Hwange National Park

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.

A great ' Bush ' experience. I saw many Lions and lots of Elephants.

My intro to Hwange was a chase of an impala by 2 Cape Hunting Dogs as we drove into the park. How can you beat seeing a coordinated hunt and kill by one of the most rare predators in Africa?!