matnikstym

enlehman~ I didn't dislike the VFHotel, just not my cup of tea. The lounge/restaurants were full of people in their "Safari Best"-if Gucci or Prada made safari wear, this is what 99% of the people wore(no wrinkles, no dirt, spiffy creases in their convertible pants, fake tans, boobs and facelifts, dripping with jewels and Louis Vuitton etc. and I, just back from 4 nights in Hwange, covered in mud and dirt, wrinkled clothes, disheveled got quite a number of tsk, tsk's-not the people I like to be around!) The room was fairly big but old and stale smelling. Mold in the shower etc. and dark. Not the best bed linens or towels. Good water pressure though. Most of the staff were quite friendly, especially the doorman, but some shouldn't be in the hospitality field.
Impossible to buy a soda or a drink and take it to your room. You had to drink it in the restaurant or have room service. I finally took a taxi to the township to buy a bottle of rum to avoid the hassle of room service. All minor details but still...there are other choices, sorry to hear Ilala is booked up when you want to go there!

ekscrunchy

VicFalls Hotel is where the Rovos Rail and Tauck Tours people stay..that is what the staff told us last month. So that might account for the designer khaki crowd referred to above..we saw the same people when we had lunch there! Maybe their clothes are more wrinkled now!

ShayTay

VF Hotel was "fancier" in terms of having to dress up a bit for meals. We had just come in from safari and decided to go next door to the Kingdom Hotel's food court, instead. We also went to their dinner/show. I've also stayed at Ilala and liked the hotel. It was comfortable, the food was great, and the location can't be beat. I haven't stayed at the Kingdom Hotel, but it would also appear to be a good alternative to the VF Hotel. We stayed at the VF Hotel in 2000, so I don't know if they've upgraded the rooms. Ours was a bit shabby. The commons areas were beautiful, though.

enlehman76

Any comments about the VF Safari Lodge vs staying at the VF Hotel? We are only going to be in Vic Falls for 2 nights/1.5 days and are there to see the falls. Is staying at the Safari Lodge too out of the way? Thanks.

eezam

Returned last week from South Africa. Stayed at the Vic Falls Safari Lodge for 3 nights. They have a 'waterhole' on their property which can be interesting. Many different types of rooms. Nice buffet breakfast included. We went with a tour group. Sundowner cruise was o.k. Spent a morning visiting the Falls. Took the hotel shuttle bus into town in the afternoon and it was depressing. Shops have very little or no merchandise. We tried to buy water in the supermarket but they would not take US dollars. The hotel does take credit cards with no problems. The hotel also supplies you with 2 bottles of water every night. Dinner at the Boma was very enjoyable. Our special treat was an optional day trip to Botswana. Cruised the Chobe river and then did a game drive. Fantastic seeing all the elephants.

enlehman76

eezam-
This is such a debate now between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since we are not going for another 10 months, I am concerned that the conditions will just get worse in Zim. Do you think staying the VF Safari Lodge is too far away for only one full day in Vic Falls---primary reason we are there is to see the falls?

CarlaM

enlehman, I stayed at the Vic Falls Safari Lodge 2 years ago and it wasn't far at all to the falls and town. The Boma was a great place to eat and we had the hotel shuttle us where ever we wanted to go. I went inside the Vic Falls Hotel and took a few photos and walked around the grounds. The place was completely empty (off season)but I thought it looked nice.

There were animals coming to the waterhole every day at Vic Falls Lodge.

Here is a map of the area:
http://www.thesafaricompany.co.za/Ma...oria_Falls.htm

I am in the process of transfering my photos from Kodak gallery to Pbase but you are welcome to check out what I have so far. I will be adding the rest over the next few days.

http://www.pbase.com/carlam

enlehman76

Hi Carla-
I looked at your pictures and they are wonderful! Thank you for giving me the link to see them. If you were to go back, would you stay at the VF Hotel or the VF Safari Lodge? Keep in mind that my husband and I will only be there for 2 nights. Thanks! I look forward to seeing more of your pictures! -Elissa

CarlaM

Hi Elissa,
Thank you for your kind words. I joined a group of friends on this trip that was pre-arranged and probably would have stayed at Ilala if I planned it on my own. Can you hear the sound of the falls from your room there? That is what I would like.

I enjoyed watching the animals come to the waterhole at the Lodge from the observation deck, dining area and my room balcony in the early morning. There are several types of rooms and the one I stayed in lacked privacy on the balcony, FYI. It wasn't an issue for me but I felt bad for my neighbors

I have some photos taken from the helicopter of the accomodations on the Zambia side that are right on the river/falls. Some people were actually walking to the edge of the falls. I can't see myself doing that but I would love to stay right there near the falls.

waine

who do you want to get your money- the President of Zim or Zambia?

enlehman76

Probably Zambia--good point.