Jollyboys Backpackers

Zambia , Livingstone
Livingstone, 34 Kanyanta Road
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75 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

20 Jun 2026

Pawel

The hostel itself is great and I really like it. Is very well located, has great vibe and very helpful staff. There is a kitchen, bar/restaurant, swimming pool, lots of sitting space available, very clean and well maintained bathroom and toilets and lots of power sockets available. The internet is decent. Really lots of very positive things about the hostel.

There is one negative thing though. We stayed in a private room. The room itself is pretty bad and needs urgent renovation. The mattress was good, but that's it. Doors have an issue closing it, no air conditioning (luckily we were in winter time), dirty walls and ceiling, pretty bad other furniture and quite tight room for a couple.

I'd have given 5* if the private room is better.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2026

Kathy

This was the best hostel experience. The staff was great and I enjoyed the vibe.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2026

Drago

For hostel, this is a very very good accomodation. It is worth of every €. You can go camping, into dorm or private room.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2026

Georsadd

I appreciated the free airport pickup, although I did have to wait a little while. The hostel is quite close to the airport, so the transfer wasn’t long. I booked a private room and believe I was upgraded, it had air conditioning and a spacious bathroom, which made my stay very comfortable. Since I had to leave early most days, the staff kindly prepared takeaway breakfasts for me, and they were tasty. The only downside was that coffee wasn’t included with the free breakfast. The location is convenient, with a grocery store within walking distance, and I felt safe and secure throughout my stay. Overall, I had a great experience here. In fact, I would have preferred to stay here for my entire trip rather than splitting my stay with the Zimbabwe side, mainly because of how good my experience here, and it’s very affordable too!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2025

Ankit

Good

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

26 Nov 2025

JAIME

The hostel is well run and private rooms at the back are good.The reception staff were efficient and friendly. The bar staff will be extra nice to female guests and extra grumpy with males. Food was generally good.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2025

Emily

I loved my time at Jollyboys, everyone was so friendly and helpful, the food was amazing and the room was spacious, clean and comfy. I'll definitely be back.

Self

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2025

Jia Dan

The hostel was fine and the single room with AC is quite nice for Africa. There’s widespread power shortage and the hotel has backup generators to make up for it. Internet is from starlink so it’s pretty fast. The downside is they’re cash and crypto only for the restaurant, bar, and travel. The ATMs are quite far and having to withdrawal 100s of USD worth of money just to pay for an activity is super annoying. The restaurant food is mediocre and kind of expensive for what it is but there’s really nothing else around in town. The transport they offer is significantly more than what you’d get off the street but at least they are very timely and responsive. The tour prices are a bit higher and you’re better off booking some of those online through other operators, especially if you don’t have cash. In Zambia it’s about $8-10 USD per ATM withdrawal so things do add up. Lastly, Zimbabwe side seems to have more bars, restaurants, and a more lively atmosphere than Livingstone but Zambia side has more activities like rafting and rhino trek so it’s better to split your time between both sides.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Oct 2025

Mei Fang

Comfortable stay

Cheap beer at the bar and air-conditioned room was nice except for mosquitoes. Gardener and housekeepers were more friendly than bar n reception staff. Overall, we had a good rest after long camping trip through Africa. The hotels.com booking said one way transfer is free. But, only pick up is free, drop off is USD 5 per person. The listing info is wrong and hotels.om agent didn't care to honour the service. As a long term customer of hotels.com , I was really disappointed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2025

Christopher

Jolly Boys is the best in Livingstone for a hostile.

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2025

Carl

Terrific hostel

Fitst class hostel with all mod cons. Stayed here at the end of a 20 day motorcycle trip from Cape Town and it was the perfect location to relax following that

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2025

Thomas

I stayed in a room with on suit, which was well equipped and had every thing one would need. Place had a good chilled vibe with offering for get togethers in the evening which is ideal for solo travels. Staff friendly.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

Lucy

I first stayed at Jollyboys 20 years ago when I was part of an overland truck trip. This time I brought my husband and children and will most definitely be back again, hopefully in less than another 20 years! The staff are so helpful, the rooms are very clean and comfortable and we had an amazing 4 days here.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2025

Esther

The place was amazing
I travelled solo and was worri

Self

6/10

Pleasant

21 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Overpriced

The place is okay but not worth the money. The common areas are nice and have lot of areas to relax. However, over 50USD per night is too pricey for a room without wifi. The communal kitchen is lacking equipment and only has one portable stove. The whole place could need some freshening up. The activities they offer are overpriced.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2025

Pawel

Great stay with interesting company

Great time, delicious breakfasts, I loved the relax zone.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Jan 2025

Wojciech

Good stay in nice place

The staff was very friendly, rooms and infrastructure were clean. Place with good style. Only drawback was that we had to wait around hour for breakfast. It is a safe place that I can recommend to everyone.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2025

Selma

Skön atmosfär

Ett ställe med skön atmosfär. Här finns allt du behöver för att koppla av eller ta dig till nya äventyr.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

28 Dec 2024

YONGHO

no breakfast service

When I made the reservation, it said breakfast was included, but when I asked the reception, they said there was no breakfast service. How will Hotels.COM be responsible for this? I was disappointed that.

Self

2/10

Poor

26 Dec 2024

Matt

The property was not good for my family. The room’s door had cracks allowing bugs in and the concrete floor was in very poor condition. They refused to give us a refund despite the fact we were there for 30 minutes before leaving to a better location.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2024

Christopher

Great

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2024

Mercy

We had lots of fun at JollyBoys

I had an absolute blast at JollyBoys. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, making us feel right at home. The atmosphere was vibrant and relaxed, with a wonderful vibe that's hard to find elsewhere.

The highlight of our stay was definitely the paint and sip session with Eric Miti, what a fantastic experience. The reception staff and entire team were amazing, going above and beyond to ensure our stay was memorable.

I wouldn't hesitate to return to JollyBoys. If you're looking for a warm, lively, and unforgettable experience, look no further!

Highly recommended,

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2024

Javier

The best Hostel in Zambia

The service of the hostel was excellent, I am very hoary to choose stay with them, everything clean, nice rooms, they have a lot of options, for couples, friends, backpackers, families, has everything, if you want party, if you want relax, any plan they have. The staff sooooo friendly, RUTH!!! was amazing she helped us with some requirements, The atmosphere is so nice, we were sad to don't stay longer because deserves stay minimum 5 days, and also because they have a lot of activities!!!

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

24 Nov 2024

Keri

Great if you’re a backpacker. Facilities are very good for that type of tourist to be fair.
We however are not backpackers - we booked an en suite room out of desperation because we left it too late to book and are on a budget.
Never again.
We didn’t expect the Ritz but stained sheets and tide marks where the cleaner didn’t clean surfaces thoroughly are not my idea of good accommodation.
The one good thing was that the air con was fab and they were generous with their generator hours during load shedding.
Oh, and the guard waa very helpful when we needed help with a puncture!

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2024

Tara

We love Jollyboys!

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2024

Verified traveler

Outstanding stay

Thank you Jollyboys for an amazing time in Livingstone. Sam, Lloyd and Moyo were always most helpful. Memory too was very kind and knowledgeable.

Even though the country overall is struggling with load shedding, Jollyboys did a wonderful job with making sure we had electricity. The most that i can remember being without was 4 fours hours in the dorm but light was still available near and around the bar.

The bar/restaurant has really good food (the chicken sandwiches with fries, the free veggie dinner and the french toast with eggs) and the portions were good.

Be sure to speak with staff on arrival about interested activities because some bucket list items dont happen everyday (rafting/Chobe).

I'd recommend Jollyboys over and over as a quality, clean and cost conscience accommodation in Livingstone. I did visit a competitor which was not bad, however it was not as nice as Jollyboy's.

8/10

Excellent

12 Sep 2024

Mark

Great feel about place and very helpful staff

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2024

Cristina

Great thanks!

Self

8/10

Excellent

23 Jul 2024

Pamela

Nice time

Our room was very nice - the beds were comfortable and the room was nicely decorated . The downside was that the bathroom door did not have a latch, so it would not stay closed. Also the bath mat was not very clean. The breakfast was good and we enjoyed our stay.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2024

Raesibe

Jollyboys could do with more TLC

Jollyboys was the first hostel in Livingstone which I can appreciate.

Pros: The staff were absolutely amazing, Moyo, Mallias, George to name a few. Those people are gems. Thank you to the staff for also arranging my activities and ensuring that I explored Livingstone. The restaurant had great food and a nice vibe during the day.

Cons: The WiFi does not reach the rooms. I booked a private room and yet I could only use the WiFi when I was in the common areas, this was highly inconvenient. The bathrooms need help. Between the showers, and the actual toilets you could tell that it was all old and could do with a facelift.

My overall stay at Jollyboys was okay.

Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2024

Eurico

Very safe and quiet area. Good vibes. Clean and the workers were friendly and helpful all the time. Will come back.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Khushnidjon

Good price-quality ratio!

Very nice experience! Good location, clean rooms, nice territory, affordable prices, both - rooms and kitchen/bar. Price-quality ratio is high. You get quality for the price you pay here.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2024

Simon

Jolly’s

Absolute bliss!! It’s my home away from home! The staff is amazing

Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2024

Simon

Jolly’s

Absolute bliss!! It’s my home away from home! The staff is amazing

Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2024

Kenneth

Understandable why Jollyboys is a back-to-back top hostel champ. Great staff. Chill space.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

21 Dec 2023

Milan

Not worth it, best years have passed

I recommend to avoid this place. The hotel/hostel has passed its best years, now it is rusty and dirty place with typical slow service. We got a room with filthy, beaten-up mattresses, incorrectly placed mosquito nets which smell musty and are full of holes. Upon request of the room change we were offered an upgrade for 35$/night, without a receipt and update of hotels.com booking. The shared bathroom is disgusting, no soap provided (even at the shared toilets). The restaurant service was slow, offering nothing special. Avoid paying extra 8$ for a breakfast through hotels.com - the price only includes one dish from the menu where the most expensive one is 4,5$ and coffee is 1,5$. It’s just a rip off. They do not offer any compensation of unused breakfast or package in the morning before departure for activities (despite organised via the hotel).

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2023

Michael

Staff were very helpful with booking transfers and activities. Lots to do in the area

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2023

Gary

Very well run and nice amenities. A/C in the dorm was a huge plus. It’s a very social place, great for meeting other guests and locals. Staff is fantastic. You can’t help but enjoy it here.

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2023

Rirhandzu

awesome stay

It was amazing , the receptionist has the best service. the outside showers need to be washed every now and then because they were dirty

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2023

Mr M

Excellent Stay

Really good stay. Great value for money. Brought the family which is not what one usually does with a hostel/backpackers type place, but it was great and I would do it again. Well run and managed by staff - very helpful all around. I will probably need to go back down to Livingstone again in December and will stay here again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2023

Samantha

The staff here were amazing and always helpful with booking and suggestions. Loved the bar/restaurant in Jollyboys, made lazy days so easy

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2023

REGINALD

I really enjoy this hotel. And I will definitely stay there again one when I come back to Livingston. It is great for everyone, backpacker, families, solo travelers, nomads.

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2023

Tamika

Pros:
1. Walkable distance from the town centre.
2. Budget friendly
3. Easily accessible

Cons:
1. Not very sanitary, the bathroom had hair on the walls in the shower stall.
2. Incorrectly listed rooms. The Ensuite is listed as having a flat screen TV and it turns out \"all the ensuite rooms don't come with a TV.\"

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Dec 2022

Sway

We had a nice stay here. We had a private room and it was clean and quiet. It’s very cute in the main area of the hostel. The staff is very helpful in booking activities and calling taxis. They are helpful and nice. One thing is I feel that some of the prices for the activities is too high so instead of relying directly on the hostel, I would suggest calling other companies yourself and then booking the activity with a the place with the lowest price. Overall it is a great place and I would highly recommend.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Aug 2022

Tracey

We needed a two day stay mid travels. Ticked all our boxes , clean basic rooms , nice small pool for a dip and a bar. Safes in room for valuables. Would definitely use agsin.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2022

Ruben

The location of Jolly Boys was very convenient for getting around the city centre of Livingstone and the staff were very helpfull to organise daily activieties or transport.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2021

Verified traveler

Great stay with great people!

Really enjoyed my stay at Jollyboys; the staff was very kind and helpful all the time, the atmosphere was awesome and I had a great stay:) It was a good place to meet other travelers too!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2019

Ashley

3 Night Stay

AMAZING EXPERIENCE!

Great facilities / pool
Great food / drinks menu at good cost
Great location
Taxis on standby ready to transport
Very friendly staff

Recommended 😀

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2019

namejell

A very international and unique backpackers, located pretty much in the center of Livingstone. Awesome chill-out areas, ecological-responsiveness and super super nice staff! Would definitely recommend this place :)

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

10 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Nice set-up for backpackers
Not a good place for couple
Too noisy, too many party
No electricity for the 2 days I was there
Nobody to check in when I arrive...

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

If you are in Livingston you MUST say at Jollyboys! It’s a great place for solo travelers to meet other travelers and locals. I don’t think I would have experienced true Zambia if I had stayed anywhere else.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2019

The property is clean. All the amenities are good and you can book tours through me.

8/10

Excellent

28 Aug 2019

Jared

A great place to stay in Livingstone Zambia. I would recommend this place

Self

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2019

Verified traveler

Close to center of town. Nice to use the pool for the warm days.

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

I loved the chill atmosphere and the relaxing Pillow pit in the center. Great place!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2019

Bruce

Jollyboys - Jollygood!

Didn't recieve the room that we were expecting, but out was a minor issue and we were happy with the one offered. Food and service were great and It was great retreat.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Property is well organised.
The airport shuttle service was convenient and activities available from the hostel too.
I just don’t like to be bothered by salesmen who pretend to befriend in the hostel in order to place a trip on an expensive tourist attraction

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2019

Nice place to stay. Friendly and helpful staff. Rooms are well maintained.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2019

Matthew

Definitely recommended

As far as hostels go, this was excellent. Lovely staff, very relaxing communal areas, super chilled.
Communal kitchen could do with a bit of a make over.
But other than that, was really great place to stay, hang out at and use as a base for exploring the area

Friends

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2019

Steve

Jollyboys had a good location in downtown Livingstone. The staff was friendly and helpful. The outdoor pool, courtyard and bar were nice. There was free pick-up from the airport and to Victoria Falls the second day I went. A taxi was on-site to take me to the falls when I missed the shuttle. I booked a booze cruise from the activities desk on site. I recommend Jollyboys.

8/10

Excellent

08 Jan 2019

Lynne

Nice Place to Stay to Chill and a base

Nice place with access to a kitchen, bar, pool, chill areas, serves food and great atmosphere.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Overall, a really great hostel and highly recommend that others stay here.
Location was great in Livingstone town centre, with a 10am shuttle daily to the Victoria Falls park site.
Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, with great suggestions on what to do.
On-site activities booking service was extremely efficient and flexible, with staff really helpful at providing advice.
Rooms were really nice and comfortable. We recommend booking the en-suite rooms as these are the rooms which come with A/C. Non-A/C rooms can get very hot in the hot season.
Restaurant and pool were really nice, with the mango smoothies made with the mangoes from the trees on-site being a particular highlight.

8/10

Excellent

18 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Location was good in relation to Victoria Falls. Easy to book excursions through the property. Staff was very helpful.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

The lively and friendly environment in the common spaces was just what the doctor ordered for me as a solo traveler! Felt very safe and staff were all very thoughtful and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Had a lovely time at Jollyboys. Beautiful place. Very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Attractive decor. Very clean.
Best of all super staff. Very warm, friendly and welcoming. Also extremely helpful and informative in reception.
Food very good, and reasonably priced.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Great for a last minute trip. Rooms are quiet and clean with everything you need to be comfortable at a really cheap price.

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Great stay in an excellent place

Jollyboys is much better than a typical backpackers - it has a great feel to it and is a really pleasant place to spend an afternoon or an evening. The pool and bar area is really nice, as is the chill-out area nearby. Food and drinks are good and are reasonable prices. Staff are also extremely friendly and helpful with bookings and information. Jollyboys offers a free daily shuttle to the Falls which is a great benefit as well. The on-site spa is also very nice and professionally run. We stayed in the Guinea Fowl room, which was well maintained and the AC worked very well.

We had two issues with our stay. First, the bed in the Guinea Fowl room was very uncomfortable and left us with back pains each morning. I'm not sure whether this is true in other rooms but we felt it was reasonably likely so we did not ask to change. A more minor complaint is that wifi is only accessible in the public areas and not in our room.

Nevertheless we would almost certainly stay at Jollyboys again if we were back in Livingstone - we would probably just ask for a different room and test the bed a bit more before settling.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2018

maxwell

Great place. Clean and great staff who will help you plan anything. Plus they have airport pickup which was great

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2018

John

Great place

It's a great place to stay. Could be a bit cheaper and wifi in the rooms. The staff is very helpful and a great atmosphere.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2018

Dawn

Jollyboys was very. Welcoming..it is secure, I felt very safe...staff friendly and helpful..food is delicious...recommend anything cooked in their kitchen...especially the curries..I was there for a month so had a long time to Observe people and staff interactions...they were always polite friendly and ready to have a joke...nice place to stop and relax...they also offer great tours...recommend Chobe and the whitewater rafting...night booze cruise...free transport to Victoria Falls...just go they have regular entertainment...a place to relax or party...up to you..

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2018

Good economy hotel near Vic Falls

Great support from staff in finding activities in the area and other places to stay outside the area (ie in Kasane). Hotel was fairly basic (closer to a hostel, but we had individual room with ensuite bathroom), and was clean. Only area we felt fell a little short was the shower flow was weak and not too hot.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2018

gLaw

Great hostel. Common areas are constantly cleaned. On site restaurant has good inexpensive meals. It is a backpacker hostel not a resort. They excel at booking trips around Livingstone. No charge for the shuttles. Top notch.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2018

James

Incredible Experience with Amazing Staff

After sitting on a bus for 9 hours, it was such a comfort to make it to Jollyboys Backpackers and relax on the amazingly soft beds followed by the lounge chairs around the pool. The receptionist was amazing at helping book all of our activities and planning them all so that we could do everything on our list! The lodging itself was very nice, with good food, amazing people, and on-time service. It is an amazing place to make friends and enjoy!

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2018

Amy

Awesome place!

Awesome space to be! Great place to hang out and relax from traveling or if you want to do tourist things they are very close to Victoria Falls and restaurants like Olga's or Cafe Zambieze. Food at the restaurant is good with lots of vegetarian options and the self serve kitchen seems to have everything you need for making your own food. We stayed in a shared bathroom room and an en suite room, both were clean and comfortable with cute touches. The staff helped us with laundry service and set up an overnight safari for us leaving the next day and our driver made sure to point out animals like Zebras and Impala on the drive to Botswana, even stopping for us to get some pictures. Will definitely be back when in Livingstone.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2018

Edward

Amazing place to stay. Lovely hosts; great bar; good atmosphere always. There are lots of activities they can organise and the hosts are very knowledgeable. Perfect location as well as great restaurant. I would highly recommend this place. Best place to stay in Livingstone for sure