A Magical Safari In Zimbabwe With African Bush Camps

A safari in Zimbabwe is a wonderful resolution for exploring Southern Africa’s wilderness and wildlife. The nation is a shocking safari hub, providing breathtaking landscapes and memorable wildlife encounters. Regardless of its historic challenges, Zimbabwe stays one in every of our favourite locations in Southern Africa and a sanctuary for intrepid explorers.

Its major draw lies in untouched pure magnificence, pleasant locals, vibrant tradition, and lots of actions catering to adventurers. Zimbabwe boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Websites, Victoria Falls, and Mana Swimming pools, two of the best locations for vacationers in Africa. Hwange Nationwide Park, a sprawling wilderness famend for its numerous wildlife, provides one other charming safari gem to the nation’s must-visit points of interest.

Safari In Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a surprisingly numerous nation with sweeping savannahs within the central and western stretches, lush rainforests within the japanese highlands, and arid woodlands towards the northern frontier, the place the Zambezi River fuels a thriving wildlife kingdom. The nation has a wealth of nationwide parks, together with Zambezi, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Matusadona, Mtobo Hills, and Mana Swimming pools Nationwide Parks.

Mana Swimming pools Nationwide Park and Hwange Nationwide Park are the nation’s two most well-known safari locations on account of their landscapes and sport density. These two huge swaths of wilderness provide guests an opportunity to flee with distinctive experiences and thrilling wildlife encounters.

Mana Swimming pools could also be our favourite as you’ll be able to drift serenely down the Zambezi River on a canoe safari whereas marveling on the considerable sport alongside its fertile banks. Or you’ll be able to traverse the huge savannahs of Hwange Nationwide Park, residence to one of many globe’s largest elephant populations. In any case that wildlife, you’ll be able to then stand in awe earlier than the majestic spectacle of Victoria Falls—a testomony to the awe-inspiring forces of nature.

We visited Mana Swimming pools, Hwange, and Victoria Falls on our final journey to Zimbabwe. It was the proper journey to disconnect from trendy life and reconnect with the pure world. Throughout our time in Zimbabwe, we’d stroll with elephants, canoe down the Zambezi, and revel in sundowners amongst serene landscapes. It’s the proper spot to throw on some safari garments and expertise the magic of the African bush.

African Bush Camps In Zimbabwe

Our journey to Zimbabwe was with our trusted companion and one in every of our favourite safari operators. We had been lucky sufficient to check out virtually all their Zimbabwe camps on our journey, which supplied a beautiful mixture of experiences, wildlife, and environments. We’d extremely recommend anybody hoping to go on a safari to Zimbabwe keep in at the least two totally different properties/camps for some selection.

To begin our safari, we flew to the nation’s capital metropolis of Harare. Attending to Harare was simple, due to a flight from Doha with Qatar Airways. This makes journey logistics simple, and it helps that Qatar Airways is arguably the nicest airline on the planet. After an evening in Harare, we flew to Mana Swimming pools through a bush flight with Safari Logistics.

A trusted safari journey agent makes this simple as they e-book the capital’s bush flights, transfers, and inns. This was our second journey to Mana Swimming pools and our third to Zimbabwe, so we had a good suggestion of what to anticipate. Nevertheless, that didn’t decrease our anticipation as amongst safari-goers and trade insiders, it’s broadly considered among the best parks for safari in Africa.

Mana Swimming pools

Mana Swimming pools is famed for its wonderful views of the Zambezi Escarpment and shut wildlife encounters. We’ve hardly seen a greater sundown in Africa than a few of those who we’ve seen from the banks of the Zambezi River with a drink in hand. The African park is famend for its place on the Zambezi River, and a few huge elephants name it residence, together with a wholesome lion and wild canine inhabitants.

The park is huge and distant, so wildlife viewings are intimate and barely crowded, not like common safari locations like Kruger or Serengeti Nationwide Park. That remoteness is obvious as virtually all guests arrive through a bush flight and may take the huge wilderness from the aircraft window. Mana Swimming pools occupies round 2,200 sq km of land and is surrounded by safari concessions that act as a profitable buffer between man and the wilderness.

On our second go to to Mana Swimming pools, we had been nonetheless overwhelmed by the sense of wilderness. This most likely has a lot to do with our first cease, Kanga Camp. The safari camp is deep within the bush, 25 kilometers from the Zambezi River, and the only real water supply for an enormous swath of land. Meaning we frequently didn’t even must exit for a sport drive because the animals got here to camp for a drink. After all, we nonetheless set out on sport drives to discover the panorama and discover extra wildlife, together with many elephants, lions, and chook life.

Our subsequent cease on our safari to Zimbabwe was the Zambezi Expeditions camp set alongside the Zambezi River. It’s essentially the most fundamental within the African Bush Camps‘ portfolio of Zimbabwe properties however could also be our favourite. It’s all about connecting with the wild right here with comfy tents alongside the river. With that in thoughts, we spent loads of time on foot within the park – Mana Swimming pools is well-known for its strolling safaris.

This meant chasing the well-known bull elephant, Boswell. The massive boy has realized to face on his hind legs to succeed in meals no different elephant can. We had been lucky to stroll with him and see him do his factor. This has a lot to do with Cloud, our information, who was wonderful in each sense. Mana Pool at all times appears to ensure a few of our closest experiences with these mesmerizing giants took place on this park.

It made for a humbling safari in a shocking a part of the world. There are solely a handful of lodges in Mana Swimming pools, however African Bush Camps function three distinctive camps and settings. Touring between them made for an excellent safari within the park and gave us a variety of experiences. After ending up at Zambezi Expeditions, we went to their luxurious Nyamatusi Camp.

Nyamatusi contrasts sharply with Zambezi Expeditions because the tents go away you with none luxurious you want within the bush. This features a plunge pool, a number of daybeds, an outside bathe, and an expansive lavatory – all of this happens inside “canvas” tent partitions.

After a couple of days of strolling within the solar on the earlier camp, we used our time to chill out and revel in extra relaxed actions. This meant sport drives and sundowners at a number of the greatest spots within the park. One in every of our favourite experiences was a canoe safari down the Zambezi River, which gives a novel means to absorb wildlife within the bush.

Hwange Nationwide Park

After Mana Swimming pools, we flew to Hwange Nationwide Park, Zimbabwe’s largest park. The bush flight took about two hours to succeed in from Mana Swimming pools because it’s on the opposite aspect of the nation. Hwange Nationwide Park is basically a woodland on the border of the Kalahari Desert. Rain right here is sparse till the seasonal rains arrive and type giant grasslands and water pans, permitting the park’s animal inhabitants to outlive the dry season.

Together with pure water pans, the park makes use of a collection of synthetic water pans that supply the park’s large inhabitants of elephants a spot to drink year-round. The result’s one in every of Africa’s largest elephant populations, residence to almost 45,000 elephants. With that many tuskers, you’re assured to see various elephants. Solely an hour after touchdown in Mana Swimming pools, we had been in a conceal, looking to a sea of elephants, taking mud baths, and ingesting water at a pan.

As we arrived within the morning, it was the proper time to have a cup of espresso earlier than arriving at our residence for the following three days, Somalisa Camp. The camp sits on a really energetic water pan and gives views of the encompassing plains marked by a community of sport trails. Somalisa is a magical place and one in every of our favourite lodges we’ve ever stayed at in Africa. After a heat welcome and an opportunity to settle into our lovely tent, we loved contemporary pizzas from the camp’s woodfire oven.

Friends are assigned an knowledgeable information for his or her keep, and we might have gotten luckier. Each information with African Bush Camp has been skilled and educated. Nevertheless, our information, Bheks, was past that, as he was an incredible pleasure to spend time with within the bush. We had loads of good laughs and loved studying a bit extra about Zimbabwe by his eyes.

That residence, at the least whereas within the bush, has 100 mammal species, together with all the large 5 animals. Most notable on our journey was the latest addition to the native lion pleasure, new child cubs. After we discovered them within the bush, they had been nonetheless studying to stroll a couple of steps from their mother. It was simply one in every of many wildlife experiences that we had the pleasure to take pleasure in in Hwange.

The Camps We Stayed At On Safari In Zimbabwe

Kanga Camp

Kanaga Camp is deep inside Mana Swimming pools in a non-public concession linked to the protected wilderness space. Its location on the one water supply for 25 kilometers ensures the animals come to camp. It’s well-known for the “armchair safari,” as you solely want to take a seat on a sofa on the raised deck above the pan to see thirsty wildlife looking for a drink.

The small camp consists of six Meru-style tents which might be on raised platforms. We had been shocked at how good the tents had been throughout our quick keep within the camp. The camp appears to nail luxurious within the wild with out being overly indulgent. The six Meru-style tents with floor-to-ceiling mesh home windows let in contemporary air and daylight. There aren’t any stable partitions or air-conditioning, so you are feeling linked to the wild within the tents. They’re all solar-powered, every with an ensuite boasting scorching working water and an outside bathe. Plus, there’s a secluded veranda providing gorgeous views of the pan.

For reconnecting with nature, the Household Tent has a wraparound terrace with personal seating and eating areas overlooking the pan. And the honeymoon tent? It’s received a rolltop bathtub on a secluded deck—excellent for a romantic starlit soak. There’s additionally a calming higher deck underneath a shady mahogany tree, splendid for birdwatching or a second of calm. And once you’re not exploring, there’s a full bar and plunge pool to unwind in.

Kanga Camp is open from April to November and pairs completely with Zambezi Expeditions. That’s the place the journey amps up with canoeing and catch-and-release tiger fishing on the Zambezi River. It’s the last word African expertise bundle!

Zambezi Expeditions

After we left Kanaga, we made our strategy to Zambezi Expeditions for a extra rustic safari expertise located in a superb location alongside the Zambezi River. The camp is beloved by most after an genuine safari, because it supplies every little thing you want to be comfy. It’s prime for wildlife, and animals at all times wander across the camp.

The camp’s six tents are set beneath a number of winter thorn and ebony bushes alongside the river banks. It’s a semi-mobile camp, so tents are fairly actually tents and have bucket showers and no working water. We love this fashion because it conveys the remoteness of the camp’s location and lets you join with nature. Sitting outdoors our tent within the afternoons with an excellent e-book was a spotlight of our journey — the proper spot to chill out.

The guts of the camp lies within the communal eating house and lounge. A cool drink, a tasty snack, or a spot to recharge our digicam batteries was at all times out there. After all, we should word the plunge pool because it was a good way to chill off in the summertime warmth whereas watching the Zambezi River.

They lit a comfy fireplace each evening to take a seat round and star gaze. After recalling the day with our fellow safari visitors and making new buddies, we’d head to the eating desk. As with custom on safari, dinners are communal and have scrumptious lodge meals.

Nyamatusi Lodge

Our final cease in Mana Swimming pools was at African Bush Camps’ latest camp in Zimbabwe. Nyamatusi Camp is located alongside the Zambezi within the coronary heart of Mana Swimming pools. The gem of a camp blends consolation with sustainability and critically luxurious “tents.”

The six luxurious tented suites providing mesmerizing river views and escarpment made our escape to nature opulent and soothing. Every tent boasted air-conditioning, indoor and outside showers, a non-public viewing deck, and a plunge pool, making a haven of magnificence within the wild.

At Nyamatusi Camp, which means ‘wild sport,’ we continued connecting with the wilderness. Whether or not on sport drives or a calming canoe safari. After all, this was all whereas going with none need or want. The camp was critically luxurious and even featured a wine cellar!

Hwange

Somalisa Camp

Somalisa Camp is a storied camp in Hwange surrounded by a mixture of golden savannah and Kalahari woodland. It’s the camp the place you wish to soften into a cushty seat and hearken to the lions roar within the distance. It was the corporate’s first safari lodge, and it’s simple to see why they selected the magical location. Nestled underneath an Acacia grove alongside a seasonal floodplain, Somalisa Camp blends tranquility with nature’s magnificence.

The intimate bush camp, excellent for a serene Hwange safari, options a sublime fashion infused with pure wooden. Working on a full solar energy farm and water purity system, Somalisa Camp is an eco-friendly haven, recycling 80% of the water used and holding the primary GOLD Inexperienced Tourism Certification in Zimbabwe.

The seven sailcloth tents, set on a non-public concession in Hwange Nationwide Park, provide trendy facilities like a fan, battery charging station, wood-burning fire, and personal viewing deck. Impressed by yesteryear’s romance, the toilet boasts an indoor and outside house with a copper slipper-style bathtub and countless views throughout the huge plains.

Discover Hwange’s legends by strolling safaris, sport drives, birding, and cultural visits seamlessly led by our passionate guides, revealing the wonders of the African bush.

Logistics Of A Safari In Zimbabwe

How To E book

Historically in the event you needed to e-book a safari, you’d need to go to a journey agent and have them e-book it for you. They recommend camps and lodges then current you with a big invoice. Many of the trade nonetheless operates on this vogue. Nevertheless, African Bush Camps have brokers and may provide particular charges in the event you e-book straight! Take a look at their web site to seek out the newest info.

Greatest Time To Safari In Zimbabwe

Like most parks in Africa, recognizing wildlife in Zimbabwe is greatest within the dry season. The dry season in Zimbabwe and Hwange is at its peak from late June – October. The dry season makes it simple to identify animals within the bush as they focus round water sources. Water is a valuable useful resource in Hwange as nearly all of water holes are managed year-round by pumps to assist preserve the animal inhabitants.