Ilala Lodge

Situated in the heart of  Victoria Falls town

Ilala Lodge Hotel is the perfect base from which to explore the majestic Victoria Falls and nearby Zambezi National Park. Ilala provides distinguished, yet affordable, boutique accommodation in gracious and secluded surroundings. The lodge has 56 rooms and suites and guests can look forward to personalised service and world-class hospitality throughout the duration of their visit.

Ilala Lodge is ideally situated on the Zimbabwean side of the mighty Zambezi River and is within easy walking distance of the magnificent Victoria Falls. The lodge is centered in the heart of Victoria Falls town and is the perfect spot from which to embark upon a voyage of discovery in one of Africa’s favourite tourist destinations where historical sites, culinary experimentation and a host of activities in pristine natural surroundings are within easy reach.

The Victoria Falls National Park borders the front of the property and, as such, wild animals often graze on the lawns of this stunning example of Vic Falls hotels. Warthogs, in particular, are common visitors and their comical appearance and behaviours are sure to delight and entertain you during your stay. Guests might even be lucky enough to witness a herd of elephants feasting upon an array of trees whilst relaxing on their private balcony.

Restaurant diners, on the other hand, can see and hear the majestic roar of the ‘Smoke That Thunders’ while they sample fine a la carte cuisine at The Palm Restaurant. With tranquil views, an elegant ambience, and an exceptional and diverse menu, dinner at the Palm Restaurant is an experience in itself.

Ilala Lodge offers distinguished, yet affordable, accommodation in warm elegant African surroundings. The decor evokes an era of early adventure and the quest for discovery in Africa. All the communal guest areas at Ilala Lodge exude a colonial atmosphere with antiques, curios and unusual prints which continue the theme of sophisticated indulgence from days gone by.
Ilala Lodge boasts 56 rooms and offers guests Standard Rooms, Standard Suites, Delux Rooms and Executive Suites. See below for further details.

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At A Glance

House

Accommodation

Ilala Lodge has 56 rooms which are all designed to create a feeling of privacy. The rooms on the upper tier open out onto a private balcony, while the lower floor rooms open onto the lush manicured gardens.

Guests can choose rooms in the West Wing, the Garden Wing or the Pool Wing. The West Wing and the Pool Wing boast splendid views of the mesmerizing spray from Victoria Falls as well as Ilala Lodge’s spectacular gardens. The Garden Wing gives guests access to the lush and flourishing lawns where the animals visit.

The Rhodesian teak furnishings in all the rooms are made from local Zimbabwean railway sleepers, enhancing the African ambiance and laid-back atmosphere of the hotel. All the rooms in the hotel have high-quality cotton linens and luxurious pillows for guests ultimate comfort.

Amenities include: Air-conditioning, Overhead Fans, Satellite Television, Free Wi-Fi, Room Fridge, Complimentary Toiletries, Laundry Service, Tea & Coffee Facilities, Hairdryers, Room Safe. 

 Standard Rooms:

 The Twin Standard Rooms at Ilala Lodge Hotel are complete with two comfortable ¾ beds set within an expansive space, and an en-suite bathroom with a separate shower. The Double Standard Rooms are ideal for couples, as they have one cosy king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom with a separate shower.

Rooms are decorated with railway teak furnishings, allowing you to experience the grandeur of days gone by. 

Sliding doors open onto a luscious communal garden, providing you with a gateway to nature.

Standard Suites:

 The Standard Suites are located on the top floor and have private balconies that offer magnificent views overlooking the hotel’s gorgeous grounds and Victoria Falls itself. The suites have an ultra-comfortable King-size bed and an additional ¾ bed is neatly tucked around the corner in a private section of the room.

Deluxe Rooms

Situated in the stylish West Wing, the Deluxe Rooms at Ilala Lodge Hotel ooze old-world charm and sophistication. Ideal for couples, solo-travellers and families alike, the Deluxe Rooms feature either twin or double configurations.

The Twin Deluxe Rooms at this Vic Falls lodge have two three-quarter beds and an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower. The bathrooms have his and her basins. The Double Deluxe Rooms have one King-size bed and an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower.

All Deluxe rooms have a private patio off the bedrooms where guests can enjoy the stunning sunrise in Victoria Falls

Executive Suites

The Executive Suites in our West Wing have a lounge and a separate bedroom. The bedroom contains a luxurious King-size 4-poster bed and the bathroom is an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower, his & her basins and a separate bathtub.

Visitors in the Executive Suites have a private patio that opens off the bedroom where guests can enjoy the magnificent sunrise over the mighty Victoria Falls.

In addition to the amenities mentioned above, Executive Suites offer an Espresso machine
and robes and slippers

Aeroplane

Airport and Road Access

Fly:

Guests can fly into Victoria Falls or Livingstone in Zambia and transfers can be arranged by Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls Airport is approximately 22 kms out of Victoria Falls Town and the journey from Livingstone to Victoria Falls is also quiet short. Pick ups from the airport  can be arranged with local transfer companies at an additional cost. Taxis are also available and fees vary between US$20 – US$30.

By Road:

The road between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls is in satisfactory to good condition. It is a pleasant drive with changing landscapes.

Bulawayo – Victoria Falls 438 kms (274 miles)

Hwange – Victoria Falls 102 kms (63.75 miles)

Bulawayo – Hwange 337 kms (210.63 miles)

Bulawayo – Matopas 35 kms (22 miles)

Bulawayo – Beitbridge 320 kms (200 miles)

Bulawayo –  Gweru 164 kms (102 miles)

Bulawayo – Harare 440 kms (274 miles)

Bulawayo – Kariba 803 kms (502 miles)

Bulawayo – Masvingo 280 kms (174 miles)

Bulawayo – Mutare 578 kms   (359 miles)

Bulawayo – Nyanga  686 kms (429 miles)

Harare – Gweru 277 kms (172 miles)

Harare – Masvingo 293 kms (183.13 miles)

Harare – Mutare 254 kms (158 miles)

Harare – Victoria Falls 878 kms (548.75 miles)

Masvingo – Gweru 164 kms (102.5 miles)

 

 

Car

Activities:

Activities:

There are a number of things to see and do within close proximity to the hotel. These can all be organised through the hotel.

These include:

  • White water rafting
  • Sunset river cruises
  • Elephant rides
  • Bungy jumping
  • Walking with lions
  • Micro-lite rides
  • Helicopter rides
  • Gorge swing
  • Foofie slide
  • Flying fox
  • Safari drives in the National Park
  • Golf
  • Fishing trips
  • Abseiling
  • Canoeing
  • Curio shopping
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Nearby Attractions:

Ilala Lodge is situated on the edge of the Zambezi National Park which borders the mighty Zambezi River.  The primary attractions are the wide variety of animals and birds and the magnificent Zambezi River itself which lends itself to stimulating boat rides, amazing scenery and spectacular sunsets.

Nearby attractions include:

  • Zambezi National Park
  • Victoria Falls National Park
  • Hwange National Park (102 kms)
  • Dinner Cruise on the Zambezi
  • Victoria Falls Bridge
  • Crocodile farm
  • The Big Tree
  • Larry Norton Art Gallery (Victoria Falls Hotel)
  • Curio centre
  • Golf (Elephant Hills Hotel)
  • Victoria Falls Snake Park
  • Boma Restaurant (Victoria Falls Safari Lodge)
  • Vulture feeding (Victoria Falls Safari Lodge)
Location Pin

Zambezi & Victoria Falls NPs

As the Zambezi river snakes into Zimbabwe, it skirts along the banks of the Zambezi National Park, a conservation area only a few kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls. The Zambezi River is the fourth largest river in Africa and winds through a total of four countries before it reaches the Indian Ocean. In Zimbabwe alone, the Zambezi moves along Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, and the Mana Pools National Park

Together the Zambezi National Park and the smaller Victoria Falls National Park cover about 56,000 hectares and offer excellent game drives and canoe trips on the river amongst many other activities. The park has two notable game-viewing routes: one is accessed from the main gate outside the Victoria Falls town and expands into a network of roads along the riverbanks, while another starts about five kilometres outside the town and winds for 25 kilometres through the park’s southern section.

Visitors to the parks have the chance of spotting numerous varieties of birds and animals both big and small. Animals may include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, sable antelope, kudu, eland, waterbuck, impala and many more. The Zambezi River itself is home to 75 species of fish—including tiger fish and bream—making it an ideal game-fishing destination.

The Zambezi National Park plays host to numerous birds and over 400 species have been recorded within the Zambezi National Park. Pel’s fishing owlAfrican skimmercollared palm thrushlanner falcongoliath heronAfrican finfootrock pratincole and long-toed lapwing are considered to be among the speciality birds of the park

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls Area:

The Falls:

The falls are 1,7 kilometres wide and nearly 550 million litres of water cascade 70 to 108 metres into the chasm below -every minute- during the Zambezi River’s peak flow. Victoria Falls is made of five different “falls”. Four of these are in Zimbabwe: The Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls -and one, The Eastern Cataract, is in the bordering country of Zambia

The Devil’s Cataract

The falls here are about 70 metres deep. They derive their name from an adjacent island in the Zambezi River where it is reported that locals used to conduct sacrificial ceremonies. With the advent of the missionaries, this practice was frowned upon and considered “devilish”, resulting in the name of the area.

Main Falls

The falls at this point are at their most majestic. With a wide curtain of water thundering down 93 metres into the gorge below and peak water flows of 700,000 cubic metres per minute, this section throws out a magnificent spray that continually nourishes the evergreen rainforest around the area

Horseshoe Falls

This section is horseshoe shaped and is 95 metres deep. This section usually dries up at the height of the dry season between October and November.Rainbow Falls A beautiful rainbow can clearly be seen from this viewpoint. The falls are 108 metres deep at this point and are the deepest of the whole series.

The Eastern Cataract

These falls are situated completely on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls but have a stunning view from the Zimbabwean side. They are the second deepest falls of the series at 101 metres deep.

Cataract Viewpoint

A unique view of the falls below can be found by descending 73 steps into the gorge.

Sign Post

Nearby Attractions

David Livingstone Statue:

The David Livingstone statue can be found at the left end of the Falls near the spectacular Devil’s Cataract viewpoint. On 16 November 1855, Livingstone (the first Western explorer to view the Falls) wrote in his journal: “…scenes so lovely must have been gazed on by angels in their flight.”

The Rainforest:

The rainforest area of Victoria Falls is filled with many unique species of flora and fauna. One can wander amongst the Fig, Mahogany and Date Palm groves while gazing at the falls from magnificent viewpoints. Many species of birds and small mammals may be spotted beneath the protective canopy of the forest.

The Boiling Pot:

This place is appropriately named to describe the turmoil where water from opposite sides of the falls collide in the Zambezi River as it turns in a southeasterly direction passing through several gorges.

The Big Tree:

This is a large baobab tree near the Falls. The tree which has withstood the test of time is 16 metres in diameter and 20 metres tall.

Victoria Falls Bridge:

Having been designed in England, the bridge was transported from Europe in pieces and was assembled on site, bridging the Zambezi River and linking Zimbabwe and Zambia in 1906. The bridge is also renowned for its popular bungee jumping.

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Ancient ruinsArt galleryBirdingBungy jumpingCharity projectsCultural village visitsCity toursCurio shopsCrocodile farm visitDivingElephant ridesFishingFlying Fox (Vic Falls)Game viewingGuided bush walkingGolfGorge swing (Vic Falls)Helicopter flightsHouse boating (Kariba)
Horseback ridingHiking – Organised toursLocal sculpture and carvingsLocal musicMuseumsNatural history museumRailway museumPlants (flora)PhotographyRock formationsSan bushmen paintingSafari drivesSnorkellingSwimmingSunset river cruiseTownship toursUltralight flightWalking with lionsWhite water rafting