Ilala Lodge, Victoria Falls

Ilala Lodge is a stylish, understated colonial safari lodge within walking distance of the Victoria Falls. The property borders on the Zambezi National Park, allowing for some of the park’s resident wildlife to graze on the lodge’s green lawns. We saw a troupe of warthog running around, just as we arrived at the lodge.
Upon arrival guests are presented with moist towels and a refreshing welcome drink. The reception area is very vibrant and welcoming and not at all ‘stiff’ like some hotels. The reception staff are exceptionally helpful and greet you with a smile every time you happen to pass by. 

Ilala is privately owned and has a certain old-time charm to it. This is apparent in the colonial-style furniture and décor of the hotel, like the old-fashioned typewriter and wall hangings depicting the adventures of Livingstone and his contemporaries. 

The hotel has a nice swimming pool with a wooden sun-deck and an attractive poolside pub. At night the lights of the pub reflect on the pool, creating an almost magical effect. The main buildings have been built to allow natural air to flow effortlessly through the passages in order to keep everything nice and cool.

One of the perks of the hotel is its close proximity to the nearby town of Victoria Falls, only 5 minutes’ walk away. Not only do you save money on transfers and taxi’s, but you also get to enjoy the fresh air. (The same goes for the falls which are only a 10 minute walk away). One thing that needs mentioning though – is the many hawkers that frequent the path to the falls, selling their various hand crafted goods. They are harmless but can be a bit of a pain – so if you think that they might put you off, we suggest taking a taxi to the falls instead. Luckily the town council knows about this and have appointed lots of tourist police to patrol the area. It’s quite amusing to see the hawkers scatter when they spot one of these men or women in blue.

Ilala has only 32 rooms, ensuring a personalised and intimate level of service and attention to detail. The staff are extremely friendly and go out of their way to make your stay as comfortable as possible. All kinds of little touches make the place really unforgettable. 

They have quite a few stairs in the hotel, so guests needed to be fairly mobile to get around – but they’ve recently added another wing without any stairs – making the lodge ideal for visitors of all ages. We do however think that the lodge is best suited to the slightly more mature visitor, and not the very young and ‘restless’ crowd – as it is quite a graceful and laid-back place.

The lodge has its own luxury cruise boat, the Ra-Ikane, which has been fitted out in a style reflecting times gone by. The boat was named after one of Livingstone’s loyal guides and offers beautiful views of the river, its inhabitants (hippo and crocodile) and regular visitors (elephant, kudu, buffalo and various other smaller animals). The lodge also has a boardroom for business meetings, seminars and conferences.

Ilala is a beautiful old-English retreat right in the heart of the Victoria Falls area. It offers just the right amount of luxury and space to make your stay a memorable experience. The accommodation is affordable, the service superb, and the hotel’s proximity to the local activities makes it a real gem. 

The hotel has 32 rooms to choose from, ranging from 24 Twin bedded rooms, 6 Doubles and 2 Deluxe Suites. 
All of these are fitted out with attractive teak sleeper furniture and patio doors that lead out to balconies or open lawns (depending on your room choice). The upper level rooms have good views of the spray from the falls.

The room service menu and information file is covered in luxurious leather hide (as are all the hotel’s documents and menus), giving it a true African look.

The rooms are quite big and come equipped with satellite TV, phones, air-conditioning and ceiling fans. The décor is stylish with pillows and bedspreads in cool, neutral colours. The bathrooms are en-suite with separate showers, and 24-hour room service is available. In the evenings the staff leave a chocolate on your pillow during the turndown service, as well as a biscuit for your coffee or tea. We loved these little touches. In the morning they leave some fresh fruit in a basket to see you through the day. 

The bathrooms are great and come equipped with complimentary toiletries which include insect repellent and a mini pack of tissues (which comes in really handy). We also liked the little sewing kit in one of the closets for those little alterations ‘on the go’.

The suites are even more luxurious and have the best views of the beautiful surrounds. They come equipped with all the perks of the other rooms, but also have minibars, writing desks and an extra bed (ideal for families). 

Ilala’s Palm Restaurant is an elegant colonial terrace restaurant offering an a la carte menu of international and local dishes. They have an extensive wine list and also serve cocktails. In the mornings they serve full English breakfast buffets, including freshly baked pastries and fresh fruit, and for lunch you have a choice of light snacks from the a la carte menu. In the evenings they have a piano player to entertain guests and set the scene for an enjoyable dinner.

The service is great, and our waiter even brought us some crocodile ‘nuggets’ to taste before we made our dinner meal choice. The food is beautifully presented and the atmosphere amazing.
The hotel also has a poolside pub called the Tobota Pub, serving sundowners and pre-dinner drinks in the evening, and all kinds of cocktails and thirst quenchers during the day. 

Meals at Ilala Lodge are on a bed and breakfast basis, but dinner can be included on request.
If you have any special dietary requirements – the chef will gladly sit with you and discuss your meal options. We do however ask that you inform us of your specific needs in advance to allow ample preparation time. 

Ilala Lodge is within walking distance of the Victoria Falls (10mins) and town (5mins) and borders on the Zambezi National Park.

General facilities: 
• Swimming pool with large wooden sun-deck and sunloungers
• Restaurant
• Poolside pub
• Lovely lawns
• Internet desks

Room facilities:
• Full en-suite bathrooms with separate showers
• Air conditioning
• Overhead fan
• Satellite TV
• Railway sleeper teak furnishings
• Some rooms have balconies
• Phone
• Safe
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Complimentary toiletries including insect repellent cream
• Bug spray
• Sewing kits
• Fresh drinking water

Suites:
• Mini-bar
• Extra bed
• Writing desk
• Balcony

Activities:
• Bungi jumping 
• White water rafting and boogie boarding in the rapids
• Fishing 
• Elephant back safaris 
• Visits to the Victoria Falls 
• Walk with lions
• Day trips to Chobe National Park – Botswana
• Day trips to Hwange National Park
• Helicopter, fixed wing and micro light flights over the falls
• Flying Fox over the gorge
• Gorge swing
• Zip line slide over the gorge
• Abseiling
• Jet boating (in the gorge below the falls)
• White water canoeing on the upper Zambezi
• Boma dinners
• Traditional dancing
• Zambezi breakfast, lunch and sunset cruises
• Bird watching
• Horse riding safaris
• Game drives into Zambezi National Park
• The Ra-Ikane (small luxury cruise boat)
• Croc farm and nature sanctuary
• Zambezi wildlife safaris
• Casino at The Kingdom across the road

Services: 
• Room service
• Turndown service
• Laundry
• Babysitter

Open: Ilala Lodge is open all year long.