Ila Safari Lodge

Ila Safari Lodge is the founding property of a group with properties across Zambia and Malawi. Whilst not technically the oldest property, Ila is the first to be a part of this eco-family and is therefore very close to many of ours’ hearts. Ila Safari Lodge was inspired, and pays tribute to, the Ila tribe. The Ila people were a cattle-herding tribe residing in the valley of the Kafue River. Their distinctive hairstyle called ‘Isusu’ was designed to allow fellow members of hunting or war parties to see each other over the tall grass of the Kafue floodplains. The style was formed with plaited hair stiffened with a sliver of antelope horn.

The Kafue is an environmentally sensitive area so all solid waste is sorted and removed from site and all the rubbish is stored where no animal can access them until they are transported for further disposal. All cleaning products, chemicals and guest amenities are bio-degradable and single use plastics are avoided by providing filtered water in reusable bottles. The lodge have banned the use of cling-film and straws and use recycled paper and bags wherever possible. They also make use of local resources including shopping from the local markets and purchasing produce from their own farm.

Ila was awarded the 'Best Zambian Eco-Lodge Award' on the year of our opening in 2016 and is now a well-established and thriving safari lodge widely recognised for its beating green heart. The 10 Luxury Safari Tents are individually designed to mesh with their wild surrounds and open to sweeping views of the Kafue River. Families can also enjoy a private space of Kafue wilderness in our two larger suites.

Silent Safaris are our specialty in Kafue. You move almost unnoticed in our electric Land Cruiser and boat, stopping for a bush breakfast and floating at sunset on the Kafue River.