by Choosing how to spend your last day in Africa can be impossible. In Zambia, John and I narrowed it down to two options:
Walking with lions might sound thrilling, but it didn’t sit right with me. These lions were captive-bred, habituated to humans, and caged at night. After seeing them wild in the Savannah, I couldn’t imagine interacting with them in such an artificial way.
That left the Royal Livingstone Express, an opulent, five-course dinner aboard a restored colonial-era steam train. On the surface, it sounded romantic, but it came with a darker truth: this luxury was built on the backs of African laborers who suffered, and often died, laying the tracks. The train itself was a preserved relic of the colonial past. Gleaming wood paneling, polished brass fixtures, and vintage seating filled each car, with only the carpets replaced and discreet air-conditioning added. From the moment we stepped aboard, uniformed attendants welcomed us with Ice Tea, as the engine slowly chugged out of Livingstone.
Bushtracks, the operator, includes historical storytelling with the experience. The Royal Livingstone Express was once part of the grand Cape to Cairo railway dream, an imperial vision fueled by British ambitions. For those who could afford it, the journey meant lavish dining and scenic travel. For those who built it, it meant blistering days in the sun, freezing nights, mosquito swarms, malaria, and exhaustion. Many died on the job; some were killed in their tents by lions. As we continued the ride, the history weighed on me. Sitting in the same chairs once reserved for colonial elites felt strange, enjoying beauty and comfort while knowing the cost in human lives. The 1996 film The Ghost and the Darkness gives a glimpse into what workers endured, though reality was even harsher.
The evening included a stop at Victoria Falls just as the sun began to set. We stepped out to watch the spray rise from “The Smoke That Thunders,” while baboons leapt across the train cars, their screeches echoing through the still air. It was a perfect, surreal African moment. For me, the night was the perfect ending to our African journey. Romantic, scenic, and deeply thought-provoking. That’s how I spread ripples: by sharing beauty alongside truth, so history isn’t forgotten.
If you ever ride the Royal Livingstone Express, take in the scenery, enjoy the experience, but listen closely to the history. Share what you learn. Travel isn’t just about seeing the world; it’s about understanding it by walking in others shoes.
