Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Victoria Falls in Zambia- one of the things I’ve had in my bucket list for a long while! I often say to myself that I don’t travel enough in Africa, and I’ve been trying to visit an African country every year since I started travelling(I did Tanzania last year, and Kenya is on my list for next year). Zambia is just an 1:30 hour flight from Johannesburg- that is closer than Cape Town! We live on such a beautiful continent and I hope to keep exploring it more, with Zambia being the second African country that I’ve visited.
When it comes to staying in Zambia there are really only two great options if you want the full Victoria Falls Experience- the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort or the Royal Livingstone Hotel . The reason being is that these hotels are on the doorstep of the majestic Victoria Falls(which is a Seven Natural Wonder of the World). We stayed at the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort, which is a 5-minute walk from the Falls- it was simply amazing. We visited the Falls every day that we were there, and guests of both hotels get unlimited access to the falls, which is amazing (normally it is 20$ per person every time). You could hear the Victoria Falls from the back gardens of AVANI, and it is an experience that I will never forget!
Our stay at AVANI was simply fabulous, and I will be talking all about the resort and our stay there over the next couple of weeks on the blog, as well as what there is to do in Zambia. I’ll chat about my Zambian Travel tips and share my photo diary with you, and tell you exactly what there is to do in the hotel, and in the country! AVANI is located just 25 minutes away from the Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport made even more seamless by a transfer service(we used Bushtracks Africa for our transfers). Alternatively, for something different you can transfer from the airport to the Royal Landing and hop aboard a water taxi safari boat and meander down the great Zambezi River to the Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara, where you then catch an inter-hotel shuttle to the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort.
What I loved about AVANI and our stay there, was the décor of the place, and the rooms! There are a total of 212 rooms and suites that are awash with warm African colours and Zambia’s charms. This décor was so different from any other hotel that I’ve stayed at and I absolutely loved it! I loved the touch of Moroccan style that it brought, and I actually did not want to leave the room on the first day and just wanted to stay in our suite and chill.
The views are breath taking to match – either of the pool and landscaped gardens, or the lush African bush (we could spot a crocodile chilling outside of our balcony on the river!). AVANI rooms offer inviting space with the choice of a double or twin beds and all upstairs rooms come with a private balcony, while downstairs guests can chill out at the table and chairs in the garden. This was our view from the bedroom balcony!
The AVANI spaces are designed for a relaxing night’s sleep and down time in between adventures, and that bed was one of the comfiest beds that I have ever slept in! On the Saturday after we arrived I literally didn’t want to leave it and ordered my breakfast in- and that says a lot, because anyone that knows me knows how much I love a buffet breakfast, so for me to pass it up is a big deal 😉 I eventually managed to get myself out of the comfy bed that afternoon to go visit the falls again, but maybe if I didn’t have to be on the Royal Livingston Express that evening, I would have climbed straight back into the king-sized bed and had another nap ;). That is what I love about a Resort life- there is almost no need to leave its grounds, or even its bed when it is that comfortable!
We stayed in the Suite, which also has a super cool lounge and dining area, and it includes another balcony. The bathrooms feature both a tub and shower for a long soak or quick blast, and again, look at this cool décor that the bathroom has going on!
Creature comforts include air-conditioning, a satellite TV (with some DSTV channels), free Wi-Fi and a desk, keeping you cool, connected and entertained. Overall, I loved the comfort of the room, and even that of the suite. If you are a couple travelling then just a room is enough, but the suite is a nice and luxurious touch.
I’ll speak more about the yummy food options that AVANI has to offer, and more about its gorgeous living spaces on the blog next week, and I hope that today’s post gave you a good overview of the hotel and its rooms. If you are looking to travel to Zambia, I would highly recommend the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort to stay at because of its amazing location, friendly service and the comfiest bed (and sleep) in town! Just be careful because you might oversleep and miss the gorgeous sight that is Victoria Falls!
[…] As I usually do when I travel, I wanted to share my travel tips and a list of cool things to do. You can read more about the AVANI resort over here and now let’s chat about fun things to when visiting […]