Camelthorn Lodge
Highlights
- Rhino on the doorstep: Camelthorn Lodge sits inside the Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary, where guests can track the resident rhinos Thusa and Kusasa with the sanctuary team.
- Ngamo Plains game viewing: Camelthorn Lodge is a five-minute drive from a private gate into Hwange National Park, and the Ngamo Plains are one of the park's most productive stretches for elephant, buffalo, sable, lion and wild dog.
- The Look-up hide: Camelthorn Lodge guests can sit in an underground photographic hide at a Hwange waterhole, at elephant-foot level, camouflaged as a termite mound beneath an ancient tree.
- Night drives and walks: Camelthorn Lodge runs night drives and guided walking safaris as well as morning, afternoon and full-day game drives.
- 80 m² Forest Villas: Camelthorn Lodge has only eight double-storey villas for a maximum of 20 guests, and four of them have private plunge pools.
Information
- Lodge type: Community-owned safari lodge
- Location: Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary, Tsholotsho, on the southern border of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
- Lodge size: 8 Forest Villas (maximum 20 guests)
- Recommended stay: 3–5 nights
- Malaria risk: Yes — Hwange is a malaria area; take prophylaxis, with the highest risk from November to April
- Getting there: Victoria Falls 265 km (225 km tar plus 40 km 4x4), about 5 hours by road; Bulawayo 238 km, about 4 hours by road; about 1 hour by light aircraft from either to Bomani airstrip
Camelthorn Safari Lodge Offers Up Phenomenal Game Viewing In A Remote Corner Of Hwange National Park
Camelthorn Lodge is an eight-villa safari lodge in the Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary on the southern border of Hwange National Park, five minutes from a private gate onto the famous Ngamo Plains. The lodge stands in a forest of camelthorn acacias on Tsholotsho communal land. Local people built it on their own land, and it is one of the largest community-based tourism projects in Zimbabwe. Fees from every stay support local healthcare, schools and clean water.
Camelthorn Lodge is built around game viewing. Mornings and afternoons are spent on the Ngamo Plains, full days go deeper into southern Hwange, and after dark there are night drives. Between drives there are walks with an armed guide, time in the sunken Look-up hide, rhino tracking in the sanctuary, and visits to Ngamo village and school. Hwange's pans shrink from July to October and draw huge herds of elephant and buffalo to the pumped waterholes. From November to April the plains turn green and fill with migrant birds.
Camelthorn Lodge comes highly recommended by us here at Uyaphi.com. It offers rhino, the Ngamo Plains and a community-owned lodge in one stay, which is a rare combination in Hwange.
Rooms and Suites
Camelthorn Lodge has eight double-storey Forest Villas of 80 m² each. Three have king-size beds and five have two double beds. On the ground floor, a large bedroom and lounge open through sliding glass doors onto the forest. The en-suite bathroom has a soaking tub and a walk-in shower. A spiral staircase leads up to a canopy-level balcony with hammocks, and four of the villas have a private plunge pool on the upper balcony.
Villa amenities include:
- Ceiling fans
- Fireplace
- Stocked minibar
- Coffee and tea
- Hairdryer
- Mosquito net and repellent
- Emergency whistle and air horn
- Electronic safe
- Mobile LED lamp
- Bathrobes
- Daily laundry
Cuisine and Wine
Camelthorn Lodge serves three meals a day, cooked from fresh ingredients sourced locally wherever possible. Meals are served in the fireside dining room or around the firepit under the camelthorn tree. Soft drinks, beers, house wines and local spirits are included in the rate. Special dietary requirements are catered for with advance notice.
Facilities
Camelthorn Lodge's main area is a stone building with a high thatch roof. It is built in a U-shape around an ancient camelthorn tree and looks out over the Hwange bushveld. Inside are a dining room with open fireplaces, two lounges and an open-fronted bar, and outside there is a firepit. The lodge runs entirely on solar power. There is WiFi in the main area and mobile phone reception, and spa treatments can be arranged on request.
Activities
Camelthorn Lodge activities include:
- Morning and afternoon game drives on the Ngamo Plains
- Full-day game drives into southern Hwange National Park
- Night drives
- Guided walking safaris
- The Look-up underground photographic hide
- Rhino tracking in the Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary
- Ngamo village visits
- School tours
Child Friendly
Camelthorn Lodge welcomes families with children aged 7 and over. Children under 7 are accepted only by special arrangement: parents sign a disclaimer, and the family books a private game-drive vehicle and dines privately. Children share a villa with their parents, and a villa with two double beds suits a family of four.
Camelthorn Lodge Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Camelthorn Lodge in Hwange National Park?
Camelthorn Lodge is in the Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary on communal land in Tsholotsho District, Zimbabwe, on the southern border of Hwange National Park. A private gate into the park is five minutes' drive from the lodge, and the Ngamo Plains, one of southern Hwange's best game-viewing areas, are just beyond it. The eight-villa lodge was built by the local community on community land.
Is Camelthorn Lodge in a malaria area?
Camelthorn Lodge is in a malaria area. Hwange National Park, like most of Zimbabwe outside Harare and Bulawayo, carries a malaria risk, and the risk is highest in the rainy season from November to April. Travellers should take antimalarial tablets prescribed by a doctor or travel clinic. At the lodge, use the mosquito nets and repellent provided in every villa.
How do you get to Camelthorn Lodge?
Camelthorn Lodge is about one hour by light aircraft from Victoria Falls or Bulawayo, landing at Bomani airstrip; the transfer from Bomani is included in the rate. By road, Victoria Falls is 265 km and about five hours away, the last 40 km on a 4x4 track. Bulawayo is 238 km and about four hours away. A road-and-rail option via Dete Station is also available.
When is the best time to visit Camelthorn Lodge?
Camelthorn Lodge is at its best for big game from July to October. In the dry season, Hwange's natural pans dry up and elephant, buffalo and predators gather at the pumped waterholes. From November to April the Ngamo Plains turn green and migrant birds arrive, which suits birders and photographers who want fewer vehicles. Three to five nights is recommended.
Can children stay at Camelthorn Lodge?
Camelthorn Lodge accepts children aged 7 and over. Children under 7 are allowed only by special arrangement: parents sign a disclaimer, and the family books a private game-drive vehicle and dines privately. Children share a Forest Villa with their parents. The villas with two double beds suit families, and all villas have 80 m² of space over two floors.
Can you see rhino at Camelthorn Lodge?
Camelthorn Lodge sits inside the Ngamo Rhino Sanctuary on Hwange National Park's southern border, so guests can see rhino. The sanctuary protects resident rhinos, including Thusa and Kusasa, and guests can track them with the sanctuary team. Rhino are rarely seen elsewhere in Hwange, which makes the sanctuary one of the best places in the park for a reliable rhino sighting.
Book Your Camelthorn Lodge Safari With Uyaphi.com
Camelthorn Lodge gives you three of Hwange's best experiences from one base: the Ngamo Plains five minutes from the gate, rhino in the sanctuary around you, and the Look-up hide at elephant-foot level. With only eight villas, the lodge never feels crowded, and every night you stay helps pay for the clinic, the school and the water supply in the community that built it. For big game, go between July and October, when the dry season draws Hwange's elephant herds to the waterholes. For green landscapes, birds and fewer vehicles, go from November to April.
Three to five nights at Camelthorn Lodge fits easily after a stay at Victoria Falls, a one-hour flight away, or before continuing to Botswana. Uyaphi.com has been planning tailor-made African safaris since 1999, and in 27 years we have learned how Hwange changes from month to month and which lodges suit which travellers. Tell us your dates and the kind of safari you have in mind, and we will build a Zimbabwe itinerary around Camelthorn Lodge, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges.
Rates from US$ 565.00 Per person per night
Camelthorn Lodge Rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollar
*Rates may vary according to season
- Accommodation
- Guided game activities
- All meals
- Soft drinks, beers, wines and local spirits
- Laundry
- Transfers from Bomani Airstrip
- All flights
- Visas
- All other transfers
- Optional wildlife and cultural activities
- Items of a personal nature
- Top shelf alcohol
- Travel insurance
Book This Zimbabwe Lodge Now
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