Reviews of safaris to Hwange National Park
We have always listened to our travellers, and now you can learn from them also. Below are links to feedback from recent trips - these are their views, not ours! See what they think of us, and about our trips to Africa:
"Our trip to Zimbabwe October 2018"
We are big fans of Zambia because of the excellent walking but we liked the combination of walk and drives we experienced in Zimbabwe.
Mana Pools was busier than Hwange, which was very quiet. In Mana Pools, it is strange to see people walking in the park without guides. In Hwange it was wonderful to be away from tsetses and mosquitos." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Our Hwange safari 2018"
An added bonus was that our guide, Andrew Dalziel, was with us from start to finish and for all of our days in the park, there was just him and us - which made it a very personal trip.
His knowledge and humour was fantastic, we enjoyed our daily bush walks probably covering around 25km in the six days, and we learnt new things everyday. We got very close to elephants on a number of occasions through Andrew’s skills and he was ably assisted by Felix, one of the very long serving camp staff.
Although the animals are skittish in this park, this did not detract from our overall enjoyment. We also spotted over 135 different birds in just six days, with the most varied number of raptors we have seen in an area for a long time. There has been a lot of work undertaken on renovating water pumps in the park, with lots of new solar pumps. This means that all animals have ready access to water in most areas, which does lead to it being harder to spot the animals but certainly didn’t make our experience any less enjoyable.
The camp staff were fantastic - both in the bush camp and during the fly camping. You did not feel that anything was too much trouble at any point, whether it be breakfast in the morning, hot water for a shower or coffee after dinner. Guides and camp staff worked well together and it almost felt like being part of a family for six days.
We did not expect a guide to ourselves for the trip - as we were the only guests for the first two nights, and the only guests going fly camping, this may well have been the reason why. We felt extremely lucky to have Andrew with us - albeit that we were surprised not to have the guides mentioned on Expert Africa’s pages - very much our gain, just not what we had expected.
In many respects, this has been one of our most enjoyable safaris - we may not have seen as many mammals as in other places but the variety of birds, ability to get so close to nature and quality of guiding, alongside the friendliness of the camp staff, all made for an excellent trip. We would strongly recommend this. We feel sure any site chosen for the new camp will be as good because the people will make it so." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Sep 2018 trip to Zimbabwe "
Everything else was superb." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Our Zimbabwe safari"
We were surprised at the high number of elephants in Hwange, but it was explained by the guides that there are very few permanent, natural water sources and those that are there are mainly man-made. They are maintained and water is pumped permanently which means the elephants do not need to migrate to Botswana during the dry season but can stay in Zimbabwe year round and are breeding very prolifically.
Seeing white rhinos in the wild was fantastic and the reason we chose to visit Zimbabwe so we weren't disappointed.
All 3 camps were very comfortable in their own ways and all very different from each other. it was a pleasure to stay at each of them. Ilala Lodge was a wonderful start to our holiday.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
It may be a good idea to recommend at least 3 nights at Amalinda if visitors would like to see cave paintings and visit World's End. We hadn't realised we wouldn't have time to do both." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Absolutely memorable holiday"
We really enjoyed our short stay in Victoria Falls and then Hwange National Park proved to be a really excellent safari location, where we saw all the wildlife we hoped to see, and appreciated the professionalism of the guides." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zimbabwe safari
"My Sep 2018 trip"
We always have a wonderful time in Africa. We would not consider a beach holiday again.
Keep up the good work Expert Africa and a special thank you to Claire Scott for all the help she gives when arranging out holidays.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Just keep up the good work. Thank you." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Zimbabwe is well worth visiting"
Freddie responded well to our request to select camps primarily for the quality of their guides. The camps were all of high quality and each had unique experiences, and great, knowledgable and experienced guides.
It is pleasing to see each camp supporting their local communities and doing their best to protect the wildlife and prevention of poaching. Clearly they are managing despite the current political and economic crises facing the country and are well worth supporting.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We like the fact that we can chat to your reps and you make suggestions to help us choose camps and locations based on our past experiences with you and don’t simply refer us to your website or brochures so the trip is truly tailored to our wishes." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Our August-Sept 2018 Zimbabwe Safari"
Everything was as expected and described, with 2 minor exceptions: our transfer from Batonka Guest Lodge was to arrive at 8 am, giving us time to have breakfast at 7 am, but he arrived at 7 am, so there was a bit of a rush. I would have preferred to know this in advance.
The other exception was certainly to our advantage: apparently the road transfer from Hwange Bush Camp to Somalisa Expeditions is not a comfortable journey, so the owner of Hwange Bush Camp arranged for us to fly, and we were told he covered the cost on his own. He has apparently communicated this to agents (including Expert Africa).
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not much to suggest, only this: perhaps consider updating the general description of Zimbabwe, as a lot has changed in the last year. You should know that when we mentioned we had booked with you, many other travellers (and some of the camp staff) said "oh, they have an excellent website". Thank you." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zimbabwe safari
"Victoria Falls and Camp Hwange"
"Trip of a lifetime - but hopefully not!"
From the moment we got off the plane in Lusaka, and were met by a driver, to the moment we were dropped back at Victoria Falls airport on our last day, the trip exceeded our expectations.
With the number of connections, hotels, drivers, activities etc that we built in, we were expecting complications and disasters, but every single thing happened smoothly, exactly as we were told it would.
We can't thank Lucy enough!!
Given the overall trip, we would return to Mwaleshi and Tafika. We probably wouldn't return to Davisons Camp or to Victoria Falls.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Everything went really well. We were very happy.
Thank you so much for everything you did.
We can't recommend your services highly enough!" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zambia safari
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Inspire meWhere to stay in Hwange
Our suggestions for safari camps in Hwange National Park
Camp Hwange
Overlooking a waterhole in a remote part of Hwange National Park, Camp Hwange offers great guiding in a pristine wilderness at reasonable prices.
Somalisa Camp
Somalisa is a luxurious, yet remote, safari camp in Hwange National Park, offering walking safaris and game drives.
The Hide
Located in a small, private concession, The Hide is a relaxed and comfortable camp offering submerged hides and great family accommodation.
Hwange Bush Camp
Hwange Bush Camp is a small seasonal camp offering comfortable tents, great food, and superb guiding, and is often used by exclusive groups.
Little Makalolo Camp
Tucked away in Hwange National Park overlooking a waterhole, Little Makalolo Camp combines top guiding with excellent wildlife watching.
Somalisa Expeditions
A simple but stylish camp, Somalisa Expeditions sits in the heart of Hwange National Park, offering walking safaris and game drives.
Davison's Camp
Within the Linkwasha Concession, Davison's Camp offers superb value for money, morning walking safaris and spot-lit drives after dark.
Bomani Tented Lodge
Bomani is a down-to-earth lodge with a range of activities in a remote region of western Zimbabwe, adjacent to Hwange National Park.
Nehimba Lodge
Nehimba is a comfortable, good-value camp in a remote area of Hwange National Park, teeming with wildlife.
Verney's Camp
Verney's Camp is one of the newest offerings in Hwange, located in the wildlife rich, open landscape in the south-eastern section of the park.
Khulu Bush Camp
Just outside Hwange National Park, Khulu Bush Camp features a waterhole popular with wildlife, especially elephants and offers excellent value for money.
Linkwasha Camp
In its own private concession within Hwange National Park, Linkwasha offers excellent wildlife sightings and luxurious surroundings.
Somalisa Acacia
Somalisa Acacia is a family-friendly, yet remote and luxurious safari camp in Hwange National Park.
Jozibanini Camp
Remote and rugged, Jozibanini is one of the most remote camps in Zimabwe's largest National Park. Stay here for a real wilderness experience.
Ivory Lodge
Just outside Hwange National Park, the small Ivory Lodge is a great place to see large herds of elephant as well as smaller plains game.
Camelthorn
Camelthorn is a stylish lodge with a range of activities in a remote region of western Zimbabwe, adjacent to Hwange National Park.
Sable Valley Lodge
Set on the 12km Dete Vlei, the recently upgraded and family-friendly Sable Valley sits in a private reserve within easy reach of Hwange National Park.
Deteema Springs Camp
Nestled deep in Hwange National Parks rugged northern sector, Deteema Springs Camp promises visitors an authentic bush camp experience.
Daka Camp
One of the most remote camps in Hwange National Park, Daka Camp, like the smaller Daka Expeditions, sits almost on the border with Botswana.
Khulu's Retreat
Just outside Hwange National Park, Khulu's Retreat is an exclusive private villa and is a great place to spoil yourself on a safari in Zimbabwe.
Camp Chitubu
Nestled in the rugged north of Hwange National Park, the unpretentious yet comfortable Camp Chitubu has a strong focus on excellent guiding.
Tum Tum
The Tum Tum Treehouses are due to open in late 2025. Details on this exciting development are still scarce, so watch this space.
