Feira was probably the first European settlement in Zambia, but the dates are not well documented.

[1] The town was abandoned again by 1856, when it was visited by the explorer David Livingstone and described as completely ruined.

There are no bridges in the area over the Luangwa or Zambezi, nor regular ferry services, but local people will take visitors across in small boats.

Zambia's practical support for nationalist guerrillas led to some incursions into its territory by Rhodesian and Portuguese forces in pursuit of them.

The Lower Zambezi National Park west of the town is a rugged wilderness on the Zambezi Escarpment and the lower Luangwa valley includes unspoilt scenery and wildlife habitats.