Ilala Lodge
Highlights
- Geographically the closest hotel to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, an 8-minute walk away
- Family-run to this day, in established gardens bordering Victoria Falls National Park
- 73 rooms and suites, with the spray of the Falls visible from the grounds
- The award-winning Cassia Restaurant, with al fresco dining within earshot of the Falls
- Two swimming pools and a teak Poolside Bar built from old railway sleepers
- Intimate Zambezi cruises aboard the Ra-Ikane, limited to 24 guests
- An in-house Tours & Activities Desk for rafting, helicopter flights and Chobe day trips
Information
- Lodge type: Boutique hotel / lodge
- Location: Victoria Falls town, Zimbabwe, bordering Victoria Falls National Park
- Lodge size: 73 rooms and suites
- Recommended stay: 2–5 nights
- Malaria risk: Yes. Victoria Falls is a malaria area, with the highest risk in the November–April rains. Take antimalarial advice from a travel clinic before you go.
- Getting there: The hotel is in Victoria Falls town itself, 25 km (about 25 minutes by road) from Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA). Direct flights from Johannesburg take about 1 hour 40 minutes. No light-aircraft leg is needed.
Ilala, A Family-Run Luxury Lodge Hotel In The Heart Of Victoria Falls Zimbabwe
Ilala Lodge Hotel is the closest hotel to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It is a family-run boutique hotel set in established gardens, an 8-minute walk from the rainforest entrance and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. The mist of the Falls rises above the treeline in full view of the lawns, and the thunder carries to the dinner tables after dark. Warthog and bushbuck graze the grass as though they own it; with Victoria Falls National Park next door, they more or less do.
Ilala Lodge Hotel suits travellers who would rather walk to the Falls than be driven there. The town's shops, restaurants and bars are a few minutes' stroll away. Helicopter flights over the gorge, white-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge and upper Zambezi cruises are all booked from the hotel's own Activities Desk. It is a cornerstone of our selection of the very best Victoria Falls Lodges.
Rooms and Suites
Ilala Lodge Hotel has 73 rooms and suites across five categories, each opening onto a private patio, balcony or lawn with garden views. From the most cost-effective to the most indulgent, the categories are:
- Classic Rooms, which are comfortable and air-conditioned with a private patio or balcony
- Deluxe Rooms, which are more spacious, with garden views and a patio or balcony
- Classic Suites, which have a king-size bed, garden views and a private patio
- Executive Suites, which are elegant suites with a private lounge and a spacious balcony
- The Strathearn Suite, the hotel's finest, with a king-size bedroom, private lounge, balcony and a large hot tub
Every room at Ilala Lodge Hotel has air conditioning, ceiling fans, satellite TV, a hairdryer, a safe, tea and coffee facilities and free Wi-Fi. Room service and laundry are available, and additional charges may apply.
Cuisine and Wine
Ilala Lodge Hotel's Cassia Restaurant is award-winning and among the finest tables in Victoria Falls. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Breakfast is a continental buffet with a cooked menu alongside. Lunch is served beneath the Cassia trees or around the pool. Dinner is al fresco under the stars, with the Falls rumbling in the background.
The Cassia's wine list is drawn from South Africa's leading vineyards, backed by beers, gins and cocktails. For a night away from the hotel, the sister Palm River Hotel hosts two alternatives on the Zambezi, both about a 5-minute drive away inside Zambezi National Park:
- The Zambezi River Deck Experience, a lantern-lit, three-course barbecue with dishes such as crocodile and kudu cooked over open coals
- High Tea on the riverbank, which must be reserved in advance
Facilities
Ilala Lodge Hotel has two swimming pools, a Poolside Bar, a spa treatment room, a conference suite and an in-house Tours & Activities Desk. The facilities include:
- Two swimming pools. The larger pool has a shallow end and gentle slope. A plunge pool on a lower deck looks over the gardens, the national park and the spray of the Falls.
- The Poolside Bar, open from 10h00 to 22h00. Its teak bar is made from locally sourced railway sleepers.
- A poolside lounge with a writing desk, games table, books and charging points.
- A conference suite for up to 30 delegates, with projector screens and Wi-Fi.
- General services: free Wi-Fi throughout, secure on-site parking, and airport transfers on request.
Activities
Ilala Lodge Hotel's own Tours & Activities Desk books every one of the Victoria Falls Activities, including transfers and cross-border trips. Activities can be pre-booked through us before you travel or arranged at the desk once you arrive. The highlights are:
- The Falls on foot, 8 minutes from your room
- Ra-Ikane river cruises, the hotel's own boat, inspired by Livingstone's journeys and limited to 24 guests, for hippo, elephant and birdlife on the upper Zambezi
- Helicopter flights over the Falls and the zigzag gorges
- White-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge and bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge
- Game drives in Zambezi National Park
- Chobe day trips across the border into Botswana
- Cultural and village tours
Child Friendly
Ilala Lodge Hotel is a strong choice for families. Its walkable location means no long transfers with restless children, and its rooms adapt to families. Some rooms are interleading. The Strathearn Suite converts into a family villa through a pair of interleading doors into a secondary suite and a deluxe room. The shallow-ended main pool and the wide lawns give children space to burn off energy. Ask us about babysitting when you book.
Spa and Wellness
Ilala Lodge Hotel offers spa treatments in a dedicated treatment room, including aromatherapy, massages, manicures and pedicures. They are a welcome reset after a morning on the rapids or an afternoon soaked by the Falls. Guests in the Strathearn Suite also have a large private hot tub on their balcony.
Please ask in advance of booking, and we will send through an updated spa menu with current prices.
How far is Ilala Lodge Hotel from Victoria Falls?
Ilala Lodge Hotel is geographically the closest hotel to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, about an 8-minute walk from the entrance to Victoria Falls National Park and its rainforest viewpoints. Guests reach the Falls, the town centre, shops and restaurants on foot without needing transport. The Victoria Falls Bridge, starting point for the bungee jump and bridge tours, is further away at roughly 2.3 km, usually reached by a short transfer.
Is there malaria at Ilala Lodge Hotel in Victoria Falls?
Yes. Ilala Lodge Hotel is in Victoria Falls, which lies in a malaria area of Zimbabwe. Risk is present year-round and highest during the rainy season from November to April. Travellers should visit a travel clinic for antimalarial medication before departure, and use insect repellent, long sleeves and trousers from dusk. Ilala Lodge Hotel's rooms are air-conditioned with ceiling fans, which helps keep mosquitoes at bay.
How do you get to Ilala Lodge Hotel?
Ilala Lodge Hotel is 25 km from Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA), a drive of about 25 minutes, and road transfers can be arranged. VFA receives direct flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town, with the Johannesburg flight taking about 1 hour 40 minutes. Livingstone Airport in Zambia is slightly closer as the crow flies, but using it means crossing the border into Zimbabwe by road.
Is Ilala Lodge Hotel good for families with children?
Ilala Lodge Hotel suits families well thanks to its walkable location and flexible rooms. Some rooms are interleading, and the Strathearn Suite can be joined through interleading doors to a second suite and a deluxe room to form a private family villa. The hotel has two swimming pools, including a main pool with a shallow end and gentle slope, and wide lawns where warthog and bushbuck often graze.
When is the best time to stay at Ilala Lodge Hotel?
The best time to stay at Ilala Lodge Hotel depends on how you want to see Victoria Falls. From February to June the Zambezi is in flood, the spray towers above the hotel and the Falls are at their most powerful, though mist can hide the view. From August to December the water drops, the rock face of the Falls is clearer, and white-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge runs its full length.
What is included in the rate at Ilala Lodge Hotel?
Ilala Lodge Hotel rates booked through Uyaphi.com are quoted in US dollars per person per night sharing, and include en-suite accommodation, breakfast, the statutory tourism levy and VAT. Lunch, dinner, drinks, transfers, flights, activities, visas, travel insurance and gratuities are extra. Dinner at the hotel's award-winning Cassia Restaurant and activities such as the Ra-Ikane river cruise can be added when your itinerary is built.
In conclusion
Ilala Lodge Hotel is the answer to the most common Victoria Falls question: where can I stay close enough to walk to the Falls? Nowhere in Zimbabwe is closer. It pairs that position with the warmth of a hotel still run by one family, an award-winning restaurant and some of the most practical family rooms in town.
When to go: Come between February and June to see the Zambezi in full, roaring flood, with the spray visible from the lawns. Come between August and December for clearer views of the rock face, full-length rafting runs and the famous rock pools on the Zambian lip.
How to do it: Two to three nights at Ilala Lodge Hotel covers the Falls, a river cruise and one big adventure. From there, the classic pairings are a Chobe day trip or a few nights in Hwange for elephants on a scale that stops conversation.
Uyaphi.com has been planning Victoria Falls safaris since 1999, 27 years of fitting the Falls into itineraries across southern Africa. We charge no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us your dates and your brief, and we'll build Ilala Lodge Hotel into a safari that fits you.
Rates from US$ 285.00 Per person per night
Ilala Lodge Rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollar
*Rates may vary according to season
- En-suite accommodation
- Breakfast
- Statutory tourism levy
- VAT
- All other meals
- All drinks
- Transfers
- All flights
- All activities
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
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