The River Club is an award-winning lodge on 50 acres along the Zambezi River, once voted among the top 500 hotels in the world and recognised with a Heritage and Culture Award in 2009. Its heart is the Zambezi House, a farmhouse built in 1948, which owner and adventurer Peter Jones transformed, with Wilderness Safaris, into one of Zambia’s finest lodges.
At a glance
Location: Zambezi River, near Livingstone, Zambia
Stayed in: Suite
Best for: safari travellers and anyone visiting Victoria Falls who wants seclusion
Reviewed: March 2015
9.1 out of 10
Setting and arrival
I came by taxi from the Botswana border, just under an hour away; Livingstone airport is also close. A dirt road lined with reeds and bush leads to the property. Check-in was relaxed and personal, in the public rooms of the Zambezi House, which hold a well-stocked library, a sitting room with a fireplace and an elegant dining room that opens onto the terrace.
The rooms
The newly renovated suites are named after figures from Livingstone’s history, from explorers to British royalty, and some add a small plunge pool on a deck above the river. Mine was set over two floors, with the bedroom and a simple bathroom upstairs and a full bathroom with tub below. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the river, and waking to the calls of hippos and birdsong is unforgettable.
Dining and atmosphere
Dinner and drinks are convivial affairs in the Zambezi House, and the owner’s warm, engaged personality is very much part of the experience. The lodge is also known for its community work and was welcomed into the Eco-Luxury Group in 2009.
The verdict
Intimate, characterful and beautifully set, The River Club is one of the most memorable places to stay near Victoria Falls.
- Rooms: 9.0
- Service: 9.5
- Dining: 9.0
- Facilities and spa: 8.5
- Location: 9.5
The River Club Livingstone, Livingstone, Zambia.
David stayed as a guest of the hotel. Based on a stay in March 2015. Facilities, menus and prices may have changed since.
