Zimbabwe Highlights

Batonka Guest Lodge
Located in the suburbs of Victoria Falls, Batonka Guest Lodge is a lovely new boutique style lodge offering luxury accommodation in an intimate and personal space.

The lodge is surrounded by landscaped gardens and is within walking distance of the town centre. Each en-suite room has a balcony, TV, complimentary Wi-Fi, AC and tea/coffee.

The rest of your time is free – you may like to participate in one of the many local activities available, which range from adventure sports (jet boat rides and white water rafting) to scenic helicopter flights, river safaris and game walks.

The mighty Victoria Falls is of course the main attraction and can be photographed from many different points. You can also cross the bridge to Livingstone, Zambia, to observe the Falls from a different angle.

Verney’s Camp
Verney's Camp is the latest addition to the Machaba portfolio of central African safari camps. Opened in May 2018, it occupies a 25-acre private concession in south-eastern Hwange National Park. Wild and remote, it's a lovely upmarket bush camp, ideal for those wanting to explore Hwange away from the more crowded spots.

The setting of Verney's Camp is fabulous. It sits on the edge of a teak forest, overlooking a busy waterhole that is a magnet for Hwange's famous elephant herds. The teak trees provide shade for ten tented suites, each of which is large and spacious with double/twin beds, separate lounge, bathroom & shower. The tents are positioned slightly above ground level on wooden decking, and feature polished wooden floorboards laid out with rugs. Each opens at the front to allow in lots of natural light. Two of the ten tents are family units accommodating two adults and two children.

Formerly the royal hunting grounds of the warrior kings of Zimbabwe, Hwange became one of the first conservation areas in Africa when it was made a national park in 1929. Today it is not nearly as well-known as it once was, owing in large part to the difficult political situation in Zimbabwe, but safari enthusiasts still consider it one of the best game-viewing areas on the continent.

Indeed, its years out of the spotlight have if anything improved it, as it hasn't experienced the excessive traffic that have harmed some of the more famous safari parks of Eastern and Southern Africa.

Hwange is perhaps best known for its tremendous elephant populations, which are among the largest in Africa, but it boasts a diversity of game, including all of the “Big 5”.

Kanga Camp
Kanga Camp is set in a private concession on the western edge of Mana Pools National Park (the only such concession within the park), some distance from the Zambezi riverfront area. The camp overlooks Kanga Pan, a busy waterhole and the only permanent water source in this otherwise dry region of the park. The pan attracts plentiful game during the dry season months of May-Oct (the camp is closed during the rainy season).

Kanga Camp has six tents, each positioned on the edge of the pan. The interiors are spacious and beautifully furnished, with four-posted beds, mahogany tables, oil lanterns and heavy rugs lending them a decidedly rustic character. Each opens onto a small seating area and an outdoor shower. The main lounge and guest tent is set under the shade of mahogany trees and features an upper deck overlooking the water hole.

Kanga Camp aims to offer a really authentic and remote safari experience in a little-visited region of Mana Pools National Park. The emphasis here is on both walking safaris and 4x4 game drives, though late in the dry season excellent game-viewing can be had even from the comfort of camp.

Mana Pools is located in the Middle Zambezi Valley, and covers an area of approximately 2,200sq km, extending from the Zambezi River in the north to the Zambezi escarpment in the south.

After the rainy period, around April, the wildlife migrates from the escarpment to the riverine areas, as the bush begins to dry up. As you move through the year, visitors can expect to see large herds of elephant, buffalo as well as kudu, eland, zebra, waterbuck and many other species of antelope.

Mana Pools is one of the best parks to do walking safaris, as the game is very relaxed. Canoeing is also a popular activity.