Real Encounters. Real Stories. Real Zambia.
Livingstone, Differently: Activities You Won’t Find Everywhere
At Ntanda, we believe travel should be more than ticking off sights—it should be about connection. That’s why our Livingstone activities go beyond the ordinary, offering intimate, hands-on encounters that reveal the true spirit of Zambia. From meeting local conservation heroes to sharing stories with communities and discovering hidden gems you won’t find in every Victoria Falls brochure, each experience is designed to be meaningful, memorable, and uniquely yours.
Zambezi Working Donkey Project Visit
Walk into the life-changing world of the Zambezi Working Donkey Project, a dedicated local initiative uplifting hardworking donkeys and the communities they support. This immersive visit offers deep insight into the challenges these animals face—and the heartfelt care they receive. Guests are welcome to bring treats like carrots, apples, or cabbage (and maybe a snack for the team behind the project). It’s a poignant, rewarding encounter that leaves a lasting impression.
Step behind the scenes at Wayi Wayi, a family-run art studio and gallery with a powerful community heartbeat. Here, historic Mbusa cultural traditions come alive through crafts, art classes, apprenticeship opportunities, and youth-focused visual art programming—especially championing women and emerging talents. This visit opens a vibrant window into Zambia’s creative heritage, culture, and communal spirit.
Visit the Falls at full moon for this awesome experience. The best time is when water levels are higher and the Rainbows come out.
A moonbow, also known as a lunar rainbow, is a rare optical phenomenon created when moonlight is refracted and reflected by water droplets in the air. Unlike regular rainbows, moonbows appear much fainter and often look white to the human eye, though cameras can capture their colors.
DATES 2026
Wolf Moon Friday, January 30, 2026
Worm Moon Sunday, March 1, 2026
Worm Moon Monday, March 30, 2026
Pink Moon Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Flower Moon Friday, May 29, 2026
Strawberry Moon Saturday, June 27, 2026
Buck Moon Monday, July 27, 2026
WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL TOUR
Rhino, River and cultural combo
Pickup time: 13:30
Duration: 7 hours
Rate - USD 140 per person
Minimum: 4 guests / Maximum: 24 guests
Overview
This signature CATS experience combines the best of Livingstone’s wildlife, river and community. The afternoon begins inside Mosi oa Tunya National Park with a safari drive and white rhino encounter. The drive ends at the Zambezi River for a two hour river safari boat cruise. After the cruise, guests transfer into South Dambwa to experience the warmth, rhythm and culture of the community. The evening opens with a lively performance by the Dambwa Warriors children’s dance troupe, followed by a cultural drive through Dambwa and the human wildlife conflict zone, with visits to local
herbalists, market stalls and curios. Guests are then treated to a traditional Zambian ‘matebeto’ dinner with storytelling before finishing with a short night drive in the community area in search of elephant, hippo and buffalo.
Schedule
13:30 Pickup from accommodation
14:00 game drive and Rhino encounter
15:30 River safari and two hour boat cruise
17:30 Sundowners accompanied by the Dambwa Warriors dance performance
18:30 Cultural community tour through Dambwa and Human wildlife coexistence zone
19:15 Traditional matebeto dinner with storytelling
20:15 Night drive and spotlighting
21:00 Drop off
Guests love is a visit to the Livingstone Museum, where you can view David Livingstone’s original letters, carefully preserved and on display. It’s a rare and fascinating window into the explorer’s remarkable journeys and the history he left behind.
Livingstone itself, once the capital of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), carries his legacy in more than just its name. The museum, the town’s architecture, and the many stories woven into its fabric all reflect this heritage. Colonial-era buildings still line its streets, blending historical elegance with the vibrancy of modern Zambian life.
What makes Livingstone truly special is that it’s a real, working town. Visitors have the chance to step beyond typical tourist experiences and connect with everyday life. Wander through lively markets, meet artisans, and shop for colourful chitenge fabrics, handmade crafts, and fresh produce.
A quick stop at the Forest of Faces is a must-do while in this area to see some fantastic, bigger-than-life carvings.
It’s a place where history, culture, and community come together.
RAILWAY MUSEUM
Step back in time at the Railway Museum, where Zambia’s rail heritage comes to life. Once the nation’s vital lifeline, the railway connected people, places, and stories—and here, its legacy is beautifully preserved.
As you explore, you’ll encounter an impressive collection of locomotives and coaches, each carrying the echoes of journeys long past. Every piece on display tells a tale—of adventurers, workers, and communities shaped by the railway’s reach.
More than just a collection, the museum is a tribute to the men and women who built and ran the railways, safeguarding their memory while offering visitors a rich blend of historical insight and cultural preservation.
The Gateway Jewish Museum
Opened in 2013, the Gateway Jewish Museum in Livingstone shares the remarkable story of the Jewish community that settled in the region and in other major towns across Zambia.
Through its exhibits, the museum highlights the role this community played in shaping the economic, cultural, and political landscape of Northern Rhodesia—today’s Zambia. It stands as both a place of remembrance and a celebration of the contributions that helped weave Zambia’s rich historical fabric.
The Dambwa Warriors Dance Group and Living with Elephants Tour
In 2021, the Conservation and Tourism Society (CATS) discovered that groups of children in South
Dambwa were spending their nights chasing elephants. While the adults chased elephants out of
fear and misunderstanding, the children soon turned it into a game and even a rite of passage. At
times, more than 70% of those confronting elephants were children, some as young as six years old.
For them, the closer you could get, the greater the status: to touch an elephant was to be “king for a
day”.
CATS realised that telling them to stop was not enough, we needed to connect with them. Through
football, chess, and time spent together, trust was built, and slowly the message of coexistence
began to take hold. Out of this work, the Dambwa Warriors Dance Group was born: a vibrant troupe
of boys and girls who now express their energy and pride through music, dance, and drumming.
The Dambwa Warriors have become a focal point of positive change. They no longer chase elephants
but instead perform for guests on the Living with Elephants Tour and we hope at lodges across
Livingstone. Their songs and dances celebrate culture while raising awareness about human wildlife
coexistence. Managed by the South Dambwa Community Business Unit (CBU), their performances
are part of a wider programme of youth engagement, skills training, and alternative livelihoods.
Proceeds support training, education, and community upliftment, to date, 88 hours of skills training
have been sponsored.
The Living with Elephants Tour
17.00 – 21.00 hrs | Human–Wildlife Cohabitation and Cultural Tour
The Living with Elephants Tour is the first of its kind: a community-based tourism experience in the
heart of Livingstone’s human elephant conflict zone. Taking place in South Dambwa, along the
elephant migratory corridor beside the National Park, the tour re-frames conflict into coexistence.
Guests gain a unique perspective on how people and elephants live side by side, sometimes uneasily
and how communities are building new ways forward.
Programme
17.00 Pick-up
17.30 Sundowners, followed by an energetic performance from the Dambwa Warriors children’s
dance group
18.45 Cultural community tour through South Dambwa: meet herbalists, explore stalls and see the
realities of life in the corridor
19.15 Traditional Matebeto dinner with village elders, storytelling, song, and lore
20.15 Night drive through the conflict zone, with a high probability of viewing elephant, buffalo, or
hippo under spotlight
21.00 Drop-off
