Travel Diary – Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel

Our general manager of the Private Clients team, Sarah Morris, traveled to the Victoria Falls area at the end of 2022 and is pleased to share her feedback and experience of the 5 star lodge – Stanley & Livingstone.  Providing our guests with the most up to date information is very important to us and hence we encourage our staff to visit the properties in our excellent product portfolio.

It is a boutique hotel, so guests should not expect a safari lodge experience. It is more about the location and a ‘soft safari’.  Location is right next to a national park – the tranquil Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve.

On arrival you will be met at the reception area and after a short and professional check-in, you are free to enjoy the surroundings. The reception staff were really friendly and happy to assist with any arrangements or questions.

The manager on duty joined us for dinner and she is an experienced hotelier. She interacts with guests and checks on them.

In the main area there is a bar and lounge area. The lounge had a beautiful fireplace which would be great for relaxing in winter. When Sarah returns she would love to spend more time in the lounge reading a good book.

What is great about this property is that you can visit it all year-round. Whether visiting for a safari or to see the Victoria Falls, there are special reasons throughout the year to visit this boutique hotel.

The 16-rooms are spacious (probably about 800 square feet) with modern colonial decor and have all the amenities you desire. They were very clean and fresh. All rooms lead out to a private terrace. Families can be accommodated as there are 2 sets of interleading-rooms. Children of all ages are welcome. For the hot summer months, you need not fear as you will be kept cool by the air conditioning.  The rooms are considered to be cottages.

Sitting on your private terrace or balcony you can see impala grazing on the rolling green lawns.

There is free high speed internet connection that works well if required.

They have wildlife on the property and a waterhole right on the property. As the property is located in a private conservancy, you can do game drives on the property.

During Sarah’s game drive she saw a rhino and enjoyed the sundowners at the water hole. Some other guests also saw hippos, hyenas, elephants, a tower of giraffes, buffalo and a large number of birds.

Sarah was lucky enough to experience a scenic helicopter flip over the mighty Victoria Falls. The departure point is just a short 10 minutes drive from the lodge so I highly recommend adding this activity during your stay at Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel.

You can also spend time relaxing in the swimming pool that is set in the landscaped gardens.

A community project to recommend visiting is the Masuwe Primary School which is a beneficiary of the MORE Community Foundation.

The afternoon tea is something that should not be missed. In fact, this is considered a tradition at the Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel. However, gin cocktails are served with the staples – cakes and savories.

The property is practically perfect for all travelers.

They are bringing in an all-inclusive option which will be really good too, as the food was incredible.

A sure highlight is the rhino rehabilitation center on the property.

With the location 15 minutes away from the town of Victoria Falls, the property is not located in the helicopter fly zone, so you don’t have the constant sound of the helicopters so it has good positioning.

It is also only 10 minutes away from the Victoria Falls International Airport.

The flexibility of the shuttle service into town was greatly appreciated.

Another highlight is the kiddies club which has great programmes and entertainments for young children.

The gourmet restaurant called 1871 is open for all 3 meals. Like the rooms, the restaurant leads out to a large outdoor terrace that enjoys views of the properties own watering hole.

The plated meals were all freshly prepared, delicious, wholesome and they provided generous portions. The reason the food is so fresh is that they have their own organic gardens, where ingredients are grown and harvested for the dishes served. Yes farm-to-table!

Children are not forgotten as there is a kiddies menu.

There is a great wine selection to accompany lunch or dinner.

Breakfast can be served on the hotel terrace or on the lawns overlooking the waterhole.

Private dining can be arranged, especially good at night for romantics at heart or honeymooners, when flickering lanterns are set up on the table or in the garden and a private waiter is at your service.

Thank you to Sisanda from MORE Family Collection for arranging this.

If you are interested in experiencing a stay while at Victoria Falls at the Stanley & Livingstone Boutique Hotel, with Ker & Downey® Africa, get in touch with our travel experts who will help curate an itinerary just for you.

See you out there!