Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara

My wife and I stayed at the hotel and loved every second of our stay. The hotel is ideally situated for the Victoria Falls and is situated within the national park so you see giraffes, impala’s, monkeys and zebra’s around the grounds. The staff are very attentive, our butler Kennedy was always on hand to assist us. Other members of staff such as Chola, Dorothy and Lupendo made our stay memorable and pleasant and we can’t wait to return for our next visit.

2nd visit disappointing. The greeting from the dancers at the entrance is too delightful for words!! A welcome of note!! Then a man dressed in an African Outfit ushered us to a table with a drink for registration. He was kind enough to book a table for dinner and let us know that is we need anything we just need to dial 9 for our ‘butler’ !! We duly went for dinner .. I sent my fish back was inedible my husband’s meal was also 2nd rate. Breakfast was magnificent with an opulent display and choice. After a booze cruise and highly recommended, we ordered a toasted sandwich in the bar as the Terrace restaurant was fall. The bar is reminiscent of times gone by beautifully appointed and to add to the ambiance a pianist with amazing talent. But this bar was empty of guests for our entire 3 day stay. I remember the music and dancing last time we were there, it was such a vibe!!! The bedrooms are well appointed and our ‘butler’ reminded us that we just needed to call and he would be there to sort out any problems. TV did not work.. butler told us he would need to get maintenance the next day which never happened! In the morning we had a new ‘butler’ the spray bottle for mosquito repellent was not spraying. She never brought a replacement! The man in the bright African garb was there every morning doing what he does, delegating everything to our ‘butler’. This is not a cheap holiday for South Africans and therefore there is an expectation. Unfortunately The Royal Livingstone Hotel is just not the same and overpriced in comparison. We had a great dinner at the Terrace restaurant as a finale… don’t bother to book at the fine dinning restaurant the food and views are a lot better. Two things to do are Devils pool and an up close and personal experience with feeding elephants.

This goes onto my bucket list recommendation for anyone who likes big rivers and classic hotels. The Royal Livingstone is the oldest and original river crossing location going back two centuries. It’s been there so long it is part of the national park surrounding the falls which means zebras/monkeys/giraffes on the grounds and free access to the falls. This hotel is truly a classic. On the same level as Old Cateract Aswan (if you know you know). Sundowner by the river and you may spot a hippo or something hungrier. Don’t think about swimming in the river. The falls may not get your first!! Staying on land, you are totally safe. The pool is delightful with great service. You can fully expect some zebras to come around for a photo opportunity! The falls viewing from below is easy access and EPIC. Another way to view from the top is a boat tour to Livingstone Island and then hang over the falls edge for a photo opportunity OF YOUR LIFETIME!!! Like I said, it’s a tick off the bucket list!

We had a wonderful three-night stay at the Royal Livingstone. We had a beautiful room, we loved walking to the waterfalls and to see all zebras, giraffes, impalas and monkeys walking freely on the grounds of the hotel. The staff were all lovely and made us feel very welcome - all though we were travelling with two very active children (3 y o and 1 y o). There was a kids club in the neighbouring sister hotel were we went in the mornings, which they enjoyed. The food in the hotel restaurants was of very good quality but not amazing. We appreciated that they served a lot of classics and offered a special menu for the children. The location of the hotel by the Zambezi River and about 10 minutes walk to the Victoria Falls is excellent. The presence of wild animals wandering the hotel grounds made our stay an unforgettable experience.