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Swenglishnick & Zimgirl
GB
Visited:
December 2007
Reviewed: Oct 10, 2011
Email Swenglishnick & Zimgirl | 35-50 years of age
Enjoying a great park on a budget
We visited Hwange in December which is a little far into the rainy season to see the most animals. The best time to visit is in September when the water holes are great places to spot the wide range of animals in the park.
We stayed in the rustic National Parks cottages which, even in the middle of shortages that were affecting Zimbabwe, were great places to stay and very cost-effective.
We did not have a 4x4 but found there to be ample routes around the park for a normal 2 wheel drive car. We saw a wide selection of antelope, giraffe, cheetah and zebra. We were sad to miss out on the elephants but they had disappeared off into the bush because of the rains. We also got great views of the Black Rhino at the nearby Hwange Safari Lodge.
When we were not self-driving, we went on some excellent guided drives with extremely knowledgeable local guides.
At that time of year, the birding was excellent and could fill in the periods when the larger game was not visible.
bastian birk
DE
Visited:
September 1996
Reviewed: Dec 4, 2011
Email bastian birk | 50-65 years of age
If you're into bush vibe, this park is a great destination; not so much so if you're into wildlife.
Hwange National Park is quite a large national park, which gives off a really nice bush vibe since it is definitely not overrun with tourists at all, neither in minibuses or private vehicles. Due to the vegetation of rather dense miombo woodland, you can see wildlife practically only at the many waterholes; safaris consist therefore of driving from waterhole to waterhole. Due to the overpopulation of elephants you'll see a lot of these! It seems the mismanagement of Zimbabwe by the current regime has had a surprisingly limited influence on the park in terms of wildlife. Conclusion: if you're into bush vibe, Hwange National Park is a great destination; not so much so if you're into scenic beauty or wildlife.
Alison
AU
Visited:
January 2012
Reviewed: Jun 11, 2012
Email Alison | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was amazing, everything as I imagined an African safari would be.
We spent two days at Ivory Lodge, on the first day they took us to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre. At the centre they has 3 rehabilitating dogs and its a place were they take local schools to educate the children and visitors about the plight of the Painted Dogs. Its very rare to see Painted Dogs in the wild so being able to just see some who one day will again be wild was wow. That afternoon we went on a sunset game drive in Hwange and we actually saw real
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Painted Dogs, so that was my unexpected highlight of the trip, we also saw a breeding herd of Elephants, Buffalo, lots of birds and a cheetah.On the second day we spent on a whole day game drive, and saw much of the same animals, as well as three lions, and we ran into another herd of elephants they were so close you could have touched them and they weren't afraid they just checked us out and kept eating.
We went during the rainy season, but thankfully it didn't rain, but the park was all green and in full bloom, it was some of the best scenery in Zimbabwe. Our guide were all locals and new everything and always had an answer to our questions.
I would definetely go back it was an amazing couple of days
Simone
US
Visited:
January 2008
Reviewed: Sep 26, 2011
20-35 years of age
The best safari experience I had in Africa
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
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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.
Tami L. Wendell
Visited:
April 2012
Reviewed: Aug 6, 2012
The Africa of my dreams.
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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.
BrianIron
GB
Visited:
November 2016
Reviewed: Apr 26, 2017
Email BrianIron | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
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.
CharlesGangas Photography
US
Visited:
March 2016
Reviewed: Mar 28, 2016
Email CharlesGangas Photography | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
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.
deasibeau
AU
Visited:
August 2015
Reviewed: Dec 11, 2015
Email deasibeau | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hwange is definitely a good place to visit. Thouroughly enjoyed our stay.
We stayed at Little Makalolo camp. Our guide, Mike was excellent and the staff at Little Mak were terrific. We had a great time there. The camp is near a waterhole where there is a hide and we had some wonderful experiences viewing elephant and buffalo very close. What great photo opportunities that was. The food was good, accommodation excellent. One of the highlights was viewing lions being chased by elephant. We also saw a herd of Sable - not always easy to find. Definitely recommend Little Makalolo and Hwange National Park.
Most of the game was at the watring holes.
We did not see as much game driving around as we saw in other parks. possibly because Zimbabwe allows hunting. However, at the watering holes there was a large concentration of animals and birds. There were some rock outcroppings that added variety to the scenery, which for the most part was dry and flat. The accommodations were especially nice at Kashawe Camp, probably the best out of the four camps we visited. The food was very good, and we had nice sunny weather with cool nights. Our guides were excellent, very friendly and very knowledgeable. The people at the camp and the guides certainly make a visit to this camp a valuable experience..
Bruce Monroe
US
Visited:
March 2015
Reviewed: Apr 30, 2015
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hwange provided wide open spaces with no other people in sight and only animals as far as we could see.
The accommodations, service and food at Davidson's Camp were superlative. It was more like staying in a fine hotel than in a camp. I have never been so comfortable while being so close to nature. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. When we asked to spend a little longer time at certain places, rather than constantly moving, it was not a problem. The enthusiasm of the staff seemed to reflect a genuine appreciation of the wildlife around them and their dedication to preserving it. At the end of the rainy season the grass was tall and it may have made it a bit more difficult to spot some of the animals, but everything was green and lush providing a beautiful background for what we saw. We saw plenty. We kept returning to one watering hole for sundowners that was surrounded by open savannah with grazing animals all around us as far as we could see. The elephants parading by us in large groups never got boring.