Vundu Camp lies amongst a grove of ebony and tamarind trees on the banks of the Zambezi River. The surrounding landscape is made up of game-rich flood plains interspersed with oxbow lakes, the remnants of old meanders of the Zambezi River.
Vundu Camp is a small bush camp with a good reputation. It's owned and run by two extremely knowledgeable locals, Nick and Desiree Murray, who are well-respected within the industry. Both are qualified 'Zim-Pro' guides (meaning they've earned perhaps the most prestigious game-guiding qualification in Africa) and on our last visit to Vundu Camp, Nick was able to guide a member of the Expert Africa team to crawl to within a few meters of a pack of wild dogs, something only achievable thanks to his exceptional experience and guiding skill.
Nick has a degree in Zoology and Wildlife Management, and started guiding in Matusadona National Park in 1988, earning his Pro guides' licence in 1991. He has been working with wildlife ever since, including substantial time spent capturing and translocating game, Nick even spent a while cattle ranching and ostrich farming! Since 1997 he has spent most of his time canoeing the Zambezi River, and guiding in Mana Pools.
Vundu Camp has seven large tented chalets. There is also a family chalet available which contains two double beds, one of which can be removed and the chalet made into a honeymoon suite when needed. Large wooden beams in each chalet support a high thatched roof with canvas walls and shade mesh windows. The chalets are simple in design and basic in layout but comfortable and clean with very secure mosquito nets covering each bed. A canvas set of chairs and a wooden table provides a small lounge area in each chalet and a shelving unit supplies storage space.
Each room has an open-air private en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet and hot and cold shower. The wash basins are made from decorative pottery created by Desiree herself. The bathrooms are spacious and, despite being open air, canvas walls provide a great deal of privacy. Overhanging vines and branches from the surrounding bush also make for a nice touch.
Vundu Camp has a large communal area at its centre. This double-storied wooden structure houses the bar, the dining table and an elevated lounge area complete with comfortable cushioned chairs and excellent views towards the adjacent Zambezi. This is a great place in which to relax; there is a small library and a tea and coffee station is kept well supplied throughout the day. Situated on the ground floor at the front of this communal area is a sandy stretch of ground overlooking the river with an old ebony tree protruding off to one side and a fire place, which is lit every night, providing a centre piece where drinks are taken before and after dinner.
When taking into account Vundu Camp's exquisite location it isn't surprising to find that Activities here really try to utilise the Zambezi to its full extent. All of the guides at Vundu hold canoe guiding qualifications and have a great deal of experience on local waters. Canoe trips can be organised starting from Ruckomechi and finishing back at Vundu or can be launched from camp to Muncheni further downstream. 4WD game drives and walks are also offered at Vundu, these take place in the camps own concession which spans a radius of approximately 3-4km around Vundu but can (and often do) expand further into the Mana Pools National Park. Walking safaris are also offered at Vundu Camp.
In conclusion… Vundu Camp comes with few pretences and doesn't exude the same luxurious safari chic that many other lodges and camps claim. However, in terms of quality of experience and hospitality, this is one of the finest camps in Mana Pools, if not Zimbabwe. The game in this area of the national park is great and the location of Vundu Camp means that it stands amidst a thoroughfare of animals moving between the river and the dryer grazing areas south of the Zambezi. Nick and Desiree give Vundu a very personal touch which coupled with some exceptional resident and free-lance guiding makes Vundu Camp well worth a visit.
Lodge overview
Lodge type: Safari
No. of bedrooms: 7 tents
Season: April to November
Ideal length of stay: We recommend a 3-4 night stay as ideal at Vundu Camp. There is a wide range of activities here, and most travellers could happily spend 2-3 days just walking here.
Directions: Accessing Mana Pools isn't always easy, but there are two obvious ways to get to this remote camp:
A flight into Mana Pools airstrip.
A road transfer from Lusaka via Chirundu.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer
Key personnel
Owner: Nick and Desiree Murray
Staff: Nick and Desiree use top-notch 'Zim Pro' free-lance guides on an ad hoc basis. A group will normally have one guide for their entire trip.
Food & drink
Usual board basis: Full Board
Dining style: Group Meals
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Room service: No
Cost of meal e.g. lunch: Included
Drinks included: All drinks are included.
Special interests
Birdwatching: Vundu's location in the deep, shady riparian forest beside the Zambezi River means that there are birds around camp constantly. Look out for bee-eater colonies and a variety of kingfishers on river trips, and plenty of raptors inland. Expect your birding questions to be answered with ease by the knowledgeable guides.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for birdwatching in Zimbabwe
Walking safaris: Mana Pools is a top destination for walking safaris. Its environment is very open, giving good visibility under a canopy of tall, old trees – and walkers can often get surprisingly close to some of the most relaxed old bull elephants in Africa. The focus at Vundu Camp is squarely on the guiding, with owners who are both first-rate professional guides.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for walking safaris in Zimbabwe
Children
Attitude towards children: Flexible
Age restrictions: Vundu Camp welcomes children aged 10 years and older (flexible).
Generally recommended for children: With some caution, we can recommend Vundu Camp for older and more mature children over 10 – largely because Nick and Desiree have their own children, who also spend some time in camp, and so are very understanding of the needs and interests of children on safari.
Notes: This is a very open safari camp and dangerous game is likely to pass through. Children must be under parental supervision at all times.
Central communications
Power supply: Generator
Communications: The camp has two satellite phones, one of which is is taken on canoe safaris. All game-viewing vehicles have two-way radios.
TV & radio: None
Health & safety
Malarial area: Yes
Medical care: There is an English doctor on stand-by in Harare. All guides have first aid qualifications.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Fire safety: There is a fire extinguisher by the bar.
Vundu Camp review
Vundu was a great experience from a wildlife and guiding point of view. Having not visited Zimbabwe for 11 years, it was amazing to find that our guide at Vundu was Mark, who we had last met when he ...
Vundu Camp review
Excellent location and guiding. Amazing to walk up to lions, wild dogs and very large elephants.
A very different safari experience with the guides also doing the hosting in camp, this enabled us ...
Vundu Camp review
Thank you very much for putting our minds at rest about travelling to Zimbabwe. We had the most amazing 3 days at Vundu camp. Our accommodation was very comfortable with en suite open-roofed bathrooms...
We want you to understand more about Vundu Camp. We're also confident that a trip there with us cost you the same or less than booking it any other way, even directly. So follow the links below.
Vundu Camp's homepage This is Vundu Camp's main page on the Bushlife Safaris website, who own and run the camp.
