10/10 Exceptional
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.
Emily
Emily, 3-night trip
Jollyboys Backpackers
Suburban hostel with outdoor pool, near Livingstone Museum
Nestled near Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Jollyboys Backpackers offers a tranquil retreat with spa services like massages and manicures. Enjoy cooked-to-order breakfast, unwind at the outdoor pool or garden, and stay connected with free WiFi in public areas.
VIP AccessExcellent
Popular amenities
- Pool
- Spa
- Airport transfer
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Restaurant
Main amenities (12)
- Daily housekeeping
- Restaurants and bar/lounge
- Outdoor pool
- Breakfast available
- Free airport pick-up
- Spa services
- Massage/treatment rooms
- Area shuttle
- Terrace
- Garden
- Front desk safe
- Snack bar/deli
Feel at home (6)
- Sofa bed
- Garden
- Terrace
- Daily housekeeping
- Laundry facilities
- Lift
Room options
Showing 15 of 15 rooms
Double Room, Ensuite
Exceptional
Highlights
Air conditioning
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Twin Room, Ensuite
Highlights
Air conditioning
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 2
- 2 Single Beds
Double Room, Shared Bathroom
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Twin Room, Shared Bathroom
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 2
- 2 Single Beds
Triple Room, Shared Bathroom
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 3
- 1 Single Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed
Quadruple Room, Ensuite
Highlights
Air conditioning
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 4
- 2 Single Bunk Beds
Shared Dormitory, Mixed Dorm, Shared Bathroom (8 Bed Dormitory)
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 1
- 4 Single Bunk Beds
Single Room Ensuite
Very good
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 1
- 2 Single Beds OR 1 Double Bed
Triple Room, Ensuite
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 3
- 2 Single Bunk Beds
Single Shared Bathroom
Exceptional
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 1
- 2 Single Beds OR 1 Double Bed
Shared Dormitory, Women only
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 1
- 4 Single Bunk Beds
Room, Multiple Beds (9 Bed Private Dorm)
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 9
- 4 Single Bunk Beds and 1 Single Bed
Room (7 Bed Private Dorm)
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 7
- 4 Single Bunk Beds
Room (6 Bed Private Dorm)
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 6
- 4 Single Bunk Beds
Room, Multiple Beds
Highlights
Sofa bed
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Shared/communal kitchen
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
- Garden view
- Sleeps 8
- 4 Single Bunk Beds
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About the area
34 Kanyanta Road, Livingstone
About this property
Jollyboys Backpackers
Jollyboys Backpackers is just 3.7 mi (5.9 km) from the airport and offers free pick-up service (available 24 hours). Guests can indulge in deep-tissue massages or manicures and pedicures, then grab a bite to eat at the restaurant. An outdoor pool, a bar/lounge and a snack bar/deli are other highlights. Fellow travellers love the helpful staff.
At a glance
Property amenities
Room amenities
Special features
Frequently asked questions
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Jollyboys Backpackers Reviews
Excellent
8.4
Cleanliness
8.6
Location
9.0
Staff & service
8.4
Property conditions & facilities
Popular mentions
Service staffRecreationTransportationAmbienceRoomLocation10/10 Exceptional
Jolly Boys is the best in Livingstone for a hostile.
Christopher
Christopher, 6-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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
Carl
Carl, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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.
Thomas
Thomas, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Great stay with interesting company
Great time, delicious breakfasts, I loved the relax zone.
Pawel
Pawel, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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.
Lucy
Lucy, 4-night trip
6/10 Good
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.
Mei Fang
Mei Fang, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
The place was amazing
I travelled solo and was worri
Esther
Esther, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Great feel about place and very helpful staff
Mark
Mark, 5-night trip
8/10 Very good
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.
Wojciech
Wojciech, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Staff were very helpful with booking transfers and activities. Lots to do in the area
Michael
Michael, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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.
REGINALD
10/10 Exceptional
We love Jollyboys!
Tara
Tara, 11-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
The staff here were amazing and always helpful with booking and suggestions. Loved the bar/restaurant in Jollyboys, made lazy days so easy
Samantha
Samantha, 9-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Great
Christopher
Christopher, 5-night trip
8/10 Very good
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.
Jia Dan
Jia Dan, 5-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Great backpackers!
This is a great backpackers place! Nice pool, good atmosphere, decent bar, the food menue could be better, good accommodation, good location. This is the place you wanna be if you’re backpacking for sure!
Ivo
Ivo, 5-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Beautiful
Soyoki
Soyoki, 7-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jolly’s
Absolute bliss!! It’s my home away from home! The staff is amazing
Simon
Simon, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jolly’s
Absolute bliss!! It’s my home away from home! The staff is amazing
Simon
Simon, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Understandable why Jollyboys is a back-to-back top hostel champ. Great staff. Chill space.
Kenneth
Kenneth, 4-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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.
Ruben
Ruben, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Very safe and quiet area. Good vibes. Clean and the workers were friendly and helpful all the time. Will come back.
Eurico
Eurico, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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!!!
Javier
Javier, 3-night trip
6/10 Good
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.
Verified traveller
2-night trip
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