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Three Egyptian geese on the shore of the Chobe River. |
Bird's nest at the Protea Hotel by Marriott, Livingstone. |
Another aspect of this trip we'd failed to mention which greatly enhanced the experience in Zambia has been our seven-night stay at the Protea Hotel by Marriott, Livingstone.
The beautiful restaurant and bar at the Livingstone hotel at night. |
Although the king room was typical for most mid-range hotels, the bed and bedding were of a good quality, the room amenities satisfactory including a hot kettle with supplies for coffee or tea, excellent air con, and much to our liking, windows that open with screens, an amenity rarely found in hotels. Plus, good quality, complimentary Wi-Fi is included in the rooms and common areas.
The walkway from the guest rooms toward the lobby/entrance of the Protea Hotel by Marriott, Livingstone. |
The food is hot, fresh and well prepared in a pleasing buffet with many options and special orders for eggs cooked to perfection. Most mornings, Tom had fried eggs and I had poached, except yesterday when I ordered an excellent omelet.
The coffee and tea is served table side at no extra charge and many juices and water with lemon and orange slices is available at breakfast and throughout the day.
We dined at the hotel in this area during our seven-night stay. The food and service were good. |
Last night, we returned for a second time to the restaurant the locals consider #1 in Livingstone, listed on TripAdvisor as #4, Café Zambezi, a definitely exotic and inviting restaurant filled with local charm and culture. Again, our meal was spectacular.
Bar seating area surrounded by a Koi pond. |
They proved to respond to each request with the utmost of attention and detail. Management staff is readily available often stopping by to say hello and asking of there was anything we needed.
We highly recommend this hotel to any travelers seeking a pleasant, easy environment whether they're in Zambia conducting business or visiting to see the many wonders in the area. Most of the tours are within a 45-minute drive from the hotel.
We enjoyed a few drinks in this bar on a few evening. |
He's highly competent and knowledgeable in arranging tours and may be reached at activities@phlivingstone.co.zm. Yesterday, he provided me with a list of the events we engaged in during our seven-night stay.
For kwacha 9550.92 (ZAR 11,826.34, US $944) a visitor can ask Mapoma to arrange all the same tours that made our experience in Zambia exceptional which includes:
1. Round trip to the airport from the hotel
2. Victoria Falls on the Zambia side with a private guide
3. Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side with a private guide
4. Chobe National Park safari with guide
5. Chobe River safari with guide
6. Lunch at Chobe Safari Lodge between the above two safaris
7. Sunset cruise on the Zambezi River on the Lion King, appetizers, and all drinks included.
8. Transportation and taxes are included in each of the above experiences.
Many other tours are available including many high adventures including white water rafting, bungee jumping, ziplining, parasailing, ultralights, helicopter rides (too expensive for our budget right now) and many more.
Huge bright pink rose. |
Following is our usual final expenses, including figures also calculated for the South African Rand (ZAR):
Expense | US Dollar | South African Rand (ZAR) |
Hotel & Flights (rt) 7 nights | $ 2,730.22 | $ 34,138.42 |
Tours | $ 759.01 | $ 9,490.59 |
Taxi | $ 71.78 | $ 897.53 |
Dining Out | $ 131.00 | $ 1,638.01 |
Tip | $ 114.66 | $ 1,433.70 |
Visa (Zambia Immigration) | $ 100.00 | $ 1,250.39 |
Pharmacy & Misc. | $ 42.08 | $ 526.16 |
Total | $ 3,948.75 | $ 49,374.80 |
Avg Daily Cost | $ 564.11 | $ 7,053.58 |
This morning, we're off to the airport at 11:00 am. Our flight is at 1:35 pm and we should be back in Marloth Park by 6:00 pm, considering the long drive from Nelspruit/Mpumalanga.
Yellow hibiscus on the ground of the hotel. |
We especially connected with our taxi driver Matthew who is a kind and generous man who is very chatty, offering a wealth of information on the area along with many local cultural morsels of wisdom. Matthew may be reached at matthewsmoyo44@gmail.com. If you plan to come to Zambia, he's the guy to call for local transportation.
Pretty orange bloom. |
Have a glorious weekend!
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Photo from one year ago today, May 18, 2017:
The waning sun creates an impressive beam of light of the sea from the deck of the Celebrity Solstice in Alaska. For more photos, please click here. |
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