Hwange National Park

It was amazing, everything as I imagined an African safari would be.

We stayed at Ivory Lodge, which is on the border to Hwange National Park, I was a part of a tour group so we camped, but some of my fellow travelers upgraded into the tree houses and they said it was some of the best accommodation of the trip. At Ivory Lodge they have a water hole with a hide, so we spent most of the night watching for what would come to the water hole. We saw a herd of greater kudu and two bull elephants, the elephants were so close you could hear them breathing it was one of the best moments of my trip.
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 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

Hwange is absolutely beautiful with good roads and accommodation, but giving you that exclusive bush hideaway. We have been sitting at the hides on our own for hours just watching the wildlife. Lots of elephants to be seen. Discovered best places to see them is at the waterholes from the platforms/hides. The heat makes the animals come to drink all through the day. Nyamandhlovu Platform is a prime game viewing area at a pumped water hole. We took excellent photo's here. We stayed in selfcatering lodge at Main Camp and had excellent dinners at the restaurant. Te park covers vast areas and one has to be prepared to take food along each day and lots of water. Fill up with petrol/ gas when you can. Excellent curios /art pieces to buy on the road to Hwange from Victoria Falls.

The animal viewing in Hwange was excellent - the best of the trip - and the accomodations were very comfortable.

It was my first experience and it was really good, but I have no reference what so ever, so it's hard to say, how good it really is. We saw 4 of the BIG 5 and a lot more, and that is the main reason you're there, right!? ;-)

We didn't bush drive at the best times of the day to spot game so it's a little hard to judge

Leon Varley Walking Safari--great, knowledgeable, friendly guide with decent accommodation and food. A treat to walk in the bush be on the same eye level with the animals.

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.

The scale is right, the place is delightful, the staff are great, the animals are abundant.

Everything about the Hide in Hwange works well. The rooms are comfortable without being unnecessarily opulent and are right for the location. The travel arrangements ( you are picked up from the Park Entrance) work really well, there is abundant game and a wide choice of excursions and drives. The staff, with whom you eat the exceptionally good food, are extremely knowledgeable and hard working. Its a rare destination and not to be missed.

A place to visit as often as possible

Wildlife - still one of the best in Africa, a huge biodiversity and geological variety, still a good place to be for the self catering enthusiast, some very experienced safari outfits offer various tours by car or on foot, good value for money!

An excellent weekend in the bush to take refuge from the 21st century

On arrival at the main lodge, we were welcomed by the friendly yet professional staff. The park was very active with wildlife including lions, elephants, hundreds of different bird species, baboons, leopards, cheetah and much more! The waterholes were amazing in the evening for those of us patient enough to wait.

Hwange is an excellent place for people of any level of interest in game to really get to grips with the animals in their large natural habitat and is so much more rewarding than seeing crowded animals in small reserves.