48 Hours in Hwange National Park

Elephant encounters Hwange National Park is home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa

48 Hours in...

HWANGE

NATIONAL PARK

Experience the elephant, lion and birdlife of Zimbabwe while enjoying the relaxing charms of Bomani Tented Lodge

WORDS BY LUKE ROGERS

DAY 1

5:30am

Nature’s canvas Bomani Tented Lodge is set among remarkable scenery

A gentle voice will call ‘knock knock’ outside your tent before a campfire-cooked breakfast. On your way through camp, be sure to check for footprints from overnight visitors; often elephant, lion and hyena spoor can be seen.

6am

Head out on an early morning game drive in an open 4x4 vehicle. It’s likely to be chilly first thing, so it’s best to wear an extra layer. Bomani Tented Lodge is situated just outside Hwange’s boundary, so you’ll pass through the gate before exploring Ngamo Plains – a vast open plain inhabited by wildebeest, elephant, zebra, impala, giraffe and a range of birdlife. Your game drive will meander past waterholes, and you’ll stop beneath the shade of an acacia tree for morning coffee and cake.

10am

Return to camp for a hearty, healthy brunch then the middle of the day is yours. A small plunge pool is surrounded by loungers looking out over the nearby waterhole, so there’s plenty of opportunities for spotting wildlife.

2pm

The private concession around Bomani is also home to a local community, and you can

visit the village, school and clinic. By staying at this camp, you’re directly contributing towards some fantastic projects that have already benefitted the community.

4pm

Enjoy an early evening game drive in the park, stopping for a drink by a waterhole. As darkness falls, your guide will use a spotlight to see if they can spot any nocturnal wildlife. Regular sightings include civet cats, porcupines, hyena, genets and nightjars.

7pm

Dinner is generally served alfresco and could be a braai (barbecue) of local meats accompanied by vegetables, salads and traditional Zimbabwean dishes. After dinner, you can sit around the campfire and identify spectacular constellations.

SPECIALISTS’ TOP TIPS

The winter months in Hwange

(June to August) can get cold in the evenings and early mornings, so take layers. Fortunately, hot water bottles will be placed in your bed while you’re having dinner. Danielle Fraser

For close-up photos from the

‘look-up’ hide, you’ll need a zoom lens and something soft to lean your camera on. Tony Macrae

Transfer to and from Bomani using the Elephant Express – an open-sided, single-carriage train that stops for animal sightings; recent encounters have included wild dog and lion on the tracks. Roseanna Cole

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Wildlife wonders A stay in Hwange National Park can bring visitors face to face with giraffe, lion, zebra and cheetah

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK

DAY 2

6am

Once the sun is up, I recommend joining your guide on a short walking safari. As you walk through open areas of the private concession, your guide will tell you about the smaller details of the bush that are often overlooked in a vehicle. You might learn how to identify animal tracks and droppings, hear about the cultural and medicinal significance of various plants, and listen to stories of the history of Hwange.

10am

After a short break back at camp, head back into the park with a picnic lunch and enjoy a couple of hours in the underground ‘look-up’ hide. This is a sunken container complete with comfortable benches, a flush toilet and close-up views of a waterhole.

During the heat of the day, it’s a popular spot with elephant in particular. With a zoom lens, you can take close-up photographs of their delicate trunks splashing, as well as young elephant playing in the mud.

2pm

A more unusual experience in this region is a horse-riding safari. Based on the community land, where the scenery is open grassland, rides are available to all abilities and led by experienced guides and trackers. Once you’ve been paired up with a horse, you’ll wander past farmland and homesteads, among small trees and around waterholes filled with lily pads.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll see larger animals, birdlife is plentiful and plains

game, such as antelope and zebra, don’t mind being in close proximity to horses. You can stop for a drink by a waterhole, providing another opportunity to see wildlife coming to drink.

5pm

Back in camp, enjoy a sundowner cocktail overlooking the waterhole (pictured above) before dinner under the stars. A final game drive leaves camp after dinner in search of big cats hunting under the cover of darkness.

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Flight information: Flight time is approximately 15 hours to Johannesburg from New York, followed by a two-hour flight to Victoria Falls. When to go: Hwange is open for visitors year round, though experiences differ between the wet and dry seasons. For the best game viewing, visit between June and November. Get me there: A ten-day tailor-made trip to Zimbabwe, including time in Hwange National Park, starts from $5,600pp. We recommend spending time at Victoria Falls before your safari and finishing on the banks of the Zambezi River. For more information, please call Luke or our Zimbabwe safari specialists on 1-855-838-0590.

Under canvas Tented accommodation at Bomani Tented Lodge; (top) its pool overlooks the nearby waterhole

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