Livingstone Falls is much more than the famous Devils Pool, you can visit up to 3 countries, go on a safari, have dinner with elephants and much more! While this is an expensive destination (not for budget travelling), we really enjoyed this stop of our trip for a bit of adventure and relaxation.
Getting to Livingstone Falls
When visiting Livingstone Falls you can chose to stay in either Zambia or Zimbabwe. We chose to stay in Zambia as the entrance to Devils Pool is in the Royal Livingstone hotel. Before visiting, I read numerous blogs on the best place to stay when visiting the falls and all of them made it seem like staying on the Zimbabwe side would be a hassle. This was totally wrong! Not only is the Zimbabwe side cheaper, crossing the border over to Zambia is really simple. When searching for your flight, check for the best price into either airport (Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe).
The best deal I could find was on Kenya Airways with direct routes from Nairobi. Booking this low fare was frustrating with the website refusing to take my payment for days! I eventually had to comment on a Facebook post on the Kenya Airways page for an agent to finally help me resolve the issue. Tip- if you have ANY issues with Kenya Airlines just contact them on Facebook, they are very responsive!
Yes, US Citizens need a visa
Like many countries in Africa you will need a visa to enter either Zambia or Zimbabwe. We made the mistake of getting a single entry visa into Zambia and ended up spending double to go over to Zimbabwe! Get the KAZA UNIVISA online before you arrive to avoid making this mistake, it will allow you to visit Zambia and Zimbabwe. The visa is also available at the airport upon arrival. If you are considering taking a safari over to Botswana a visa is not needed for US Citizens!
Transportation
There is no Uber in Zambia or Zimbabwe, so be prepared for crazy high taxi fares. Our ride from the airport to the hotel was only 15 minutes and it cost US$30, they charge you per person for the ride! Our US$30 price was also less than what the hotel was offering at US$22 a person. We booked our transfers through Owens Travel & Tour Company, Owen responded quickly to any query on WhatsApp, was reliable and had better pricing than other tour operators. You can use Owen to book any of your activities when visiting Zambia, including a day safari to Botswana, which I heard is pretty amazing but didn’t get a chance to do.
Where to stay
Many of the hotels in Zambia are considered Safari lodges where Zebras, Monkeys and even Giraffes roam free outside your room, one of the coolest parts of our experience!
If you decide to stay on the Zambia side, I recommend the AVANI Hotel. This hotel isn’t very luxurious and seems a bit outdated, but has friendly staff, good breakfast and within the same property as the Royal Livingstone where you’ll catch the boat to head to Devils Pool.
There is a free shuttle that takes you between both properties, we literally only slept at the AVANI hotel and spent all of our time using the amenities of the Royal Livingstone. If you’re looking to have the best of both worlds for less this is it!
Entrance to the Victoria Falls from the Zambia side is FREE when you stay at AVANI or the Royal Livingstone hotel, about a 15 minute walk from your hotel. You won’t catch too much of the falls during the dry season but watching the sunrise from here is stunning! Take a sunrise photo tour with a professional to get the best shots.
Looking for a bit more luxury? Stay at the David Livingstone lodge! This beautiful resort is located on the Zambezi River with stunning sunset views.
We made a quick stop here before heading out on our water taxi to the Elephant Café!
Currency
ZMK100 = US$1 check with your local bank or online for the most updated exchange rates.
USD are widely accepted here in Zambia and in Zimbabwe, but as always, it’s best to exchange some local currency at the bank in the airport for souvenirs. Hotel rates are generally not as favorable.
Things to do
Devils Pool
The most popular attraction in Livingstone is of course the famous Devils Pool, only open from late August – December when the water levels are low. You can book this attraction through Owen, I recommend getting the morning breezer, no need to stay for lunch (it’s sweltering hot out there!) Breakfast isn’t very good either, eat before you go. I really wish there was an option to do the tour without any food.
The entrance to the falls is located in the Royal Livingstone Hotel, where you’ll catch a small boat to drive over to the island, only about 5 minutes away (I wish this boat ride was longer!).
Remember to bring water shoes, if you don’t have any they will provide some for you. There are places to change once you get onto the island if you need to put on your swim wear but I say wear it there! Once you get there, you’ll be asked to leave all your belongings in a locker and dress down into your swim wear only, don’t bring a professional camera you won’t be able to use it. The guide will take 1 phone with him for your group and take photos for you. Don’t worry, he does a really great job of taking plenty photos and videos for no extra charge. Towels are also provided once you get back to the lockers.
While it may look death defying this attraction is really safe and not scary at all! You cannot get swept off without making a conscious decision to jump off the edge. The guides are all there to help you each step of the way and make sure safety comes first at all times. You cannot do this tour without a licensed guide, it is actually against the law. Most people did tip their guide, remember to bring a few extra dollars for this.
If you are coming from Zimbabwe, you need to have your KAZA UNIVISA to cross the border into Zambia. When crossing the border you will have to get off the bus and go into immigration to show the visa and stamp your passport. Your tour operator should pick you up from your hotel and drive you over to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. It’s really that simple!
Elephant Café
I found out about the Elephant Café the night before we arrived in Zambia and decided to splurge (this is NOT a cheap activity), after all this was our honeymoon! You’ll have two options to get to the café, a 20 minute drive or 30 minute boat ride which includes a short tour of the Zambezi River.
We opted for the boat ride leaving from the David Livingstone lodge and I’m so happy we did! This was one of the most fun experiences of our entire trip, speeding through the river, going over small rapids and stopping to see birds, hippos and crocs with our guide who was like our very own Steve Irwin!
Once arriving at the café the top notch 5 star service begins! You’ll get a short briefing from the café owner and head over to the elephant trainers who will introduce you to these amazing animals.
Each elephant has its own personal trainer who will give you a bag of peanuts to feed them, these guys are just like the giraffes all they wanted to do is eat and eat. I couldn’t seem to feed them fast enough! Watch out for the monkeys stealing the peanuts from your bag the moment you turn away, they are really sneaky! Professional photos and a short video to post on your social media is also included in the tour package. You can also ask the guides to take photos and videos with your phone.
After the elephant feeding you’ll head over to the restaurant for dinner, this was the best meal we had in Zambia! Everything was fresh and made to order. Wines were included with dinner with specialty cocktails for an additional charge.
During dinner we caught a lone hippo heading into the elephant stable, apparently this hippo has been coming here for quite a while and has made friends with the elephants! Hippos usually stay in pack so it’s pretty rare for one to be on its own.
Zambezi River tour
If you saw my review on my Instagram stories you’ll already know that I do not recommend this tour, this was a waste of money! With a price tag of US$70 this tour on the African princess was so boring I fell asleep.
The boat simply drifted down the river where we saw a few crocs and hippos, the same thing we saw on our way to the elephant café.
Luckily we caught a group of elephants swimming across the river, who knew elephants could swim? I certainly didn’t! The 5 minute sight saved the trip for me a bit!
Sunset drinks on the Sundeck
Looking for a quiet relaxing place to take a drink riverside? Checkout the Sundeck bar inside the Royal Livingstone hotel. Here’s where you’ll see roaring hippos and a beautiful sunset.
While food & accommodations can be very expensive in Zambia, drinks are surprisingly cheap, even at this luxury resort. The only downside was the heat, did I mention Zambia was unbearably hot? Bring light clothing and a cooling towel, you will need it!
Walk from Zambia to Zimbabwe
Yes, you read that right, you can actually walk from one country to another in just 40 minutes! All you’ll need are comfortable walking shoes, passport, yellow fever card, KAZAUNI VISA and some cash. Your first checkpoint will be about a 15 minute walk from the AVANI hotel to the Zambia boarder.
Once you cross this checkpoint you’ll have about a 30 minute walk over the famous Victoria Falls bridge to the Zimbabwe boarder where you’ll fill out some paperwork, stand in line (this could be quite long) and then exit in front of the entrance to Zimbabwe side of the falls. It’s that easy!
If you want to take a taxi you can but most will not cross the border. The only bothersome thing was people constantly approaching us to sell old currency bills, bracelets and other souvenirs along with the heat, I’m pretty sure I got 3 shades darker on this walk!
Now that you’re in Zimbabwe, checkout Victoria Falls!
If you really want to see a full view of the falls you’ll have to visit from the Zimbabwe side, only 25% of the falls are visible from Zambia vs 75% from Zimbabwe. Get there during the early morning hours to beat the heat, crowds and even catch a rainbow (usually best around mid-morning). Entrance fees are US$30 and can be purchased directly at the gate, only Visa credit cards and cash are accepted.
During the rainy season you won’t be able to see much of the falls from the Zimbabwe side with all the mist blocking your view. Standing near these falls feels like you are under the rain, the perfect place to cool down from the blazing heat!
Take a drive to Botswana
Looking to add another country to your list? Take a day safari to Botswana! You’ll get a chance to see rare white rhinos and all the big 5 animals. Maximize your stay by spending a night here, a fellow traveler recommended the Nogatsaa Pans Lodge where they were able to see hundreds of elephants! I didn’t get a chance to do this but heard great reviews from fellow travelers, our friendly guide Owen can help you to book this.
Things I missed
We were hoping to checkout a few more of the local attractions but taxis are so expensive to leave the resort we opted to stay and enjoy everything on the hotel property. One the Zimbabwe side you can also do bungee jumping, hang gliding or even white water rafting. Read more information here.
Checkout my Instagram stories for a visual journey of this trip!
