Veterinary Association of Zambia · Scientific Conference & AGM
Livingstone
2027Your guide to reaching, staying in and experiencing the town at the edge of Mosi-oa-Tunya.
More than 250 veterinary professionals, researchers, regulators, exhibitors and partners gather on the banks of the Zambezi in April 2027 — in the week the Victoria Falls run at their fullest. Everything here is outside the scientific programme: flights, roads, beds, visas and the days either side.
- Dates
- Wed 21 – Fri 23 April 2027
- Venue
- The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa
- Nearest airport
- Livingstone (LVI) · 15 min
- Registration closes
- Tuesday 30 March 2027
Start here
Find your next step
Everyone needs the same four things — a place, a flight, a bed and, for many, a visa. What differs is the order.
Delegates & members
Register, then book
Register first — your confirmation carries the accommodation booking details and, on request, your visa invitation letter. Closes 30 March 2027.
Exhibitors & sponsors
Secure space early
Stands, branding and sponsored sessions are allocated in order of confirmation. Request the Sponsorship and Exhibition Prospectus.
Speakers & authors
Confirm your slot
Invited speakers and accepted presenters should confirm arrival dates early — April is peak season and flights and rooms fill well in advance.
Guests & the public
Come for the Falls
Accompanying guests are welcome in Livingstone whether or not they attend sessions. April is the most dramatic month at Mosi-oa-Tunya.
The venue
The David Livingstone
Safari Lodge & Spa
The conference is hosted on the banks of the Zambezi in Livingstone — Zambia's tourist capital and the gateway to Mosi‑oa‑Tunya, the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Sessions, trade exhibition, catering and accommodation all sit on one property, so there is no daily transfer.
- Conference centre — air-conditioned thatch-and-glass complex seating up to 280 theatre-style, with breakout capacity for parallel sessions
- Trade exhibition — dedicated area adjoining the plenary space and catering points
- On-site rooms — 72 deluxe river-view rooms and 5 signature suites, including interconnecting and accessible rooms
- Social programme — riverside dining, the Lady Livingstone cruise vessel and an on-site spa
Venue contact
- Location
- Zambezi riverfront, Livingstone, Southern Province
- Reservations
- res1@thedavidlivingstone.com
- Telephone
- +260 (0)21 332 4601
- Website
- thedavidlivingstone.com
Indicative drive times
- Airport (LVI)
- ≈ 15 minutes
- Victoria Falls
- ≈ 15 minutes to the park entrance
- Town centre
- ≈ 10 minutes
- Zimbabwe border
- ≈ 20 minutes to Victoria Falls Bridge
Getting there
Four ways into Livingstone
Livingstone has its own international airport, so most delegates fly in directly. All four routes end at Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, fifteen minutes from the venue.
| From | How | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anywhere, via Lusaka (LUN) | Proflight Zambia, daily | ≈ 1 h 10 | Most intercontinental and regional carriers serve Lusaka. Allow a comfortable connection — domestic and international are separate processes. |
| Johannesburg (JNB) | Airlink, direct | ≈ 1 h 45 | The shortest route for delegates connecting through southern Africa. |
| Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (VFA) | Road, via Victoria Falls Bridge | ≈ 1 h | Requires entry clearance for both countries — see the KAZA UniVisa below. |
| Lusaka | Road, T1 via Choma — self-drive or coach | 6–7 h | About 470 km through Kafue, Mazabuka, Monze, Choma, Kalomo and Zimba. Coaches run daily from Lusaka Intercity Bus Terminus. |
Also worth knowing
- Cape Town and Windhoek — Proflight connects both several times a week, with a seasonal service to Maun
- From Botswana and Namibia — cross at Kazungula, about 70 km from Livingstone
- Airport transfers — arrange with your hotel when you book; most properties meet flights on request, and metered taxis operate from the airport
Book flights early
Schedules change and April is peak season on every one of these routes. Confirm current days and times directly with the carrier before committing to connections, and book as soon as your registration is confirmed.
Where to stay
Book your accommodation
A limited allocation of rooms is held at the venue at a special conference rate. Beyond that, Livingstone has a full range within fifteen minutes of the lodge.
Book early — April is peak season
The Falls are at their annual peak and the town fills with visitors independently of the conference. Rooms at the venue are finite and released on a first-confirmed basis. Register first — conference-rate booking details are issued with your registration confirmation — then secure your room immediately. If the venue is full, book any Livingstone property directly and tell the Secretariat where you are staying, which helps us plan shuttles and the social programme.
| Property | Character | To venue | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa | Conference venue. Zambezi riverfront, 4-star, spa and river cruise | On site | thedavidlivingstone.com |
| Royal Livingstone by Anantara | Colonial-era grandeur, riverfront lawns, walking access to the Falls | ≈ 15 min | anantara.com |
| Avani Victoria Falls Resort | Closest to the Falls — about a five-minute walk to the park gate | ≈ 15 min | avanihotels.com |
| Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort | Large riverside resort within Mosi-oa-Tunya, around 200 rooms | ≈ 15 min | radissonhotels.com |
| Protea Hotel by Marriott Livingstone | Business hotel on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, close to town, airport shuttle | ≈ 15 min | marriott.com |
| Chrismar Hotel Livingstone | Mid-range hotel on Sichango Road, bordering the game park | ≈ 10 min | +260 213 323 141 |
| Guesthouses and lodges | A wide selection in town, including options suited to student delegates | 10–20 min | Book direct or via your preferred platform |
Rates are not published here because they change with season and availability, and are not held by VAZ. Confirm the rate, cancellation terms and whether transfers are included when you book. Accommodation queries: vaztreasurer@gmail.com
Visas & entry
Travel visa information for international participants
Zambia waived visa requirements for nationals of 53 countries in December 2024, and operates an online e‑Visa for everyone else. Work through these three steps in order.
Check which category your nationality falls into
The Department of Immigration publishes current lists of nationals who need no visa, who may obtain one on arrival, and who must apply in advance. Categories change — check the official list rather than a third-party summary, and check again close to travel.
zambiaimmigration.gov.zm · zambiavisa@zambiaimmigration.gov.zm
Apply through the official e-Visa portal, or on arrival
The e‑Visa is the recommended route: apply online, receive approval before you fly, clear immigration faster on landing. Delegates attending a conference normally apply under the business or visitor category rather than tourist, unless extending the stay for leisure. Indicative processing is three working days — allow considerably longer.
Request your letter of invitation from VAZ
Following successful registration, VAZ issues an official letter of invitation supporting your visa application. Most applications also ask for proof of accommodation, so book your room before you apply. The letter is issued against a confirmed registration, so request it as early as you can.
Worth knowing
The KAZA UniVisa — one visa, both sides of the Falls
If you plan to see the Falls from the Zimbabwean side too, this is the instrument built for it. USD 50, valid up to 30 days, allowing multiple movement between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and covering day trips into Botswana through Kazungula. Available to nationals of some 50 countries, online or on arrival at Lusaka, Livingstone, the Victoria Falls border and Kazungula.
Before you fly
- Passport — valid at least six months beyond departure, with blank pages
- Return or onward ticket — normally required at application and on arrival
- Proof of accommodation — hotel confirmation or your VAZ invitation letter
- Yellow fever certificate — if arriving from or transiting a country with risk of transmission
- Registration confirmation — carry a copy, printed or on your phone
Verify before you pay
Visa categories, fees and conditions are set by the Government of the Republic of Zambia and change without notice. Figures here are indicative at the time of publication. Always confirm on the official Department of Immigration portal, or with your nearest Zambian mission, before making payment or travel commitments.
Experience Livingstone
You are arriving in the loudest week of the year
Mosi‑oa‑Tunya — "the smoke that thunders" — is not the same sight in every month. April is its peak.
Zambezi flow in April
500 million
litres per minute, approximately
April sits at the top of the annual flood. The Falls are at their most powerful, the spray column is visible for kilometres, and the sound carries well beyond the gorge.
It also changes what is possible. Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool are closed at high water, typically April to mid‑June, and white‑water rafting is generally suspended. Viewpoints on the Zambian side get genuinely drenched — bring a rain jacket and a waterproof case for phones and cameras. Aerial and river activities are unaffected, and this is the month the flight over the Falls is at its most spectacular.
On the doorstep
Mosi-oa-Tunya, the Victoria Falls
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders. The Zambian side offers the Knife-Edge Bridge and the eastern cataract walk — spectacular and very wet in April.
Wildlife
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
Game drives minutes from town, with white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and elephant along the river. Morning and late-afternoon drives are the productive ones.
On the river
Zambezi sunset cruise
The classic Livingstone evening, and an easy option for accompanying guests or an informal delegation gathering. Hippo, crocodile and elephant along the banks.
From the air
Helicopter and microlight flights
The "Flight of Angels" over the Falls and the zig-zag gorges below. At peak flow this is the one vantage point the spray cannot obscure.
Adventure
The Victoria Falls Bridge
The 1905 steel arch spanning the gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe — a historic crossing, and the launch point for the bungee jump, gorge swing and zip line.
Heritage
Museums and culture
The Livingstone Museum, the Railway Museum, Mukuni Village and the Maramba and Mukuni craft markets — the best half-day option when the weather turns.
Building days around the conference
Scientific sessions run 21–22 April and the AGM on 23 April, which places the weekend of 24–25 April immediately after the close — the natural window for excursions and for delegates travelling with family. World Veterinary Day 2027 falls on Saturday 24 April.
Book through your hotel or a licensed Livingstone operator. Most excursions are half-day and can be arranged after you arrive, but the Falls flight and the bridge activities are worth booking ahead in April.
Livingstone in April
- Daytime
- Around 30 °C, warm and humid
- Night
- Around 16 °C — bring a light layer
- Rain
- End of the rains; roughly 20 mm across a few days
- Falls
- Peak flow — heavy spray, waterproofs essential
Practical essentials
Everything else you will want to know
Money
The currency is the Zambian Kwacha (ZMW). Cards are accepted at major hotels and larger establishments, and ATMs are available in town. US dollars are widely accepted in tourism, but carry Kwacha for markets, taxis and smaller purchases.
Language & time
English is Zambia's official language and the working language of the conference. Livingstone is on Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+2) all year — no daylight saving.
Power
230 V, 50 Hz. The standard socket is Type G, the British three-pin; Types C and D also appear. Bring a universal adaptor, and a surge-protected one for laptops and presentation equipment.
Health
Livingstone is a malaria-risk area — discuss prophylaxis and repellent with your travel health provider before departure. Carry a yellow fever certificate if arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Bottled or filtered water is recommended.
Getting around
Livingstone is compact. Taxis are readily available and hotels arrange transfers on request. Agree the fare before you set off. Traffic drives on the left.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi is standard at conference hotels. Local SIM cards with data bundles are inexpensive and available in town and at the airport — bring your passport, as registration is required.
Conference Secretariat
We look forward to welcoming you to Livingstone
Registration & payments
- Dr Edwin Sianzinda
- vaztreasurer@gmail.com
- +260 977 120 586
Invitation letters & general
- Dr Catherine K. Mutale
- vazeditor@gmail.com
- +260 978 260 130
Online
- Portal: member.vaz.org.zm
- Register: member.vaz.org.zm/news/41
- Abstracts: events@vaz.org.zm