Hwange Lodges

Bomani Tented Lodge sits on its own 5000-acre private reserve right on the edge of Hwange National Park, and it makes full use of the space. You can head out on a game drive, walk with an armed guide, or ride, which is still the quietest way I know to get close to plains game. Come in summer and the birding is superb, with the bush green and the migrants back. It suits families and couples equally well, and the welcome is warm without ever being fussy.

Bumbusi Wilderness Camp is built of stone and thatch in the rocky north of Hwange National Park, a part of the park that sees far fewer vehicles than the south. The chalets sit low in the landscape, so you notice the view long before you notice the buildings. This is walking country, and Bumbusi's guides make the most of it, taking guests out on foot to read the ground and approach game the old-fashioned way. It's a camp for people who came for the bush rather than the bar.

Camelthorn Lodge takes its name from the camelthorn woodland it stands in, just outside Hwange National Park on the edge of the Ngamo Plains. It's a lovely setting and one of my favourites in this corner of Zimbabwe. Two things set it apart. The first is riding: a Hwange horseback safari puts you among the plains game with no engine noise at all. The second is the pump run, an all-day game drive deep into the park, and as good a day out in Hwange as you'll find anywhere.

Camp Chitubu is a tented camp inside Hwange National Park, run with a light environmental touch and a real sense of place. The tented suites look out over wild country, and the game drives head towards Mandavu Dam, where elephants gather in numbers that are hard to believe until you see them for yourself. Keep your eyes open on the way. African wild dog move through this area, and a sighting of a hunting pack is the kind of thing that makes a whole trip.

Camp Hwange sits on a private concession in the Sinamatella area of Hwange National Park, some of the finest wildlife country in southern Africa. The camp overlooks a waterhole that never seems to have an off hour, and elephants and a steady stream of other game come in to drink whatever the season. Guides here walk as well as drive, which in the broken Sinamatella hills is a real treat. For serious safari travellers, this is one of the first camps we suggest in Hwange.

Daka Plains Camp is a tented camp inside Hwange National Park, with well-furnished suites and plenty of privacy between them. The real point of it, though, is what happens outside the tent. Days are split between game drives and guided walks, and night drives show you the side of Hwange most visitors never see, once the nocturnal animals start moving. It's a fine choice for travellers who want proper safari time and a comfortable bed at the end of it.

Davisons Camp is a classic tented camp in the Linkwasha Concession, in the south-east of Hwange National Park, where the game is at its densest in the dry season. The camp has a front-row seat on a busy waterhole that stays active day and night, with elephant herds coming in through the dry months and superb birdlife around the water. The name has history too: it's shared with Ted Davison, the warden who first pumped water to Hwange's pans. Few camps show you so clearly how this park works.

Deteema Springs Camp sits right beside Deteema Dam in the north of Hwange National Park, and the view from camp is mostly elephants. They come down to drink in family groups through the day, with plenty of other game in between. The real draw, though, is walking. Deteema's guides are licensed to walk armed, and exploring this rocky northern country on foot, with an expert reading the ground ahead of you, is one of the finest walking safaris in Zimbabwe.

Khulu Bush Camp stands on the edge of Hwange National Park, with exclusive safari suites and service that feels personal from the first evening. Game drives head into the park, so you get Hwange's wildlife by day and a calm, friendly camp to come back to at night. The campfire is where the day gets retold, usually at length and with some embellishment. It's a very easy camp to like, and a relaxed way into one of Zimbabwe's great parks.

Wilderness Linkwasha Camp lies in the south-east of Hwange National Park, in the open plains country where the park's game gathers most thickly in the dry season. It's a beautifully designed camp that never lets the design upstage the setting. Mornings are for long game drives across the plains, afternoons for doing very little in great comfort, and evenings for a drink under an enormous sky. It's one of the finest camps in Hwange, and one we recommend without hesitation.

Little Makalolo is a six-tent camp inside Hwange National Park, and it feels about as remote as anywhere in the park. It stands on raised ground above the Makalolo Plains, so the view runs a long way and you often spot game well before it reaches camp. The design is thoughtful and the comfort genuine, but the real luxury here is solitude. For travellers who prefer a small camp and a quiet evening to a busy lodge, Little Makalolo is very hard to beat.

Hideaways Nantwich Lodge sits in the north-west of Hwange National Park, run with an eye on its environmental footprint and a comfortable, unfussy style that suits the bush around it. Game drives explore this quieter side of the park, and guided bush walks slow everything down, so you notice the tracks, birds and small things that get missed from a vehicle. It's a good base for travellers who like their comforts but came for the wilderness, well away from the busier corners of Hwange.

Nehimba Lodge sits on its own private concession inside Hwange National Park, and the wildlife and birding here stay strong right through the year. Evenings are the highlight. The lodge overlooks a waterhole that Hwange's elephants use heavily, and as the light fades the herds come in close, sometimes remarkably close. Sitting quietly with a drink while they drink too is one of the best evenings you can spend in Zimbabwe, and exactly why we send guests here.

Somalisa Acacia is the small sister of Somalisa Camp, with just four tented suites inside Hwange National Park. That size makes it a natural fit for families and for groups who want the camp to themselves. Days follow a proper safari rhythm of game drives, guided walks and quiet hours by the elephant pool, watching the herds come in to drink. Intimate, relaxed and properly wild, it's a lovely way to see Hwange with the people you came with.

Somalisa Camp is the flagship of the three Somalisa camps in Hwange National Park, and it earns the title. The tented suites are stylish and comfortable, the pool is a gift in the heat of the day, and the deck looks straight onto the water where the elephants come to drink. It strikes that difficult balance between real luxury and a proper bush-camp feel. If you want Hwange's wildlife with a very high standard of comfort, this is one of the best places to have it.

Somalisa Expeditions is the lighter of the three Somalisa camps: six tented suites, a lower rate, and the same guiding team and the same country to explore. It looks out across a floodplain to a lively waterhole, so there's nearly always something to watch between drives. Comfort and service are still very good, but the feel is closer to a traditional safari camp. It's a smart choice for travellers who want Somalisa's guiding and wildlife at a gentler price.

The Hide sits in Hwange National Park and caters equally well to couples, families and anyone who simply wants a very comfortable safari. Its photographic hides bring you close to the animals, for pictures you'd never get from the seat of a vehicle. For the more adventurous, a bush sleep-out under the Hwange sky is the kind of night that stays with you. The service is polished throughout, and it adds up to one of the most complete safari stays in the park.

Verney's Camp sits on a private concession in a remote corner of Hwange National Park that few visitors ever reach. The luxury tents look out over open plains, and the quiet is the first thing guests notice. There's real comfort and charm here, but the wilderness sets the tone rather than the furnishings. Long game drives, unhurried sundowners and nights full of bush sounds make it a wonderful choice for travellers who want Hwange at its most untouched.