We’re sprawling on the upstairs deck of our safari lodge, sipping ice-cold beers and watching impala and waterbuck come to drink from the floodlit pan. We’re waiting for the drum roll that calls us to dinner. Another perfect day in Africa is sliding into night.
That's how it would go at The Hide Safari Lodge, a private concession within the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe when we visited in February. We were up before dawn to be ready for our first guided game drive of the day. On our way to Kennedy 1 waterhole, there was the excitement of looking for two lions a ranger (on foot!) had seen. Then the thrill of finding my first-ever flock of carmine bee-eaters lined up as if posing for photographs.
Soon we were heading back to The Hide for an al fresco breakfast under the acacia trees and a spot of reading on our private verandah, which gave an amphitheatre-like view of the pan so we could enjoy the to-and-fro of
animals going about their mid-morning business.
After lunch and the indulgence of an afternoon nap, we clambered back onto the open 4x4 for a sunset drive, armed with another clued-up guide and a cool box full of drinks. Three hours and a slew of bird sightings later, hubby was cooling off before supper with a quick shower under the stars while I wallowed in scented splendour in the freestanding bath in one corner of our tent.
And then all there was to do was sip on our beers until the chef called us for dinner, a delicious experience at a 20-seater teak table with chairs so heavy you needed both hands and a few manly muscles to move them.
animals going about their mid-morning business.
After lunch and the indulgence of an afternoon nap, we clambered back onto the open 4x4 for a sunset drive, armed with another clued-up guide and a cool box full of drinks. Three hours and a slew of bird sightings later, hubby was cooling off before supper with a quick shower under the stars while I wallowed in scented splendour in the freestanding bath in one corner of our tent.
And then all there was to do was sip on our beers until the chef called us for dinner, a delicious experience at a 20-seater teak table with chairs so heavy you needed both hands and a few manly muscles to move them.
Thanks to the generosity of friends who took us to The Hide, our home for two days was a tent under a thatched canopy to keep out the heat. It had a classically luxurious feel, with lots of wide mozzie-netted vents to give sweeping views and let in natural light. There was elegant furniture and crisp white sheets. There was even a wake-up tray of coffee delivered direct to our door each morning. It was as far from the self-catering bung-it-in-the-boot style of camping we’re used to as a dung beetle is from a peacock.
But in case we were lulled into thinking we were in a five-star hotel in Paris or Milan, a scorpion scuttling across the roof of our tent reminded us we were in Africa. In the wild. No doubt someone would happily have come to deal with our scorpion for us, if summoned – it was that kind of place – but we did the Bear Grylls thing ourselves, knocking it gingerly into a basket and releasing it into the night.
But in case we were lulled into thinking we were in a five-star hotel in Paris or Milan, a scorpion scuttling across the roof of our tent reminded us we were in Africa. In the wild. No doubt someone would happily have come to deal with our scorpion for us, if summoned – it was that kind of place – but we did the Bear Grylls thing ourselves, knocking it gingerly into a basket and releasing it into the night.
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, a haven for 400 bird species and over 100 mammal species, including the Big Five, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog. We didn't choose our time well in terms of throngs of game, which are more prolific in the dry season (June to October) than in mid-summer. Our guides assured us that dry season regulars at the camp’s waterhole include elephant, giraffe, zebra and kudu. Even lion come in from time to time and wild dogs have made kills in full view of the camp.
But we didn't care; there were trade-offs for being there off-season. The bush was lush and we got to admire the teak forest, acacia woodland, Kalahari sandveld and open grassy plains. We were also thrilled to see so many birds – kori bustard, Bradfield’s hornbill, crowned crane, striped cuckoo, crimson-breasted boubou, broadbilled roller, shafttailed whydah – the list went on and on, because summer is definitely high season for birding.
We got a lot of help from the guides, especially Mark, who spoke Bird and could imitate just about any one of them you could ask for. He whistled dolefully at the black cuckoo, said ‘tsee tsee tsee tr-r-r-r’ to a rattling cisticola and even huffed softly to a group of zebra, who accepted his assurances and didn't run off. We were part of the bush instead of just driving through it.
On our last sunset drive, guide Daffy asked what we’d like to see, as if he could conjure it from his khaki hat. We suggested elephant, and he drove out to a river line of trees where he thought they may be. He was right. As the sun set and the light softened, a breeding herd approached our open vehicle, passing by so close we could almost stretch out to stroke a wrinkly trunk or a
little one’s bristly head. It was a hold-your-breath moment.
But we didn't care; there were trade-offs for being there off-season. The bush was lush and we got to admire the teak forest, acacia woodland, Kalahari sandveld and open grassy plains. We were also thrilled to see so many birds – kori bustard, Bradfield’s hornbill, crowned crane, striped cuckoo, crimson-breasted boubou, broadbilled roller, shafttailed whydah – the list went on and on, because summer is definitely high season for birding.
We got a lot of help from the guides, especially Mark, who spoke Bird and could imitate just about any one of them you could ask for. He whistled dolefully at the black cuckoo, said ‘tsee tsee tsee tr-r-r-r’ to a rattling cisticola and even huffed softly to a group of zebra, who accepted his assurances and didn't run off. We were part of the bush instead of just driving through it.
On our last sunset drive, guide Daffy asked what we’d like to see, as if he could conjure it from his khaki hat. We suggested elephant, and he drove out to a river line of trees where he thought they may be. He was right. As the sun set and the light softened, a breeding herd approached our open vehicle, passing by so close we could almost stretch out to stroke a wrinkly trunk or a
little one’s bristly head. It was a hold-your-breath moment.
Things to do at The Hide
1. The main event is game drives – early morning or
sunset drives – with guides who know the bush and are still excited by it.
2. Because The Hide is surrounded by a private concession, a bonus is the chance to go on early morning walks or night drives, something not allowed in the main part of Hwange.
3. There’s a plunge pool to cool off in when the heat
gets too much to bear.
4. Sit on your private verandah, or in one of the
lounge areas, to watch animals that visit the pan. All ten tents face the pan.
5. Eat, eat, eat. From breakfast to lunch and dinner, with mid-afternoon tea and cake thrown in for good measure,
the chef and his staff will treat you deliciously throughout.
More about Zimbabwe
Sunset cruise
The grand old lady of Victoria Falls
10 things to do at the Victoria Falls Hotel
Feel the heartbeat of Africa
Fly with the angels over Vic Falls
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from reidwrite@mweb.co.za
1. The main event is game drives – early morning or
sunset drives – with guides who know the bush and are still excited by it.
2. Because The Hide is surrounded by a private concession, a bonus is the chance to go on early morning walks or night drives, something not allowed in the main part of Hwange.
3. There’s a plunge pool to cool off in when the heat
gets too much to bear.
4. Sit on your private verandah, or in one of the
lounge areas, to watch animals that visit the pan. All ten tents face the pan.
5. Eat, eat, eat. From breakfast to lunch and dinner, with mid-afternoon tea and cake thrown in for good measure,
the chef and his staff will treat you deliciously throughout.
More about Zimbabwe
Sunset cruise
The grand old lady of Victoria Falls
10 things to do at the Victoria Falls Hotel
Feel the heartbeat of Africa
Fly with the angels over Vic Falls
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from reidwrite@mweb.co.za
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