Where to Stay in Livingstone
The small colonial town of Livingstone is named after the Victorian explorer David Livingstone and is situated about 10 km from the Falls themselves.
The majority of accommodation here is not in the town itself, but rather it is spread along the Zambezi River. This offers visitors not only a base from which to visit the Falls or go on one of the many adventure activities, but also the opportunity to enjoy magnificent sunsets over the river while relaxing with a sundowner after their day out.
Whilst the lodges nearer the Falls have the obvious appeal of that proximity, including being able to see the spray from the Falls from their grounds, there are some definite advantages of being a little further away.
For a start, even the lodges which are further away from the Falls are only around 15km away, so this does not add much onto you journey time on any day that you are visiting the Falls area.
Secondly, the river nearer the falls does get very busy with boats from the various lodges doing their sundowner cruises etc - the river is much quieter a little further away from the Falls, and guests may find that this gives them a more enjoyable experience for the boat-based activities.
It is also worth keeping in mind that seeing the Falls from the air is very popular - this means that the lodges nearer the Falls will hear the buzz of helicoptors, micro-lights and light aircraft throughout the day, whereas the airspace further up river will be much quieter!
So whilst staying at the fantastic Royal Livingstone or more affordable Avani Victoria Falls will undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience, and are the nearest you can stay to the Falls on the Zambian side of the border, it is also worth considering some of the lodges further upstream.