The Royal Livingstone Hotel Victoria Falls Zambia by Anantara

This was our second visit to Victoria Falls, having stayed previously in January 2019, on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. This time since we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary so we thought we would treat ourself to a bit of luxury on the Zambian side of the falls. The Royal Livingstone certainly lived up to expectations and the whole resort is very nicely done out in a colonial style building (even though it was only actually built 25 years ago). The reception area with it's fountain leads to views over the lawns, pool and the Zambezi. There is a main restaurant, but you can also get bar style food like burgers, sandwiches etc in the bar itself (for cheaper prices). The bar in particular is decorated beautifully and on certain evenings they have pianist playing as well, which adds to the ambience. The food at breakfast was outstanding, which you can enjoy overlooking the lawns & river. You have a choice of eggs and you can also help yourself to the buffet, which is probably one of the best buffets we have ever had. Everything from omelettes, to cereals, to cakes, to home made breads, fruits etc. You certainly won't go hungry! We only ate at the main restaurant one of our 3 nights and the food was decent. The bar food wasn't quite as good but that is to be expected considering it doesn't market itself as fine dining anyway. We only stayed in a standard room, so can't comment on the other rooms but thought it was nicely decorated with a very comfortable bed and a balcony overlooking the Zambezi and hotel grounds. Our only slight criticism was that the room was a little on the small side especially since there is a lot of furniture in it, but it was very nice & comfortable none the less. The highlight of the hotel for us was the grounds & pool area. It is manicured perfectly and if you are sat around the pool there is no need to even get up to order a drink as the staff walk around the pool taking drinks orders & bringing them over to you, so you really are treated like royalty. There is also a lovely deck area overlooking the river & you can see the mist from the falls in the distance. It's a fantastic place to have a drink watching the sunset. One evening we were still sat there once the sun had set & most of the other guests had gone up to the restaurant for dinner... all of a sudden two giraffes walked directly in front of us. It was like having our own private nature channel! Speaking of animals there are plenty of zebras & monkeys around the grounds and another afternoon a giraffe wandering past the pool & was hanging around the reception area. It was almost like Disneyland in Africa. And actually that is how we would describe the Royal Livingstone. It really is like Disneyland in Africa. Not with all the crowds of course, but it is a little bubble away from the reality of how the locals really live. If you walk across the border on the bridge & through passport control you will see the real Africa, which personally is something we like to experience & did last time we stayed in Victoria Falls town. The Royal Livingstone exists as it's own little oasis protected from the real Zambia outside, but that's not a bad thing it's just something to be aware of of course. We also enjoyed a walk down to the Zambian side of the Falls on our last morning. Entry is included in the hotel rate which is nice & you can walk there in 10 mins. The Falls were notably smaller & less dramatic this time around during the dry season versus when we last visited in the wet season, but it was nice to see them at different times of the year. We additionally arranged a day trip to Chobe in Botswana which we would thoroughly recommend. You can arrange this yourself for less cost than the hotel charges and the same is true of the airport transfer from Victoria Falls as the price quoted by the hotel was over 3 times what we paid with a private firm. This is a lovely hotel and we would gladly recommend to anybody wanted to experience some luxury in a beautiful part of the world.

We only had one night at the Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara, but it left such an impression that we wish we could have stayed much longer! From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the unique blend of luxury and nature. The sunset over the Zambezi River was simply breathtaking—a memory we’ll cherish forever. And having giraffes and zebras wander through the gardens was a magical experience that made us feel like we were on a safari while still in the city. This close connection to wildlife truly made the stay unforgettable. The breakfast was delicious, with so many fresh and flavorful options to enjoy, and the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful. They went out of their way to make sure our short stay was comfortable and memorable. Do be prepared for mosquitoes, though, especially in the evening—repellent is a must! We can’t recommend the Royal Livingstone enough. It’s a special place that offers both elegance and adventure, and we hope to return soon for a longer stay to fully soak in all its beauty!

Classical hotel in a privileged location beside the Zambezi river and with lots of animals in the garden. However, the place is a bit noisy, with a big diesel generator operating most of the time and cleaners using noisy and polluting machines in the garden during the day. So not much of peace and quiet, which would have been nice in such a special place.

A truly marvellous hotel in one of the most mystical places we have ever seen. The entire colonial-style hotel complex is an African dream. You can see directly onto the Zambezi from the beautiful rooms. The food - whether breakfast, lunch or dinner - was excellent. A real luxury hotel that is absolutely worth the price. The service staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Our absolute favourite was Edward, the hotel's concierge: not only a helpful, extremely friendly and humorous man, but also simply a great person who told us a lot about the Zambezi way of life and demonstrated genuine hospitality. For his sake alone, we would stay at the Royal Livingstone Hotel again at any time.

The resort truly lives up to its name. The accommodations are amazing and the staff is always very friendly and helpful. It's truly an easy walk from the resort to Victoria Falls for a quick morning walk and the food here is top notch. I'd recommend this resort to anyone looking to unwind for a few days and enjoy the leisure this place can offer.