Livingstone Travel Guide

  Falls from the Zambian side
by PeterVancouver
 
  • Falls from the Zambian side
      Falls from the Zambian side
    by PeterVancouver
  • Downtown Livingstone as seen from a taxi
      Downtown Livingstone as seen from a taxi
    by mikelisaanna
  •   Livingstone
    by gksrud
  •   Livingstone
    by gksrud
  • Part of the David Lingstone exhibits
      Part of the David Lingstone exhibits
    by mikelisaanna
 

Pro

aadil profile photo

  Small city with the biggest attraction and handicrafts as well!!! 


Con

mikelisaanna profile photo

  Lots of folks trying to sell you souvenirs 


In a nutshell

mikelisaanna profile photo

  A convenient base for trips to Victoria Falls and Chobe 

 

Explore Livingstone

Things to Do  

EXCHANGE MONEY

EXCHANGE MONEY, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  I had a good look around town and the best rates were offered by the Post Office once you factored in the commission fee the other exchange places charge. The Post Office does not charge a fee. They do give you a slightly less favourable rate for $1, $5, $10 and $20 U.S.... 

THE POST OFFICE

THE POST OFFICE, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  The Main Post Office is slightly chaotic, but it does the business. They offer Post Restante services, fax, postage, stamps and most importantly – Bureau de Change and Western Union. You have to sit down in a small room in the middle for foreign currency, but they are fairly... 

ZAMBIA NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD

ZAMBIA NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  This place seems to be under renovation. The building is in the car par of the Livingstone Museum. They had a sign up (pictured) saying that they were inside the Livingstone Museum. When I asked inside the Museum the lady at the ticket desk said she would try and help. She... 

Hotels  

Tongabezi Lodge

 116 Opinions

Royal Livingstone

 3 Reviews and 294 Opinions  Situated directly at the Chobe River lies this luxury hotel. The style is very colonial. The rooms... 

Restaurants  

Thatos Beergarden & restaurant: Thatos beer

Thatos Beergarden & restaurant: Thatos beer, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  I followed the steps of DAO, and stumbled uppon Thatos Beergarden. The restaurant was closed when I arrived at 9 PM. DAO writes: "Want a quick dip in the pool and an ice cold beer? Sit in or out and enjoy sports on the big screen TV. This is the way bars should be! They do... 

Hungry Lion fast food: Hungry Lion

Hungry Lion fast food: Hungry Lion, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  "Hungry Lion" is a famous eating house in Livingstone downtown. It's centrally situated close to the path for tourists. The fastfood taste good. Price example: Medium beef burger with chips and a coke was 19,900 Kwacha (4 USD in 2009). Fast food. Hamburger, french fries,... 

Nightlife  

THATO'S BEER GARDEN & RESTAURANT

THATO'S BEER GARDEN & RESTAURANT, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  Want a quick dip in the pool and an ice cold beer? Sit in or out and enjoy sports on the big screen TV. This is the way bars should be! They do food as well. Paradise found. Drink here, eat here, relax here!(Formerly called The Mission) 

Transportation  

From Livingstone to Lusaka with bus

From Livingstone to Lusaka with bus, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  Two major bus companies and many small ones are offering trips from Livingstone to Lusaka. I took the Mazhandu Family Bus services. A business ticket costs 80000 Kwacha (16 USD). The socalled business bus is a new bus with better space between the seats. The other buses are... 

Taxis in Livingstone

Taxis in Livingstone, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  There are a lot of Taxis in Livingstone. You can see the blue taxis in Livinstone downtown or at the Victoria Falls border post to Zimbabwe. I took a taxi from the border to Livingstone and paid 50000 Kwacha (10 USD) for the trip. 

Shopping  

Mukuni shopping mall in Livingstone: Crafts market

Mukuni shopping mall in Livingstone: Crafts market, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  The Mukuni market shopping mall is an open air arcade. The market is open from 7 AM to 6 PM. Crafts are important for Livingstone and the industry relies on local craftsmen. Craft like indigenous artefacts, carvings, leather goods, bead works, drums, spears, and other... 

Phone stalls and street sellers: Prepaid local SIM cards

Phone stalls and street sellers: Prepaid local SIM cards, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:  Many local street sellers in Livingstone sell prepaid SIM cards from their small shopping stalls. It's cheap to buy a local SIM card, and it's cheap to use inside Zambia. Buy first a "SIM card startpack" with 5 minutes call. You can buy cheap credits when you first have a... 

Local Customs  

TRULY ZAMBIAN

TRULY ZAMBIAN, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  ‘TRULY ZAMBIAN’ is actually the advertising slogan for Mosi beer. Mosi is the most popular beer sold in Zambia. Despite its humble origins, it seems to strike a chord with local people who are proud of their country. You will see this slogan just about everywhere!... 

MOSI-OA-TUNYA NATIONAL PARK - THE RULES

MOSI-OA-TUNYA NATIONAL PARK - THE RULES, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  The National Park extends to just outside Livingstone and around Victoria Falls. They have some important rules to follow:Rule no. 1:Animals have the right of wayRule no. 2:Maximum speed 65km/h- and - THE FOLLOWING ARE PROHIBITED:* Entering or leaving the park without... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Don't fall into the canyons near Victoria Falls

Don't fall into the canyons near Victoria Falls, Livingstone

 mikelisaanna Says:  Along the path leading to the various viewpoints at Victoria Falls, we saw a great sign warning people about the danger of falling over the cliff it they strayed from the paths and crossed the fences. Hopefully nobody is stupid enough to defy the warnings and risk a plunge... 

Baboons

Baboons, Livingstone

 PierreZA Says:  There are many baboons around the area of the Park. They are quite a nuisance, although the problem is largely caused by tourists. We saw a male grabbing fruit out of people’s hands with some aggression! The problem is that tourists feed these wild animals, and we also saw... 

Tourist Traps  

MY GRANDFATHER’S BRACELET

MY GRANDFATHER’S BRACELET, Livingstone

 DAO Says:  You are looking at pictures of an idiot. This guy hangs around the Bungee Jumping station on the bridge between the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia. He will show you a small cloth with a few copper coloured bracelets inside. He will go on to explain that he has hand-made them... 

What to Pack  

Bring your own suntan lotion

Bring your own suntan lotion, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:   I bought suntan lotion in the Shoprite center in Livingstone. It was not the best brand I have tried. I recommend to bring your own suntan lotion before you travel to Zambia. However good toothpaste and soap can be bought in the shops. 

A few things to remember to pack

A few things to remember to pack, Livingstone

 mikelisaanna Says:   If you are traveling during Zambia's winter (Jun-Aug), bring layers (sweaters, fleece, windbreaker, etc.), because it can be hot during the day (25-30 degrees Centigrade) and cold at night (10 degrees or less). Also, bring a light waterproof jacket or poncho for visiting... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Zambezi Sun Statue Garden

Zambezi Sun Statue Garden, Livingstone

 glabah Says:  I'm putting this tip here because officially speaking only guests at the Zambezi Sun hotel are supposed to visit this area of the hotel grounds:This hotel has a statue garden area. Most of the statues are modern / contemporary art, and all have been made by African artists.... 

Favorites  

Post office in Livingstone

Post office in Livingstone, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:   Livingstone has a large post office in Mosi-oa-Tunya Road in the city centre. A bureaux de change and a forex dealer (Western Union) is located in the same hall. A stamp to Europe, America or other Mzungi-land costs 5000 Kwacha (1 USD). The poscards took 12 days to... 

Livingstone border and visa on arrival

Livingstone border and visa on arrival, Livingstone

 georeiser Says:   Visa on arrival is possible in Livingstone. The border is 400 meters after the Victoria Bridge. The tourist visa at the border cost 50 USD for all, and takes less than 15 minutes if there is no queue. If you already got a visa from an embassy prior to your arrival, there... 

The Place

Plan a Livingstone vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Livingstone locals

Experience Livingstone
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The People

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Our Members Say
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 You are looking at pictures of an idiot. This guy hangs around the Bungee Jumping station on the bridge between the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia. He will show... 

3 members live in Livingstone

 

Questions and Answers

theclaw profile photo

Q:  I took a taxi from Livingstone to Vic Falls reserve and walked to all veiw point on that side [did not from Zim] and saw rainbow... 

KakapoTheParrot profile photo

A: The only way I can imagine that happening is via a reflection. I've see the effect a few times when you get a very strong primary rainbow, bright enough to generate a... 

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Top Livingstone Writers

1

Livingstone – The Smoke that Thunders

MikeAtSea profile photo

 The first European settlement in the Victoria Falls area was the Old Drift, an almost wild west establishment on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. It was established shortly after Sir Dr. David... 

2

NOT NICE, BUT THE ECONOMY WORKS

DAO profile photo

  Livingstone does not have the beauty and charm of its illustrious neighbour, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It does, however, have a functioning economy, banks that are open, fuel for vehicles and... 

3

A pleasant, small, welcoming town

Kid-A profile photo

 Livingstone is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for Mosi-oa-Tunya park (which includes Victoria Falls - one of the Seven Natural... 

4

LIVINGSTONE

nora_south_africa profile photo

 Livingstone is a small town in Zambia close to Victoria falls approx 10km, There are some shops and Banks here, Shoprite(groceries), Ocean Basket( seafood) Hungry Lion ( fast foods), Banks ( Standard,... 

5

Laid-back Livingstone

PierreZA profile photo

 The vibrant, but also laid-back town of Livingstone is a pleasant surprise. I visited this Zambian gateway to Victoria Falls as a day trip from Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). The central part of the city... 

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