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Royal Livingstone Hotel

Our rating

8/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Sophisticated colonial style hotel
- Beautiful riverside setting
- Private access to Victoria Falls

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Overview

The Royal Livingstone Hotel is a substantial, upmarket establishment in a splendid location on the banks of the Zambezi River, a short walk from the world famous Victoria Falls, in the area of Livingstone, southern Zambia. Built in a colonial style and featuring old world charm and décor, this elegant hotel offers 173 rooms and suites, fine dining, a swimming pool, gym, and spa, along with a wide range of activities, including unlimited daytime access to the iconic falls.

A 25 minute drive from Livingstone Airport, the hotel stands in beautiful riverside gardens frequented by varied resident wildlife, including zebra and giraffe. The grand reception area leads to a spacious tea lounge and bar, traditionally furnished with leather sofas and chandeliers. The formal dining room offers an a la carte menu, and a ‘smart casual’ dress code applies. Facilities include a riverside spa, an air-conditioned gym, a gift shop and an activities centre. Outside is a large swimming pool with loungers and a terrace overlooking the river, ideal for relaxing with sundowners. From here, guests can observe the spray and hear the roar of the thundering falls just 800m upstream.

A wide range of activities is on offer including river cruises, canoeing, and fishing. Game drives, elephant treks, and steam locomotive rail excursions can be arranged, whilst thrill seekers can experience white water rafting and jet boarding at Batoka Gorge. Guests at the hotel enjoy private, unlimited daytime access to Victoria Falls, a ten minute walk away. Visitors should note that the falls are at their most spectacular from December to July.

The accommodation comprises 169 rooms and four suites, all featuring well-appointed, Victorian style décor. Sleeping two guests in a double or twin beds, each unit has an ensuite bathroom with separate bath and shower, and a private veranda or balcony overlooking the river. All rooms have air conditioning, satellite TV, a minibar, and Wi-Fi. The four spacious suites, which are significantly larger in size, have an additional lounge and dressing area.

Children of all ages are welcome at the hotel. Cots can be provided on request, and interconnecting rooms are available. A babysitting service can be arranged at extra cost. The hotel pool is unfenced and some wild animals do roam within the grounds; parents are therefore reminded that children should be supervised at all times.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 536 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • Trip was great and all the arrangements were excellent so thank you for all the help!

    Drivers and transfers were all good - on time and very good service on each trip.

    Accommodation was lovely - Douar Samra was amazing (weather could have been better but lovely regardless). Riad in Marrakesh was also great!

    All in all a great trip and we loved the variety of the mountains, Marrakesh and the coast.

    Thanks you once again!

    MissingHardeep S reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 15 April 2024

  • I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.

    Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.

    El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.

    Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.

    So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last

    MissingJuhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024

  • Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”

    MissingLars B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 01 March 2024

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