Reviews of Ilala Lodge

"Ilala was a lovely way to end our holiday in Africa. Upon arrival we were greeted with a welcome drink and informed that our room had been upgraded which was a lovely surprise! The rooms were stunning and the service was excellent. We loved sipping coffee from the balcony of our room while watching the mist rise over the falls.

We enjoyed all of the meals we had at the in house restaurant, but we did notice that the prices were a little bit steep, as were the prices of many things in Zimbabwe. Saying that, the prices were consistent with prices you'd see at a tourist town in North America.

It was only a short walk to the falls from Ilala so the location was perfect. Overall it was a beautiful and tranquil way to spend the last days of our vacation." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"One must take into account the constraints on the country atmosphere in the review. It was a culture shock to arrive after a flight two transfers, one almost screwed up and immigration, to then arrive in a city. Oh how we missed the Bush. The Facitity was very colonial and we had an excellent view.

The service the first day for meals was without doubt the worst experienced. The second night, another trainee assisted us and she was great. The streets were not worth walking. The assistance from Wilderness, Barbara, was most appreciated as they arranged our Helicopter flight and transport. Everyone before and after said, why did you not stay at Victoria Falls Guest House?

The Falls were dramatic, both during the walk and H ride and that is why we went. Been there now, O K." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"We spent the last two days of our holiday at the Ilala Lodge. The hotel is beautiful and at a very short walk to the Victoria falls. From our room window we could see the spray of the falls and the sun rising behind it in the morning. The food was amazing and moderately priced. Breakfast was so good and abundant that at lunch we did not need to eat much at all.

The room was spacious and clean with all the modern comforts including flat screen TV and air con. The service was good although when we arrived to check in we felt that the receptionist was not that welcoming.... maybe we had just been spoilt in Botswana... Also the night we had our meal at the hotel the waiter made it quite clear that we were supposed to leave a tip. We did not mind leaving one because we enjoyed the meal and the service was good but we would have left a bigger one had he not say anything.

We went to see the falls on the same afternoon we arrived in town and we managed to complete the visit in 2 and a half hours. It was great! My husband had seen the falls many years ago during the dry season and he loved seeing them again at full flow! They are so powerful! We went prepared wearing sandals and good rainproof coats. We also had plastic bags for our cameras although we wish we had a transparent one to be able to take more photos or videos when we went through the thick splashes.... it was just like walking in heavy rain and being surrounded by rainbows.

On the second day we decided to walk around and explore the town. We went to the Victoria Falls hotel as we were told that from there it was possible to see the bridge that links Zimbabwe to Zambia. We took lovely photos and we took a path via their back gate and we reached a view point. It is one of these places where they do flying fox and other adrenaline rising activities etc. but we just went to look at the amazing views of the gorge. We then walked to the "big tee" which is about 2 km from the centre of the town, along an asphalted road which follows the Zambezi river . On the way back a driver told us to be careful as there were some crazy elephants around. Although I was a bit scared I must admit that I also found it very exciting. We indeed spotted one of the elephants while he was drinking water from the river but to be on the safe side we only stopped a couple of minutes to see him from a safe distance and then we walked back to town where we crossed the bridge, walked through the "no man land" to then step on the Zambian ground. It was a lovely afternoon and we could see the falls and feel the water spray which had been travelling in the air.

To complete the afternoon we went back to the Victoria falls hotel for a high tea experience. We had a gorgeous tea while enjoying the views. The last morning we went to the craft market which is just around the corner from the Ilala Lodge. The people who were managing the stands were pleasant and even if everybody tried to sell everything to us as soon as we walked into the market, we quite enjoyed the experience and the bargaining. We managed to come away with a few nice local artefacts without spending a fortune although we would have done if we gave them the asking price. We actually noticed that they too enjoyed our bargaining skills :-)

Finally a driver came to pick us at the Ilala Lodge in a mini bus according to schedule to take us to the airport. Overall we rate our experience at the Ilala Lodge and Victoria Fall as excellent." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Nice rooms and surrounds in the middle of town and within walking distance of the falls.
Good and cheap food and wines.

Only criticism was inability to accept Mastercard payments" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 4n in Rwanda; 3n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe

"My only complaint relates to my being (in sure inadvertently) overcharged US$848, details of which I have sent to Maruska.

The room, meals, outdoor areas and level of service were excellent." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 4n in Rwanda; 3n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Staff were able to provide good advice on things to do." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 4n in Rwanda; 3n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Excellent accomodation

Shower temperature mix was inconsistent

Food was very good
Would have scored higher if more African style food available and spicier food options available" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe

"This was the last stay of our trip and it was perfect to relax and unwind.

The short walk to the Falls and the city center made it very convenient for us to explore on foot in our own time." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia; 2n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"We visited Victoria Falls Hotel and even had a meal there * but other than the view from the terrace, I will take the Ilala over it for cost, convinience, quality of food and friendly and efficient staff that really want to help.

The falls were wonderful and quite an experience. Not there for an extended period but liked the area." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 5n in South Africa; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Our road transfer from Muchenje Lodge in Botswana to Ilala Lodge in Zimbabwe was quite an ordeal. Our driver from Chobezi-Hylton Ross Safari Touring was absolutely invaluable in helping us through the chaotic and intimating Zimbabwe border crossing. The driver Luckson on the Zimbabwe side was also excellent

Ilala Lodge was a pleasant step back in time. The colonial pictures and atmosphere of the public rooms was charming. The bed and bath was comfortable and clean. Front desk staff were very helpful.

We walked from the hotel to Victoria Falls, about 10 minutes." See all these reviews: 8n in Zimbabwe; 4n in Botswana