Untouched surroundings, sleeping under the stars and cocktails with hippos – a safari adventure in Zimbabwe is an experience you won’t forget
Source: “My heart was racing”: a breathtaking encounter with an elephant in Zimbabwe
When it comes to choosing where to go on safari, the options can be overwhelming. From walking with elephants in Zimbabwe to exploring wildlife from boats as you float down the River Zambezi, it’s hard to know where to begin when planning your bucket-list trip. But if you’re looking to explore the wildlife in Africa, Yellow Zebra Safaris can help curate your perfect trip. Experts in the field – or the plains, should we say – they can tailor-make your trip, whether you’re looking for a romantic honeymoon or a fun-filled family holiday.
Below, one writer details her trip to Zimbabwe, curated by the safari specialists…
Day one
The flight from Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park, a reserve on the edge of the famed Ngamo Plains, takes 90 minutes. Following a 15-hour journey from London to Zimbabwe, I was expecting to head straight to Wilderness Linkwasha, the camp we’d be calling home for the next three nights, for some sleep and a chance to freshen up – but in Africa there’s more important things to do. Our guide, Tongo, told us a family of lions had been spotted close by; when you’ve travelled for 24 hours to try and catch a glimpse of ‘the big four’, you don’t waste time on sleep. With Tongo driving us through the deserted and untouched paths of the Ngamo Plains, my exhaustion slipped away. Half an hour later, there we were: watching a group of six lionesses resting in the sun. It was thrilling, it was beautiful. Our safari adventure had begun.
Day two
The day began at sunrise. We ate breakfast looking out over the never-ending plain surrounding our camp. Metres away a family of elephants drank from a water hole while monkeys made themselves known in the distance. Heading out on our first morning game drive, we were searching for a cheetah that had been spotted by a guide earlier that morning. On our way to the area it was last seen in, we passed herds of elephants making their way to a water hole as a tower of giraffes lowered their long necks to drink from it. As we approached, in the distance we saw not one, but two cheetahs on top of a mound in the open plain – they were waiting for us. We admired them stretch and walk the plains gracefully for the next hour. It was only 11am.
We made our way back to camp for lunch and to spend the afternoon poolside. The day was finished with a group dinner with other guests, exchanging stories of the day’s excitement. But, as becomes expected on an African safari, wildlife is never too far away. A hush descended on the table as an elephant appeared from the darkness to take a drink from the camp’s pool. The perfect ending to day two.
Day three
As we were enjoying breakfast, one of the guides alerted us to a herd of buffalo in the distance that were making their way to the water hole next to camp. We took turns looking through binoculars out to the plains: it was an alarming site. Hundreds of buffalo were getting closer, looking bigger by the second. What better time to head out to Wilderness Linkwasha’s sunken hide? Providing a unique, ground-level perspective of wildlife, it is as up close and personal as you can get.
One-by-one we made our way out to the waterhole and climbed down the ladders to the lookout. We sat and waited as the buffalos descended on the water hole. It was equal parts terrifying and awe-inspiring. We watched in silence as the buffalo surrounded us, mesmerised. Suddenly, an enormous foot thudded down right in front of our eyes. The buffalos had been joined at the water hole by a herd of elephants, all of them unaware we were sat watching below.
Day four
After three days in Hwange National Park, we travelled 45 minutes by plane to Wilderness Ruckomechi in the heart of the Zambezi Valley’s Mana Pools National Park. All internal flights are organised by Yellow Zebra Safari so travelling between camps is surprisingly straight-forward. Our jeep pulled up to our new home on the banks of the Zambezi River and we were greeted by singing from the camp’s team. Distracted by our welcome, we hadn’t noticed an elephant approaching from behind us. The camp’s team and the jeep became silent as it walked slowly in-between us, an arm’s reach away. My heart was racing. The elephant was known to the camp; she was a local who regularly came to visit, so she was at ease with her surroundings – so much so that she stopped to graze in front of us, gently lifting leaves into her mouth with her trunk, her body brushing past the front of the jeep. What a welcome.
Day five
The tented rooms were on the banks of the Zambezi River with views of the flowing water below and the Zambia mountains in the distance. It’s a morning shower view that stays with you for life. After five days of game drives, it was time to take our exploring to the water. We boarded Wilderness’ boat to journey down the Zambezi for some catch-and-release fishing. But fishing soon became a second thought as we navigated the hundreds of hippos in the water, countless alligators on the river banks, and herds of elephants crossing through the river from Zimbabwe to Zambia. We finished our day trip with sundowners on the river bank listening to the sound of the hippos around us.
Day six
Our final day began with a baby elephant joining us at breakfast. The calf stepped up onto the decking of the camp’s dining area and bounced around with the enthusiasm of a puppy, enticed by the smells coming from the morning’s barbecue. It was good preparation for the day’s activity: a walking safari.
We drove out of camp to find a good spot to embark on our hike. Walking a small section of Mana Pools National Park, we listened to the bellows of lions in the distance and the calls of birds as we silently moved between bushes, not knowing what was round the next corner. Although I felt entirely safe, thanks to the guides, I still got jolts of adrenaline as the trees around us rustled.
Back at camp we looked back over the last week, sharing our favourite moments as we sat round the fire. It was hard to name one thing as a highlight, but I know I’ll never forget falling asleep in my four-poster bed on the banks of the River Zambezi to the sound of cackling hyenas.
Yellow Zebra Safari offers six nights in Zimbabwe – three at Wilderness Linkwasha and three at Wilderness Ruckomechi – including food and drink, flights, transfers and safari activities, from £5,497 a person, based on two sharing.
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