3 Best Hotels in Livingstone, Zambia

The entire design of this small establishment is user-friendly, inviting, and certainly aimed at both private relaxation and easy interaction with other travelers. Superbly maintained and professionally run, the lodge offers a variety of room types to suit every budget and need. The restaurant serves the usual hamburger but also has a number of surprises on the menu, including a full roast on Sundays and exotic vegetarian soups made from local sweet potatoes and Indian spices. A kilometer away from the backpackers, just behind the Royal Livingstone Golf Course, is Jollyboys Camp, which is slightly more relaxed and family-friendly.

The vibe of California and Marrakesh in the '60s and '70s is alive and well at this collection of thatch huts and campsites along the banks of the Zambezi, 52 km (32 miles) upstream of the Falls. Accommodations are basic but somehow quite perfect, each with gorgeous river views, and there are hot showers and flush toilets. The kitchen is the heart of the island, and the emphasis is on wholesome organic food. Vegetarian diners are always catered to, and coffee is taken fabulously seriously. Whether you are taken for a swim in a shallow section of small rapids naturally protected from crocodiles or hippos, or on a sunrise canoe trip, every day will hold natural wonder. Warning: "island time" operates here and anything goes, so the staid or conservative are likely to find it unsuitable.