| Choosing the hotel for your vacation is the most | | | | manicured gardens. |
| frightening part of the any holiday. Make a | | | | With regards to the B and B's there really is a |
| mistake here and your whole vacation can be | | | | mixed bag here, some are decidedly ropey and |
| ruined. We have all watched in horror, the TV | | | | some are exceptional so I would be very cautious |
| programs where someone's dream holiday has | | | | booking one of these without getting some sort |
| turned into an absolute nightmare because of their | | | | of recommendation first. Please check with us or |
| rotten Hotel. | | | | see the one that we recommend on our site. |
| I can't think of anywhere that you could stay in | | | | 4) Prices - Being located so close to one of the |
| Victoria Falls that would end up being a nightmare | | | | Natural Wonders of the World one would expect |
| and I know Victoria Falls intimately as I have lived | | | | to pay outrageous prices for accommodation. |
| here for many years. But in these 5 points below, | | | | However I think prices are very fair in relation to |
| I would like to help you to choose the best | | | | prices in the rest of the world. |
| accommodation for your needs when visiting | | | | What is evident is that prices fluctuate |
| Victoria Falls. It is beyond the scope of this article | | | | considerably, I have phoned a particular hotel |
| to review each hotel individually but the idea is to | | | | reception on 2 consecutive days only to be given |
| give you an overview. | | | | a completely different room price. Prices you see |
| 1) Types of accommodation - I guess as with | | | | on the internet are so often not updated and |
| any tourist destination there is a vast spectrum | | | | some prices are quoted per person and some per |
| of accommodation on offer. If you have not been | | | | room. The best is to book through a reputable |
| there before you might wonder what sort of | | | | agent who is familiar with the area. Package deals |
| quantity and types of accommodation there are. | | | | are often the best way to go, again check these |
| So roughly here goes:- | | | | out with your agent as to what's on at offer at |
| 8 Large Hotels | | | | the time. Agents should not charge you any more |
| 4 Game lodges | | | | than if you were to book directly with the hotel. |
| 15 B&B's and self catering | | | | Agents get paid a commission from the hotel. |
| 5 Backpacker hostels with camping facilities | | | | For good quality family accommodation expect to |
| 1 Timeshare complex | | | | pay around US$145 per person per night in one of |
| Houses, apartments or villa's are generally not | | | | the good hotels. There are some a little cheaper |
| hired out like one finds in many other parts of the | | | | than this. |
| world. | | | | Top end accommodation in one of the finer hotels |
| 2) Location - Victoria Falls is not a city it is a small | | | | anything from US$200 and above per person per |
| tourist town. The town centre is no more than a | | | | night |
| kilometre from the actual Victoria Falls Waterfall. | | | | The exclusive game lodges are upwards of |
| Everything is geared towards tourism and there is | | | | US$250 per person per night but these include all |
| very little other industry. Hotels are scattered | | | | meals and activities |
| around so I thought it would be useful for you to | | | | B and B's range from US$25 pppn to US$90 pppn |
| know which ones are where. | | | | and a bed in a backpacking hostel can be picked |
| Victoria Falls Hotel, Kingdom Hotel and Ilala Lodge | | | | up for about US$5 to US$10 pppn. |
| are within a short walk from the Waterfalls | | | | Self catering chalets sleeping four cost upwards |
| themselves. | | | | of US$90 per chalet per night |
| Within a 5 to 10 minute bus shuttle service are | | | | An important thing to note here is that if you are |
| the Elephant Hills Hotel, Victoria Falls Safari lodge, | | | | a South African resident your accommodation is |
| Mecure A Zambezi, Rainbow and Sprayview | | | | priced in Rand and is considerably cheaper. |
| Hotels. Regular free shuttles are laid on by all the | | | | 5) History - Victoria Falls experienced its real |
| hotels. | | | | boom in the 1980's after Zimbabwe became |
| 20 minutes to 1 hour away you have the more | | | | independent and with the introduction of many of |
| exclusive Game lodges which offer a wilderness | | | | the activities like white water rafting. Huge |
| and wildlife experience yet are still close enough to | | | | volumes of tourists started to pour in and hence |
| visit the spectacular Falls. These are the Stanley | | | | many hotels were upgraded and new ones were |
| and Livingstone Hotel, Matetsi Water Lodge, | | | | built. |
| Imbabala and Gorges Lodge. | | | | The oldest hotel and really the only one worth |
| The residential area of Victoria Falls Town is | | | | mentioning for historical purposes is the |
| located just beyond the town centre and is no | | | | magnificent Victoria Falls Hotel. This hotel has an |
| more than 5 to 10 minutes from the Waterfall, | | | | aura about it that is impossible to describe it is |
| here you will find numerous B and B's, self | | | | quintessentially colonial. It has hosted members of |
| catering, backpackers lodges and camping. | | | | the royal family, numerous heads of state and |
| Smack in the middle of the town centre is the | | | | celebrities. Even if you don't stay there it is well |
| Rest camp which offers camping backpacking and | | | | worth a visit, especially for Tea at high noon on |
| self-catering at very reasonable prices. | | | | the veranda overlooking Victoria Falls Bridge and |
| 3) Quality - One might assume that because of | | | | the gorges below. |
| Zimbabwe's political instability and decline in tourism | | | | If you would like more information on any |
| in recent years that the standard would have | | | | accommodation in Victoria Falls please visit our |
| fallen. One conjures up images of dilapidated | | | | website Victoria falls accommodation and then |
| hotels and overgrown gardens. This could not be | | | | make contact us with us. We can give you our |
| further from the truth. All the major Hotels and | | | | advice based on personal experience. |
| Lodges are in immaculate condition with beautifully | | | | |