The area is famous for its myriad adventure activities and offers excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities, but when all is said and done, it's the falls that are the star of the show.
Soaking Up the Falls -- There are two great vantage points, each offering a different angle, and it's worth covering them both, which will take at least half a day. Break up your return journey by stopping for a sumptuous high tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel -- a real highlight.
Viewing Wildlife -- Despite the commercialism of Vic Falls Village, the falls remain surrounded by dense bush, and you can start your African safari right here. Venture a few miles upstream from the river along Zambezi Drive for a look at the Big Tree, a 1,500-year-old baobab (if you're lucky, you'll see elephants too), or take a guided Zambezi River walk to view species like hippo and crocodile. Backpacker's Bazaar also arranges morning, afternoon, and night drives to Zambezi National Park, Mosi-Oa-Tunya Park, and Hwange, as well as full days in Chobe, Botswana. If you want to spend the day game-viewing in Chobe, the best tour is one that travels in a loop, allowing you to cover more terrain; Matopo Tours (tel. 263/13/42209 or 263/912239311) in Vic Falls Village can arrange this for US$120 (£62), including lunch (www.victoriafallsbackpackers.com).
Shopping for Crafts -- Great arts and crafts are available on both sides of the falls. Don't miss the bustling Maramba Market, worth a visit for the atmosphere alone, and browse the woodwork, masks, handcrafted jewelry, sculptures, and other trinkets at the craft market that borders the entrance to Mosi-Oa-Tunya (off Livingston Rd.). In Zimbabwe you'll find persistent, cash-starved stall owners selling finely crafted sandstone and woodcarvings, woven baskets, and traditional Zimbabwean batik fabrics for rock-bottom prices. Some salesmen will even offer to exchange their handicrafts for a pen or other such "luxury" that has become difficult to find in Zimbabwe. This can be an intimidating experience, as desperation (you may represent the only chance of a meal for weeks to come) can result in some pushy behavior and even sometimes fights between the hawkers. And before you try to drive prices down, remember that cheap, wooden curios put pressure on the hardwood forests, and may mean that these desperately poor people end up chopping down a tree for a couple of bucks. If you'd prefer to shop in a more sedate "fixed-price" shop, the best places to do so are still the Falls Craft Village off Livingstone way, Soper's Curios (Soper's Centre), and the Landela Centre.
A Bit of History -- Scottish explorer David Livingstone may have been the first white man to view the falls, but archaeological digs show that human occupation of the area dates back 2 million years before. Much of this Stone Age evidence is on-site in the Livingstone Museum, Mosi-Oa-Tunya Road, next to the post office (look out for the statue of Livingstone, as well as the ethnographer Emil Holub, erected in 2005). This is Zambia's oldest and largest museum, and the archaeological exhibits are augmented with historical artifacts, from ancient Tonga drums (the original telephone), to black-and-white photographs from the turn of the 20th century. If you're interested in visiting an African village, take time out (particularly in July, to witness the annual Lwindi ceremony) to visit the Mukuni Village (off Mosi-Oa-Tunya Dr., on the way into Livingstone). The village is home to some 7,000 rural folk who still follow many of the customs and traditions that David Livingstone, who came here to obtain traversing permission from Chief Mukuni in the mid-1800s, would have witnessed. The tree under which Livingstone awaited an audience with Chief Mukuni still provides shade for those wishing to do the same.
