African Bush Camps, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Mana Pools, Kariba

By: Emma Seaman

When we were sent an invitation to join an agent Fam Trip to visit African Bush Camps Zimbabwe Properties I jumped at the opportunity to return to Zimbabwe and have the chance to revisit some of the magnificent areas where they have camps. In our job it is so easy to get caught up behind your computer putting quotes and itineraries together – but getting out into the bush and experiencing what our clients do is so important and always gives us new inspiration and fresh ideas for dream itineraries.

I decided to start my trip one day earlier and visit a few Victoria Falls properties I hadn’t yet seen. I spent a night at the new Insika Lodge, located on the outskirts of town close to the Zambezi National Park. They have 26 Luxury Rooms and 14 signature rooms set in lovely gardens, with a very nice restaurant in the main area and bar/lounge overlooking their pool. It was great to meet their team who are very hands on, warm and efficient and we look forward to using them more in the months to come especially with accommodation in Victoria Falls being in such high demand.

Before heading out to Hwange, I did a site inspection of Shearwaters Explorers Village which was a lovely surprise for me and not what I was expecting at all. Their rooms are fresh and bright with everything you could need, set in lush gardens with a big dining area and well-located swimming pool. I also visited their Simunye Theatre where there are nightly performances which can be combined with a dinner at one of the many restaurants in the town. A great addition to any guests Victoria Falls itinerary.

Something that really impressed me in Victoria Falls was the new Ecodrop Water Refill Initiative – there are now over 20 water refill stations set up around the town including at the airport. Guests can buy or are given their bottle on arrival by their lodge and are then given a number of free refills, cutting down on the need for plastic bottles significantly.

After a quick lunch at Brookes Café with one of my oldest friends Carol White, and some shopping at Elephants Walk Wild Horizons collected me and transferred me to Victoria Falls Airport where I made my way to the Safari Logistics Airport Lounge. Here I met up with Boi from African Bush Camps who was hosting our trip and my fellow travel companions – all ladies from travel companies in the region. We bonded immediately and had one of the most fun Fam Trips I have ever been on!

Before I launch into more detail about our 6 night adventure with African Bush Camps I wanted to highlight a few things that really stood out for me – to avoid me repeating this for each and every camp. Each area (Hwange, Mana and Bumi) has its own medic and in camp clinic facilitated through ACE. ACE is part of HAC who manage all the flights on behalf of Safari Logistics. With a few minor ailements on our trip we had the chance to put these medics to the test and we had to agree that they were excellent and as an agent this really gives you peace of mind knowing they are on site to look after your guests. Another big green tick are the exceptional staff – from managers, hosts and hostesses, guides to waiters and housekeepers. Everyone is warm, hospitable and very well trained, and I felt the service in the camps was definitely a notch above many others I have visited. The house wines offered at all the camps were excellent and well thought out – on our dining table at lunch and dinner a small card described the wines that would accompany our meal and the waiters then presented the wines to us before service, with excellent knowledge of what they were serving. Each camp also has a cocktail of the day which I thought added a nice touch. In the rooms there is a selection of snacks, mints and rehydrate. Turndown was done with a different home-made chocolate every night and story. The laundry was also beautifully presented in a basket.

Now back to the actual trip! The service from Safari Logistics was excellent – we were all given a lunchbox with some snacks and a juice for our short 45-minute flight to Hwange. On arrival into Manga Airstrip, we were warmly welcomed by the Somalisa Team and treated to a wonderful afternoon High Tea set up at the airstrip. We then headed off for a quick site inspection of Somalisa Expeditions, one of our favourite camps at People and Places, where the elephants were waiting for us by their watering hole enjoying an afternoon drink. We then headed to Somalisa where we were staying the night – we were received by the whole camp team who sang to us, and a herd of elephants were also there drinking from their own swimming pool. What a treat and really wish we could have stayed longer here but with the camp being full from the following day we were limited to a one night stop here. After a welcome by camp Manager Ivy and a more detailed orientation by our own hostess Abigail, I was taken to my room by my personal room attendant Gifford. The rooms have everything and more than you could possibly need, bathrooms with a bath tub, and indoor and outdoor showers, a fan, super comfortable beds with lovely pillows and duvets, charging station and lights control next to bed, a well stocked mini bar, tea station and snacks. A beverage of your choice is delivered in morning through a hatch.

We had a quick freshen up in our rooms and then headed out on an afternoon/night drive to see what we could find and we weren’t disappointed! We came across some lions who we watched and then followed for a while. We returned to the camp for an excellent stir fry dinner by the fireside and a good night’s rest ready for our adventures the following day. During our early breakfast we were lucky enough to see some wild dogs who came to drink from the watering hole in front of the camp. We did a quick site inspection of Somalisa Acacia (a mini version of the main camp) before heading to the airstrip for our flight to Bumi in Kariba.

I had previously visited Bumi Hills prior to African Bush Camps taking it over so it was a delight to return 10 years later and see all the wonderful enhancements they have made. The Flight from Manga was just over an hour and the transfer from airstrip to camp about 10 to 15 minutes. Our guide Rufaro was fantastic and I have to say that overall the team under the leadership of Sydney and Ronald were really exceptional – very hands on, flexible and warm. The food served by chef Slim Shady was excellent with lots of fresh salads and fruit and variation and some great venues where we dined including on the banks of the lake.

The Lake view rooms are spacious with stunning views. They have air conditioning, ceiling fans, very comfortable beds with amazing linen, indoor shower and bath and outdoor shower.  They have 2 interleading lake view rooms ideal for families and a 2 bedroom villa which can sleep six as you can add an extra bed in the each bedroom which are both en suite.

The Main area has lots of space and great spots where you can sit quietly and enjoy a book or the stunning views, a very inviting pool overlooking the lake, a gift shop, spa (which I sampled for a massage and pedicure), gym (which I didn’t find time to try!!) , pool table, indoor air conditioned dining area and also outdoor dining area. They have added on a lower deck with lounge and dining area and pizza oven where we had a build your own pizza lunch on our last day.  During our stay there was another family staying at Bumi and it was wonderful to see them all engaging and having fun in the pool and playing games.

We stayed at Bumi for 2 nights so had lots of time to experience a variety of activities. We went on a  game drive our first afternoon and saw elephants, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, hippos and amazing birds. The following morning we did a walking safari with a guide called Power who was very informative and interesting.  We then spent the afternoon on a boat cruise and did some fishing which was great fun, finishing off with an island sundowners. We had high tea on the lady Jacqueline which is going to be used for sleep outs and also for lunches as a value add on 3 night stays.  The Boat has 2 en-suite double cabins and 2 cabins with shared bathroom and bunk beds for kids. This is a really great concept and the overnight trip will also include a game drive in Matusadona. During our stay we also had a presentation from the Bumi Hills Anti Poaching Unit, BHAPU, giving us an overview of the work that they have been doing and continue to do in the Bumi area. BHAPU is one of our Giving Back projects so this felt very close to home for me and was good to touch base with their team on the ground.

We were sad to say goodbye to the team at Bumi who took such great care of us but were also excited to visit Mana Pools where we were staying at Zambezi Expeditions for a night and Nyamatusi for two nights. For those of you who don’t know, the word Mana means Four and this is linked to the four pools in the Park - Long, Chine, Green and Chisasiko. The drive from Mana Main Airstrip to Zambezi Expeditions was about an hour. Because of the river movements the camp is now set back a bit from the main river channel but still offers a great location with another fantastic team. Cloud the guide is one of the best I have encountered -  very humble, old school with great knowledge and amazing sense of humour. Sebastian is the camp manager here and he is light hearted and humorous. The camp is different to the other ABC Camps in that it is fairly rustic – you can only charge cameras and phones in main area, the rooms are comfortable but smallish with bucket showers. They do have bedside lights, a bathroom light and fan. The food was very good and wholesome and the main area very cosy.  They have a small plunge pool which overlooks floodplain. We had elephants walk right through camp which was very special. We saw great game whilst there although our time was limited. Wild dogs, eland, zebra, warthog and elephants.

Before heading to Nyamatusi we did a site inspection of Kanga Camp, about an hours drive from Zambezi Expeditions. This is an amazing oasis with the camp built around a watering hole which they also pump ensuring year round water and drawing many animals to this area. The rooms are lovely and they do have a family room where beds are made up in lounge and a Honeymoon room. They also have a small plunge pool for cooling off in the hotter months. In this area it is possible to do night drives, whilst at Zambezi Expeditions and Nyamatusi it is a National Parks requirement that you are back in camp just after sunset.

It took us just over an hour to drive to Nyamatusi from Zambezi Expeditions and the camp is about 45 minutes from Mana Main. The camp is a lot bigger than I expected with the main camp and Mahogany (their family camp) located next to each other. The rooms are very spread out and apart from three rooms it’s quite far to the main area to walk so you get driven by one of the guides. The main area consists of a double storey building with dining area, bar and fire deck below, and upstairs another bar, lounge area and library. There’s a great gift shop, loo with a view and swimming pool and they have a wine cellar and good stock of wines. The River is also fairly far back from camp but its a stunning setting and a more private area as further east, bordering with Great Plains Sapi Reserve.

The rooms are really lovely, each has a plunge pool and are split level with a sunken lounge. There are air conditioners and fans in the rooms, a desk with a charging station and a tea/coffee and mini bar station. The bathroom has a shower and toilet which are accessed through separate sliding doors. There is also a good selection of gym equipment in the room which sadly I didn’t have time to use!! (noticing a trend here!)

The staff at Nyamatusi are fantastic and we were hosted by Talent and our Guide was Tavenga, better known as TV. The waiter Beven who looked after us is probably one of the best waiters I have ever experienced. The food was excellent and varied and we had a wonderful traditional night set up outside on river banks on our last evening. The staff sang and danced for us and the food was outstanding with oxtail, chicken and some traditional side dishes like mopani worms.

We had some very interesting drives with TV during our time at Nyamatusi – there were some light rains and wind so we didn’t see as much as we did from Zambezi Expeditions but still had a wonderful time. We also went on a walking safari with Cloud who came over from Zambezi Expeditions and had a wonderful time.

Our time in Mana came to an end all too soon and we flew back to Victoria Falls where we all said a sad but very fond farewell to each other. From here I was met by a Wild Horizons driver who took me to the Wallow for a quick site inspection with Tich and Lesley who is the Camp Manager. We haven’t used the Wallow much in the past but after seeing what a delightful camp it is with superb location on the Masuwe River and very reasonable pricing we will definitely start booking them more. I then had a quick visit to Shongwe Lookout and Oasis Located next to each other where Jamie, the owner showed me around. Each property has its own restaurant and pool, there is also a lovely spa at Oasis, and at Lookout of course the Lookout itself with stunning views of town and the Falls. I was then dropped by my driver at Ilala Lodge where I enjoyed a very tasty chicken wrap in their restaurant and caught up on emails and messages before being driven to Livingstone Airport for my flight back to Lusaka.