Discover the excitement of a 24-hour game count by moonlight, monitoring wild dogs and tracking wildlife with rangers on this exciting safari that takes place on a private concession bordering Hwange National Park.
Step into the heart of some of Zimbabwe’s best wilderness areas on this special tour that provides unique experiences and insights. The highlight of this tour takes place during an extended stay on a wildlife-rich private concession bordering the celebrated Hwange National Park, offering exclusive access to an exceptional ecosystem.
Our tour has been designed and timed to provide an extra special opportunity for those keen to experience a more in-depth safari. Here we join rangers on a 24-hour wildlife count of all species across the 6,000-hectare concession — including an unforgettable night beneath the glow of a supermoon. As the moon reaches its closest point to Earth, its brighter light creates ideal conditions for observing wildlife, both large and small, gathering at the concession’s bustling main waterhole.
At this time of year, great herds of elephants and buffalo join the resident zebra, kudu, wildebeest and sable, and there can be clouds of dust and drama as lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and wild dogs all follow the herds.
The tour begins in the ancient hills of the Matopos, famed for its concentration of ancient rock made by the nomadic San people. Here we also track magnificent white rhinos on foot and admire the stunning birdlife among towering granite formations, that include an exceptional 40 species of birds of prey and the colourful purple-crested turaco.
We then travel to Sable Valley Lodge, set on a beautiful private concession adjoining Hwange. With no crowds and vast tracts of teak forest and grassland to explore, each of our days here brings new experiences: game drives, guided walks, time in the eye-level photographic hide, and the chance to support the Painted Dog Conservation Trust as we assist with their monitoring of the resident pack of African wild dogs.
We conclude our journey at a charming lodge at Victoria Falls, providing the perfect, rewarding yet relaxing finale to our safari.
Supporting the Mother Africa and Painted Dog Trusts, our insightful experiences on this tour also directly contribute to the protection of this extraordinary landscape and its rare species.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart the UK
Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Bulawayo via Johannesburg.
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Day 2:
Arrive in Bulawayo & transfer to Matopos National Park
After landing in Bulawayo, we're met on arrival and transferred to our remarkable accommodation in Matopos National Park, where we spend the next two nights.
In the afternoon, we have a gentle first excursion into the granite Matobo Hills, visiting the famous tomb of Cecil John Rhodes and looking for our first wildlife.
Accommodation: Amalinda Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 3:
Rhino tracking & discovering San Bushman cave paintings
This morning, we take our first white rhino tracking walk with an experienced guide in the heart of the Matopos National Park. The park is home to an important population of white rhino, and tracking them on foot through the dramatic rocky landscapes is a memorable experience.
In the late afternoon, we explore another section of the park, where we can observe some of the 2,000 ancient nomadic San Bushman cave paintings that Matopos is also famed for. Other wildlife we may spot amongst the timeless rocky hills and outcrops includes the nimble klipspringer, steenbok, rock hyrax and elusive rock elephant shrew.
Birdlife here includes a remarkable number of raptor species and the highest density of Verreaux's eagles in Africa, along with specialities such as mocking cliff chat, boulder chat, black-collared barbet, purple-crested turaco.
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Day 4:
Morning rhino tracking & transfer to Sable Valley Lodge
This morning, we start early with another excursion into the Matobo National Park’s rugged landscapes to track its resident white rhinos. After hopefully a thrilling encounter with these magnificent animals and spotting some of the park's other wildlife, we return for breakfast at the lodge. We then transfer through the ever-changing landscapes to Sable Valley Lodge on the edge of Hwange National Park.
Accommodation: Sable Valley Lodge, 7-nights
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Days 5-6
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Safaris on Amalinda Reserve & Hwange National Park
Over the next two days, we can enjoy some wonderful wildlife safaris with the flexibility to explore both the Amalinda Private Concession on our doorstep and the wider Hwange National Park. Our lodge is situated on the 6,000-hectare Amalinda Concession that directly borders the national park. The beauty of exploring here is that we can enjoy a very intimate experience, as the concession is only accessible to the three lodges located on it, making for an exclusive and flexible experience, away from the busier national park.
The concession supports a fantastic diversity of wildlife and offers regular sightings of both iconic and some elusive species. Herds of elephants and buffalo are common and, at this time of year, gather in large numbers, sometimes creating dramatic scenes as they kick up clouds of dust on their way to the waterholes. The Dete Vlei waterhole is a great location to find the rare sable antelope and lion, leopard and cheetah are regularly seen.
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Days 7-8
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Full moon game counts & safaris
Over the next two days, we have the unique opportunity to contribute to the concession’s wildlife data collection as we assist the rangers in monitoring wildlife across the concession for 24 hours, including under the special luminescence of the supermoon at night. Much of our data collection involves waiting for all manner of wildlife to come to the concession’s main waterhole, which can be a hive of activity both during the day and at night.
This is a very special experience, giving us the chance to not only see a great range of exciting wildlife and their interactions over a 24-hour period, but also to gain practical insight into wildlife monitoring.
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Days 9-10
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Safaris with the Painted Dog Trust
Over these days, we focus our safaris on shadowing researchers from the Painted Dog Trust, giving us insight into their work to monitor, understand and protect these endangered and enigmatic canids.
African wild dogs are one of the most charismatic and fascinating predators on the continent, and the more we learn about them from the researchers, the more in awe we will be of them. Following the researchers, we hope to enjoy sightings of these wonderful animals, and help with their data collection or other activities.
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Day 11:
Transfer to Victoria Falls
This morning, it's time for us to say farewell to new-found friends at the lodge as we depart for the transfer to Victoria Falls. After settling into the lodge, we have some time at leisure to relax or take optional excursions.
Accommodation: Ilala Lodge, 2-nights
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Day 12:
Zambezi River Criuse
Today we have the morning and much of the afternoon at leisure to relax and enjoy the facilities and surroundings of the lodge. There are a range of optional activities including guided tours of the Victoria Falls available to take during the day.
In the evening we take an enchanting evening river cruise on the Zambezi River for what will hopefully be a spectacular sunset, with wildlife such as elephants, hippos, African fish eagles, skimmers and Nile crocodiles, while we enjoy drinks, before a sumptuous dinner.
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Day 13:
Fly back to the UK
After a final morning to enjoy the surrounds of the lodge, it's time to depart as we take a transfer just 25 minutes to the nearby Victoria Falls Airport. We take a flight via Johannesburg back to the UK.
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Day 14:
Arrive in UK
