Hwange National Park

Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange National Park is the largest Park in Zimbabwe occupying roughly 14 650 square kilometers. It is located in the northwest corner of the country about one hour south of the Mighty Victoria Falls. The park also houses Bumbusi National Monument which is one of the country’s major ruins

It became the royal hunting grounds to the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19 th Century and was set aside as a National Park in 1929. Hwange boasts a tremendous selection of wildlife with over 100 species of mammals and nearly 400 bird species recorded. The elephants of Hwange are world famous and the Park’s elephant population is one of the largest in the world. The Park has three distinctive Camps and administrative offices at Robins, Sinamatella and the largest one at Main Camp.

Main Camp

Main Camp is situated at the main entrance to the Park. There are numerous pans and pumped waterholes around Main Camp and the area is rich in game.

Facilities

Main Camp has facilities including self-catering lodges, cottages and chalets, a camping and caravan site, bar and restaurant, grocery store, curio shop and petrol station.

Lodges

Lodges in Hwange National Park are units with one or two bedrooms, bathroom, fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator and stove, lounge and verandah. Cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery are provided.

Cottages

Cottages are units with 1 or 2 bedrooms, bathroom and verandah. Cooking facilities are communal, with electric hot plates provided. The cottages have a centrally located thatched, open dining area with refrigerators available for communal use. Normally no cutlery or crockery is provided.

Chalets

These are units with 1 or 2 bedrooms, and a verandah. Cooking facilities are available on wood or charcoal braais. Electric refrigerator and sink are provided in each unit. Ablution and toilet facilites are provided in a communal block.

 

Camping and Caravan sites
Camping and caravan sites have piped water to each stand. Cooking facilities are available on wood or charcoal braais. Ablution and toilet facilities are provided in communal blocks. Visitors should note that tent and camping equipment are not available for hire.

Conference Facilities

Conference facilities can be made available at Main Camp. Visitors who intend to hold a conference or an organized gathering requiring such facilities will need to contact the Central Reservation Office for details.

Attractions & Activities

• Ngweshla Pan – the loop road is a pleasant day-drive
• Nyamandhlovu Platform – prime game viewing area at a pumped water hole
• Dom waterhole – an exceptional view of the African Sunset

Amenities

• Restaurant and bar
• Grocery store
• Curio shop
• Fuel station – please note petrol deliveries are not reliable so visitors have to take precautionary measures

Sinamatella

Established in 1966, this part of the Park was a former cattle ranch. The camp is located near the northern boundary of the Park on an outcrop, 55 metres high, overlooking a distant riverbed and grassy plain. The name Sinamatella is a distortion of the name of a local shrub called “chinamatira” which characteristically will stick to clothing when brushed against.

The Camp is approximately 120 kilometres from Main Camp. Vehicles are not allowed to travel between the two camps after 1400 hours. Sinamatella is an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ)

Facilities

The Camp has lodges, chalets and camping sites as described in Main Camp. In addition, a restaurant, bar, shop and fuel are available. Apart from these facilities at the Rest Camp there are also several exclusive camps in the area:

Exclusive Camps

Bumbusi Camp

Bumbusi is situated 24 kilometres northwest of Sinamatella and consists of 4 “A” frame accommodation units, a cottage and a central lounge area. The kitchen is fully equipped with freezer and stove. A central ablution block comprises 2 toilets and 2 bathrooms. The maximum number of persons that may be accommodated at Bumbusi is 12. There are no electricity facilities available. The access road is rough, but can be negotiated by low clearance vehicles in the dry season.

Lukosi Camp

Located 11 kilometres from Sinamatella. With facilities similar to Bumbusi, the maximum number of occupants is 10. Lukosi Camp is only available for bookings from November through April.

Bush Camps

These are undeveloped sites found at Lukosi, Vhikani, Rhino Bar, Salt Springs and Tshakabika. Four wheel drive or high clearance vehicles are necessary for visitors to Tshakabika.

Attractions & Activities

• Mandavu Dam – provides a beautiful viewing hide to watch animals coming to drink, 27 kilometres from Sinamatella
• Masuma Dam – excellent hide for game viewing about 15 kilometres from Sinamatella
• Detema Dam – exceptional game viewing hide
• Wilderness trails
• Walks
• Fishing

Amenities

• Restaurant and bar
• Small shop
• Fuel station – please note petrol deliveries are not reliable so visitors have to take precautionary measures

Robins

Robins Camp is close to the western boundary of Hwange approximately 60 kilometress from Sinamatella and 140 from the Main Camp. Through traffic from Main Camp is required to leave by 1200 hours. This camp was bequeathed to the government in 1939 by a local farmer, Harold Robins.

Facilities
The Camp has lodges, chalets and camping sites. In addition, a restaurant, bar, shop and fuel are available. There are also several exclusive camps in the Robins area:

Exclusive Camps

Nantwich Camp

The Camp consists of 3 lodges and is located 11 kilometres northwest of Robins Camp. Each lodge is fully equipped and self-contained. This remote camp is built on a small bluff which overlooks a natural pan and grassy plain.

Isilwane Lodge

This luxurious lodge is a top of the range accommodation facility overlooking an artificial waterhole. The lodge is only a few metres away from Nantwich Camp.

Deka Camp

Deka Camp consists of 2 family units, each with 2 bedrooms, bathroom and toilet. An additional facility contains a dining room, lounge, scenic verandah and kitchen with refrigerator and stove. The camp is serviced and fully equipped and takes a maximum of 12 persons. Deka Camp is situated 25 kilometres west of Robins Camp. Access is by four-wheel drive vehicles only. The camp is normally closed during the rainy season.

Attractions & Activities

• Big Toms & Little Toms – these are viewing hides which provide excellent game viewing opportunities and are named for the farms of Harold Robins who bequeathed his land to the Park in 1939.
• Amenities
• Restaurant and bar
• Small shop
• Fuel station – please note petrol deliveries are not reliable so visitors have to take precautionary measures

Other Activities

• Escorted daytime walks – available from all camps for a charge to groups of up to 6 persons
• Moonlight game viewing – available from Main Camp around the full-moon period subject to weather conditions
• Wilderness trails – available in the Sinamatella and Robins Camp areas

Picnic Sites

Camping is permissible in Hwange National Park at Shumba, Kapula, Mandavu Dam, Masuma, Ngweshla, Jambile, Kennedy 1, Guvalala,and Detema Picnic Sites. Each site consists of an enclosed picnic area (usually with shady trees or thatch cover) and a small ablution block with running water. Groups of up to 10 people may camp overnight at these areas but the sites are also open to all visitors during daytime.

How to get to Hwange National Park

Access to the Park may be made by:

Air

An unlicensed airstrip exists at Main Camp for private/ charter aircraft. Prior permission to land must be obtained at Main Camp. Please note there are no hangars. Hwange National Park Airport is situated nearby.

Road

It is usually possible from May to October to enter the Park by any designated access road and to drive to any of the camps. During the wet season though, advice should be sought as to the best routes. The visitor reception at each camp will provide advice on the many game-viewing drives of the 480 kilometres of the Park’s road system. Please note that the camps are interconnected by a road network, however, the roads are not always in the best of conditions.

To Main Camp
The turn-off to Main Camp is at the 264,5 kilometre peg on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. From here a tar road (15 kilometres) leads to the Park boundary at the railway crossing, a short distance from the Camp.

To Sinamatella Camp

A tar then gravel road branches off the main Bulawyo – Victoria Falls Road near the town of Hwange. The Camp is reached 45 kilometres further on via Mbala lodge in the Deka Safari Area.

To Robins Camp

A gravel road turns off the main Bulawyo – Victoria Falls Road 48 kilometres south of Victoria Falls. From the junction it is approximately 70 kilometres to Robins Camp and en route there is a turn off to Matetsi Safari Area headquarters and to Pandamatenga. Robins Camp can also be reached by road through the Park from Main Camp and Sinamatella during the dry season. If proceeding through one of these camps obtain information about the route from the relevant camp.

Mana Pools National Park

Mana Pools National Park is synonymous with the Zambezi River, elephants, lions, remoteness and wilderness.
This unique park is a WORLD HERITAGE SITE, based on its wildness and beauty, together with the wide range of large mammals, over 350 bird species and aquatic wildlife. Mana Pools is one of Zimbabwe’s most popular parks, and it is easy to see why it falls into this profile.

The name “Mana” means “four” in the local Shona language. This applies to the four large pools inland from the Zambezi River. These pools are the remnant ox-bow lakes that the Zambezi River carved out thousands of years ago as it changed its course northwards. Hippopotamus, crocodiles and a wide variety of aquatic birds are associated with the pools. ”Long Pool”, is the largest of the four pools, extending some six kilometres in a west-east direction. This pool has a large population of hippo and crocodiles and is a favourite for the large herds of elephant that come out of the thickly vegetated areas in the south to drink.

As one moves northwards towards the Zambezi River from the forests on the Karoo sediments, the vegetation changes to open Faidherbia albida woodlands on the old river terraces. This vegetation gives an unique look to the area and a surreal light filters through the trees giving Mana Pools its distinctive cathedral-like atmosphere.

On the old river terraces, tourists can walk unaccompanied by guides in the open Albida woodland because visibility is good and there is little danger of unexpectantly coming across dangerous animals. This privilege of walking alone in an area with dangerous wildlife is unique in Zimbabwe. Elephant, eland, buffalo, impala, waterbuck, baboons, monkeys, zebra, warthog and hippo are some of the larger herbivores to be seen regularly on the river terraces as they come out to eat the fallen Albida fruit. Lions, leopards, spotted hyaena and cheetah are present in the area, but their secretive nature makes them more difficult to see. Despite this, it is not often that the visitor leaves Mana Pools without seeing at least one of these large carnivores.

Northwards, off the river terraces, is the mighty Zambezi River flowing sedately on its way to the Indian Ocean. This now tranquil river was a major route for the trade in ivory and slaves in the dark past.

Mana Pools is 2,196 square kilometres in extent but is part of the 10,500 square kilometre Parks and Wildlife Estate that runs from the Kariba Dam in the west to the Mozambique border in the east. This large area is without physical boundaries and the wildlife is free to move throughout the area – even northwards across the Zambezi River into Zambia, where there are also large wilderness areas set aside for wildlife conservation.

Facilities

Tourist facilities include lodges, a communal campsite with ablution facilities and exclusive campsites where the visitor can be alone.

Lodges

There are 5 lodges in the Park, all located along the Zambezi River. There are 2 large lodges situated a short distance upstream from Nyamepi Camp, Musangu and Muchichiri. These lodges have a bathroom and shower with hot and cold running water; 2 toilets and a fully kitted kitchen with stove and deep-freeze and all utensils such as cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils. All bedding and towels, etc are supplied. There is a large dining room and lounge, an outside braai area with seating where one can view the river and the wildlife coming down to drink or simply watch the African sun setting over the Zambezi River.

There are also 3 four-bedded lodges, all under thatch. Each lodge has 2 bedrooms with 2 beds each, a shower and toilet and seating areas outside near the Zambezi River. The kitchen is supplied with a deep-freezer, cooker, crockery and cutlery and other cooking implements. Bedding and towels, etc are supplied.

Camping Sites

There is one large communal campsite along the Zambezi River, and
a number of exclusive campsites where visitors can ensure their solitude.

 

Communal Campsite

The Nyamepi Camp camping area located along the Zambezi River is situated near the Mana Pools National Park reception office. Visitors need to bring their own camping equipment, bedding, toiletries, cooking implements, etc. There are ablution blocks nearby with hot and cold running water, flush toilets and laundry basins. Visitors can buy firewood at the reception office, and each campsite has a braai area. This camping ground has 30 sites.

Exclusive Campsite

There are a number of exclusive campsites situated along the Zambezi River. These camps are for the visitor who seeks solitude and who wants to truly experience the wildness and challenges of the bush. There is a braai stand at each site and rudimentary toilet. Water is collected from the river or the reception office. Visitors to these sites need to be fully self-equipped and be able to handle the remoteness and solitude of these unique camps. The camps are only allowed 2 vehicles and 12 persons per stay. Water may be drawn from the river.

Mucheni

8 kilometres west of Nyamepi and has 4 secluded camp sites

Nkupe

Just over 1 kilometre east of Nymepi and has 1 camp site

Ndungu

Just east of the carpark area and has 2 campsites

Gwaya

A short distance upstream from the lodges has 1 campsite, with cold-water shower, flush toilet and basin and a braai stand.

Wild Exclusive Camp Sites

There are 2 completely wild camping sites located in the southern sector of the Park – close to Chitake Spring, near the foothills of the Zambezi Escarpment. The check-in point for these camps is at Nyakasikana Gate. Both campsites are without any facilities and are accessible only with four-wheel drive vehicles.

Chitake Camp 1 (Nzou)

Located 150 metres downstream from the Chitake River crossing under a large Natal Mahogany near the river.

 

 

 

Chitake Camp 2 (Shumba)

Situated on top of a small hill near a number of baobab trees and has a magnificent view south to the escarpment, north to the far off Zambezi, east to Mangangai and west to the Rukomechi River. The camp is about 1 kilometre from the spring.

Tour Operator All-inclusive Tours

Visitors can book with a number of registered tour operators who will take care of all requirements including transport, food, accommodation, activities, safety and transfers. Visitors will need to make their own arrangements to hire a tour operator.

Activities

The following are some of the main activities offered at Mana Pools National Park:

Camping

Available around the Park at developed, minimum development and exclusive sites

Walking Safaris

These safaris are offered at full moon. Parks staff will take visitors on a 3 day hike in the wild of Mana Pools National Park. Visitors will need to be fit, provide their own rucksacks, food and toiletries. This is a unique experience for the nature lover and those who enjoy the challenge of facing nature one on one.

Lion Tracking

This is a limited activity whilst the lion research project at Mana Pools is in progress. Visitors are guaranteed a close view of the lions in most instances. This activity is unique and also assists in data collection for research projects.

Fishing

Visitors can fish in the Zambezi River and experience the excitement of hooking large fish for the pot. Half of the joy is experiencing the quiet, solitude and beauty of the unspoiled bush around you.

Game Drives

Usually most rewarding in the early morning and late afternoon. Long Pool is often worth visiting soon after sunrise.

Amenities

The Park is generally remote and far from any business centre. The nearest shops and fuel supplies are nearly 100 kilometres away, therefore visitors should be fully equipped for their visit.

Why Visit Mana Pools?

• The unique guided and self-guided walks in the Park amongst many wild animals
• Renowned ”World Heritage Site”
• One of the world’s wildest and preserved natural ecological areas
• Rated the 5th Best Park in Africa by Getaway magazine (September 2003)
• Excellent canoeing and river fishing
• The remnant pools of the mighty Zambezi River are a marvel to watch as a prime habitat for several bird and mamal species

How to get to Mana Pools National Park

Mana Pools is a truly remote park. Situated in the extreme north of Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River, Mana is far from any major town or human settlement. Drive along the main Harare/ Chirundu tarred road and at the bottom of the Zambezi Escarpment, branch off the tarred road onto a dirt road that will take you 70 kilometres into unspoiled bush to Nyamepi Camp. There are a number of game-viewing roads that run along the Zambezi River and further inland from which you can view the wide variety of wildlife. Visitors can get a free entry permit to enter the Nyamautsi wilderness area and Kanga Pan where vehicle entry is limited to 2 per day.

UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site

Lion & Cheetah Park

The Lion & Cheetah Park is situated near Lake Chivero, a half an hour’s drive outside Harare. We are a sanctuary for lions, cheetahs, the oldest and largest galapagos tortoise in Zimbabwe and a wide variety of other animals.

How to get there

23 km Peg , Bulawayo Road – toward Norton
Turn LEFT at Snake World , follow the dirt road over the rail way track up to Lion and Cheetah Park …

Come and enjoy a relaxed day …
Secure Parking at the Kiosk where you can purchase refreshments or pick a small snack meal from our Kiosk …
In the enclosures near the kiosk you will find Lions, Cheetahs and other animals.
Go on a Game Drive through the Park where you will be able to spot our herds of Zebra , Impala , Wildebeest and more ….
Drive Through Lion Enclosure – where you can drive around at your leisure and get a close look of our resident Pride relaxing under the shade of a tree or sunbathing on the rocks …
YOU MUST REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES THROUGH THIS ENCLOSURE WITH YOUR WINDOWS UP !!