Travel reviews by The A family from Florida

"The lodge is very comfortable, well kept, and the grounds are beautiful. The outside seating area and yard are very nice and scenic for enjoying breakfast (which was very good), dinner, or just a drink by the pool (vey nice). The service was friendly and helpful.

You can see Victoria Falls from the backyard. We saw elephants walking through the trees. We saw baboons very close, in the backyard out of our patio doors in the room.

We took a short bus ride to see Victoria Falls. The Ilala is walking distance to the Victoria Falls hotel.

We would certainly recommend the Ilala and stay there again."

"Our Safari at the Hide was by far the highlight of our entire time in Africa. The property is absolutely beautiful. We stayed at Tom's Little Hide, and it is just wonderful. There are three large bedroom areas with beautiful indoor and outdoor showers, bath tubs, beds…there is even a plunge pool outside on the deck.

The service was 5 star. Ian and Leanne took excellent care of all our needs, large and small. They really went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable. They also have daily laundry included and an area for wifi.

The food was amazing, the best we had in Africa by far. We had private dinning in Tom's Little Hide, the dining room was great, they served breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, whatever we wanted. We also really enjoyed having dinner at main camp with everyone else. It was so nice to chat with the others and have a social evening.

Our guide, Mark Friend, was just incredible. He is so knowledgable about everything in the bush, from the smallest plant life to the largest animals (and how to handle a herd of buffalo standing a few feet from the jeep!). He is also very kind, funny and accommodating to all of our questions and needs (and there were many from the 6 of us!). We went on early morning hikes, late night drives, and everything in between. We saw so many amazing animals and enjoyed drinks and snacks at the watering hole at sunset with herds of zebra, giraffe and elephants. It was just beautiful.

They really take safety seriously and we appreciate that.

We want to come back to Zimbabwe just to go to the Hide - but for a longer stay next time."

"The Nesbitt Castle is certainly a unique hotel. Each room is a different layout. All of them have stairs. We stayed in the Griffin room which had two sets of stairs in it. Our bathroom had no door on it, unless you are staying alone, that is a problem.
The bed was not very comfortable.
It is apparently a popular wedding venue, and I imagine that would be beautiful and unique.
The dining room and living room sitting area are very interesting and nice. We had tea by the fireplace.
The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. The dining staff was nice, but a little slow. There weren't that many other guests staying at the hotel, so we were surprised at how long the food takes.
We ate at their restaurant on a couple of nights and the food was OK. Very limited menu.
This hotel is all about the atmosphere. You are having a medieval castle experience.
The location was convenient for our needs in Bulawayo. The security is very good on the property.
They recommended a tour guide named Marcus who was great. He took us around one day and was very knowledgable about Bulawayo and very kind and accommodating.
There is a tiny room that they call a gym, but its really just a sauna and one or two other things.
The man who runs the castle is very nice and welcoming.
The hotel is very quiet and private. It was certainly a unique experience."