Reviews

It was good to see Ilala Lodge looking so sparky. The public areas have ad a facelift and are now very pleasant and of course they have added a whole new wing of rooms. These new additions now mean that Ilala lodge gives the Victoria Falls Hotel a good run for its money, as they both share an excellent setting, walking distance from the Falls.

The Victoria Falls Safari Club operates as a sort of hotel within a hotel, offering ‘club accommodation’ . I liked the hotel and I certainly preferred Safari Club rooms to the suites at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. They are modern but in keeping with the bush setting.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Stanley and Livingstone. This is an unashamedly colonial lodge (rivalling Victoria Falls Lodge for period ambience). So it is a bit of a marmite experience. You either love it or you hate it.

I loved Zambezi Sands as a riverside safari camp. So if you don’t mind being quite far from the Victoria Falls, this is a stunning camp combining a beautiful location right on the Zambezi, luxurious tented suites each with their own pool AND good game-viewing opportunities. Its perfect for people who want to continue to be ‘on safari’ even whilst visiting Victoria Falls.

So I thought that the view from Zambezi Sands was amazing and difficult to top, but that was before I got to Gorges Lodge! The epic view really did live up to my already high expectations. It is not a ‘grand’ lodge per se, but the chalets are spacious, cosy in feel and well-equipped with an attractive bathroom with walk-in showers. Each one has the stupendous view.

Imbabala is a great little safari camp offering excellent value for money, especially with the three night ‘package’ which includes a guided tour of Victoria Falls either before you transfer in to the lodge (or as you transfer out) as well as a full day visit to Chobe National Park.

One of my favourite Victoria Falls activities has got to be canoeing on the upper Zambezi… I first went canoeing here far too many years ago but the magical combination of languid paddling with the occasional shot of adrenalin-inspiring rapids never fails. Much of the time you are floating along, looking at the kingfishers on the river bank, silently paddling past grazing elephants and keeping a watch-out for hippos. But every now and then the river divides into a number of tributaries and you find yourself negotiating some small rapids.

I recently stayed at Kwandwe again and was reminded why Kwandwe is my first choice for game-viewing in the Eastern Cape… if your budget allows. In an ideal world you would combine a few days at Kwandwe with a Kruger private lodge as the style of safari and animals seen differs considerably.

I stayed at the Village & life Waterfront Apartment with my 2 children aged, 4 and 7 and my sister