Your Safari at a Glance

Arrival in Victoria Falls and transfer for your scenic flight over Hwange. Sundowners & dinner with the elephants at Nehimba Lodge.

Exploring Northern Hwange

Game drives and walks exploring Northern Hwange National Park
Activity: Sundowners at the “Nehimba seeps,” a specially designated conservation area and one of the only year-round, naturally occurring water sources in the massive Hwange National Park.

Elephant Express railcar to Bomani Tented Lodge or Camelthorn Lodge

Transfer to Southern Hwange via Elephant Express game-viewing train. Accommodation at Bomani Tented Lodge, Camelthorn Lodge.

School and village visit and "Look-up" blind

Village and school visit in rural Matabeleland. On your visit to the village you will be able to gain insight into the day to day life of a rural Zimbabwean including information on thatching roofs, tilling fields, milling maize and weaving baskets. In the afternoon, head back into Hwange in search of game before making a stop for a bush lunch next to our specially built underground game-viewing blind at Stoffie’s Pan aka the "Look-up" blind, named such because its located at the water level so you'll be looking up at the elephants! After lunch, we’ll enjoy some time in the blind with snout-level viewing of thirsty elephants just feet way! In the late afternoon, we’ll continue to explore the Ngamo plains on foot and by vehicle. After sundowners, we’ll night drive back to camp, exploring the Bomani concession, looking for nocturnal species that prowl the plains after twilight.

Visit the rhino, meet the Cobras

This morning (or afternoon), you'll head to the Imvelo Ngamo Wildlife Sanctuary where you'll meet our new white rhino bulls, Thuza and Kusasa, as well as the Cobra Rangers guarding them 24/7. One of the Cobras will give a short talk describing the origins and ideas behind the formation of the Cobras unit and how they protect the rhino. as well as the future plans for our ground-breaking Community Rhino Conservation Initiative. There will be lots of photo opportunities and quality time to watch and enjoy our white rhino in their new home on the Ngamo plains!

Walking safaris are usually undertaken in the mornings or late afternoons and are conducted by a fully licensed and highly experienced armed Zimbabwean professional guide. In this remote and wild area, every walk provides fascinating insights into Hwange’s circle of life. Just before sunset, we’ll stop at a watering hole to watch the sun sink beneath the horizon before heading back to the lodge to freshen up for your delicious dinner under the brilliant stars, the Milky Way and the Southern Cross.

Full day safari to Jozibanini Camp

Enjoy an early morning tea or coffee on your veranda before a hot breakfast in the main lodge. Then grab your day pack for a full day safari or "pump run" deep into the southern part of Hwange.

Imvelo’s trademark "pump runs" combine game viewing in remote areas of the park with practical hands-on conservation helping to maintain 16+ waterholes and pumps which the wildlife rely on for water during the dry season. Many of these pumps have been converted to solar-hybrid pumps in recent years. We'll learn about the challenges of maintaining this system in conversations and hand-on activities with your guide and the pump attendants who spend the dry season living at the waterholes to keep the pumps running.

We'll also make a stop at the Makona Ranger station near Jozibanini Camp and meet some of the national park rangers who patrol in this remote corner of Hwange. We’ll arrive at our rustic and wild Jozi camp just before sundowners.

Mountain biking and walking safaris at Jozi

After breakfast over the campfire, grab your day pack and then head off on a guided mountain bike ride through the elephant paths along the inter-dune troughs around Jozibanini. These rides can be from 30 minutes around camp to a full day exploring deep into southern Hwange, depending on your energy, fitness and adventure level!

In the late afternoon, we’ll head into the underground “Look-up” blind for spectacular photographic opportunities of the wildlife, just feet away, at the Jozi waterhole.

If you’re feeling adventurous or in need of more star gazing, the beds can be rolled into the deck of the tents for an extraordinary star-bed experience gazing skyward at millions of stars in the dark Hwange sky. As one guest put it, "Jozi isn't a 5 star camp, it's a five million star camp!"

Thrilling game drives and walks (and optional village/school visit)

Enjoy an early morning game drive or a guided game walk through the area around camp once more experiencing Hwange’s magnificent elephant on ground level and go tracking for the different species to be found in this part of the park such as lion, wild dog and buffalo.

After returning to camp, relax and experience a fabulous brunch out in the open at the Jozi pan, enjoying the solitude of being in a completely untouched and isolated spot within the pristine African bush.

In the early afternoon, head off again on by foot, bike or game drive vehicle to explore another part of the far remote southwestern corner of Hwange National Park. You may also opt to visit the nearby Makona park ranger station and meet some of the park rangers who help protect and patrol the deep south of Hwange.

Enjoy an alfresco dinner under the Milky Way and the Southern Cross before retiring to your tent for the night.

St. Joseph's School and Gibi Xegu village

After your bush breakfast around the campfire, depart for a 1.5hr game drive enroute to St Joseph's School located in the village of Gibi Xegu village on the border of Hwange. This village and school is supported by Imvelo Safari Lodges but given its very remote location, it receives few visitors and less support from tourism currently. Over the past few years, Imvelo has solarised the school water pump, installed a tank for water storage, provided daily lunch for all 160 pupils during the dry season and provided textbooks and teacher training through the Hwange School Projects. Our guests are warmly welcomed by the students and teachers, with the occasional chicken being offered as a thank you gift for the visit!