- Attractions & Activities
- Facilities
- Robins
- Parks & Wildlife Estate Of Zimbabwe
 It
became the royal hunting grounds to the Ndebele warrior-king
Mzilikazi in the early 19 th Century and was set aside as
a National Park in 1929. Hwange boasts 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. The Park has three distinctive Camps and administrative
offices at Robins, Sinamatella and the largest one at Main
Camp.
Main Camp
Main Camp is situated at the main entrance to the Park. There are numerous pans and pumped waterholes around Main Camp and the area is rich in game.
Facilities
Main Camp has facilities including self-catering lodges,
cottages and chalets, a camping and caravan site, bar and
restaurant, grocery store, curio shop and petrol station.
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 Lodges
Lodges in Hwange National Park are units with one or two bedrooms,
bathroom, fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator and stove,
lounge and verandah. Cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery
are provided.
Cottages
Cottages are units with 1 or 2 bedrooms, bathroom and verandah. Cooking facilities are communal, with electric hot plates provided. The cottages have a centrally located thatched, open dining area with refrigerators available for communal use. Normally no cutlery or crockery is provided.
Chalets
These are units with 1 or 2 bedrooms, and a verandah. Cooking facilities are available on wood or charcoal braais. Electric refrigerator and sink are provided in each unit. Ablution and toilet facilites are provided in a communal block.
Camping and Caravan sites
Camping and caravan sites have piped water to each stand. Cooking facilities are available on wood or charcoal braais. Ablution and toilet facilities are provided in communal blocks. Visitors should note that tent and camping equipment are not available for hire.
Conference facilities
Conference facilities can be made available at Main Camp. Visitors who intend to hold a conference or an organized gathering requiring such facilities will need to contact the Central Reservation Office for details.
Attractions & Activities
-
Ngweshla Pan - the loop road is a pleasant
day-drive
-
Nyamandhlovu Platform - prime game viewing area at a
pumped water hole
-
Dom waterhole – an exceptional view of the African
Sunset
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Amenities
Sinamatella
Established in 1966, this part of the Park was a former
cattle ranch. The camp is located near the northern boundary
of the Park on an outcrop, 55 metres high, overlooking a distant
riverbed and grassy plain. The name Sinamatella is a distortion
of the name of a local shrub called “chinamatira”
which characteristically will stick to clothing when
brushed against.
The Camp is approximately 120 kilometres from Main Camp.
Vehicles are not allowed to travel between the two camps after
1400 hours. Sinamatella is an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ)
Facilities
The Camp has lodges, chalets and camping sites as described
in Main Camp. In addition, a restaurant, bar, shop and fuel
are available. Apart from these facilities at the Rest Camp
there are also several exclusive camps in the area:
Exclusive Camps
Bumbusi Camp
Bumbusi is situated 24 kilometres northwest of Sinamatella
and consists of 4 “A” frame accommodation units,
a cottage and a central lounge area. The kitchen is fully
equipped with freezer and stove. A central ablution block
comprises 2 toilets and 2 bathrooms. The maximum number of
persons that may be accommodated at Bumbusi is 12. There are
no electricity facilities available. The access road is rough,
but can be negotiated by low clearance vehicles in the dry
season.
Lukosi Camp
Located 11 kilometres from Sinamatella. With facilities similar to Bumbusi, the maximum number of occupants is 10. Lukosi Camp is only available for bookings from November through April.
Bush Camps
These are undeveloped sites found at Lukosi, Vhikani, Rhino Bar, Salt Springs and Tshakabika. Four wheel drive or high clearance vehicles are necessary for visitors to Tshakabika.
Attractions & Activities
-
Mandavu Dam - provides a beautiful
viewing hide to watch animals coming to drink, 27 kilometres
from Sinamatella
-
Masuma Dam - excellent hide for game viewing about 15
kilometres from Sinamatella
-
Detema Dam – exceptional game
viewing hide 
-
Wilderness trails
-
Walks
-
Fishing
Amenities
Robins
Robins Camp is close to the western boundary of Hwange approximately
60 kilometress from Sinamatella and 140 from the Main Camp.
Through traffic from Main Camp is required to leave by 1200
hours. This camp was bequeathed to the government in 1939
by a local farmer, Harold Robins.
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Facilities
The Camp has lodges, chalets and camping sites. In addition, a restaurant, bar, shop and fuel are available. There are also several exclusive camps in the Robins area:
Exclusive Camps
Nantwich Camp
The Camp consists of 3 lodges and is located 11 kilometres northwest of Robins Camp. Each lodge is fully equipped and self-contained. This remote camp is built on a small bluff which overlooks a natural pan and grassy plain.
Isilwane Lodge
This luxurious lodge is a top of the range accommodation facility overlooking an artificial waterhole. The lodge is only a few metres away from Nantwich Camp.
Deka Camp
Deka Camp consists of 2 family units, each with 2 bedrooms, bathroom and toilet. An additional facility contains a dining room, lounge, scenic verandah and kitchen with refrigerator and stove. The camp is serviced and fully equipped and takes a maximum of 12 persons. Deka Camp is situated 25 kilometres west of Robins Camp. Access is by four-wheel drive vehicles only. The camp is normally closed during the rainy season.
Attractions & Activities
Amenities
Other Activities
-
Escorted daytime walks – available from all camps
for a charge to groups of up to 6 persons
-
Moonlight game viewing – available from Main Camp
around the full-moon period subject to weather conditions
-
Wilderness trails – available in the Sinamatella
and Robins Camp areas
Picnic Sites
Camping is permissible in Hwange National Park at Shumba, Kapula, Mandavu Dam, Masuma, Ngweshla, Jambile, Kennedy 1, Guvalala,and Detema Picnic Sites. Each site consists of an enclosed picnic area (usually with shady trees or thatch cover) and a small ablution block with running water. Groups of up to 10 people may camp overnight at these areas but the sites are also open to all visitors during daytime.
How to get to Hwange National Park
Access to the Park may be made by:
Air
An unlicensed airstrip exists at Main Camp for private/ charter aircraft. Prior permission to land must be obtained at Main Camp. Please note there are no hangars. Hwange National Park Airport is situated nearby.
Road
It is usually possible from May to October to enter the Park by any designated access road and to drive to any of the camps. During the wet season though, advice should be sought as to the best routes. The visitor reception at each camp will provide advice on the many game-viewing drives of the 480 kilometres of the Park’s road system. Please note that the camps are interconnected by a road network, however, the roads are not always in the best of conditions.
To Main Camp
The turn-off to Main Camp is at the 264,5 kilometre peg on
the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. From here a tar road (15
kilometres) leads to the Park boundary at the railway crossing,
a short distance from the Camp.
To Sinamatella Camp
A tar then gravel road branches off the main Bulawyo –
Victoria Falls Road near the town of Hwange. The Camp is reached
45 kilometres further on via Mbala lodge in the Deka Safari
Area.
To Robins Camp
A gravel road turns off the main Bulawyo – Victoria
Falls Road 48 kilometres south of Victoria Falls. From the
junction it is approximately 70 kilometres to Robins Camp
and en route there is a turn off to Matetsi Safari Area headquarters
and to Pandamatenga. Robins Camp can also be reached by road
through the Park from Main Camp and Sinamatella during the
dry season. If proceeding through one of these camps obtain
information about the route from the relevant camp.
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