Overview
** LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA TOURS **
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The Livingstone also has a lot of history to it and get to see the other side of Victoria falls.
There is horse riding activities and relaxation time at the hotel and the pools. They serve great meals, there is bungee jumping for the adventurous and adrenaline junkies on the bridge that is between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Another adventure to embark on would be the Devils Pool. Tourists can also go on a sunset cruise on the lakes and see all the Hippos.
Night light the Zimbabwe side has a lot of bars and clubs to party.
I visited Livingstone, Zambia in 2018 and absolutely loved my experience. Primarily, visited Zambia to go to Victoria Falls. As a waterfall buff, this was an absolute must. So if you are also excited by magnificent waterfalls, I highly recommend Victoria falls on the boarder of both Zambia and Zimbabwe. I visited both and for the sake of seeing Victoria falls in all of its glory, i recommend visiting the falls on BOTH sides.
To do this, make sure you get a Kaza visa upon entry of either Zambia or Zimbabwe. This costs about $50 and allows multiple entries within 30 days. This is essential when visiting the falls since if you get a single visa to one of the countries, you will either limit your overall experience or end up spending more money.
I stayed in both Zam and Zim and crossed the boarder on multiple occasions- sometimes just for the day or few hours for a specific activity so be sure to purchase the Kaza visa for ease of travel. The more you cross the boarder, the more stamps earned too #bonus
Regarding ‘things to do’ honestly, I was only interested in seeing the falls and within Livingstone that is one of the main things to do. There is a museum but unfortunately I did not have time to go but i believe this is free to visit.
Back to the falls, whilst the best view of the falls is in Zimbabwe the best waterfall related activities are accessed in Zambia. For example –
Microlight flight- google for visuals (or check out one of my first posts on Allchecked in on Insta) but this is basically a tricycle with wings and although it doesn’t sound the safest and looks like something black people do not do (lol), it really was one of the best things i’ve ever done; so freeing and just an overwhelming yet amazing 15 minutes. It wasn’t long and cost about $150 but it was 100% worth it. You fly over Victoria falls and the views are phenomenal! We also flew over the Zambezi river and saw wildlife such elephants and hippos in their natural habitat.
I was terrified pre-flight but came off feeling exhilarated and ready to go again (if i could afford to).
Whilst in flight, the pilot took a number of photos on a go pro attached to one of the wings and for an additional $20 (I think), I got all the footage on a memory stick. And for take off, a man on the ground (who i trusted with my phone- he also worked there) took a video and photos for me.
Devil’s Pool – Although this also does not sound like something for us (black people), it was an amazing experience with fantastic views and even better moments captured. This is when you get to swim in Victoria falls itself (also worth a google for visuals or check out my insta- more posts on Zambia pending). The key word is “SWIM” because if you are not a strong swimmer unfortunately this experience is not for you. For those who can swim well, you will be in a group of about 8-15 people and take it in turns to lay on the edge of the falls where one worker stays with you and for some shots held my feet for safety purposes and the other worker captures the entire experience on your personal phone. Do it for the gram and all lol! I went for breakfast and was lucky enough to capture a beautiful rainbow in the background. The package was also over $70-100 (I believe from memory) and included breakfast at the top (not in the water). I believe you can also go for high-tea and lunch.
Although I opted out of these activities, you can also bungee jump, abseil and zip line at the falls.
Other than the adrenaline filled activities, the main thing to do in Livingstone is actually visiting the falls. This took me a few hours but since I went in low season, there wasn’t much waterfall to view so depending on the time of year, time allocated at the national park may vary. I didn’t have a guide but choose to pay a driver to wait for me/ come back as it can be quite difficult getting transport for your return. There is also a small market at the entrance so perhaps allow more time to have a browse the local and cultural crafts, as I did not factor this in and my driver needed to leave.
Note; I decided to wear wedged heeled sandals but would recommend a flatter shoe as I did quite a bit of walking. Alsooo, do not go hungry, I had a snack in my bag but with baboons roaming around this was the wrong move. I went hungry because it was either that or be attacked by primates.
In my down time, I kind of only chilled by the pool in my hotels. So other than going to the falls, I would recommend bringing a good book or something to do in personal time.
In the evening I believe there is a sunset cruise but since I was travelling solo, I opted out of this since it was a little too romantic for me, myself and I.
From Livingstone, I also arranged a day trip to Chobe National park in Botswana – also a must! More passport stamps and all! Plus the river and jeep safari was amazing. – highly recommend it!
I am literally on my way home from my Zambia – Zimbabwe trip . Zambia was not very thing and more than I expected . We stayed at The Royal Livingstone Resort which is near to the Zimbabwean side and facing Zambezi River . The resort had some animals roaming around during pool time or lunch even at night . We visited the Livingstone town for market and local food . A walk across the boarders was the highlights of my trip. The bridge had most amazing views ever. Sadly the devils pool was closed as it is already high season ( it’s only open in ( Sep – Feb ) but the purpose of the trip was to catch Lunar full moon which was EPIC . During Fullmoon the park is open day before, on the day and day after . It is relatively cheaper to attend the Zambian side full moon tour , however I managed to do both and votes for Zimbabwe side which is double the price .
Hotels | it is cheaper to stay in the Zambian side that Zimbabwe side although most of the resorts in Zambia are far from the city and offers relaxing environment, I liked Zimbabwean side for the city life as it was not a romantic Gateaway.
One of my favorite things to do while in Livingstone is exploring the many outdoor markets. These markets sell lots of cheap african fabrics and ready to wear outfits, jewellery, carvings and other unique African items. Maramba market is one of the cheapest and is easy to get to by local cab for about $3 usd from central Livingstone. There is no public transportation in Livingstone so if you meet a taxi driver you like, its a good idea to recruit them to become your driver. Do not fall for the scam drivers at the airport/hotels because they will definitely over charge you. It’s easy, and it will save you money, to pick up a taxi hitch-hike style. Livingstone is a very friendly and safe place so even as a solo traveller, you do not have to worry!
The Devil’s pool is the highlight of any trip to Zambia. The activity can also be done from Zimbabwe. The devils pool is a natural pool that sits directly on the edge of the Victoria Falls. Getting to the Devil’s the pool requires strong swimming skills because you have to swim your way to the area where the pool is located. Part of the swim goes through a very strong current. The pool is only ‘open’ during the drier months – August to mid January.
The option I chose includes a 3 course lunch at the end which is super tasty and a welcome drink. It is a traditional southern African fermented drink called maheu that can be found in many countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and of course Zambia. this option was $US158. The other two options are: includes a full English Breakfast for $90 and high tea for US$133 . These options also include the welcome drink.
If you can’t swim, the devils pool is located before the Devil’s Pool and will get you some good pictures that are as similar as you can get to the Devil’s pool pictures.
FYI – Devils pool only shows you part of the back of Victoria Falls. If you want to see the full Falls, you actually have to cross the border into Zimbabwe. Both Canadian and US citizens need a visa to enter Zimbabwe, but the visa is very easy to purchase and can be bought at the border.
I absolutely loved it here!! It’s a gem that people definitely dont know about. So I flew British Ariways from Johannesburg to Livingston Zambia. The airport code for Zambia is LVI. I had my driver pick me up from the airport and take me to my hotel, which was the Marriott Protea. You will definitely need a driver in Zambia as there is NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. My driver was Patrick. He was reliable and was always there to pick me up and drop me off on time. His What’s App # is +260 97 4715465. The marriott was absolutely beautiful and had WiFi which is Great!! Food was good too!! And breakfast was free although other meals were not. While in Zambia, i contacted Mukuni Big 5 company, who arranged a lion and cheetah walk for me. I also contacted Wild Horizons, who i did an elephant encounter with in Zimbabwe, and a bridge zip lining. A word of advice, when excursions are booked in Zimbabwe, you have to drive to the Zambia/Zimbabwe border, which is 10 minutes from Livingstone. Please remember to bring your passport with you as you need it stamped at the Zimbabwe border. Each night i went out partying and was completely safe as a solo traveler. I went to Cafe Zambezi, Ocean Basket, and the place next door to Ocean’s Basket (forgot the name) for dancing. I absolutely had the time of my life here. There’s also a school called Linda West where you can go and volunteer. I sponsored two kids there. It was amazing. I was there alone so I cant speak on solo traveling
I stayed at the Royal Chundu resort which is situated in Livingstone and is a Luxurious 5 star resort definitely worth the experience. We had so many activities planned for us such as Canoeing, fishing, sunset cruise, seeing the Victoria Falls and a travel to Botswana to see the Chobe National Park Safari Park. It was a great retreat from the busy life and very relaxing. It is definitely my best holiday experience.
Livingstone is a very friendly and safe city, there is one major road that goes through the whole city. Zambia is 99% Christian country, and that is reflected in positive attitude and willingness to help the natives have. One of my favorite experiences was bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge. It cost roughly 120 USD, but the experience is so worth it. I also did walking with the lions and cheetahs (shout out to Lion King). It cost $200 USD and you can book your experience at he following link: https://www.victoriafallszambia.travel/Lion_Cheetah_Experience
We had a very short stay in Zambia as we only flew there to visit the Victoria falls and Devils pool! I would highly recommend taking a trip to devils pool (if you haven’t already). We had booked this in advance before getting to Zambia to ensure we didn’t miss out. We then payed for the tour and transfers when we got to our hotel (Victoria Falls Backpackers Lodge). This cost around $110. To book visit: http://www.devilspool.net
To get to the fall we had to take a short boat ride to the island where we were greeted with a traditional; Maheu energy drink (a traditional African brew). Then after a short trek we were led to the edge of the falls..we then had to swim across the Zambezi to get to the devils pool.
The locals were lovely and everyone was so welcoming. All in All, Zambia is a beautiful country and I would definitely go back! :)
Had an amazing time in Livingstone with all the natural beauty, wildlife, and of course the waterfalls that you have to see. I’d recommend travelling around April to June as the weather is not too too hot, and you have good visibility of the Victoria falls view. The good thing about visiting Livingstone is you can shoot for 3 countries in 1 visit. From seeing the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side to taking a Day trip Safari to Botswana for $150-$400 depending on your options.
I visited the reptile farms which had a wide range of Crocodiles and some other reptiles. If you’re a fan of Snakes this is the place that will show you different types of Snakes too but don’t worry, they’re all secured in glass. The tour guides there were very professional and friendly. The cost is about $40 US to get in for foreigners, but if you’re black, you can get away by saying you’re a local visiting from Lusaka and you’ll end getting the locals prices around Livingstone ? but don’t say I told you that.
I also visited the Mukuni Big 5 – walk with the lions and rode the elephants for about $250 US for both activities. I highly recommend this activity cause you get so up close with the animals and they show you how well they are taken care of.
A village tour walk is another one to do on your list. For a nice donation of $20 US and up you’ll get to interact with the locals and see their way of life. You might meet the Chief if he is available. I had an opportunity to try their local alcohol called “chibuku” which is all made out of millet.
The sunset booze cruise which cost $65 is another one to do your list. Don’t go crazy on the unlimited booze cause you’ll miss out on the scenic Zambezi river, the hippos and everything the river has to offer in terms of wildlife and the beautiful sunset.
I stayed at a lodge called Chanters for 3 nights, which included breakfast. https://www.chanters-livingstone.com/ Had a pleasant stay there, but be prepared with some bug spray from all the mosquitos.
Make sure to have breakfast at the Royal Livingstone Hotel that way you can interact with the Zebras and Giraffes on the hotel premises.
Overall budget for Livingstone would be $700 – $1,000.00 for accommodation and activities (depending how crazy you’d like to spend cause there’s a lot more activities) Try booking your activities when you get there through your hotel reception as I find it a lot cheaper than booking through online. When you do travel, make friends with the locals cause they’ll show you places that tour companies may not have available for you. The Taxi drivers are usually very knowlegeable especially when you give them a nice tip.
Took the train here from Lusaka, which was around 24 hours but super scenic and allowed one to see a lot of Zambia (would definitely recommend sitting in first class cabin, it wasn’t that expensive, less than $30 for the ticket). Had a great time at my hostel, Jollyboys Backpackers. Dorms were clean and comfy, restaurant food was delicious and ended up extending my stay because the staff were so nice and personable. There is a great local (outdoor and often crowded even on weeknights) club down the street called Limpopos which generally has a DJ with great dancehall, afrobeat, and other local music! Made wonderful friends and will definitely be back!
My time in Livingstone is one I’ll never forget. I was visiting Zimbabwe with a friend and we decided to spend a night in Zambia. To get there we walked across the Victoria Falls Bridge and purchased a visa at the border. If coming in from Zimbabwe and you plan on going back to Zimbabwe from Zambia, do purchase a double entry visa for Zimbabwe. In Livingstone, we stayed at Jollyboys Backpackers, which was cheap and quite comfortable. At the hostel I found out there was going to be a Lunar Rainbow that night and that we could sign up to bungee jump from Victoria Falls bridge during the event. Coming to Vic Falls, I had already planned on bungee jumping but took them up on the opportunity to do it at night. The whole day, though, I was nervous. Up until that point (and even since then), it was the most extreme thing I’ve ever done. And I’m scared of heights. But I did it! With the encouragement of staff and onlookers. It was nothing short of exhilarating. The one thing I really wanted to do in Zambia but couldn’t (due to time) was swim in Devil’s pool. You would be right at the edge of the falls. Besides exploring Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia, my friend and I also did elephants rides! This was also a lot of fun. If you decide to visit Victoria Falls, I highly recommend visiting both sides (from Zimbabwe and Zambia). The views from the Zimbabwean side is definitely beautiful but I loved hiking the trails in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia.
Zambia – “The Real Africa!” A land lock country bordered by 8 surrounding African countries, Zambia is a no brainier destination. From the culture, to the people, to the food, to the affordability, to the home of one the 7 Natural Wonder’s of the World, there should be no question on whether to visit this peaceful, beautiful piece of land! Livingstone, Zambia is a southern city located about 8 hours from its Capital Lusaka. Here you can find the breathtaking Victoria Falls where you can hike, bungee jump, zip line, or even swing across the falls dangling between the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe! The rush of the waters, the brightness of the full start to finish rainbow feet from your eyes, and a dip in Devil’s pool are just a few more reasons not to miss this spot. Cross over the bridge to enter into Zimbabwe in about 3 minutes! Mukini Big 5 also provides the opportunity to play, ride, and walk with orphaned (NOT drugged) elephants, cheetahs, and lions whom were all found abandoned in the bush and gifted from neighboring countries to Chief Mukini. A once and life-time experience. Take the Safari River Cruise down the Zambezi River during sunset to see Hippos, crocs, zebras, elephants, and baboons. Ride the boat down the river right in the middle of the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Or do a game-drive during the day to spot the Big 5! The dollar goes VERY far in Zambia and the culture is RICH! Cultural Village Dancing at Maramba Village was amazing and entertaining! I would HIGHLY recommend Zambia, whether its for a long trip, or passing by, its not to be missed!