Ilala Lodge – Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe

Ilala Lodge provides the perfect setting for visits to the great Victoria Falls. This family run hotel is renowned for personalised service, great food, beautiful garden setting and all just an 8 minute walk from the Victoria Falls themselves. The Palm Restaurant is one of the most popular in town and the poolside bar a wonderful place to chill after a day of exploring. The hotel’s location also makes it perfect for those wanting to explore the quaint town and vibrant markets.

For many Victoria Falls is an extension to visiting the famous waterfalls only as an extension to a tour in South Africa or Botswana. However, increasingly our clients are choosing to delve deeper and make Zimbabwe the main focus of their trip. Ilala Lodge is the perfect start or end to such a trip, with easy access from Victoria Falls to all the highlights of Zimbabwe. So why not combine it with the great Hwange National Park, or perhaps a stay at the excellent Nyamatusi Camp in the wild Mana Pools!

Stylish simplicity

The 73 rooms and suites in the hotel offer a range of accommodation to suit every taste and budget. All rooms face out onto the beautiful gardens. Many upper level rooms have view of the spray from the Victoria Falls and the ground level rooms have direct access to the tranquil gardens (home to warthogs and the occasional visiting elephant!). Room categories include standard rooms, deluxe rooms, standard suites and executive suites.

The latest addition is the luxury Strathearn Suite offering a very exclusive experience, even your own hot tub on the deck overlooking the spray from the falls, and a special in-room dining experience included.

The hotel’s Palm Restaurant offers a casual daytime and elegant evening dining experience, while the bar and terrace are favourite spots with many in the know to enjoy a refreshing drink.

Ilala Lodge Suite

Activities

Victoria Falls is nicknamed “The Activity Capital of Africa” thanks to its incredible range of activities. Obviously the first port of call for most are the spectacular Victoria Falls themselves, one of the greatest natural spectacles in the world. See our “when to travel” section below for the best time to view the falls.

Outside of viewing the falls themselves there are activities to suit every taste from mild to wild. The town has some great adventures waiting for you; local craft markets, visit local villages, view the falls from above in a helicopter “Flight of Angels”, for the more daring, view them from above on a microlight, bungee of the bridge, Zip line across a gorge, try rafting on some of the best white water out, head for a day trip to the Chobe National Park. The list goes on and on!

Aerial view of Victoria Falls

A little extra…

A sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River is one of life’s great experiences, and Ilala Lodge has the perfect solution on board their fleet of small intimate boats, referred to as Ra-Ikane. These boats allow you to feel you are almost in the river and glide quietly along this iconic river while you sip sundowners and watch the bounty of nature around you.

Zambezi Cruise Ilala Lodge

Prices:

Contact us for the best rates for Ilala Lodge

What’s included:

  • Accommodation in your choice of room or suite

  • Full buffet breakfast

What’s Excluded:

  • Travel to and from Victoria Falls

  • Any other meals or drinks

  • Airport transfers

  • Items of personal expense – i.e. spa treatments, laundry, telephone calls etc

  • Any activity excursions

Wildlife highlights:

  • Elephants sometimes spotted in the hotel garden and during cruises

  • Hippos and crocodiles during cruises

  • Resident warthogs in the hotel gardens

  • Abundant birdlife

  • Baboons

  • Big Game safari day trips

When to visit:

  • January – April: Summer months, hot days and pleasant nights with chance of thunderstorms.  High level water in the Victoria Falls reaching a peak around April/May – truly spectacular.

  • May – July: Start of the winter months, sunny skies and warm days but cool nights. Victoria Falls still with awesome flow levels, starting to recede by July, but still spectacular.

  • August – October: Late dry season, temperatures warming up and very hot by October. Water levels in the falls drop consistently during the period. The drier conditions make for more thrilling white water rafting and increased animal viewing during sundowner cruises.

  • November – December: Usually marks the arrival of summer rains with high temperatures. NOTE: November marks the lowest levels in the Victoria Falls, and you will not have the true spectacle for which the falls are famous, but it does mean you can experience the thrill of the Devil’s Pool!

  • Ilala Lodge is in an area that experiences malaria – please consult your doctor regarding anti-malaria prophylactics.

Weather:

  • January – Average High 31ºC (88ºF) / Average Low 20ºC (68ºF) / Average days with rain 12

  • April – Average High 30ºC (86ºF) / Average Low 15ºC (59ºF) / Average days with rain 2

  • July – Average High 26ºC (79ºF) / Average Low 7ºC (45ºF) / Average days with rain 0

  • October – Average High 35ºC (95ºF) / Average Low 19ºC (66ºF) / Average days with rain 3