The Matobo Hills in southern Zimbabwe form one of Africa's most compelling landscapes — an ancient terrain of sculpted granite kopjes San rock art sacred sites and remarkable wildlife that has drawn and sheltered human civilisation for thousands of years.
Zimbabwe: Hwange National Park
🗺️ Day One: Robin’s Camp
We set off from Victoria Falls heading south towards Hwange National Park, the largest in Zimbabwe, sprawling across some 14,650 square kilometres near the Botswana border. The first forty-five kilometres were a lovely strip of tarmac, barely another car in sight, like cruising down the M1 on a Sunday morning. Then we turned off towards Robin’s Camp and the tarmac gave way to sixty kilometres of corrugated dirt track, the kind that sets up a relentless judder through the whole car regardless of your speed. Karen reckoned her fillings had loosened by the time we arrived. One proper highlight, mind, was a small tower of giraffes (yes, that’s the genuine collective noun) grazing at the roadside, a fine excuse for a brief stop.
We pulled into Robin’s Camp around lunchtime, checked in, and were shown to our little cottage for the night. I was peckish, but Karen was feeling a bit off-colour, so she skipped lunch.
Earlier, at the eastern gate, we’d been greeted by, without exaggeration, the shortest park ranger either of us had ever seen, who practically insisted we get out for photographs with him, beaming the whole time. Good fun.
The camp itself has a fascinating history. It’s named after Herbert George Robins, an Englishman who’d settled in what was then Southern Rhodesia as a cattle rancher. The land had originally been “Little Toms” and “Big Toms” farms, which Robins bought around the turn of the twentieth century, eventually building his holding up to 26,000 acres. Unusually for the time, he banned shooting on his land and worked to stamp out poaching, in an area long popular with hunters for its abundant game. In 1928 the government created the adjacent 14,000-acre Wankie Game Reserve. Local farmers wanted it dissolved for agriculture, but Robins, by all accounts a stubborn, “ornery” man who preferred animals to people, backed the government and helped see them off.
By 1934, worried his land might be sold off as a private shooting estate after his death, Robins bequeathed the property to the government on condition it remained a game reserve forever. He died in 1939, requesting in his will that his body be left for the wildlife to consume. The authorities refused, and he’s buried near the entrance to Robin’s Camp instead, a quiet full stop on a remarkable life. Some of his original buildings survive, including a watchtower with a small museum inside dedicated to his conservation work, well worth a wander.
After lunch we headed out on an afternoon game drive with our guide Simon, joined by a young American, Evan, travelling solo. Karen soon worked out his wife was expecting, though as it turned out she was actually in India with her own mother, visiting where her late father had grown up. Evan, it seemed, had decided this was his last shot at an exotic holiday before fatherhood put a stop to that.
We spent three hours trundling through dense, elephant-cropped mopane woodland, oddly claustrophobic for an “African safari.” We spotted zebra, impala and the endangered roan antelope, which still clings on here in decent numbers. The only real fly in the ointment was that Simon insisted on lecturing us, literally, on everything we saw, with no warmth to his delivery. We knew our zebras from our impalas by now, but assumed Evan didn’t, so we let it go, even though Evan later confirmed it was wearing. Simon also made little effort to get us closer to elephants or giraffes in the distance, so we spent much of the drive chatting to Evan instead.
In the evening, dinner was tasty but plain, with the real entertainment coming from a chameleon that had climbed inside the restaurant tent, hanging motionless from a rope, awaiting some unsuspecting insect.
🚙 Day Two: Traversing Hwange on the Park Roads
Today brought a long haul from Robins Camp to Main Camp and on to the Gwando Heritage Resort. We’d originally been booked into Sable Sands, but they’d gone bankrupt, so our agents at Onjamba rebooked us into Gwando at the last minute, with no idea what to expect.
Hwange’s sheer size means the terrain shifts dramatically as you travel, from mopane woodland to desert scrub, granite hills and grass-filled plains dotted with palm and acacia trees. It’s also home to one of the largest elephant populations anywhere on the continent, which became vividly apparent that day.
The journey was only about 150 kilometres, but on some of the park’s worst, most remote roads, it took six and a half hours. Along the way we saw kudu, giraffe and plenty of elephants, several close to the road and clearly unimpressed by us, flapping ears and waving trunks in warning. At one viewing platform, a great bull elephant appeared to drink, wash and re-mud himself against the sun; we watched, transfixed, for a good twenty minutes. Further on we found a herd of around fifty elephants at another waterhole, easily the largest gathering we’d ever seen, even compared to Amboseli in Kenya. Genuinely spectacular.
We reached Gwando by mid-afternoon, apparently the only guests staying there, which should have told us something. The place looked half-built, the reception only ground-floor complete. The rooftop lounge had a filthy, wasp-ridden pool, and unfinished walls left nothing to stop you falling off the edge, a nightmare for families with children.
At the restaurant, our young waitress seemed undertrained, and the menu was a disappointment: only two vegetarian options, both built on “elephant bread” (pita, named for its resemblance to elephant ears), and two-thirds of the meat options unavailable. We settled for a vegetable wrap, served on elephant bread and, ironically, not actually wrapped. Throughout, our waitress hovered ten feet away, arms crossed, ready to pounce the moment we finished. At least a local elephant herd visited the waterhole as we ate.
Afterwards we found our room had twin beds rather than a double. Despite there being no other guests, we were offered a family room for an extra $60 instead of a swap, which we declined. The room itself was nicely decorated but lacked finishing touches, like a second bedside table.
Dinner that evening was pasta, after Karen negotiated us out of more elephant bread, served with a meagre portion of veg and an obviously shop-bought sauce. ¡No bueno! Our waitress kept up her vigil throughout. We had a beer, ordered chocolate cake, and were then summoned to the bar to settle up there and then, oddly, and charged separately for the cake, which turned out to be a cheap mix. Not impressed, though the friendly barman, Kingston, was a genuine highlight.
🌅 Day Three: Exploring Central Hwange
Reluctantly, we’d booked a dawn game drive, reasoning we’d only be here once. Our guide Solomon arrived with breakfast snacks, coffee, and blankets against the morning chill.
Out in the park, we discovered, somewhat annoyed, that we’d be paying entry fees ourselves, usually bundled into the drive price. The landscape here was quite different from Robins, open plains of tall golden grass dotted with acacia and leadwood, rather than dense mopane. We saw a reasonable number of animals, though much the same as on our own self-drive the day before, which rather settled it for us going forward. Solomon himself was a good egg, and the drive let us focus on the smaller details, trees, birdlife, carcasses (including a giraffe’s huge vertebrae), dung and tracks. A genuinely good time.
At the end, we stopped at a waterhole platform for pancakes and coffee, joined by two young couples we’d earlier seen parked illegally by a waterhole, and an Indian family whose children kept feeding a forward yellow-billed hornbill despite their guide telling them to stop three times, egged on by parents after the perfect Instagram shot. Some tourists really do try the patience.
Back at Gwando for second breakfast, the choices were thin again, so we went for the breakfast wrap. Back home that’s scrambled egg with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms in a tortilla. Here it was elephant bread again, refusing to roll, and a fried egg simply chopped up. Disappointing doesn’t quite cover it.
About Hwange National Park
Located in the northwest corner of the country about an hour south of the Mighty Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park is the largest park in Zimbabwe, occupying roughly 14 650 square Kilometres.
Founded in 1929, Hwange National Park was named after a local Nhanzwa chief. It became the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele King Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century.
Originally, Robins Game sanctuary belonged to H G Robins, a cattle rancher. Because his herds were constantly under attack by lions and leopards, Robins turned the ranch into a wildlife preserve. Later, in exchange for a new house and a water supply, he gave the sanctuary to the government of Zimbabwe.
Located in the northwest corner of the country about an hour south of the Mighty Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park is the largest park in Zimbabwe, occupying roughly 14 650 square Kilometers.
Hwange boasts of a tremendous selection of wildlife with over 100 species of mammals and nearly 400 bird species recorded. The elephants of Hwange are world-famous and the Park’s elephant population is one of the largest in the world. Hwange is the only park in Zimbabwe that offers the big five.
The Park has three distinctive Camps and administrative offices at Robins, Sinamatella and the largest one at Main Camp.
Planning your visit to Hwange
| 📍 Location | Hwange District, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe, between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls |
| 🕖 Opening Times | Daily, 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| 🌐 Website | zimparks.org |
| 📞 Phone | +263 292 279 426 |
| info@zimparks.org | |
| 🚗 By Road | Main Camp gate is about 4–5 hours’ drive from Bulawayo or Victoria Falls along the A8 highway |
| ✈️ By Air | Charter flights land at Hwange National Park Airport, Main Camp Airstrip, or various safari lodge airstrips |
| ℹ️ Notes | Self-drive visitors should carry sufficient fuel and water; game drives are best at dawn and dusk; malaria precautions recommended |
🎟️ Entry Fees
| Category | Foreign Non-Residents | Foreign Residents | Zimbabwean Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | US$15 per day | US$10 per day | US$3 per day |
| Children (6–11) | US$5 per day | US$5 per day | US$1.50 per day |
| Vehicle Entry | US$10 (local) / US$15 (foreign-registered) | — | — |
Getting There
The most common starting points are Victoria Falls and Bulawayo. From Victoria Falls, it’s roughly a 2–3 hour drive south along the A8 to the park’s main entrance. From Bulawayo, it’s about a 1.5–2 hour drive north along the same road. There are also rail connections via the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls line, with a stop at Dete, a short transfer from Main Camp. For those flying in, several safari lodges operate private airstrips, and scheduled or charter flights connect through Victoria Falls Airport or Bulawayo’s Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
The Best Time to Visit Zimbabwe
❄️ Cool and Dry Season (May to August)
This is winter in Zimbabwe and the most popular time to visit. Days are sunny, crisp and largely free of rain, with daytime temperatures sitting comfortably between 20°C and 25°C. Mornings and evenings, however, can be bitterly cold, occasionally dropping close to freezing, particularly in higher areas such as Harare and the Eastern Highlands. Because vegetation thins out and water sources become scarce, animals gather predictably around rivers and waterholes, making this the prime season for safaris in Hwange, Mana Pools and Matusadona. It’s also peak tourist season, so expect higher prices and busier lodges.
What to pack: Warm layers for chilly mornings and game drives, including a fleece or jumper, a scarf, gloves and a woolly hat, alongside lighter clothing for the warmer afternoons, comfortable closed shoes, and a good pair of sunglasses.
☀️ Hot and Dry Season (September to October)
As winter fades, temperatures climb quickly and dramatically. By October, the heat can be intense, often exceeding 35°C in lower-lying regions such as Mana Pools and the Zambezi Valley, with little to no rainfall to offer relief. The dry conditions push wildlife even closer to dwindling water sources, so game viewing remains outstanding, arguably at its best, even though the heat itself can be gruelling for visitors. The landscape turns dusty and brown, but golden light and dramatic skies make for excellent photography.
What to pack: Lightweight, breathable, light-coloured clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, high-factor sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.
🌧️ Wet and Green Season (November to March)
This is Zimbabwe’s summer and its rainy season, characterised by intense but typically short-lived afternoon thunderstorms following warm, often sunny mornings. The bush transforms into a lush, vivid green, newborn animals appear, and birdlife flourishes, making it a wonderful period for birdwatchers and keen photographers. Victoria Falls is at its most thunderous and spectacular during these months, fed by the peak of the rains. Game viewing becomes trickier, as animals disperse into thicker vegetation and no longer need to cluster around limited water sources, but visitor numbers and prices both drop considerably.
What to pack: A reliable rain jacket, quick-drying clothing, waterproof or quick-drying footwear, insect repellent, and a dry bag or waterproof cover to protect cameras and electronics.
🍂 Transitional Period (April)
April sits neatly between the wet and dry seasons and is often overlooked, yet it’s a genuinely lovely time to travel. The rains are tapering off, temperatures are mild and pleasant, typically between 15°C and 25°C, and the countryside is still lush and green from the preceding months. Wildlife viewing is improving as the bush begins to thin, while crowds and prices remain lower than in the high season that follows.
What to pack: Layered clothing to handle variable temperatures, a light rain jacket just in case of a lingering shower, and comfortable, sturdy walking shoes.
Overall Best Time to Visit
Taking everything together, the cool, dry months from May to October stand out as the best overall window to visit Zimbabwe, with August and September often singled out as the sweet spot. Rainfall is minimal, skies are clear, and wildlife is concentrated around reliable water sources, making game viewing exceptional, particularly in Hwange and Mana Pools National Parks. Within that window, late winter (September and October) offers the very best safari conditions, albeit with significant heat, while May to August is gentler on visitors though colder at night. That said, travellers chasing Victoria Falls in full, roaring flood, lush green scenery, or quieter, lower-cost travel may well prefer the wet season instead. There is genuinely no wrong time to visit Zimbabwe; it simply depends on whether your priority is wildlife, weather comfort, photography, or budget.
Where to stay
Hwange offers plenty of accommodation, both inside the park and just outside it.
Main Camp sits at the park entrance, surrounded by pans and waterholes rich in game, with self-catering lodges, cottages, chalets, camping, a shop, curio store, petrol station, bar and restaurant.
Robins Camp lies near the western boundary, about 60 km from Sinamatella and 140 km from Main Camp (traffic leaving Main Camp must depart by midday). As covered above, it was bequeathed to the government in 1939 by Harold Robins. It offers lodges, chalets, camping, a restaurant, bar, shop and fuel, with several exclusive private camps nearby.
Outside the main entrance there are several private lodges. We stayed at Gwango Heritage Resort, which is inexpensive but, given our experience, can’t be wholeheartedly recommended. There are plenty of other options worth looking into.
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