Camp Hwange

One of our favourite camps in Africa. This intimate camp combines an authentic ‘bush’ feel and experience with good comfort and great food. Camp Hwange is very well located for good game sightings, assisted by superb guides who have always been a trademark of this camp. And the camp’s bush dinners are legendary!

Warwick Olds

23 October 2025

Visit Reports

Name: Camp Hwange

Destination: Zimbabwe

Region: Hwange

Rooms: 8 (Double/Twin/ Family)

Category: $$$ ‘Canvas Comfortable’

Dates Open: May - November

Children: 8+

Date of Visit: June 2025

Number of Nights: 3

01.Overview

Understated, unassuming and unpretentious; Camp Hwange sits quietly on a private concession in the scenic Sinamatella / Shumba area of the park. There is a lot one can say about the various parts of the camp’s offer, but overall it’s just a wonderful safari camp with welcoming rooms, a convivial main area, and superb guides who facilitate a journey through nature and its wildlife which is second to none. There is a fair amount of bells & whistles stuff which Camp Hwange don’t do – but what they do do, they do incredibly well. This is a sublime camp.

Wild Expeditions have now taken over this well established camp, and given it a face lift which has retained all the camp’s DNA, but made it even more comfortable and enjoyable. A very pleasant bar has also been added!

If we were forced to nominate our favourite camp in the whole of Hwange National Park, or indeed the whole of Zimbabwe, this one would certainly be one of finalists for that. A special place with a storied history, and yet more stories to come – which a lucky few can be a part of.

02.Location & Access

Wild Expeditions have invested heavily in the new Shumba airstrip which gives excellent, close access to the camp. Road access from Bulawayo (via Main Camp or Sinamatalla) or the Falls (via Nantwich or Sinamatella) is also workable, and allows for beautiful game drives into the camp.

The camp is set on a water hole which can be and frequently is pumped, resulting in a wide variety of animals venturing through and around the camp. Recently over a thousand buffalo passed by the camp, and hippos are regular (and very noisy) visitors to the water hole.

03.Rooms

The rooms are uncomplicated and really very pleasant. The thatched roofing keeps them cooler in the hot weather and warmer through the cold nights. Electricity and plugs are available for recharging. Lighting is warm. The overall impact is a combination of great comfort whilst maintaining a true feel of being in the African bush.

All rooms have ground level balconies which look out over the waterhole. The newly renovated bathrooms are well provisioned and very pleasant. Water pressure in the showers is good.

04.Main Area

Airy and relaxing in the day; intimate and cosy in the evenings. Meals can be with other travellers and guides, or alone.

A welcoming fire sits out front in the evenings, and a pleasant bar awaits guests at the day’s end for a pre-dinner drink and chat.

05.F&B

Food overall is very good. Early morning continental breakfasts are followed by late morning lunches and in camp or off site dinners. High tea is delicious, as are snacks provided with sundowners.

Beverages include all the standard spirits one might wish to see, a range of soft drinks including diet version, a decent selection of African beers, and South African wines.

The camp is able to cater for a number of special dietary requirements and, in many cases, already has experience of doing so.

06.Staff (excluding guides)

Friendly, professional and welcoming. The kitchen staff merit particular mention for the excellent food.

07.Guides

Excellent. For mammals, birds, trees, insects, or reptiles – Camp Hwange has a long tradition of hosting some of the finest guides, and management will bend over backwards to cater to any special interests – especially if flagged in advance of your visit.

08.Activities

Game drives and walks are core. Night drives are conducted on the concession. In the evenings star gazing tours are conducted – be that from camp or on off site bush dinners.

09.Wildlife

In the past couple of years wildlife sightings in the Camp Hwange ‘catchment’ area have been excellent. Amongst the predators, regular sightings of lion have been complemented with leopard, cheetah, serval and African wild cat; and wild dog are active in the area from time to time, Hyena and jackal are regularly seen – and heard.

A wide range of antelope have been joined by increasing numbers of sable, and plentiful zebra and that often-favourite of guests, giraffe, are common.

For bird watchers, this area of the park is excellent, and includes Mandavu Dam – Hwange’s largest water resource – attracting many of the water loving birds. And for any tree lovers out there, this area is rich in species which, amongst other things, make for some wonderful backdrops for photographs of the mammals.

10.Final Notes / Comments / Recommendations

This is not a ‘premier’ camp – and nor is it priced like one. But it is super comfortable and ticks all the boxes that most might seek, not least the camp’s ability to remain very ‘safari’ in its feel. Value for money at this camp is outstanding.

Two other notes:

The camp’s nearby sibling camp – Muddy Teak – is now open, generally for parties travelling together, and is exceptionally pleasant (separate report).
Both Camp Hwange and Muddy Teak couple well with Wild Expeditions delightful property in the Okavango – Karangoma.