Avani & The Royal Living Stone Resorts in Zambia
Our total stay in Zambia was for four nights, the PR & Marketing team have reached out to us, and offered a free upgrades to a suite in Avani, and a free upgrade in the Royal Living Stone.. (THANK YOU!)
This connection was facilitated by Mr Hamad Al Ali Station Manager at Emirates in Zambia (Thank you!)
Visa for Zambia:
For some nationals, it is required to have visa to enter Zambia whether you’re crossing from the bridge from the Zimbabwe side, or arriving via plane.
As for me (Kuwaiti National), i’ve pre-applied for visa online! The acceptance process took up to two weeks, and I printed the paper and took it with me for “multi-entry”.
Keep in mind, if you plan to do activities in the Zimbabwe side, you need a multi entry to Zambia, and if you plan to stay in Zimbabwe and do activities in Zambia (such as the Devil’s pool), you also need a multi-entry to Zimbabwe.
IN SHORT:
- Zimbabwe or Zambia: Check if your passport needs a visa (online), otherwise you can do it on arrival
- Keep the yellow fever card with you if you have one, just incase
- Don’t forget to apply for multi-entry visa if you plan to do activities in both sides Zambia & Zimbabwe
AVANI VICTORIA FALLS RESORT
My friend @mamadiverq8 was the one who picked Avani Victoria Falls; she shared with me a link via booking.com, i liked how it looked and we booked.
Later and though out our trip in Africa, we got connected to the PR & Marketing in Avani & The Living Stone Resorts by Mrs Joyce! (She is just lovely!!)
Joyce have kindly arranged our transportation from Zimbabwe Zambia borders, and the car picked us up and drove us all the way to the resort.
A few correspondence via email prior to arriving, and Joyce managed to plan for us all the activities we needed, a transportation between Zimbabwe borders and to our hotel in Zambia, and a free upgrade to a suite in Avani! They also moved us to the Royal Living Stone (Thanks to Hamad, our connection!) which is the more upscale resort in Victoria Falls Zambia
The reception and the little welcome ceremony at Avani was definitely memorable. I particularly loved getting a complimentary 5 minute hand massage upon check-in which was oh-so-much needed!
We very much enjoyed our stay at Avani, as we arranged most of our activities with the Avani activity center.
All air-conditioned rooms feature Zambian décor and large windows which lead onto a private balcony or patio. Each room is equipped with a satellite TV, minibar and tea-and-coffee-making facilities.
Check when Boma is available! The on-site Boma can accommodate roughly 350 people in an intimate setting under the trees, right on the banks of the Zambezi River, and with the thunder of the falls in the background.
THE ROYAL LIVING STONE RESORT BY ANANTARA
Located in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park with direct access to the Victoria Falls just a 10 minute walk away, Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara is steeped in African custom, with hints of European influences that can be felt in the deep verandas, generous spaces and cool courtyard retreats.
The hotel has an activity desk where guests can book cultural tours, fishing, abseiling, white water rafting and much more. There is a casino on the premises and The Royal Spa offers massages overlooking the Zambezi River.
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This, is a whole new level of amazing when I compare it to the rest of our accommodation during our trip in Africa.
The massages are NOT to miss. We’ve had two massages: One is in a tent outdoors by the river (they do not have closed rooms), and the other one was in our room. Both massages was fantastic.
The room itself was great! Modern, comfortable bed, and a nice terrace viewing the massage tents, the river and beautiful greenery where animals such as zebras pass by early in the morning and before sunset.
Our room was called: Deluxe Corner Room
Delightful corner rooms, characterised by colonial gracefulness, deluxe comforts and a unique extra space. A private enclosed patio is protected with a sliding door and refined mosquito netting, creating an additional relaxation area.
The things I wish could be better at Royal Living Stone:
- The speed of the service. The service was noticeably slow in comparison to the Avani. The room service was slow, the internet (WiFi) at the room had no signal, I’ve asked 4-5 times for someone to solve the issue and they were constantly late. Our butler on the other hand was fast and amazing.
