Hwange National Park Safari

Zimbabwe's largest national park, where tens of thousands of elephants gather at artificial waterholes in the dry season, easily combined with Victoria Falls for a safari.

Hwange National Park lies in western Zimbabwe in Matabeleland North Province. Covering about 14,650 km², it is the country's largest national park, bordering Botswana to the west and about a 2-hour drive from Victoria Falls. The park is famous for its elephants, estimated at more than 40,000, which depend on artificial waterholes in the dry season; herds drinking at the waterholes are its signature sight. Lions, African wild dogs, sable antelopes and giraffes are also common. The park roughly divides into three areas: the northeast around Main Camp has the most public roads and suits self-drivers, with waterhole loops such as Nyamandhlovu and Kennedy; the northwest, with Sinamatella, Masuma Dam, Mandavu Dam and Robins Camp, has more rugged scenery; and private concessions in the southeast such as Linkwasha and Makalolo are open only to their guests and suit high-end safaris. The best time is the dry season from Jul–Oct, when animals concentrate and roads are easy to drive, though daytime temperatures can top 35°C in Sep–Oct; the Nov–Apr rainy season brings lush vegetation and great birding, but some roads close. You can rent a car or join a safari tour from Victoria Falls, or take the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls overnight train to Dete; luxury camps mostly use light aircraft transfers. Park fees are charged per day (around US$20 per day for foreigners; check with ZimParks), and self-driving after sunset is prohibited. Plan to stay 2–4 days, often combined with Victoria Falls.

Top sights

• Nyamandhlovu Pan & Platform – The most famous waterhole near the main camp. Its elevated viewing platform allows long waits for elephants, buffalo and lions. The name me…
• Masuma Dam – A man-made reservoir south of Sinamatella with shaded viewing hides, where hippos, crocodiles and large herds of elephants often gather.
• Hwange Main Camp – The main entrance and headquarters camp at the northeast corner of the park, with affordable wooden chalets, a petrol station, and a small…
• Painted Dog Conservation – An endangered African wild dog conservation organization just outside the park, with an information center, a viewing platform overlooking…
• Sinamatella Camp – A long-established park camp perched on a high cliff overlooking the Masuma valley, serving as the base for game drives in the northwest of…
• Robins Camp – A historic camp at the far western end of the park, famous for lions and nocturnal wildlife, with an early 20th-century police lookout towe…
• Mandavu Dam – A large reservoir near Sinamatella with viewing shelters and picnic spots, a great place to watch hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds.
• Bumbusi National Monument – A group of stone-walled ruins northwest of Sinamatella, belonging to the late phase of Great Zimbabwe culture, which can be combined with n…
• Linkwasha Concession – A private safari concession in the southeast of the park, open only to guests staying at its camps and known for its open grasslands and la…
• Makalolo Pan – The core waterhole of the Makalolo concession in the southeast of the park, where the surrounding camps are famous for night drives and hid…
• Ngweshla Pan – An open waterhole and picnic spot about 40 km south of Main Camp, where lions, giraffes, and herds of zebra are common, and the end point o…
• Kennedy Pans – Two waterholes along the self-drive route south of Main Camp, where open grasslands make it easy to spot elephants, buffalo, and giraffes.
• Shumba Pan – A large open wetland in the west of the park. 'Shumba' means lion, and prides of lions and large herds of buffalo are common here.
• Dete Village & Railway – A railway town on the park's east side, the stop for the overnight Bulawayo–Victoria Falls train, with several safari lodges nearby.

Where to eat

• Gobelo Restaurant – An open-air, thatched-roof restaurant set in a teak forest right next to an elephant waterhole, highly praised for its…
• Dingani Restaurant (Hwange Safari Lodge) – The main restaurant of an established lodge just outside the park's main gate, offering à la carte and buffet dining wi…
• Waterbuck's Head Restaurant (Main Camp) – A simple restaurant and bar next to the reception at Hwange's Main Camp, offering a rare sit-down dining option for sel…

Itineraries

• Victoria Falls & Hwange Safari – Two nights at the Falls plus three nights in Hwange, walking from the main camp waterholes to the southeastern private…
• Zimbabwe Heritage & Wildlife Grand Loop – Head south from Harare to Great Zimbabwe and Matobo, fly to Victoria Falls, and enter Hwange to see elephant herds.