone is easily accessible from Johannesburg & Maun/Kasane so makes an unforgettable twin-stay addition to either South Africa or Botswana.