Camp Hwange

Zimbabwe
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A rustic, traditional camp of eight canvas-walled units beneath cooling thatch, Camp Hwange overlooks one of the natural waterholes that make this part of Hwange National Park special.

Founded in 2010 by a well-known Zimbabwean professional guide, Camp Hwange’s location is strategic. This private concession in the central part of Hwange lies between the rugged mopane woodlands and their kopjes to the north and the sandy soil teak forests to the south-west; it’s location here on this open savannah ecotone means that game viewing is as diverse as its habitat types.

Aside from fantastic game viewing, especially in the drier months from April through to November, Camp Hwange offers an excellent guided experience with a strong emphasis on walking and tracking.

Location & access

Despite its location in the wilderness of central Hwange within an unbroken wildlife ecosystem that covers more than 500 000km² (about the size of California and Kentucky combined; or around the size of Spain), Camp Hwange is surprisingly easily accessible by either road or air from Zimbabwe’s tourism capital of Victoria Falls. The most convenient and time-efficient access to camp is by scheduled light aircraft flight from Victoria

Falls to the nearby Giraffe Springs Airstrip (110km; 20-30 minutes flight). Road access is also possible, driving either 160km from Victoria Falls through the Robins Gate in northern Hwange, or 260km through the Main Camp gate of eastern Hwange. Both routes provide great game viewing opportunities over more than 100km and are a novel change from the singular visual splendour of Victoria Falls.

Why here?

  • Exceptional dry season game viewing of hundreds of Elephant and many other species like Buffalo, Giraffe, Sable, Zebra, the resident Lion pride and more;
  • Excellent guides and interpretive guiding, especially on foot;
  • The opportunity to observe Africa’s mega-fauna on foot, from logpile hides or from 4x4 vehicle.

Facilities

With all 8 rooms and the main area oriented towards the waterhole and plain in front of camp, the natural central point is the open-sided thatched lounge and dining area with its campfire where every day tends to start and end.

Four en-suite rooms lie on either side of this main area, each canvas-walled and kept cool in summer (and warm in winter) by their thatched roofs. One is a two-roomed family room with independent bathrooms. The spacing ensures privacy for each room with our obligatory guaze panels serving as windows to ensure both a cooling through draft as well as the ability to hear the sounds of the night. Whether it is the frogs at the waterhole, a lonely whooping Hyaena or the roars of the resident Lion pride we want you to hear, smell and feel Africa.

Experiences

Camp Hwange was founded on a love for wild Africa, for exploring remote parts of the continent on foot and for tracking the continent’s wildlife. Of course, we use 4x4 vehicles for game drives to enable safe and secure approaches for large mammals like Lion and Elephant in ways which make for the best photographic opportunities, but it just isn’t in our nature to stay confined to the vehicles for long. Almost all of our guests end up on foot at some time or another, whether this is simply watching Elephants drink at hidden seasonal pans from our specially designed logpile hides, or actually tracking and viewing any number of species from Elephant bulls to Buffalo herds, Lion prides and just about everything else. The diversity of our area means that mega-fauna like Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo and Giraffe are all regularly seen, as are the carnivores like Lion, Spotted Hyaena, Cheetah, Leopard and Wild Dog, but it is species like Sable, Roan, Eland, Southern Reedbuck and even the common Springhare that excite us most here.

Rates

Our rates are fully inclusive (accommodation, meals, drinks and activities) and quoted in US Dollars on a per person per night sharing basis. We do charge a single supplement.

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Explore with us

We love talking to past and future guests and helping plan trips of a lifetime, but we don’t take direct bookings.

Instead, we work with a wide network of specialist tour operators all around the world in order that our guests can liaise with someone in their own jurisdiction, time zone, culture and language to craft the perfect African expedition for them.

Contact us - We’d be happy to help design a trip and recommend a tour operator that is right for you.