Elephant’s Eye Camp

Elephant’s Eye, Hwange is located on a private concession (6000 ac), a mere 13km from the entrance to Hwange National Park in the Western area of Zimbabwe. The national park is fenceless, therefore wildlife from the park is free to roam and are often found in large numbers on our concession.

Hwange National Park is the largest National Park in Zimbabwe and is 275kms southeast of Victoria Falls town and 2-hour drive from Vic Falls.

GPS CO-ORDINATES:

Elephant’s Eye, Hwange – S18 35.859 E26 57.955

The beauty of our eight private tented chalets is that they have been designed to almost completely blend into their natural environment whilst still offering uninterrupted panoramic views of the watering hole below and the surrounding African bush.

Each chalet, screened by indigenous trees for exclusive privacy, includes a spacious bedroom, fireplace, outdoor shower, wrap-around viewing deck and an en-suite bathroom. The comfortable interiors are contemporary with an African touch striking the perfect balance between luxury and functionality.

Room amenities

• En-suite bathroom with bath and double basin
• Garden cottage
• Outside shower
• Mosquito netting
• Wireless internet at the main lodge building
• Communal Boma area
• Dining area
• Spa
• Bar
• Credit card facilities
• Natural ozone eco-swimming pool
• Solar power electricity
• Safe
• Sleep-out deck.

All guest amenities including shampoo, conditioner, hand and body lotion, foam bath, liquid gel and soaps are sourced from eco-friendly suppliers, who are endorsed by Beauty without Cruelty, and use organic ingredients which are biodegradable, where possible.

The main communal area consists of dining area, communal Boma area, bar, Curio shop, and spa. There is also a natural Ozone Eco Swimming pool. WIFI is available in the main area.

All geysers are solar powered and our solar lanterns (console jars), are not only decorative, but also serve to give extra lighting in the evenings.

As an eco-lodge, staff make a concerted effort to keep lights switched off where possible.

Our pool is a natural Ozone pool, which is safe for any swimmer – killing bacteria, fungi, viruses, and reduces chloramine odours. This also makes for a tasty drink for the large herds of elephant.

Water is supplied from our underground borehole and all wastewater is cleaned using a Bio box designed septic system. Once the water has been cleaned it is returned to the soil. Thus, we do not utilize any scarce surface water from the area and water taken from the earth by means of borehole is returned.

Activities included at Elephant’s Eye are game drives in Hwange National Park, bird watching, night game drives on the Elephant’s Eye concession, village tours and a visit to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre, all with licenced professional guides. Game walks are available at an additional cost.

Game drives.

Explore Hwange National Park and our private concession in an open safari vehicle. Our expert guides track the game and know exactly where to look, driving on the dusty roads with great skill. Guests observe the wildlife comfortably from the safety of their vehicle. Game drives are either half-day (in the morning or afternoon), full-day, or in the evening for nocturnal game viewing.

Guided Walks

Exploring the bush on foot gives you an entirely unique experience of the wilderness and its animals. Our expert guides will accompany you as you track wildlife through the pristine African bush, offering you the opportunity to see a vast array of smaller flora and fauna that are often overlooked whilst on a game drive. Walking safaris allow you to touch, breathe and truly immerse yourself in the beauty of what nature has to offer as well as getting closer to wildlife becoming part of the African soil.

Horseback Safaris

Replace the hum of the safari vehicle with the clip-clop of hooves and occasional soft neighs of your horse. Observe game from a completely different vantage point and feel like you’re part of the action, as the antelope will acknowledge you as one of their own, allowing you to get closer even than on foot. Stop to admire the landscape of grasslands, acacia trees, and waterholes teeming with wildlife. It’s just you, your horse, and the surrounding bush.

Waterhole Sundowners

The sunsets in Zimbabwe are warm, golden and beautiful – no two are ever the same – and what better way to enjoy them than by having your own private sundowner at either the lodge’s main watering hole or at one of the neighboring waterholes situated in the heart of the open bush. As the light slowly fades, watch a wide variety of game come down to drink all whilst sipping on a refreshing cocktail until eventually, a blanket of stars lights up the sky above.

Eco-Spa

Breathe a sigh of relaxation when embarking on a visit to our on-site spa. Enjoy a variety of luxurious treatments in the natural tranquillity of Mother Nature. Jwapi means ‘Ground Hornbill’. The spa’s philosophy is about rejuvenating the mind, body, and soul through a unique combination of African and Western massage techniques. Guests can soothe the tension of city life and leave feeling renewed.

Bush Dinners

Our bush dinners set out under the stars are one of the main highlights of the Elephant’s Eye experience. Our focus is on fresh food, combining interesting flavours and textures with a contemporary yet informal approach. This modernity is further balanced out with open fire cooking, traditional methods that are quintessentially African. The chef is also more than happy to provide you with plenty of choices for those with special dietary requirements.

The Eye Starbed

Our sleep-out deck, affectionately called The Eye, allows guests the rare opportunity to fall asleep under a starlit sky to the enchanting sounds of the African bush in exclusive privacy. Guests are escorted at sunset to the deck for sundowners, before being left to enjoy the tranquillity of the surrounding bushveld as the day turns to night. But don’t worry, a guide is never too far away.

Community Upliftment Experience

Guests are given a chance to interact with and learn more about the customs and culture of local Dete residents through three different engaging and non-intrusive but enlightening experiences and projects. Dingani Primary is the local primary school close to our lodge. As a rural African school, it might be quite different to what you are familiar with back home and the visit to the school is an enlightening opportunity to see the inspiring hope, dedication, and resourcefulness of the staff and students. You will also visit the Vukani project, a group of elderly and/or disabled men and women who use ordinary glossy (donated) magazines to make the most beautiful pieces of bead jewellery. The third project is the Thandanani sewing project; this is a self-sustaining business that the local women who had basic skills in sewing have started. Their designs and fabrics are truly African in style and beauty, the perfect gift for someone back home or simply just to add a touch of Africa to your home to remind you of your travels.

Elephant’s Eye Camp is located on a private concession which borders Hwange National Park which gives you more freedom and ensures you won’t see other people whilst you’re out game viewing.

The waterhole in front of camp often attracts elephants and much more.

The experience

A Big Five safari in Hwange, led by our experienced guides, will guarantee the most memorable encounters while guided walks will allow you to track wildlife through the pristine African bush, seeing often overlooked flora and fauna. You might even spot the large monitor lizard. Observe the natural world from a completely different vantage point while on a horseback safari or turn binoculars upwards on a bird-watching excursion when staying at our Hwange safari camp.

A swimming pool and our eco-spa welcome you to take the time to indulge and relax. In the evenings enjoy exciting night-time game drives, romantic sundowners at breath-taking viewpoints, or take the opportunity to sleep under the stars at our secluded open-air star bed next to a waterhole. For an inspiring encounter, join our Community Upliftment Experience and cultural village tour.

When to travel

The position of our safari camp in Hwange ensures you have a virtual all-year safari destination in Southern Africa. Aim for the cooler, dry season between July and October for an optimum safari experience as waterholes attract a great variety of animals and the bush thins out well to ensure great wildlife viewing. Daytime temperatures are in the mid 20s but drop considerably at night to below 10 degrees Celsius.

For those with a special interest in birds, the best time to book a stay at Elephant’s Eye is between November and April when the wet summer months attract a host of migratory species. Just be aware that temperatures can exceed 30 degrees Celsius, so protection against the sun is a must.

A short 20-minute flight from Victoria Falls or a 2 1/2 -hour road transfer brings you to Elephant’s Eye. Our Hwange safari camp is located on a private concession that shares a fenceless border with Hwange National Park.

This enables us to combine the thrill of visiting Zimbabwe’s largest national park with the added benefit of exclusive night-time game drives and guided safari walks in a private conservancy. Easy access to the national park is facilitated by the Mtoa Gate entrance right across from Elephant’s Eye.

GPS CO-ORDINATES: Elephant’s Eye, Hwange – S18 35.859 E26 57.955

Climate

Winter Months – Mid May, June, July, early August, although the days are warm with beautiful blue skies, the evenings can get extremely cold and temperatures below freezing are not uncommon, so definitely bring warm clothing. It’s cold I promise you!

Summer months – September through to May. Hot to extremely hot days and warm evenings.

Rainy season – Generally between late November and April although the occasional rain can occur out of these dates.

Best Game Viewing Months
August, September, October and early November are by far the best months for game viewing in this park. Water becomes extremely scarce and the animals congregate around the few pumped waterholes. Sitting patiently and quietly at one of these water holes will reward you with very good game viewing.

During the rainy season from late November through to April, a completely different park emerges to that of the dry season. Parched savannahs turn into lush fields with an abundance of grazing. The animals disperse and game viewing becomes limited. It’s called the green season and has it’s own magic as this is when the park and all the animals rejuvenate themselves, feeding like crazy on the abundance of food. Newly born animals can be seen everywhere and the birdlife is absolutely prolific.

It is situated in the southwest of Zimbabwe between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

Credit Victoria Falls Guide

Some of the animals found in Hwange National Park

Cheetah

Lioness

Heards of elephants

Sables

Zebra & Sables

Hwange Hysteria Special

Book 3 nights in Hwange at either Elephant’s Eye Tented Camp or Nantwich Lodge & get 2 nights additional free at the popular Ilala Lodge, Victoria Falls valued at $668. Explore the Hwange Hysteria special.

Pay-Stay Safari Special

Design your own itinerary of 9 nights or more, combining any of the Hideaways Zimbabwe and Botswana lodges, and pay for only 7 nights. Get two nights free with this Hideaways Pay Stay safari special. Save up to $1200 per person.

Includes:
All meals, water, soft drinks, beers, ciders, mixers and house wine, laundry, 2 game activities per day (game drives or game walks), a community upliftment experience, a visit to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre.

One night at The Eye (sleep-out deck) is included for full paying guests staying more than four nights.

Excludes:
Grow Africa Levy, park fees, transfers, imported and premium brand drinks.