Reviews of Ilala Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
260 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Ilala Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
0% success
53% success
17% success
17% success
"Ilala Lodge - relaxing"
Nice room, excellent restaurant (sit on the tearrce and listen to the falls in the distance), and relaxing grounds in which to sit. Good location for walking to the falls (10 minutes max) and for wondering into town, and an on-site agent for booking activities - I walked with lions which was amazing, if a teeny bit scary, and flew over the falls in a helicopter which gave impressive views (and great photos) of the falls and river, which I needed as the spray was so dense I had limited views from the ground when I walked by the falls (although the experience of being close to all that water was still impressive).
The lodge also had wifi ($5) which was useful to catch up and even to skype home." See all these reviews: 3n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe; 2n in Namibia
"Ilala Lodge review"
Our spacious room had a 4-poster king-sized bed and a separate single bed round the corner, so we could probably have all slept in the one room with an extra z-bed; the two together could easily accomodate a family of 5-6. The kids made full use of the swimming pool which was close to the colonial-style bar and dining room beyond. The included breakfast buffet was comprehensive with a full cooked option if you want it.
In the evening, the a la carte menu had some quite exotic dishes (I had smoked crocodile tail followed by warthog steak) as well as most hotel standards (ie, chicken, steak, fish etc) and there was a children's menu of the sausage and mash/fish fingers variety if needed. But for our second evening we took the short taxi ride to the even grander Victoria Falls Hotel where the "Jungle Junction" buffet and "cabaret" of local african dancing was a good fun alternative at a similar price.
The on-site travel rep is a convenient way of arranging the standard tours such as a guided visit to the Vic Falls Park (not strictly needed, as the 1 hour walk is well sign-posted once you are past the amateur guides "touting" just outside the gates) or a sunset river cruise on the Zambesi. But the best value "excursion" is the $5 taxi ride to the "bridge" - or you can walk it in 20 mnutes - for free entry into "no-man's land" between the Zim-Zam borders (don't forget to take your passport) where you can ride a zip wire across the gorge, do an upright harness jump or a headfirst "bungee" jump (or just watch).
All in all a great place to start or finish your Botswanan safari." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Cheerful hotel next to the falls"
Having met people from Zambia and Zimbabwe who asked us to tell them at the end which side is best...we are now stuck! The truth is we liked each side. From the Zim side you have a better view (and you get less soaked) and the path is longer. So we agree with somebody who said you should the falls from both sides if you can.
The lodge is relatively small, even if it felt like a grand hotel to us after two weeks in the bush. Our room was nice and comfortable, the swimming pool is great and the bar and restaurant areas are very well designed and pleasant to look at. Sitting there you can see the smoke and hear the thunder....while enjoying a good dinner with a good glass of wine!
A special note for the breakfast as the buffet we found in the morning was one of the most impressive we have ever seen!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia; 5n in Zimbabwe
"Idyllic Ilala"
From the "normal offering" menu we very much enjoyed and would recommend the full day canoeing trip where we were guided by the excellent Ndoga Unganai." See all these reviews: 10n in Zimbabwe; 4n in Zambia
"We ate dinner at Ilala every evening bar one (reflecting how good the food is there) when we headed out to the Makuwa Kuwa restaurant at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. We can't comment on accommodation there but the restaurant is certainly very good: food on a par with Ilala but with a more extensive menu and wine list (probably reflecting a larger number of beds) and, probably by booking early, we were able to get a "window" table even though we were not residents. Well worth the taxi ride even if the waterhole was quiet."
"Senior Africa Specialist"
"Ilala Lodge review"
The food was very good indeed, and we especially enjoyed the breakfast, with every possible option under the sun in a lovely setting.
The room was clean and comfortable. Its proximity to the Falls (you can walk in 10 minutes) makes it well-placed too. Service was excellent.
The bridge tour through the travel agent was fantastic, and we can't recommend it enough." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 1n in Zimbabwe
"Ilala Lodge review"
The air conditioning was broken in our first room, our second was next to the generators, so we were put in a third. Unfortunate, but they were exceedingly accommodating in ensuring we had a room we were happy with." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 6n in Zimbabwe
"Ilala Lodge review"
"Nice comfortable hotel close to Vic Falls"
A la carte menu was limited but breakfast menu was excellent.
Hotel staff were friendly and helpful." See all these reviews: 9n in Namibia; 3n in Zimbabwe
"Ilala Lodge review"
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