ARTICLES SELECTED FROM THE CATEGORY: "Zimbabwe"

We hope all our guests have enjoyed their Christmas break and would like to wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

We thank all our guests who have travelled with us in 2017 and previous years, as well as those who have already booked for 2018 and beyond. Most Safari countries are experiencing excellent forward bookings and we would urge guests wanting to travel in 2018 to book as early as possible.

ZIMBABWE
We are very confident that the change of leadership in Zimbabwe will result in Zimbabwe returning to the mainstream safari circuit. Zimbabwe is a great safari country with Hwange National Park and Mana Pools, two of Africa’s very finest reserves within its borders, as well as a number of excellent, but less well-known reserves. At present visitor numbers are low and prices quite affordable whilst the game viewing is exceptional, so we would encourage you to visit Zimbabwe while it remains largely
undiscovered. View Tours

CONSERVATION SUCCESS
Despite the ongoing battle against Rhino and Elephant poaching in many African countries there is also plenty of good news. Some parks that had been neglected for years have received substantial investment and have been restocked and given the protection they need, creating new and exciting destinations to visit, mainly under the management of the philanthropic “African Parks organisation” These include parks in countries as diverse as Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Chad, Zambia and Malawi. 400 elephants were recently translocated in a huge operation to return the Nkhotakota National Park in Malawi to its former glory. 200 Black and white Rhinos have moved from South Africa where they were at high risk of poaching to Botswana where they were locally extinct. They are breeding and spreading well. Lions once again roam free in Akagera. Majete and Liuwa Plains National Park. The importance of tourism as the main source of sustainable funding cannot be underestimated.

NEW CAMPS IN BOTSWANA
In Botswana former hunting concessions have opened or are due to open for photographic tourism following the ban on commercial hunting in the country most of these camps are in huge private concessions with just one safari camp, creating exclusive and genuine wilderness experience. See below.

Kadizora Camp -Northern Okavango Delta

Nogatsaa Pans Lodge – Chobe Game Reserve

Gomoti Plains – South East Okavango Delta

Qorokwe Camp – South East Okavango Delta

Dinaka Camp – Central Kalahari Game Reserve (Opening March 18)

CLASSIC LONGER SAFARIS
At Safari Club we have been busy creating some new flexible, private safari tours which will appeal to guests who are time rich and would like to explore an African country in a bit more depth, some of these are partially self-drive, whilst others are privately guided and may include overland and air travel connections. See below.

Kenya Overland Adventure – 18 Nights
This leisurely safari includes both air and privately guided overland elements. Whilst avoiding the busiest areas, Samburu Reserve, Laikipia Plateau, the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks all feature, the safari ends with a few nights at the idyllic South Coast.
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Northern Namibia Overland Self Drive Tour – 16 nights
This is a private self-drive safari visiting this scenically stunning country with its fabulous wildlife and fascinating semi nomadic people. With a good road network Namibia is the perfect country for the adventurous traveller to explore. Your tour visits the spectacular red dunes at Sosussvlei, Walvis Bay famous for its prolific, birdlife and dolphins, the seal colony at Cape Cross, the remote and windswept Skeleton coast. You will then travel into mountainous interior where desert adapted elephant, lions and the last free ranging black rhino roam. Etosha National park is the jewel in Namibia’s wildlife crown and here you will drive yourself through the reserve seeking out the plentiful game that can usually be found close to the waterholes. Your safari finishes at the Afrikat foundation at OKonjima famous for its cheetah rehabilitation programme.
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Tanzania Overland Adventure – 12 nights
This tour is a twelve night, privately guided safari through Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, you will visit Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks as well as the Ngorongoro Crater. The highlight of your tour is the Serengeti National Park where you will visit the Central, Western and Northern regions of this huge reserve. The itinerary may be adapted to suit seasonal game movements and offers the opportunity of witnessing the Great Migration as it passes through the reserve. Could be easily combined with a few nights on the beach. Accommodation is in mid-range tented camps and lodges making this trip particularly good value especially for small groups and families.
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View Family Tour

South Africa Overland Adventure – 29 days
The ultimate month-long adventure through Africa’s most diverse country travelling in a mixture of self-drive and air and including the classic Luxury Rovos Rail journey from Cape Town to Pretoria. Your journey includes the Anglo/Zulu and Boer war battlefields of Rorkes Drift, Isandlwana and Spion Kop as well the Drakensberg Mountains, Durban, Oudtshoorn, the Garden Route, Whale Coast, Winelands, Cape Town and a Rovos Rail experience. Your tour ends with a “Big Five” safari in the outstanding Timbavati Area of Kruger National Park. A fantastic and safe adventure giving a real insight into the splendours of the Rainbow Nation.
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AFFORDABLE SAFARIS – OUR TIPS

Going on safari is never cheap, but, considering that most things are included, the total cost is often less than at first appears. There are a number of ways you can make a safari more affordable in some cases the savings can be very large without compromising the experience.

• Avoid peak season travel, most destinations have low and mid-season rates and often these can be half the price of high season rates. With good guidance we can advise on where you will get a great experience outside of low season. Particularly good value can be had in Botswana or Kenya both of which have great game viewing at any time.
• Travel with friends, you won’t save much on a flying safari, but privately guided overland trips and self-drives in countries like Namibia, South Africa or Tanzania can be much cheaper.
• Don’t try to do too much, getting from place to place in some countries can be expensive in Africa, it may be better to spend between 6 and 10 nights between two or three different camps in different parts of some of the larger reserves. The Serengeti. South Luangwa, Kafue, Hwange and the Okavango Delta for example.
• Reduce the average daily cost of your African holiday by adding time at the beach in Kenya or Tanzania or maybe spend a few days at Victoria Falls, Lake Malawi or Cape Town.
• Consider carefully which country to visit, as a general rule South Africa, Zimbabwe, Southern Tanzania and Kenya are more affordable.
• Book as far in advance as possible, the most cost-effective lodges and those offering special deals tend to get booked up very early. Nine months is perfect.
• Late availability deals are sometimes available for guests able to travel at short notice who are flexible with dates and location. It is worth asking!
• Travelling with children, try half term or Easter as the summer holiday period is invariably expensive.
• Consider more simple accommodation, whilst it is certainly true with safari holidays that you get what you pay for, spa’s, butlers, gyms, pools and other extras are included in the rate at more expensive lodges and camps but you may struggle to find time to use them. The essential ingredients of a wonderful safari are safety, comfort and great game viewing, guiding and interpretation, all possible at an affordable price.

The enduring fascination of a safari holiday is that no two safaris are ever the same. wildlife, culture, scenery vary from country to country and park to park and season to season. Is it the anticipation before setting out on a game drive, boat safari, or walk, never knowing quite what you will find but secure in the knowledge that there is a very good chance that you will experience something new and wonderful?

As a veteran of more than fifty safaris with visits to most of Africa’s great parks the feeling of excitement anticipation starts from the moment I start planning my next trip and doesn’t leave me until I board the final charter flight at the start of my journey home. If you have been to Africa with Safari Club you will know the feeling, many of our guests return year after year forsaking the trappings of Western civilization for a couple of weeks to enjoy the thrilling sounds, smells and sights of timeless Africa. In this newsletter we feature a few safaris most of which are flexible that might appeal to guests looking to travel next year.

Botswana
Elephants Kingdom – an eight-night trip visiting Victoria Falls, the Chobe Game Reserve and exclusive private concessions in the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game reserve. An affordable but high quality, “all inclusive” flying safari.
From £3807 to £6071pp on a Victoria Falls to Maun basis.
 
Northern Highlights (classic) -A ten night “all inclusive” flying safari visiting Victoria Falls, the legendary Savute Marsh in Chobe, the Khwai community area of the Okavango Delta and a private concession in the South East Delta. Superb game viewing with the opportunity for elephant interaction at Stanleys Camp.
From £4412 to £7591 on a Victoria Falls to Maun basis

Moremi and Chobe Private Luxury Mobile Camping
Safari in Style on a budget. try our nine day, fully serviced, luxury mobile camping safari starting in Maun and finishing in Kasane. This safari visits the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve before heading North to the Chobe Game Reserve with the option of extending your tour to include Victoria Falls. The price is the same throughout the year and is the most cost-effective way to visit Botswana’s superb reserves in peak season. This is a great choice for four or more people and perfect for a family with older children.
Price £3456 per person based on four travellers on a Maun to Kasane basis

Guests interested in visiting Botswana may be interested in our report of the Safari Club visit to Botswana in May 2017.

Zimbabwe
Zambezi Wanderer –Two World Heritage sites in one trip

An eight-night trip visiting three of Zimbabwe’s most spectacular tourist attractions,
Your safari starts at the spectacular Victoria Falls and continues into Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest reserve and home to up to 100000 elephants. The final part of your journey takes you to another World Heritage Site, Mana Pools on the Zambezi River, a stunning wildlife haven teeming with big game. You can enjoy boat safaris, guided walks and tiger fishing in addition to your game drives.
From £2693 to £4010 per person on a Victoria Falls to Harare basis.
Guests interested in visiting Zimbabwe may be interested in our report of the Safari Club visit to Zimbabwe in June 2017.

Seychelles – Romance with adventure
From March 2018 BA will be commencing daily flights to the Seychelles, as BA also flies direct to Johannesburg and Nairobi which have direct flight connections to Seychelles the planning of a safari and beach holiday becomes much easier and cheaper.
Either of these safari destinations combined with one of the stunningly beautiful islands of the Seychelles could be the perfect romantic holiday combination for honeymoons and anniversaries.
 
Give us a call if you love this idea 0845 0545889

Tanzania
Stars of the North – The Northern Circuit
An attractively priced, seven nights, set departure safari, visiting Tanzania’s fantastic Northern Parks. 
This safari travels overland from Arusha visiting the Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks, the Ngorongoro Crater and of course the Serengeti National Reserve. The tour is suitable for 2 to 6 guests and includes all accommodation, meals, park fees and transport.
This is a great stand-alone safari but it is also ideal to combine with a beach holiday in Zanzibar or other Tanzanian Islands.
From £2568 to £3172 per person on a Kilimanjaro to Kilimanjaro basis

Selous and Ruaha Adventure – Great value for families with teenage children
An eight night trip vising the exciting but less well known Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park.
Fantastic value for money in peak season, with family accommodation staying in comfortable tented camps. Includes game drives and boat safaris. Why not add a few days relaxation on a beautiful tropical beach to complement the safari?
From £13200 Family of four £15500 family of five

Mozambique – Dugong anyone?

Mozambique is one of the last bastions of truly wild Africa, large country with plenty of game reserves and only a smattering of visitors. In the 1960’s Mozambique’s game reserves rivalled the best in Africa with the Gorongosa National Park the jewel in the crown. Civil war and rampant poaching reduced these once prolific reserves to a shadow of their former glory. The parks are now slowly recovering but are unlikely to appeal to mainstream wildlife enthusiasts for a few years yet.

Mozambique though has another trick up its sleeve. The country is blessed with some of the finest beaches and most pristine coral reefs in Africa. This part of the Indian Ocean is home to whales, sharks, manta rays and turtles. Mozambique has a specialty that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. The Dugong is a large and endangered marine mammal that can be found in the waters around Vilanculos. They are usually found in small groups feeding on sea grass in shallow water. If you want to see a Dugong let us help to plan a trip to Mozambique for you.
Mozambique has good flight connections with South Africa,, Kenya and Tanzania so it is a great place to relax after a safari in one of the traditional “Big Five” countries.

New wildlife documentaries featuring African destinations keep on coming, a sure sign of the interest in this vast and spectacular continent from tourists from around the world.

Luangwa Valley
The spectacular Luangwa Valley in Zambia recently warranted its own three part ITV documentary “Lion Country”, which showcases perfectly the beauty and sense of timeless Africa that you get in this raw and compelling wilderness. Safari Club have sent many guests to this exciting destination and look forward to sending many more. If you would like to visit the Luangwa Valley take a look at our 2017 “Land of the Big Cats” itinerary.

Zambia
Zambia is an increasingly popular wildlife destination and now that the government is taking tourism seriously we have noticed an increased level of interest in areas outside the usual circuit of South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Victoria Falls. Other attractions include North Luangwa which is only accessible for four months of the year and is the ultimate walking destination with just two small camps. Liuwa Plain which is getting its first permanent safari camp this year and is one of the best places to see cheetah and hyena in Zambia as well as huge herds of assorted plains game. Perhaps most importantly of all the vast Kafue National Park, real rising star on the safari circuit. Following previous articles on this park we have been asked for an idea of an itinerary and costing so please take a look at “Spirit of the Kafue”.

Ready to visit Serengeti?

Africa’s best known reserve is never a cheap place to visit but remains at the top of many bucket lists. If you are able to travel within six weeks we have a special offer that lets you get right into the heart of the Serengeti at around half the normal price. This is a flexible, flying safari staying in top quality camps on an all-inclusive basis which can be extended to visit other reserves. The final itinerary and price will depend on availability at camps so all you need to do is to provide us with dates and we will prepare a tailor made itinerary to suit. This special remains available throughout 2017 and is priced on a Kilimanjaro to Kilimanjaro basis.
7nts US$3834  per person sharing; 10nts US$5547 per person sharing.

Zimbabwe Magic
Zimbabwe remains one of the finest safari destinations in Africa with some excellent National Parks teeming with wild game not to mention the iconic Victoria Falls. The country is safe and peaceful and the local Zimbabwean people are friendly and very welcoming. In terms of value for money Zimbabwe is very attractive as well. If you fancy visiting, see our “Victoria Falls to Kariba” safari visiting Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba and Matusadona or contact us for a detailed itinerary. 
9nts US$3666 pp 12nts from US$5711 pp.

Maasai Mara to Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe?

Yes really! It is now possible to visit these diverse and iconic African destinations using the latest Kenya Airways flights. If you would like to visit these area’s staying in the excellent Governors and Wilderness Safaris camps please take a look at this “Iconic Africa”.
9nts from US$4531 to US$4863 (Excludes International Flights)

Ever seen African Wild Dogs?
For many safari enthusiasts seeing the endangered African wild dog, also known as the painted dog, is the highlight of an African safari. We can arrange a trip for you to the Painted Dog Conservancy adjacent to the Hwange National Park, where tracking these fascinating creatures with the specialist researchers is possible and sightings highly probable. See “Alison Dewar’s recent blog” on her trip to the dogs. Why not add a visit to our “Victoria Falls to Kariba” safari.

Baby Boom – Gorillas
Mountain gorillas have been regularly featuring in TV news bulletins in recent weeks. The reason for this is that buy acyclovir walmart there has been a baby boom, particularly in Uganda where a new baby is being born in most months. This is fantastic news for a species which reproduces slowly and remains highly endangered Much of this success derives from increased conservation efforts largely funded by wildlife tourism. If you can get to Rwanda or Uganda possibly taking advantage of the new direct flights from London Gatwick, then do go! you will enjoy a very special experience whilst helping to conserve one of our closest relatives.

Chimpanzee habitation
If you go to Uganda to meet the gorillas, you could also visit the chimpanzees in Kibale or Budongo and possibly go out with the researchers for a whole day as they go about habituating a group of wild chimpanzees to human presence.

Rwanda Gorilla Permits to double
The Rwanda Development board has announced that the price of a gorilla tracking permit will double from US$750 to US$1500 with immediate effect. Safari Club guests already booked to go to Rwanda have no need to worry as all permits are already secured! Permits for Uganda remain at US$600 at the time of writing making Uganda a very attractive option for guests wanting to see mountain gorillas! Read more

Elephant translocation breeding success
You may have read our blog from last year regarding the translocation of 500 elephants to Nkhotahota National Park from the overcrowded Liwonde and Majete National Parks. Nkhotakota was once home to more than 1,500 elephants. Lack of protection coupled with the insatiable demand for ivory reduced the population to just 100 individuals. Between July and August in 2016, 261 elephants were successfully moved from Liwonde to a sanctuary within Nkhotakota. The new arrivals are thriving! Recently rangers on patrol have sighted some very young elephants that have been born in Nkhotakota in the last six months. While we have yet to confirm numbers, given gestation is 22 months for elephants, these calves were conceived before making the journey to their new home. These elephants will soon be joined by 240 others, coming from Liwonde and Majete Wildlife Reserve between June and August 2017. Would you like to visit Nkhotahota and see some of these animals in their new and very beautiful home? Time it right and you could witness the arrival of the next batch of elephants. A safari here would combine very nicely with a trip to Zambia’s spectacular South Luangwa National Park and a few days relaxing on Lake Malawi.
Contact us if you would like to visit Malawi or read more about the translocation.
9nts from US$4531 to US$4863 (Excludes International Flights)

Botswana summer- Perfect Bargain
Past newsletters have featured “Green Season” safaris in Botswana between December and March. The cost of a safari in Botswana is around half the cost of a visit in the peak season. Green season game viewing remains excellent, with the bush green and fresh, birds in full mating plumage, many animals choosing to have their young in this time of plenty and the light is perfect for photography. Take a look at our “Sightings report” for March 2017 for taste of what could be in store.

Polish up your photography skills in Botswana
Would you like to improve your photography skills whilst enjoying a fabulous safari holiday in Botswana visiting the fabulous Selinda Reserve and the Okavango Delta? Our “Wild Studio” photography tour includes free tuition and advice and is suitable for beginners as well as experienced photographers. Accompanying partners are very welcome and will enjoy normal guided game drives.  The rates offered for the Wild Studio” are the same as normal seasonal lodge rates with no extra expense for specialist wildlife photographer/guide tuition. We recommend starting with three days on the “Wild Studio workshop” and then continuing with a regular safari to other areas of Botswana to practice your new-found skills.

African wild dogs are one of Africa’s most endangered large predators and are considered a top sighting by many safari enthusiasts, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is one of the best places to see them. Alison Dewar visited in November 2016 and had a memorable experience.

“Seeing Painted Dogs has been an ambition of mine for many years. Bar one fleeting glimpse in Mana Pools National Park in 1995, the dogs have remained an elusive dream ever since.

When my husband Craig and I began planning for a return trip to Zimbabwe (the first for 16 years) it was time to get serious with working out how and where our best opportunities for viewing the dogs would be.

A chance discovery led me to the Painted Dog Conservation  and the excellent Vintage Camp, which supports PDC, and is just a short drive away and boasts excellent food and hospitality with comfortable rustic accommodation.

There were so many highlights, it’s almost impossible to name them all, but here just a few:

• tracking the Nyamandhlovu Pack with Jealous and seeing them with 12 pups on 3 different occasions
• visiting PDC HQ to see the great buy acyclovir ointment work of the rehabilitation centre, the medical facility and the dedication of the team
• having a personal tour of the Interpretative Hall from Maria and finding out more about the dogs through Eyespot’s life story
• visiting Inganyana Bush Camp, meeting the children from Ngamo School and seeing how much they got out of their visit
• hearing stories from Wilton and Dominic about the education programme’s success stories
• listening to the benefits that the community outreach programmes bring to local communities and, in turn, lead to improved protection for the dogs.

PDC is doing very special work and any support is well deserved – for now and in the future”

Guests with an interest in these highly endangered and fascinating predators should consider adding a few days at Vintage Camp from where you will be able to track the dogs with the researchers from the Painted Dog Conservation Society. Safari Club will be happy to include a visit to the conservancy as part of a longer tour of the Hwange National Park or as an add on to a visit to nearby Victoria Falls.

Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s finest reserves and is probably Africa’s premier park for elephant.

Bordering Botswana, Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest game park with an area of 14,600km². Its sheer size means that its scenery, vegetation and game vary hugely, ranging from the semi desert scrub on the edge of the Kalahari in the south, to forests, granite hills and valleys of mopane woodlands in the north.

Despite Zimbabwe’s widely publicized differences with Western countries and the subsequent meltdown in the economy Hwange has been well maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers and the park authorities and is a very safe place to visit.

The park has an excellent road network and it is only two hours to the nearest park gate from Victoria Falls Airport making it very accessible. There are also reasonably priced charter flights into the reserve.

The “Big Five” plus cheetah and wild dog are found in the park as well as spotted and rare brown hyena. The large sable and roan antelope, are rare or absent from many African parks but surprisingly common here.

The park sees very few visitors but has a small number of excellent little safari camps. Some of the safari camps in the reserve are based in their own private wildlife concessions ensuring a high level of exclusivity for guests and protection for wildlife. These include Linkwasha and Little Makololo Camps. We would suggest that if guests have the time they should spend around 6 to 8 nights in the park split between two contrasting areas.

The success of this park is due in no small part to man’s intervention. The park is a paradise for wildlife for nine months of the year but for the three to four months of the late dry season there is very little surface water which would minimise the wildlife population. Historically, during the dry season, wildlife has migrated from Hwange to areas such as Botswana’s Okavango Delta and the Zambezi buy aciclovir tablets 400mg Valley and other areas where there is human settlement and farming on the fringes of the park. Ted Davison the first warden of the park decided that if the park was to be a success then action had to be taken to ensure wildlife remained throughout the year and did not compete with settlers for water and food. A decision was taken to dig boreholes widely dispersed throughout the reserve and powered initially by windmills. These have now been replaced by diesel and solar powered pumps creating permanent waterholes dependent on human beings for maintenance.

The result has been an explosion in the elephant population which now number around 44000 and reside permanently in the reserve. The waterholes attract huge numbers of wildlife in addition to the elephant and those close to the lodges are usually floodlit allowing guests to take some wonderful close-up photos from hides on the water’s edge.

It may be possible for guests at certain lodges such as Bomani Tented Camp or Camelthorn Lodge to join the team that maintain the pumps on the weekly pump run visiting some of the most remote areas of the park and assisting the team maintaining these vital lifelines for the wildlife.

The quality of the guiding in the park is of a very high standard and in addition to game drives, most safari camps offer night drives and guided walks in their own private concession areas.

A visit to Hwange is incredibly good value compared to other parks in Southern and East Africa, look at our Land of the Giants and Elephant Trails itineraries for safaris that visit this reserve.

Most guests visiting this reserve will combine a stay in Hwange with a few nights at Victoria Falls but it is also possible to combine a stay here with the world heritage Mana Pools reserve on the Lower Zambezi River and Matusadona National Park on the shores of Lake Kariba to create a very varied itinerary.

We have been collecting together lots of photographs that have been provided either by some of our clients on safari or by ourselves on our familiarisation trips.

For example Martin Taylor and family did a self-drive holiday in the Western Cape on a trip to South Africa, staying in Knysna, buy aciclovir uk Hermanus, Franschhoek and Cape Town. They then flew to Timbavati Reserve (Kruger area) and stayed at Hamiltons and Chitwa Chitwa Camps.

Links to our photo galleries will appear on the destination pages to which they apply but all the galleries currently available can also be seen here:

All Photo Galleries

In common with most visitors to Victoria Falls I have in the past just spent one or two days in the area at the beginning or end of a safari in Zambia or Botswana.

As I was travelling to Zimbabwe and was arriving from Nairobi on a direct flight into the new Livingstone airport before trying out the recently introduced, single Kaza uni-visa system to cross the Victoria Falls bridge into Zimbabwe, I had decided I would use this opportunity to spend a bit more time in the area and find out more about the hotels, lodges and exciting activities on both sides of the border both up and downstream.

My first stop was at Waterberry Lodge, located upstream of the falls on the banks of the Zambezi River, always a firm favourite with Safari Club clients. The lodge includes many interesting lodge based activities in its rates, these include visits to the falls, village and school visits, birding walks, boat trips, sundowner cruises and fishing. We knew we were back in Africa as Lions could be heard roaring in the Zambezi National park on the opposite riverbank most mornings.

Whilst there I also took a trip downriver to visit the upmarket Tongabezi Lodge and its sister camp Sindabezi Island. These stylish lodges have a stunning riverside location and with plentiful wildlife around are a great option. Tongabezi also have the concession for Livingstone Island where guests can take tea on the rim of the falls and bathe in a pool on the edge of the precipice.

One day I had lunch at the Victoria Falls Hotel, this a five-star property with a great location very close to the falls. The Victoria Falls Hotel is all you would expect of a five-star hotel with comfortable rooms and excellent service. The highlight for me was enjoying a pot of tea whilst purchase acyclovir canada watching the elephants coming down to the water to drink on the opposite bank of the river.

Crossing into Zimbabwe was a doddle with the new uni-visa system and my first stop in Zimbabwe was at the Gorges Lodge located downstream and with a wonderful position on the edge of the Zambezi Gorge. The lodge is heavily involved with the local community and activities here include visits to community projects. The local villagers have formed a dance troupe who perform at the lodge in the evenings to provide some entertainment. The lodge provides usual visits into Victoria Falls town to see the waterfall and enjoy some of the many activities. Black eagles and other raptors nest on ledges on the edge of the gorge and an unusual activity takes place in the evening when meat is put out for the eagles and guests can watch as the eagles soar spectacularly along the edge of the gorge to take the offerings. All the rooms here have unbelievable views and the recent addition of a small satellite lodge called Little Gorges adds to the accommodation choices.

I also visited the new Zambezi Sands Lodge which is located inside the Zambezi National Park upstream of the falls. This lodge has a superb design with large and very comfortable tented rooms, all having river views. As the lodge is inside a national park the activities here include game viewing in open 4×4 vehicles, guided walks, canoe and boat safaris as well as activities at Victoria Falls town. This superb “all inclusive” lodge is a great place to start or finish a safari in Zimbabwe or neighbouring Botswana, a perfect combination of safari activities and relaxation. We would recommend a minimum of two nights as the lodge is too far from Victoria Falls themselves for an overnight stop.

I was very much looking forward to revisiting Hwange National Park after an absence of ten years. I recalled a huge park with just a few safari camps and lodges and well developed facilities for the visitor. I very much hoped that the park had not been heavily poached and the safari camps run down in my absence.

In fact, Hwange National Park proved to be an absolute joy to visit, very few tourists and abundant wildlife with elephant particularly plentiful. The road system was in a good state of repair and the safari camps I visited were all very well managed by a dedicated group of people.

The camps I visited included “The Hide” which is in the southern section of the park within the home range of the famous “Cecil” the lion who had been illegally hunted and killed for sport just a couple of weeks prior to my arrival. The lodge is located next to a very busy, floodlit waterhole and an underground hide with access via a tunnel from the lodge makes close up game viewing superb. I also visited Bomani Tented Camp and Camelthorn Lodge in the same area, which also have nearby waterholes with viewing hides.

Two unusual activities are the “Elephant Express” which is a game viewing vehicle that runs along the railway track through the park and is used as a transfer vehicle into camp, a great way to arrive at the lodge. The weekly pump run is an all day journey through the park with the team that maintains the pumped waterholes that sustain life deep inside the reserve. This is an opportunity to visit some very remote parts of Hwange and to see the excellent work being done to ensure the survival of wildlife in this very dry national park.

The game viewing in this area of the park was very buy aciclovir tablets 800mg good and apart from hundreds of elephant we saw cheetah, lion and some of the less common sable and roan antelope and many species of plains game.

I am not usually very keen on school and village visits, however, the experience at Bomani visiting the local chief and his village was really educational and I would highly recommend it. An inspiring example of how a small African village can thrive in the modern world and live in harmony with the nature surrounding it.

The northern part of Hwange was also teaming with wildlife, this area is hillier and arguably more scenic, certainly different to the more open grasslands in the south. The two camps I stayed in were really excellent, both offering the full range of safari experiences and very professionally managed. Camp Hwange was a comfortable camp in its own private concession area, where, in addition to guided walks and daytime drives, night drives were also on offer. Nehimba Safari Camp was also on its own private concession and offered similar activities but a real highlight for me was the waterhole around which the camp is built, every night here in the dry season herd after herd of elephants come right into camp and drink the entire contents of the swimming pool which fills up again during the day. It is amazing to see these huge animals just feet away whilst enjoying a pleasant dinner in the camp restaurant.

Also in this area I saw wild dog and the largest herd of buffalo I have ever seen.

Hwange is an easy park to get to from nearby Victoria Falls about two and a half hours away and can be combined easily with the falls in a short or long circuit.

My visit to Hwange was the inspiration for Safari Club’s new “Elephant Trails” and “Land of the Giants” safaris.