Cheweyhead

We will be visiting Victoria Falls in September 2009. Need accommodations for two nights. Which would you choose?

canadian_robin

Personally, if it were an option, I'd stay at Stanley Safari Lodge - we stayed there in August 08 and loved it! I haven't stayed at the two you mention, so I am afraid I can't give you any input. Robin

Shumba

Royal Livingstone is very colonial and situated within walking distance to the falls.

I would choose to have the Tonga experience, far superior. You only probably visit the falls once. At Tonga you will get wildlife viewing too.

Pula

Between those two, I would stay at Tongabezi but I would not think my visit to the Falls complete without seeing them from the Zimbabwe side.

Cheweyhead

Is it a longer trip to the Zimbabwe side from Tongabezi or the Royal Livingstone? Looks like Tongabezi is quite a bit further with my map.
Thinking of doing the, ultralight?, gliding. over the falls.

torrem

I don't know Tongabezi, but I stayed at the Royal Livingstone in August and can't think of a better location to see the falls, you can walk to the falls in the Zambia side (10 min) and even to the Zimbabwe side (took us like 1hr at slow pace, including customs.)

As for activities there, I strongly recommend the visit to Livingstone Island (the visit departs from the Royal Livingstone jetty, very convenient), and the helicopter ride (or ultralight, which is probably even better)

mflickermd

I can't speak about the Royal Livingstone, but we stayed at Tongabezi. The service and accommodations were amazing and the activities we did were also very very good. Tongabezi also sponsors a school for the children of its workers and the surrounding community. We really enjoyed visiting the school and talking with the teachers and kids. Enjoy your trip.

Cheweyhead

We four are having difficulty making the decision, so another question:

Activity wise:
More options at Tongabezi or Royal Livingstone?
Where do you take off with the "UltraLight"?

More info:
After a two night stay at one of these we will have four nights in SLNP and four nights in LZNP.

Prior to Zambia we will be in Uganda for appox 5 nights.

mgquil

I stayed at Tongabezi in May. The accommodations are fantastic. The staff is fantastic. The food is out of this world. You can take side trips to the original reserve. It has the only white rhino left in Zambia. He has 2 guards with rifles 24/7. You can go and ride elephants which was fun. You can go and ride a helicoper or untralight over the falls, beautiful. You can take a trip to the falls and walk down and get really wet. You can just sit on the deck and listen to the hippos across the Zambezi River, they come over at night and walk around the buildings eating the grass. It was a perfect midsafari stop or it would be a wonderful place to end your trip.

Favor

I agree with torrem. We stayed at the Zambezi Sun which is on the same property as the Royal Livingstone. It is a great location to see the falls, easy to get to the Zim side as well. The Royal Livingstone deck, at river's edge, is a wonderful place for a sundowner.