Hotel Experiences: Tongabezi Livingstone, Zambia

Throughout my travels I have had the opportunity to stay at quite a few outstanding places with each one setting the bar higher and higher. My visit to Tongabezi Lodge in Livingstone, Zambia was a hotel experience that took the cake. Staying here almost felt too good to be true. Five minutes after checking in I completely understood why it’s rated the number one safari lodge in Zambia by Conde Nast. Tonagbezi is where luxury meets authenticity and the experience was unmatched.

Getting Here:

I arrived at Tongabezi by flying into the Livingstone airport from Cape Town, South Africa. I was picked up by a staff member at the Livingstone airport. Note: US citizens need a visa to enter Zambia. It can be purchased at the airport for $50USD (preferably cash).

The Grounds:

Before even getting to my actual cottage, I fell in love with the lush grounds of Tongabezi. The views of the Zambezi River surrounded by trees and the sounds of nature won me over before I saw where I would be sleeping. There are quite a few walking trails on the property to take it all in as well as two swimming pools and a gym.

The Cottage:

Tongabezi consists of five river cottages and six private houses so it’s not your typical large resort. My cottage came with a very large outdoor patio overlooking the Zambezi River. Waking up to the sounds of nature every morning and sitting outside to eat my breakfast was delightful. I also couldn’t get over how authentic the cottages looked while still having a luxurious feel. The bathroom was the best part of the room because of its beautiful tiles and gold shower head as well as the large bath tub. The robes were African print instead of typical white cotton or terricoth which made for a great extra touch.

Activities:

Tongabezi hosts a plethora of inclusive and non inclusive activities to enhance your stay. The helpful staff is always there to help organize your tours with ease. You can visit the local village, go shopping at the local market for authentic gifts or pay a visit to the Tongabezi trust school and spend time with the delightful students. Other inclusive activities are game drives, sunrise/sunset boat cruises, and a Sampan breakfast or dinner. Some non inclusive activities include a tour of Livingstone Island to see the infamous Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls, or a game drive in Botswana.

Trust School:

Tujatane or the Tongabezi Trust School was established in 1996 and started with only 15 children who’s parents were the staff members. The school now has about 250 students aging from 5 to 17 and is funded completely by sponsorships donors all over the world. I took a tour of the school and got to meet and have some fun with the children. They were all so welcoming with great energy. I liked how the staff was very detailed as to how the sponsorships work and what the money goes towards. There are opportunities to sponsor a child, contribute to food or medical programs or even sponsor a teacher. You can find out more on how you can help with the Tongabezi Trust School by clicking here.

The Food:

Each meal that I ate at Tonagezi was delicious. Prior to my arrival I requested vegetarian options and I loved every one of them. Each day there was a different set of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner as opposed to seeing the same menu every day. You had the option to either dine in one of the main areas with other guests, or on one of the open decks for more privacy. The best dining experience was the Sampan breakfast on the Zambezi River. Most floating breakfasts I’ve seen is where the food is put on a tray and makes its way across the pool to you. This one was quite different. An intimate and beautiful floating breakfast like you’ve never seen where your food is brought to you by the staff using a canoe while your table floats on the river. It was the perfect way to end my stay. It’s recommended to book the Sampan breakfast/dinner in advance because it’s highly requested due to how unique it is.

Wildlife:

Tongabezi lodge sits on the Zambezi River so you can expect to see a lot of wildlife. It’s important that you respect that the animals are wild and not trained so at night you have to walk with a staff member. I didn’t feel afraid or unsafe at the lodge. I found it pretty amazing to see hippo’s in the river and wake up to the sounds of different birds. It’s also important to note that there are monkeys in the trees surrounding the area as well as in the grass. You should keep all food completely away to avoid the monkeys getting into your things. One morning while I was eating breakfast in the main dining area, I actually watched two monkeys scurry in, take some fruit from behind the counter and leave. It was one of the highlights of my stay.

Sustainability / Going Green:

As I travel more, I have been making much more of a conscious effort to travel responsibly. Which is why I really appreciate the efforts of Tongabezi to preserve the environment. Bottles are given to every guest upon check-in to keep. I thought this was a great touch being that we all need to do better with reducing our use of single use plastic. The grounds are green all over and in order to maintain this, Tongabezi’s other efforts to remain green is using solar power at their sister resort Sindabezi which is just across the river. All skin products found in the rooms are completely natural. There is also a garden where the vegetables are organic and picked fresh daily.

All in all, my stay at Tongabezi was nothing short of flawless and I would highly recommend a stay here if you’re ever in Zambia. It’s truly what dreams are made of and was worth every penny.

I was welcomed as a guest at Tongabezi and was sponsored for a portion of my stay but all words, opinions and photography are my own.