Nguni Lodge
A small private lodge in easy reach of all facilities
Nguni Lodge is well situated on the outskirts of Victoria Falls and is only 3.2 kms (2 miles) from town where you have access to banks, restaurants, shops and the famed curio centre. Nguni is the perfect place from which to base yourself and explore the majestic Victoria Falls and nearby Zambezi National Park. Having only opened in 2018 Nguni provides distinguished, yet affordable, boutique accommodation in gracious and secluded surroundings. The lodge has 14 rooms, 6 of which are Delux pool view rooms, 7 are Standard garden view rooms and there is 1 Family room which also overlooks the garden.
The lodge has a guest only restaurant, the Kraal, in which breakfast, lunch and dinner is served on a daily basis. Breakfast is included in the rates and with notice guests can avail themselves of the set dinner menu. Nguni Lodge also has a private guest only bar which offers a variety of wines, beers, cordials, cocktails and mocktails.
Helpful reception staff are available to provide information on all the facilities and activities in the Victoria Falls area and are able to recommend local restaurants to visit depending on your tastes and interests. Staff can assist you in booking any activities and Nguni Lodge provides transfers to and from the Victoria Falls airport on request.
Nguni Lodge is well situated and is within easy walking distance of the magnificent Victoria Falls and provides a good base 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
At A Glance
Accommodation
Nguni Lodge has 14 rooms which either overlook the pool or garden and which are all designed to create a feeling of privacy. All the rooms are fresh and unique and have everything to ensure a comfortable and relaxed stay.
There are:
- 6 Deluxe pool view rooms
- 7 Standard view rooms
- 1 Family garden view room
All rooms offer:
- En-suite bathrooms
- Complimentary toiletries
- Seating area
- Fans,
- Free Wi-Fi,
- Mosquito nets
- Daily room service
- King size beds in all rooms
- High quality linen
Airport and Road Access
Fly in:
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)
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:
- Bungy jumping
- Walking with lions
- Micro-lite rides
- Helicopter rides
- Gorge swing
- White water rafting
- Sunset river cruises
- Elephant rides
- Foofie slide
- Flying fox
- Safari drives in the National Park
- Abseiling
- Canoeing
- Curio shopping
- Golf
- Fishing trips
Nearby Attractions:
Nguni Lodge is situated close to 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 cruising, canoeing, amazing scenery, wildlife watching 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)
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 owl, African skimmer, collared palm thrush, lanner falcon, goliath heron, African finfoot, rock 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.
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.
Weather
MONTHLY AVERAGES
- January 26°C
- February 25°C
- March 25°C
- April 23°C
- May 20°C
- June 17°C
- July 17°C
- August 20°C
- September 24°C
- October 27°C
- November 27°C
- December 26°C
Summer highs can reach 38° to 40°c
Winter lows can reach 5° to 8°c
“Ilala Lodge is centered in the middle of Victoria Falls town and so you are in walking distance of all banks, numerous curio vendors and various shops, restaurants and tour operators offering various activities. The reception I received was warm and friendly and you get a good feel when entering the hotel. The well appointed reception area leads onto a large patio area which overlooks the gardens. The gardens lead into the national park and so wildlife wander onto the hotel lawns and whilst sitting outside we saw warthog and various buck. Whilst sitting outside enjoying a drink you can hear the roar of the mighty Falls which are well within walking distance of the lodge….”
“The hotel was absolutely fantastic. We had a really great time with other friends, relaxing by the pool and having great meals on the terrace. The rooms were also top notch. It is located close to the Falls and within walking distance of other restaurants. Highly recommended”
“From the copious breakfast to the delicious dinners, the comfortable rooms (with patio) and the wildlife roaming over the grounds (warthogs, hippos, hornbills, to name just a few), this was the perfect place to visit for Victoria Falls. The national park was only a short walk away, as were a pharmacy, other restaurants, and many shops. The Lodge helped us easily arrange a sunset boat trip on the Zambesi river and a helicopter ride over the falls. All staff was friendly and helpful.”
“I travelled with my daughter, we started our holiday with a visit to the majestic Victoria Falls. Ilala lodge was the perfect place since is so close to the park. The lodge is beautifully decorated with photographs and art in homege to the falls, the explorers, the people, the fauna and the flora of this exotic region. Our room was comfortable and spacious, nicely decorated and with a very pretty view of the gardens. The staff was friendly and the food was great.”