The River Club is Livingstone's Premier destination on the Zambezi River. Voted by Travel and Leisure Magazine 2010 it is ranked in the Top 3 lodges in Zambia, in the Top 50 in Southern Africa and amongst the top 500 Hotels in the World. The lodge won the Heritage and Culture Award 2009 given by the Zambia Tourism Board for all the work undertaken in these areas within the Livingstone region. It is a proud member of Wilderness Safaris and part of the ECO LUXURY group of lodges around the world. The Main Building, known as The Zambezi House, is an impressive Edwardian-style entertainment area with high plantation ceilings. Converted from the original farmhouse built in 1948, it provides a wonderful setting for hosting guests at the lodge. The house has imposing views over a sweeping bend on the Zambezi River.
The large Dining Room can seat all guests at one sitting at the impressively long teak dining table although most meals tend to be served outside on the elegant terrace or the poolside.
There is a comfortable Sitting Room with fireplace and a small Library with an interesting collection of books, journals and board games. There is wifi internet access throughout the main building and to most areas of the property.
The Gift Shop sells clothing, jewellery, postcards, books, curios and crafts. The River Club was recently awarded the Zambian Heritage and Culture Award for all the work carried out in the Livingstone area preserving the Heritage in the town as well as supporting Cultural efforts in the nearby village.
We are also a of the member of the ECO-LUXURY group group of lodges from around the world, all of whom work to preserve the environment and support local people in the areas we operate. (see www.ecoluxury.com)
The River Club has been involved with the local community since 2000, helping improve the lives of the people who live there. This Social Development Project, run alongside Children in the Wilderness, has been hugely successful largely due to the generous donations from guests who have stayed at or been connected to the lodge. Projects include the renovation of the water supply system that now provides 50,000 litres of clean water each day to the village, the construction of a police post at the request of the villagers themselves, the building of a library and canteen at the school, a goat shed, sponsorships for 50 children to high schools in Livingstone town, gardening tools for the growing of vegetables by the students for the school and paying for the exam fees for those children sitting for their annual tests.
The lodge continues to raise money for the clinic which is being built in partnership with the Department of Health and a future project will be to supply electricity to the school, the clinic, the police post and the pump station.
The lodge offers tours to either Sinde or Simonga Villages daily, and guests are able to spend quality time in the environment of this traditional African settlement and with children at the school. There are very few people who don't come away from the experience feeling enriched by the time spent there.