Hwange National Park

Absolutely one of the best National Parks in Africa

I just made my second trip to Hwange National Park in June. It was just superb again. I stayed at Little Makalolo Camp and Camp Hwange each for four nights. The wildlife viewing was just phenomenal. I saw everything from elephants to wild dogs,lions and cheetahs. I also saw plenty of roan and sable antelope.

Zimbabwe is famous for having the highest standards of guiding in Africa. I have to say that all my guides at both Little Makalolo and Camp Hwange were just superb. I also felt that both the camps I stayed at were terrific in every way.

Almost perfect but....

I saw a decent number of animals, however I was informed that I had not chosen the best time to visit the park (in june). At that time trophy hunters were operating in private concessions close to the national park. Apparently that made some animals more elusive and thus harder to spot from the safari roads inside the national parks. I was assured that this was only a temporary issue and that animals would come out into the open more when the hunting season ended.
I was also informed that i visited the park during a dry spell, so some animals had migrated into Botswana. But that they would return with the rains. I saw plenty of evidence of lions in the park but they stayed out of sight. No sign of any leopards. But did see cheetahs which was nice. There were plenty of birds, elephants, antelope, hippos, crocodiles and even a honey badger. We stayed at a campsite inside the park which was one of the best i have ever camped at anywhere in Africa. The camp faced a watering hole, where we enjoyed the sunset and watched various animals enjoy a drink and bath. Then at night we had clear starry skies, the sound of night insects and various animals, including hyenas, to enjoy as we ate dinner.
Overall i can say from experience, having visited all the top wildlife parks across southern and east africa, that Hwange can be among the best of them when the conditions are right.

Beautiful park, few people, and lots of animals

Hwange is a beautiful park and the safari experience feels quite unique because there are very few cars/ people. It was usually just our car and at times one researcher. The scenery is gorgeous and I saw lots of elephants, anthelopes, birds of all kinds, zebras, giraffes, and a male lion. I feel you need a full day safari to go deep into the park and actually see the animals.

Hwange was amazing! Not at all crowded, and got to see lots of wildlife.

Huge herds of animals ... would have wanted to see rhinos though...

Hwange is a vast area and requires patience and travel over great distances to see the wildlife. There is no fencing so the animals wonder over large areas.
We prefer to get away from volumes of commercial tourism so Hwange is the ideal place for us. We love it and will return as often as we can.

Thrilling Odyssey

Hwange National Park offered wonderful opportunities to view and photograph amazing wildlife. We found eight large mammal, three of the Big Five, in just our first morning game drive. As an avian photographer on my first trip to Zimbabwe I was thrilled at the species I saw and recorded, which included Bateleur, African Fish, Wahlberg's, and Tawny Eagles. We found several species of Hornbill, and of course numerous Lilac-breasted Rollers and Southern Carmine Bee Eaters. We saw elephants, hippos, zebras, antelope, lions, and a cheetah.

Our stay at The Hide was comfortably luxurious, with excellent food and service and great views of visiting wildlife to the watering holes. The game drives were thrilling each morning and afternoon, and I was delighted with the knowledge and expertise of our safari guide, Daffy. We're planning of a return visit in the very near future.

A real wildlife experience

Hwange is a superb destination to experience a real wildlife adventure. The guiding is of an exceptional standard, the best I have experienced on a number of trips to Africa including Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania. The use of concessions allows for walking safaris which add another very enjoyable element to the experience.
I visited during November which is a season of change in Hwange, we only had one day when it rained in the 8 nights we spent in the park. 2016 was the second year of drought in southern Africa and the landscape and scenery were affected by it and clearly animals had suffered. However we saw excellent wildlife and were lucky enough to see a Leopard at the waterhole at one camp one evening.
The camps are all of a good standard with good food and service. None of the camps we stayed in were fenced so perhaps not for the nervous or first time safari.
Roads are rough so be prepared to be bounced about a bit.
Overall an unmissable destination if wildlife is your thing.

The Africa of my dreams.

In my mind, I always pictured Africa as expansive grassy plains, watering holes where animals gathered to drink, and the sun setting in a final sigh of purple and orange hues as it disappeared behind stands of acacia trees. Hwange National Park delivered all of this and more. From a pride of lions stalking unconcerned through tall grasses, to elephants wandering the park stripping leaves and branches as they passed, to the loping grace of giraffes nibbling as they moved from tree to tree, their heads rising up to survey the landscape, to the magnificent and varied species of birds, there was never a day without the breathtaking magnificence of animals in their natural environment. The abundant wildlife and diversity made daily photo safaris a much anticipated adventure. With so much to see, I’d have to remind myself to listen as well and breathe in all that Hwange National Park has to offer. The call of the birds, the rustling of the grasses, the myriad scents carried on the breezes, the thrum of insects, all made for a memorable African experience. I hated to leave. Now, whenever I think of Africa, I cry to think of what I left behind, and the images that come to mind are the treasured images from my visit to Hwange National Park.

The best safari experience I had in Africa

While I was volunteering in Africa, myself and several other volunteers took a week-long trip to Zimbabwe to go on outdoor adventures. The game drive in Hwange National Park was my personal favorite.

We saw ostriches, zebras, impala, elephants, giraffes, kudu, rhinos, but best of all were the lions. We came across lions in the midst of a hunt. It's rare for them to hunt during the day and even though we didn't witness the inevitable conclusion, it was interesting to watch from a viewpoint designed for tourists as the lions stalked and chased after zebras and impala.

Our guide was clearly very experienced and far better at spotting wildlife than any of us, but he was also endlessly patient, stopping the car for everyone to get a look at each sight. We also only encountered one other group of tourists the entire day, which added greatly to the atmosphere.

Our drive was cut a bit short by an incoming storm, but that's a risk you take in the middle of the rainy season, which I would still argue is the best time to go on safari, despite the fact that it eschews traditional logic. Also known as "the emerald season," the scenery is much more colorful, vibrant, and abundant, but finding accommodations may become somewhat more difficult. Still, it's worth a try and Hwange has a great deal more to offer than wildlife alone. Simply being there was a joy.