Travel reviews by The G family from Finchley

"Lovely hotel with a relaxed atmosphere in a good location very close to the Falls. The staff were friendly and polite, the service excellent and the rooms were both comfortable and quiet each with an outdoor veranda. The boys loved the pool even if it was cold. It was nice to be able to have informal lunches in the bar area by the pool and everyone gave the burgers top marks.

It was great being able to hang out on the veranda and watch the Baboons, Vervet monkeys and the Warthogs on the lawn below. The Baboons were particularly entertaining. The breakfast was excellent and the evening meal good but lacking in variety. If I was there again I would try out a few other places for evening meals. We would definitely return to Ilala Lodge and highly recommend it.

The extra activities (not included in our package ) brokered through an agent with a representative based at the hotel were over priced. We did not understand that they was a deal of three activities for the price of two as this was not explained. However, we chose the sunset cruise down the Zambezi which was really enjoyable and well worth the cost. If I went again I would try other agents in the town to get a cheaper deal or I would read the pricing more carefully. Others who spotted this gave good feedback on walking with lions and riding elephant. We just chilled out and visited the Victoria Falls hotel which has an interesting colonial history and an excellent view of the Victoria Falls Bridge with the Falls behind."

"This is a special place to stay and they have created the perfect blend of luxury and comfort while remaining very relaxed. The location and the buildings have been sensitively designed to blend in with the landscape and it was just the perfect place to begin our first and hopefully not last safari.

All the staff are genuinely helpful and friendly and you are made to feel at home. The big family room was just right for us and we could watch the animals walk pass our veranda on their way to drink from the pan. The food was excellent and we really enjoyed eating around the large communal table for meals. There is a lovely fire to sit around at night before and after dinner and this is where you get the opportunity to swap stories and talk more to other guests and your guides about their work and life in Zimbabwe. The hot water bottles in our bed each night were a lovely cosy touch.

The guides at the Hide are all incredibly knowledgeable and committed with a real passion for their work. We saw lion, elephant , giraffe, Zebra, wlldebeest, lesser Bushbaby and more and learn't so much about not just the animals but beautiful birds too. We went somewhere different every day and went out with different guides so that we had a real variety of experience.

The highlight of our stay was seeing a Cheetah up close from our jeep - a very cool and handsome creature."

"This was without doubt the highlight of our time in Hwange. We were with the intrepid David Carson who is the man to hang out with if you want the real safari experience.

We stayed in luxury tents but you don't go on mobile safari for the facilities, which were top notch anyway ,but for the walking and the tracking and the really being in the wild. Dave is full of energy and real passion for this place and its wildness and his enthusiasm can't help but rub off on you. We had a really exciting and fun time as we spent much of it either driving off road or walking in the bush.

We went on foot tracking Elephant in a dry river bed, got close to a large herd of Buffalo, watched a pod of Hippos from a safe distance as they drank by the waters edge and sat it out in our open jeep for a few hours as the sunset while a pride of young lion surrounded us getting close enough to check the tyres!

I would do it all again tomorrow and our two boys loved it as they got a real taste of adventure with African ground beneath their feet. It does help to be young of heart, adventurous of spirit and in o.k shape if you are going to choose this sort of experience but it beats sitting by a pool any day."

"Amalinda has been cleverly built around some of Motobos granite rocks so that our very spacious and luxurious room had a huge boulder which cleverly separated the sleeping area from the washing area. The boys loved the place with its infinity pool and open bar area which were the perfect place to hang out in the late afternoon as the sun plays on the magnificent rock face surrounding this lodge.

We went off on evening hikes (much less animal spotting here so safe for the boys to roam around) with a great young guide called Edwin who was really good at engaging the boys. The view of the Motobos from up high is simply breathtaking and your guide takes along the drinks so you can have a cool refreshing beer at the top as you watch the sun set over the Hills. Leopards love Motobo because they are shy and they have so many places to hide here but sadly we did not see any.

I fell in love with this place and the landscape instantly. It has a very spiritual feeling and we visited a number of caves with ancient rock paintings of the San people.

Our excellent guide Paul Hubbard (an archeologist) who spent a day taking us to all the key places of cultural interest is simply a mine of information. He is passionate about his country and his knowledge of its culture and history is encyclopedic. Sharon and Phillip who own the place are lovely people and made a point of joining us at dinner one evening."

"An amazing time capsule of 1930s colonial Africa - all the atmosphere preserved yet modern comfort ensured. Lovely atmospheric rooms, in our case with an adjoining sitting room. Lots of pictures, memorabilia etc. to explore around the building which has a central open air atrium, a front porch overlooking the street and a old-style bar. On the quiet side.

Took a really good walking tour of the city and its variety of architecture with Paul Hubbard (an affiliate guide who is an expert on local history and archaeology). The owners, Sharon and Phillip, were very friendly and helpful. The food is fine but the menu doesn't vary much so you may well want to eat out too.

Overall really enjoyed our 2 night stay. Convenient of course if you're flying out of Bulawayo airport."