Livingstone · Zambia
Jollyboys Backpackers
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
My experience was negatively impacted due to bed bugs that bit one side of my body. I showed these to the folks at reception who told me I was mistaken that 100+ red bite marks were mosquito related. Didn't appreciate that at all!
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Confirmed Hostelworld
My experience was negatively impacted due to bed bugs that bit one side of my body. I showed these to the folks at reception who told me I was mistaken that 100+ red bite marks were mosquito related. Didn't appreciate that at all!
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Confirmed Google Maps
I can't recommend it. Someone went to our room twice during the same day when we were out of the room and they left the lock open. A hundred dollars was stolen from my wallet. That was on our second day and we had booked 8 nights... so that was it what comes to the feeling of being safe, appreciated, welcome and respected. The manager offered us some upgrades as a compensation but this really felt so bad and partly ruined my trip. It was a disgusting thing to do! Pros: - nice pool area and a bar with food and drinks with good prices - free transport from the airport and to the falls - delicious mangos everywhere - manager offered some compensation after the theft Cons: - spiders, mosquitos and lizards in the room. - we got bitten, probably bedbugs - rooms are not safe - the attitude of the staff is not purely heavenly customer service
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First-party field notes
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Vibe Analysis
The free airport pickup and morning Victoria Falls shuttle are the practical power move at Jollyboys Backpackers. It makes Livingstone feel easier from day one, with the Falls, town center, supermarket, museum, and cross-border day trips all sitting within a pretty workable orbit. This is a social, activity-heavy hostel with a pool, bar, restaurant, big chill areas, and a steady calendar of things like beer pong, braai night, free dinner, paint and sip, and evening events. The front desk can help line up classics around Victoria Falls and beyond: rhino walks, Chobe trips, Zambezi cruises, rafting, bungee jumping, horse riding, safaris, kayaking, and routes into Zimbabwe, Botswana, or Namibia. Rooms and bathrooms are usually clean and comfortable, with AC in plenty of rooms and solid showers in the better setups. The vibe leans relaxed by day and livelier at night, with enough corners to lounge, cook, cool off in the pool, or find your travel crew without turning the whole place into one giant party machine.
Signals to check
- WiFi can be patchy and often works best in common areas, not dorms or farther rooms.
- Food can take a while, and bar or restaurant payments may be cash-only.
- The kitchen is useful but can feel old, basic, or under-equipped when the hostel is busy.
- Noise can be an issue around the bar or on event nights, especially for early sleepers.
- Mosquitoes, missing mosquito nets, worn bedding, and uneven maintenance appear in enough rooms to be worth checking before settling in.
- Some private rooms and direct extensions may feel overpriced compared with other Livingstone options.