I had heard wonderful things about the ‘Grand Old Lady’ and rightly so … the Victoria Falls Hotel is striking and dignified in every way, housing an incredible amount of history, exquisite art work and interesting artifacts. My husband and I were on honeymoon and were lucky enough to stay in one of the more luxurious rooms amongst the 161 that are available. Our suite was something quite special.
The Victoria Falls Hotel has a colonial feel to it, but exudes elegance and luxury in every way. You just have to walk up and down the corridors and look at the history that lines the walls to know that the hotel is an attraction in itself. It is also perfectly situated, lying within the Victoria Falls National Park and providing an intimate view of the ‘smoke that thunders’. We were able to walk to and from town several times to do various activities.
However you must be aware that Zimbabwe is a largely impoverished country, so tourism is its most important source of income for the local people. This means that you will constantly be hassled to buy every souvenir under the sun. The relentless haggling is quite exhausting … so just be prepared for that.
Once back inside the hotel however, we enjoyed high tea and sunset drinks at Stanley’s Terrace, and had a peep at the Livingstone Dining Room. (We couldn’t have dinner there because there is a strict dress code of jacket and tie for men, so if you want to splash out then make sure you pack accordingly).
