ILALA LODGE
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Introduction

Ilala Lodge offers distinguished yet affordable accommodation in a gracious and secluded ambiance. The decor evokes a bygone era of adventure and the quest of discovery in Africa.

The hotel is ideally situated and is the closest to the Victoria Falls as well as the town centre. The National Park borders the front of property and wild animals often graze on the hotel lawns with the spray of the falls in the background.

Accommodation

Ilala Lodge offers 32 rooms - 24 twins, 6 doubles and 2 suites. All rooms have en suite bathroom with seperate shower, air conditioning, overhead fan and satellite TV and are served early morning tea / coffee, fruit basket and homemade biscuits.

The rooms are spacious with railway sleeper teak furnishings and patio doors leading onto either open lawn or a balcony where you are afforded a view of the spray of the falls.

Dining

A warm welcome awaits you at the world class a la carte Palm Restaurant. They offer superb cuisine while you relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the gracious surrounds. The Palm Restaurant serves breakfast lunch and dinner and offers a comprehensive wine list and cocktails. Dining outside under the African night sky amidst the sound of the mighty waterfall makes for a romantic evening to be remembered.

For a different way of eating try the Kubika Restaurant - a Mongolian stirfry experience. Try the ostrich, crocodile and various meats. This must be pre-booked.

The Falls

The Victoria Falls are surely the most memorable of the world's seven natural wonders. One can never tire of seeing this huge waterfall and basking in it's presence. First documented by David Livingstone, who named them Victoria Falls after the British Queen at the time, the falls are known in local dialects as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - literally translated as "The Smoke that Thunders" after the massive plume of vapour that rises from the chasm into which the water pours.

The Victoria Falls are formed between Zambia & Zimbabwe where the Zambezi River plummets over a massive basalt rock structure and they are the largest single curtain of falling water in the world. The falls themselves are 1750 metres wide and 103 metres in height, with a maximum flow rate of 500 000 cubic metres of water per minute. The falls are fullest in about June and lowest in about November due to the rains that fall. Below the falls lie an extensive system of gorges named the Batoka Gorge. The Rain Forest surrounding the lip of the falls and the Batoka Gorge are World Heritage Sites due to the species diversity in these areas, including the Taita Falcon.

Ilala Lodge is the closest accommodation to the falls and it is an easy walk to get to see this amazing spectacle of nature. You can also take a guided falls tour to get more detailed information whilst there.