The Hide Safari Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Image 3 - The Hide Safari Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Image 4 - The Hide Safari Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

At a Glance...

Style: Luxury safari tents under thatch

Our opinion: Private, peaceful, passionate and flexible - this is a great camp that has won numerous well deserved awards over the years

Accommodation: 11 tents (5 standard tents with indoor and outdoor showers, 4 deluxe and 2 honeymoon tents with either indoor or outdoor showers and either indoor or outdoor baths. There is one family tent)

And the kids? 10 years and older welcome. Under 10 on request

Activities: Morning, afternoon and evening game drives, walking with a professional guide, pan sits, hide sits, bird watching

Season: Closed annually: 1 February - 13 February

Highlights: All the tents overlook a waterhole that is constantly busy night and day; Four game activities offered per day; Sleep out at the Dove's Nest tree house which overlooks an open tree lined vlei and pan where elephant and giraffe come to drink

The Hide Safari Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Located in a private concession inside Hwange National Park

Well known and much loved, The Hide Safari Camp is situated in a private concession within Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve. Hwange National Park is located alongside the main Bulawayo to Victoria Falls road in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe bordering Botswana. Covering 14,600 sq km and lying on the edge of the Kalahari Desert a notable feature of Hwange National Park is the absence of permanent surface water which means animals have to rely on a series of waterholes. This results in some excellent game viewing especially during the dry winterand summer months. Home to oryx as well as the rare brown hyena Hwange has long been known for its abundant and diverse wildlife, in particular for its large herds of elephant and buffalo. One can expect some great lion sightings and it is one of the best places to see the endangered African wild dog. There is a good chance of spotting leopard and rhino in addition to cheetah, spotted hyena and the stately sable antelope.

Built in 1992 by the Preston family The Hide Safari Camp has justly earned its reputation as a consummate safari destination offering a great wildlife experience and warm and welcoming hospitality. This is one lodge that one can rely on to live up to its reputation.

Accommodation for up to 22 guests is in extremely comfortable and spacious classic standard, deluxe and honeymoon tented suites. The standard tents have en suite indoor and outdoor showers whereas the deluxe and honeymoon tents have en suite showers as well as large indoor or outdoor bath tubs. Each tent has a private veranda from where guests may be entertained by the comings and goings of zebra, kudu, giraffe, elephant and a variety of other game at the floodlit waterhole which the only source of permanent water for a good sized area.

The Hide prides itself on having a family of experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides. There is no typical day at The Hide as it really depends on you how much or little you would like to do. As a general rule, you will go out-and-about at the same time as the animals - usually mornings and late afternoons or evenings. However, the scope and scale of Hwange's wildlife is such that there is generally always something to see. There is no limit on the number of activities you can do, so if you can't sit still, you could do an early morning walk followed by a morning drive after breakfast. In the afternoon you could head out again, stopping off for a sundowner and a night-drive back to camp. If you are really looking to get the most out of your stay, you could venture out after dinner to see if you can find anything out on the prowl. Keen photographers will appreciate the opportunity to hide 'sit'. The hide at the camp's waterhole has been specially designed to allow guests to get really close to game thus providing fantastic photographic opportunities.

More adventurous guests may enjoy getting away from it all by spending a night sleeping out under the stars in the romantic Dove Nest. Overlooking an open tree-lined vlei and pan where giraffe and elephants commonly come to drink, this rustic tree house is a perfect vantage point from which to view wildlife safely and quietly. Just the two of you! Kept simple, as a tree-house should be, the bedroom of the Dove's Nest is reached by a wooden stairway and trap door. You won't have to forego your hot shower and warm bed and the location is second to none.

The Hide Safari Camp ticks all the right boxes when it comes to comfort, setting, good food, great guides and a memorable safari experience. Private and peaceful with no TV and no internet to distract guests the emphasis is on great game and bird viewing in an iconic national park. It is however worth mentioning the Victoria Falls to Bulawayo railway line is only a couple of kilometers away which means the silence of the early morning may be broken by the sound of a train as it rumbles by in the distance.