Destination Downtime
HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
Bordering Botswana, Hwange is Zimbabwe’s
biggest reserve, with terrain ranging from
semi-desert scrub and saltpans in the south,
to forests, savannah, granite hills and Mopane
woodlands in the north. Once the royal hunting
grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi,
it’s been a national park since 1929. It’s a prolific
Big Five destination, said to have the highest
diversity of mammals of any national park in
the world, not to mention one of the biggest
ele phant populations anywhere. Over 400
species of birds (including some 50 varieties of
raptor) have been recorded here. Best viewings
happen during the August – October dry
season, when the wildlife congregates around
the shrunken water holes.
In a large, game-rich private concession
within Hwange, Makalolo Plains Camp (www.
wilderness-safaris.com) consists of ten very
comfortable tented rooms overlooking the
Somavundla Pan, where elephant herds and
predators are easily spotted.
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A touch more exclusive are the six tented
chalets at newer, smaller, smarter Little
Makalolo, in a teak forest 20 minutes away.
Also facing a busy watering hole, it’s arguably
Hwange’s most comfortable safari camp, with
the benefit of exceptional guiding, either by
vehicle or on foot. Elevated hides with only
mosquito nets between you and the stars are
also available for sleep-out adventures.
Within a camelthorn acacia grove at the edge
of the long dry Sumamalisa Vlei to the east of
Hwange, Somalisa (www.africanbushcamps.com) is
an intimate bush camp of six tents spaciously
laid out in a horseshoe pattern. Instead of
electricity, at night it’s lit up with paraffin lamps
to romantic effect.
Regularly touted as Zimbabwe’s best tented
safari camp, The Hide (www.thehide.com) lies in
Hwange’s northeast, and boasts a dependable
on-site waterhole luring animals so you can
scrutinize them from the comfort of a wooden
deck, your bath, or the pool.