Alice Eaton discovers Zambia's biggest tourist pull - the Victoria Falls

WHEN David Livingstone first set eyes on the Victoria Falls in 1855, he wrote in his journal: "On sights as beautiful as this, angels in their flight must have gazed." In fact, the great explorer was so overcome by his discovery, he decided to name it after the current reigning monarch Queen Victoria, although it was and still is known by locals as The Smoke That Thunders.

Stretching an impressive 1.7km wide and 108m tall with an annual average flow of one million litres per second, the falls cannot fail to make an impression on first sight and it is this wow-factor that has earned this natural phenomenon its rightful place as one of the seven wonders of the world.

We visited the falls last August, staying at Sun International's The Royal Livingstone Hotel. This is a five-star, 173-roomed luxury establishment set on the bank of the Zambezi that epitomises old Colonial splendour. If you want to see how the other half live then this is the place to head as every guest is made to feel like royalty, offered the kind of service that gives the hotel its well-deserved inclusion in the ranks of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World (www.lhw.com).

Every effort is made to make you feel pampered, from the personal butler service to the lit candles in the bathroom and scattered petals left on the bed when you return from your evening meal. The food is out of this world. An extensive breakfast buffet as well as lunch and evening dinner are served on the patio overlooking the river, the misty spray of the falls making a magical backdrop to every meal. A very civilised high tea is served every afternoon where you can tuck into hot or iced tea and an array of cakes and confectionery.

The Royal Salon offers a range of beauty treatments for guests wanting to be pampered further and there are plenty of idyllic spots to lie back and unwind at the hotel, from hammocks in the garden to numerous poolside loungers with their own waiter service.

Despite the opulence, you do get a taste of the surrounding wildlife in the form of a host of vigilant monkeys who lie in wait to take advantage of any unattended bags and food. We were also paid a visit by a group of zebras who ambled into the resort to graze on the grass by the pool and were literally within touching distance.

But it is not all lazing in the sun and admiring the views. There is plenty to do for adrenaline-junkies, with a bewildering array of activities on offer that the hotel can organise for you at its Activity Centre, including a gorge swing (not for the fainthearted), quad biking, whitewater rafting (this stretch of the Zambezi has rapids up to level five), bungee jumping and flights in a Tiger Moth or a helicopter offering breathtaking views over the falls and the surrounding area. There are more sedate activities, too, from angling trips to Victorian carriage rides.

However, if you do only one thing while you are here, you must take a sunset cruise on the African Queen where guests take a seat on board the two-storey liner and sip G&Ts while watching the magnificent orange sun disappear from the horizon. It is a truly magical experience.

The town of Livingstone is a short distance from the falls and is geared up for the influx of tourists that visit every year, with numerous pretty cafés selling some fantastic Zambian crafts and textiles, banks, a bureaux de change, post office, Internet centres and several supermarkets. There is also the Livingstone Museum, the oldest museum in Zambia, with a charming exhibition on David Livingstone, including a display of many of his original letters that is well worth a visit.

A must-do excursion is a trip to Mukuni, a nearby local village of 7,000 people. Tourists are given an insight into their lives and can meet some of the villagers in the knowledge that their admission fee goes towards funding community projects. The village mainly makes its money by selling handmade crafts, so beware, there is quite a hard sell at the end of the tour although you will pick up some inexpensive and genuinely original African crafts.

We ended our stay at the Islands of Siankaba, courtesy of Baobab, a UK-based specialist eco-tour operator that promotes an alternative form of travel that benefits local communities economically and is sensitive to the natural environment.

The resort has been constructed on two densely forested sand islands in the river, about 40km upstream from the falls, and is the type of secluded and picturesque spot that pulls in the honeymooners. A suspension bridge links the two islands, joining the main restaurant, pool and bar area on one island with the six secluded chalets on the other. The chalets are beautifully constructed of teak and custom-made canvas tenting, each with its own balcony and Victorian bath and shower.

The food here is, again, excellent, and you will get fed at every opportunity so be prepared to put on a pound or two during your stay.

The resort arranges a number of activities for guests. I would recommend taking advantage of its nature walk, run by the island's very own resident nature expert who will show you every plant on the island with descriptions on its various practical and medicinal uses. The walk ends with a picnic, complete with hammock and wicker basket packed full of goodies, set up on the bank of the river which, for me, was the highlight of the trip. Again, you can opt for a sunset cruise as well as a boat trip along the river in a traditional dug-out canoe - an African version of punting at Oxford or Cambridge.

The Islands of Siankaba has been careful to develop a close relationship with the nearby community, employing staff from the local villages and running various projects, including an educational programme for local fishermen.

Guests can also take part in a guided walk around the nearby village, where they can meet the locals and see for themselves how they are living side by side with the tourism the lodge brings in. In fact, many guests have gone on to donate money to the village following one of these guided walks and have already paid for the rejuvenation of the local church and a brand new classroom at the school - an opportunity to give something back to a community that has so much to offer.

Zambia has three distinct seasons: cool and dry from May to August; hot and dry from September to early-mid November; and warm and wet from early/mid-November to April.

8:00am Friday 15th June 2007

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