This post covers the second part of our trip to Africa in October 2019, where we stayed in Livingstone, Zambia for 3 nights. If you want to read about our time in Kenya, please see our first post here.
Arguably the main attraction in Zambia and Zimbabwe is Victoria Falls, the world’s largest waterfall and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The falls can be found on the border of both countries. We decided to stay in Zambia as it is generally considered safer and we preferred the accommodation options on that side, but we knew we wanted to visit the Zimbabwe side of the falls as well as it has far more viewpoints and in the dry season it is the only place you can actually see the falls!
After some careful research, we chose the Royal Livingstone for our stay. Its location right on the Zambezi River within walking distance of the falls coupled with its beautiful architecture made our decision pretty easy. Not only that, but they have giraffes and zebras wandering the property!
We took a direct flight with Kenya Airways to Livingstone, Zambia from Nairobi, Kenya. The flight both ways was on time, with friendly service and good snacks on board. Make sure you get a direct flight because the other options have multiple stops at other airports and take three times longer to arrive.
We highly recommend getting the combined KAZA Uni-Visa for both Zambia and Zimbabwe at the airport when you first arrive. It is 50 USD per person and it is good for 30 days, allowing you unlimited travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and even day trips to Botswana. The alternative is getting a visa for each country, which is good for more days but is almost double the price. Not only is the KAZA Uni-Visa cheaper, but you save yourself the hassle of unnecessary lines by just having the one visa with you from the beginning.
We contacted the hotel to arrange our road transfer to and from the airport. The company they booked this through was Bushtracks Africa and the ride was about 15 min each way.
The Royal Livingstone was built in 2001 with the intention of delighting guests with a taste of the 1800s when David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer, first saw the beauty of the falls. The architecture matches the style of that era and old paintings, furniture and artifacts fill each corner. One area that particularly stood out for us was the Lounge and Travellers Bar, which we loved spending time in as it instantly transported us back in time.
There are 173 rooms at the Royal Livingstone, each with an ensuite bathroom and a beautiful deck area. There are a number of restaurants onsite, as well as a pool, gym and spa. There is also a medical clinic onsite at the neighbouring sister hotel, Avani Victoria Falls Resort.
The hotel is located within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, so zebra, giraffes, baboons and impalas freely roam. It is pretty exciting to step outside and run into a zebra on your way to breakfast! The hotel is situated right on the Zambezi River and the falls are just a short walk away. Hotel guests receive complementary access to the falls on the Zambian side.
One complaint we had was about the turndown service, where housekeeping was supposed to come by to bring fresh towels and water and to spray insect repellant where needed. We either had really bad luck or the service was extremely poor. Not once did the turndown happen while we were at dinner, and we had to call multiple times each night to get someone to come by with the repellant and water. Not a huge deal, but definitely not what you’d expect from this kind of hotel.
On the other hand, the service at the front desk was great. One particular example of this was on our last day. We had asked for a late checkout but were told that the entire hotel had been booked for a company retreat, so we unfortunately had to check out at the usual time. They could have left it at that and it would have been inconvenient but we wouldn’t have blamed them for it. Instead, they got us a room at Avani for the day and brought our bags there for us. We were able to stay there until we had to head to the airport, which we were really grateful for.
Breakfast was always served at the Old Drift Restaurant at the hotel and was included in our rate. It was extremely good, a buffet with plenty of fresh fruit, eggs, meats, cheeses, baked goods and yogurt. They had delicious juices and coffee. You could also order omelettes with your choice of ingredients.
For lunch and dinner, we ate almost exclusively at the hotel. There are plenty of options for your meals. You could eat at the Old Drift Restaurant, which was a bit more dressy and required a reservation for lunch or dinner. For more informal dining, you could eat at Kubu overlooking the Zambezi. For the most casual option, you could eat in the Travellers Bar.
Other options included High Tea in the Lounge, in-room dining or a private dinner in designated areas on the grounds. On some nights of the week they also put on a traditional African barbecue with live music and dancing in the Mukuni Boma village nearby. Lastly, you could book a dinner on the famous Royal Livingstone Express.
In general, the food was very tasty but pricey. The portions were always large at least, and we did enjoy all of our meals.
Victoria Falls
Spanning 1,708 m in width and reaching a height of 108 m, Victoria Falls is not the widest nor the tallest waterfall in the world but it is the largest. Known as Mosi Oa Tunya, or ‘the smoke that thunders’, to the local people, it is an impressive sight that has certainly earned its spot as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Any time of year is good to visit the falls, but we chose the dry season in order to be able to see rather than feel them (in the wet season the mist can completely block them from view and photos are nearly impossible). Knowing that we were going in dry season did not prepare us for how dry they can really get! The part of the falls visible from the Zambian side were completely dried up so we had quite the shock on our first day (it ended up being okay, since the main falls are actually best viewed from the Zimbabwe side and they always have water).
The falls can be reached from both Zambia and Zimbabwe, each with their own national park. About 25% of the falls can be seen from Zambia, and 75% from Zimbabwe. We definitely recommend visiting both national parks, and you can walk from one to the other (just make sure you have your passports with you to cross the border). We had free access to the Zambian side, and entrance on the Zimbabwe side was 30 USD per person.
Mosi Oa Tunya National Park - Livingstone, Zambia
We went into this park a couple times as it was right by our hotel. The falls are not as spectacular on this side, especially in the dry season, but the park is quieter and you can get a lot closer to the falls if you wish. There are a number of walking routes that take you to a few vantage points. One of them takes you right along the side of the falls and gives you a nice view of Livingstone Island, from where David Livingstone saw the falls for the first time in 1855. Another brings you to a great view of Victoria Falls Bridge in the distance.
Victoria Falls National Park - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
We recommend you walk over to the Zimbabwe side right at sunrise so you can be in the park as it opens and avoid the inevitable crowds. It was magical seeing the sun rise over the falls, creating rainbows in the mist. There are 13 clearly marked viewpoints along a winding walkway. All of the viewpoints were worth going to, and we spent a few hours taking photos and walking around.
Devil’s Pool
Devil’s Pool is a natural “infinity pool” on the edge of Victoria Falls, right beside the famous Livingstone Island. In the dry season, you can swim in it and get right up to the edge, with water flowing over and down, down, down...What keeps you from falling over, you may ask? Oh, just a rock lip carved out over thousands of years of erosion. I read about this and was terrified at the thought. Slade read about it and insisted we do it. Being the supportive wife I am, I booked it for us for our last day, telling myself that worst case, we could skip the Devil’s Pool part if we felt unsafe and still get a boat ride to Livingstone Island and a nice meal out of it.
There is only one tour agency authorized to run this excursion, Tongabezi. They do have a website where you can book online, but it didn’t work when we were booking so we had to book via email. The trip takes about 2 hours and you can choose different times throughout the day with breakfast, lunch or high tea for your meal. We chose the lunch option and the 3 course meal we were provided was amazing and unexpectedly extravagant.
From their launch site, you take a small boat along the Zambezi River to Livingstone Island, where you leave your belongings in lockers before swimming a short distance to the rocks from where you can jump into the pool. Tongabezi’s track record for safety is excellent; however, I had also read about a parasite in the Zambezi River that you can contract from swimming in it, so I still felt dumb for even considering this whole thing!
Well, we both did end up swimming in Devil’s Pool. We clearly lived to tell the tale, and we have no parasites to speak of. After having done it, I do think that a) there are some risks, but b) if you do your research, it is worth doing. The guides we had were really capable and every part of the activity is led with safety in mind. I wasn’t scared at any point once we were actually there, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience. You’re only in the pool for about 10-15 min, but that’s about as much time as I needed!
Some tips:
Wear a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting wet and keep them on in the pool to avoid cutting your feet on the rocks. There are fish in the river and the pool, so this way they don’t nibble at your feet either.
Don’t bring any valuables with you. We just brought the clothes we were wearing, sunscreen, one waterproof phone, and our GoPro. Don’t bring anything expensive (like sunglasses) that you don’t need.
No need to bring towels, they provide them.
High Tea at the Royal Livingstone
One of the things I mentioned above was that you can have High Tea in the Lounge at the Royal Livingstone. If you enjoy high tea (and honestly even if you don’t), I highly recommend this. While on the pricey side, there is no better setting for a high tea than in this beautiful room, and the food was plentiful and delicious. The tiered platter towers with many different options, and there is a large selection of teas to choose from as well. All in all, it was a really enjoyable afternoon experience (more for me, but Slade didn’t hate it either). Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you should still consider coming by for the high tea one day.
Royal Livingstone Express
One of our favorite experiences in Zambia was the Royal Livingstone Express. We love old-fashioned trains à la The Orient Express, so this really stood out for us when looking at things to do. This is another thing you can book even if you’re not staying at the Royal Livingstone. The beautifully restored steam locomotive train runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The whole evening was a lot of fun, starting with the provided shuttle to the station, then walking along a red carpet (fancy) to receive your welcome drink before boarding the train. You are then served more pre-dinner drinks and appetizers while you receive a spirited history lesson about Zambia and its relatively positive relationship with the early British colonials.
You are then brought to Victoria Falls Bridge just in time for sunset, where the train stops and everyone is able to disembark and roam around a bit. There are lots of locals on the bridge selling goods, so it’s a good chance to get some souvenirs if you want to.
Afterwards, the train makes its way to a private stop nestled in the bush and you are led to the dining car where a beautiful 4 course meal awaits. The entire meal is elegantly presented and delicious. We really enjoyed our evening and it continued the old-world theme that we experienced at the Royal Livingstone during our stay.
From their impressive waste management and recycling processes to their electric vehicles, the Royal Livingstone has proven their dedication to the environment. They are also investing in the Zambian community, offering support for women in neighbouring villages, partnering with the Family Hope foundation to help reduce HIV stigma, and building a computer lab at a nearby school.
We loved our time at the Royal Livingstone. Its location on the Zambezi is incredible, the hotel grounds were impeccable and the old-world feel really helped to set the tone of our trip. It felt like we had stepped back in time, and we really enjoyed learning about the history of Livingstone and Victoria Falls and some of the more positive influences of early colonialism in Zambia. In terms of value, the food was pretty expensive and there were a few hiccups with the service that did not align with the level of standard that the hotel exudes. All in all, we would recommend the Royal Livingstone to anyone travelling to Zambia and would happily return ourselves.
Our time in Zambia really rounded out our visit to Africa and we were so glad we decided to include it as part of our trip! One last thing I’d like to note in parting is that we were consistently impressed by how kind, helpful and welcoming the people were everywhere we went in Africa. Hospitality is a big part of their culture and it really shows.
I’ve linked again to our video summarizing our entire trip below:
If you have any questions about our itinerary or experience in Zambia, please don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments below.
Happy travels,
Maria