Livingstone, Zambia

We were very disappointed in the River Club. It didn't help that we were leaving Little Mombo, probably the most spectacular experience of our lives. But even so, this place was dreary. The staff, particularly management, was cold. The rooms were strange, what with the bathroom and shower downstairs. The bed was uncomfortable. The location was great, with the rooms hanging over the Zambezi river, but the windows were all screens, so the view was poor, and there was no deck or other way to enjoy the riverside setting. We had been booked into the honeymoon suite, but were given just a standard room. When we inquired, they just said that was what they had for us and they couldn't move us as there were already people in the honeymoon suite. The food was just terrible. Not even edible. There was no choice of wine other than white or red, both of which were warm. Tea was self-serve with some sad plates of tasteless cakes. At dinner one night, one of the couples who were Italian with limited English was given a table of their own away from the group. The manager said it was because she thought they'd be more comfortable there since they didn't speak English! Instead it seemed very awkward, they clearly hadn't asked for a separate table and wondered why they were there. And there limited English and my limited Italian was perfectly fine for us to have made conversation, which I knew since I had spoken to them on the sunset cruise prior to dinner. All in all, it was just very colonial, and not in a good way.

The grounds which I had seen described as lush and maincured, were not. Luckily our planned two night stay had been cut short into a one night stay. We left the next morning, had a tour of Vic Falls, and then went to the airport. I wouldn't recommend staying here to anyone. Stay at the Vic Falls hotel or Livingstone Hotel for a couple of nights for a good look at both sides of the falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and then move on.