Travel Information

1. Transport to Livingstone

• We recommend that all participants travelling via air travel directly to Livingstone. The following airlines have flights directly to Livingstone:
  • Airlink
  • British Airways (via Johannesburg)
  • Ethiopian Airways
  • Kenyan Airways
  • South African Airways
• It is not recommended that you fly to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side, as you will have to pay a separate visa fee and transport to cross the border.
• Bus routes to Livingstone from the region are also easily accessible.
• If you do fly into Lusaka, there are daily buses to Livingstone, as well as domestic flights from ProFlight.

 

2. Visa/Vaccination Requirements

• It is possible to get a visa on arrival for most foreign passports into Zambia. Please check the Zambian Immigration website to see if you need a visa ahead of time.
• SAIPAR can prepare an invitation letter for your visa, but please leave plenty of time for this process. SAIPAR will only provide invitation letters for those participants who require a visa ahead of time. They will not assist with visas for participants who can purchase them on arrival.
• For those purchasing visas on arrival, the cost is $50, to be paid in cash (USD).
• IMPORTANT: For all participants travelling from or via South Africa, it is necessary that you have a yellow fever vaccination. You must have your yellow book to travel.

 

3. Hotel Information

• The official conference hotel is the Protea Livingstone. Fees are as follows:

       Non-paper-givers              Paper-givers                       Students

Conference fee 
(inc. lunches)                                      £200                                   £200                                  £100

Protea (4 nights, 
all meals, single room)                     £550                                   £350                                    £350

Protea (4 nights, 
all meals, twin room)                         £375                                  £250                                    £250

• There are, however, many other options for hotels and guesthouses. We recommend the following:
  • Ngolide Lodge: ten minutes walk to Protea.  All rooms have aircon.
    • Current prices for singles per night K400 – K500.  Good rooms – if a little claustrophobic (?) – Noisy bar at night (until 11 p.m.)  Lunch and dinner also available.
  • Olga’s Guest House:  twenty minutes walk to Protea.  Nice clean rooms (9 in all – no aircon) – but not suitable for light sleepers – as the rooms are quite close to the main road where heavy vehicles pass day and night.
    • Current prices: for singles per night (bed and breakfast) K330, Double / Twin K440.
  • Fawlty Towers: twenty minutes walk to Protea. Nice clean rooms. Close to the main road, but quiet.
    • Current prices: US$20 for a standard twin private. US$25 for a double private.
  • Chrismar Hotel: would require a taxi. A nice hotel near the waterfront that is all air-conditioned private rooms.
  • Jollyboy’s Backpackers: a short walk, but perhaps the best budget option. En suite rooms, dorms, and camping available. Nice atmosphere.
  • Zinga Backpackers would require a taxi, but it has dorms and private rooms available for another budget option.
• August is high season for tourism so book early! Also note that prices are subject to change, and may have due to inflation.

 

4. Travel around Livingstone

• Travelling around Livingstone is quite easy and safe. Many places are within walking distance, and taxis can be arranged to and from all hotels and tourist attractions.
• Because Livingstone has many tourists, the price of a taxi is higher than average. Ask the price of your journey from your guesthouse before travelling, and ensure the price before you enter a vehicle.
• There are both official and ‘black’ taxis in Livingstone. Unofficial taxis are, however, widely used in Zambia.

 

5. Weather

• August is a transition month for Zambia, moving from Winter into Spring. Temperatures still may be very cool, and almost certainly will be at night, but temperatures in the day may be very warm. Plan to bring layers of clothing.
• August is characterised by high winds that can stir up a lot of dust, which may bother some with allergies.
• The average high temperature in August is 21-26C (70-79F) and the lows are 6-12C (43-45F).

 

6. Safety and Accessibility

• Zambia is a relatively safe country with a low incidence of violent crime. Normal precautions should be taken though, and valuables should not be left in vehicles or behind at your guesthouse.
• It is easy to obtain a local SIM card in Zambia, you simply need to produce a passport to register it in your name. The local mobile carriers are Airtel, MTN, and Zamtel, all of which have comparable costs that are comparatively high. Phoning home from Skype or a comparable Internet service is usually a cheaper option.
• Internet in Zambia also has a comparatively high cost for a low quality. Most guesthouses should have Internet, but it may have intermittent outages. Internet cafes are easy to find, and, while not cheap, are not prohibitively expensive.

 

7. Tourism Attractions

• There are many, many things to see and do in and around Livingstone. There are several websites covering the range of activities, including:
  • http://www.livingstonetourism.com/
  • http://www.zambia-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=299
  • http://www.lonelyplanet.com/zambia/southwestern-zambia/livingstone-and-victoria-falls/practical-information/money-costs
  • http://wikitravel.org/en/Livingstone
• For adventure and safari excursions, the best company is Safari Par Excellence, which can also help arrange travel to Chobe in Botswana, as well as a range of activities in Livingstone and Victoria Falls.