Overview of Itinerary

10^th April               Arrive Bulawayo

10^th April               1 night Bulawayo Club

11^th April               Road Transfer to Hwange National Park

11 – 14^th April        3 nights Somalisa Camp, Hwange National Park

14^th April               Transfer to Miombo Lodge

14^th April               1 night Miombo Lodge, Dete

15^th April               7am Fun Run in Dete

15^th April               Afternoon Road Transfer to Victoria Falls

15 – 17^th April        2 nights Vic Falls Hotel

17^th April               Transfer to Vic Falls Airport

17^th – 20^th April     Optional 3 night Botswana extension

If you would like to take part in the Fun Run to be held in April 2012, and would like more information on the above Safari Itinerary, please contact Sophia@africanbushcamps.com

Zimbabwe has been crippled from many sides, the HIV/AIDS virus causing the break up of families and large pockets of poverty, especially in rural settings such as Dete and the internal turmoil has brought further struggle to the every day life of Zimbabweans.  Zimbabwe’s economic and political instability has added to the crippled nations rural communities. This year it is expected that the poor rainfalls will result in poor harvests, which in turn will debilitate and dis-empower these communities even more.

Day to day survival for the average Zimbabwean is tough, especially so in rural villages such as Dete. In the local primary schools in the area, over 50% of the students are orphans or vulnerable children where they live with a relative or older sibling. Schools in rural areas struggle especially as they have few teachers, little to no stationary, text books or sporting equipment, often no electricity and children can walk up to 7km every day just to get to school.

The fun run is an opportunity to bring together people as a community, to celebrate life through sport, to just simply have fun in a world where every day is a struggle just to survive. Every runner receives a prize for participating which is much treasured and celebrated.

In 2011 the first 2km run for the Primary School children was held prior to the main event and it was a huge success with over 200 students participating. This year we expect 1000 participants in total, a large number for this small rural community.

Over the past few years we have managed to identify key schools which are in need of support and donated fleece jumpers to a whole primary school of 600 students (Dete is in an area that reaches below 0 degree’s Celsius in winter and these fleece jumpers go a long way, especially when pupils have to walk many km’s to school every day, leaving their homes before the sun is even up), sports uniforms, modems for schools to get online and sporting equipment.

Our aim this year is to again provide fleece jumpers to rural schools as well as textbooks, laptop computers and modems as well as sporting equipment. This year our aim is to provide soccer and netball shoes to all of the 18 Primary Schools in the area as without proper shoes they are excluded from all inter-school tournaments, whether local or regional.

In August 2011 the Jane Bubear Sports Foundation sponsored another annual event held by the African Bush Camps Foundation in Dete which brought together 16 local soccer clubs for a very successful soccer tournament and managed to donate sports equipment to a rural school who literally did not have even one ball, since then the school morale and school attendance has soon a tremendous turn around.

Through sporting events such as the Zim 10K fun run and the soccer tournament, we are able provide fun events to the community who have very little to celebrate or look forward to, provide schools with uniforms and sports equipment as well as teaching local people conservation in an area where poaching is high because of the level of poverty that people are in, living a day to day subsistence life. We partner with local safari companies such as African Bush Camps who have safari camps within Hwange National Park and together we can help the local people feel a real and lasting impact of tourism though community development.

How To Get involved:

1.Come to the run and let African Bush Camps organise a Safari Itinerary around the date, where you can experience the incredible wealth of wildlife Zimbabwe has to offer as well as the rich culture of the local people and get the chance to visit communities and school children who’s lives have already been transformed by the Jane Bubear Sports Foundation as well as participate in actual event of the Zim 10k 2012 fun run.

2. Donate towards our target of $22,000 which will go towards much needed sports uniforms, sports equipment, fleece jumpers, books, laptops for schools which will be handed out at this year’s run.

3. Collect any old sports equipment, shoes, clothes, books, educational toys, wall charts, dictionaries, atlas’, encyclopedia’s, pen’s pencils, crayons, pencil cases, games, old draw string or duffle bags and we will take them over for you preferably in a soft case bag.

For more information or to enquire about getting involved please contact sophia@africanbushcamps.com or shelley@africanbushcamps.com.

The first of the series took place on Thursday 19th January where Dr Netty Purchase discussed the myth of Cheetahs and whether they are genetically doomed. Providing an informative talk on the make-up and genetics of these beautiful animals, Dr Netty purchase put forward a strong argument showing that there are about four variances of the genetic pools of cheetah throughout Africa and that the theory that these creatures are genetically doomed, may in fact be in correct. Dr. Netty Purchase went on further to discuss the human / predator conflict that has arisen with the ever increasing spread of human developments into wildlife areas, and the ever increasing need for humans to preserve these areas for the future of African conservation.

The next of the lectures in the Lecture Series Programme will take place on Thursday February 16 and will focus on whether trophy hunting is bad for lion conservation. The lecture will be given by Brent Staplekamp from the Lion Research Project in Hwange National Park who is currently studying the human / predator conflict.

Lecture Series Programme:

• Thursday 16th February:
  Lions – dispelling the myth that trophy hunting is bad for lion conservation
• Thursday 22nd March:
  Wild Dog – dispelling the myth that they are cruel hunters that decimate wild prey populations
• Thursday 19th April:
  Leopard – dispelling the myth that there are plenty of leopards, and that they are simply a problem animal that we can continue hunting indefinitely with no problem.
• Thursday 17th May:
  Spotted Hyena – dispelling the myth that they are simply lowly scavengers that impact on lions

All lectures will take place at 5.15 pm at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music in Bulawayo.

Our itinerary, for a family of four including two teenagers, was cleverly arranged by African Bush Camps to give us a variety of experiences.  Starting in luxury at Ilala Lodge hotel in Victoria Falls, we explored the uncommercialised and unspoilt Victoria Falls, both by foot and by helicopter.

After a couple of days we were whisked away to Somalisa, the tented camp situated right in the heart of Hwange national park, hours from ‘civilisation’ – except that our welcome and treatment at Somalisa was as civilised as anywhere we have ever been! Its a very special, beautiful place and contrary to what we had been warned, we saw many many animals, some at very close hand just outside the camp itself.  A herd of 40 elephants and 200 buffalo turning up at the camp’s waterhole made Christmas Eve very special, whilst the highlights of Christmas Day were a fantastic Christmas dinner (how did they manage that in a tent in the heart of the bush?) and 22 lions turning up at camp just as we were turning in for the night.  Special thanks to Ray, our guide and Angela the camp manager for making our stay so memorable.

There then followed a two night stay at Sikumi Tree Lodge where the highlight  was watching a beautiful Cheetah just yards from the jeep (thanks David!) and then on to beautiful Imbabala lodge next to the Zambezi where the was a herd of Impala who thought it was a good idea to spend their nights in the grounds of the lodge, until a pack of wild dogs found them on our last morning there…

The holiday was rounded off by a magical night at the incomparable Victoria Falls Hotel, where during dinner and by common consent we decided that we couldn’t have had a better holiday, anywhere. We unhesitatingly recommend this holiday to anyone with a love of nature, and we found Zimbabwe itself to be both surprisingly beautiful and very friendly.

David Miles and Family, UK

Somalisa Camp at Hwange National Park has, however, proved that it really is a ‘luck of the draw’ scenario. The ‘Green Season’ which started in November, has seen an increased amount of plains game and predators having been sighted in and around the Somalisa Concession. Throughout December moving into early January, there have been an increased number of plains game in the vlei in front of camp as well as regular visits to Somalisa Camp by a pride of 22 lions. Fires that had scorched the vlei during the drying season, have allowed for sweet green grass to sprout, making the vlei an attractive area for the wildlife to graze.

Lion Researcher, Brent Staplekamp, confirmed that the pride is dominated by the large male lion, known as ‘Jericho’, and that as long as there are plains game in the area, the lions will generally stay in the area as well. ‘Jericho’ is the sole surviving son of ‘Mpofu’, a majestic and well known lion that had dominated the entire Main Camp and Ngweshla areas of Hwange National Park for more than 10 years until he met his death in a fight with 7 other lions at Ngweshla in September of 2009. The pride of 22 lions have been harassing our resident herd of buffalo and on one evening last week entertained guests as they sat watching the action from 10pm until 2am.

Early January saw our professional guides track down 4 cheetahs and to the delight of our guests who happened to be with them, the cheetahs made a kill as the guides and guests sat and watched them. The day before, the guests had been privy to watching 3 wild dogs chase impala through the Ngweshla vlei-line. Luckily enough on this occassion, the Impala managed to escape.

Despite the rain Elephants, Wildebeest, Zebra and buffalo continue to pour into our area to drink from the pan. The Elephants have taken a particular liking to the cleaner water of the pool and tend to use the muddy pan water as a ‘mud-bath’ to cool off before heading to the pool to drink.

All this is evidence that, no matter what time of year you visit, you have the potential to experience incredible wildlife sightings and encounters… and that the opportunity to see the major predators and larger plains game is not eclusive to the ‘Dry Season’ and is possible year round.

All photos taken by and are the COPYRIGHT protected property of Conradin Peer

New safari itineraries

In order to offer greater opportunities for travel, we have introduced new discounted packages to make our Safari experiences more cost effective and affordable.

Zimbabwe Packages Include:

• Best of Zimbabwe (7-days special)
• Mana Pools Explorer (7-days special)
• ‘Wild Zimbabwe’ Highlights (9-days special)

Botswana Packages Include:

• Botswana Adventures (7-days special)
• Okavango and Chobe Highlights (7-days  special)
• Okavango and Chobe Explorer (8-days special)
• Botswana Three Lagoons Safari (10-days special)
• Footsteps Across Botswana (10-days special)

Find full details of these safari itineraries » here

Smooth Safari Logistics

African Bush Camps is proud to announce the start of a new initiative called ‘Safari Logistics’.

Through the services of ‘Safari Logistics’ visitors from all corners of the world will now have convenient and cost effective access to Zimbabwe’s renowned and popular safari areas. Under ‘Safari Logistics’, African Bush Camps will begin its operation of a much–needed seat rate schedule, with flights which will link the renowned Hwange National Park to the World Heritage Site of Mana Pools National Park, Lake Kariba (Bumi) and the mighty Victoria Falls.

In 2011, Zimbabwe’s tourism sector emerged triumphant after a barrage of political and socio–economic challenges that had culminated over the last decade. Travel trends continue to show an increased interest in the destination as well as increased occupancy figures.Boasting unparalleled safari experiences in some of the most remote wilderness areas and National Parks in the region, the destination is largely untouched by human development and offers travellers unique and off the beaten track safaris. However, with remote areas, comes the challenge of easy and affordable access to the safari and wildlife hubs of the country.

In 2012, African Bush Camps has decided to take on the challenge to address the issue of access, and to make Zimbabwe an even more attractive & affordable choice for visitors and travel planners worldwide.

The schedule is effective from the 1st of April 2012 to the 31st November and can be booked immediately. Check it out » now!

My wife and I and two friends stayed at Saile camp on the 17 -20th September. I just wanted to tell you that we had the best time of our holiday at the camp and we put that down entirely to Winna and his team at the camp.

The service, food and camp staff were exceptional, they went out of their way to make our stay perfect and none of us will ever forget them all singing for us around an open fire, under the stars, it was magical.

But the real highlight was Winna as our guide, he was brilliant and went out of his way to ensure we saw as many animals as possible and to learn about them and they way they live alongside everything else in the bush, the time with him passed so quickly, he made our holiday and we were all sorry to leave him and his team.

We all wanted to say he is a very special guy with a great talent and a real asset to your company. I would recommend him and his camp to anybody who wants something slightly different.

Thank you for a wonderful 3 days!

Mike Widdis

The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare inaugural flight will take place on 1st February and the service will be operated by an A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration that offers 12 luxurious First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 183 passengers in Economy Class.

Scheduled to operate five times a week, passengers flying Emirates from Lusaka and Harare will be able to connect seamlessly to points across the Far and Middle East, Indian sub-continent, Europe and Australasia via the airline’s hub in Dubai. “Emirates has long understood the enormous potential of Africa, which today is one of the fastest-expanding economic regions of the world, benefitting from a combined market of over one billion people and with a rising consumer demand, as well as an abundance of natural resources,” explained Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and Chief Executive of the Emirates Airline Group. He went on to add, “Zambia and Zimbabwe will be our 20th and 21st African destinations and their addition to our global network will enable us to provide new flexibility and choice for customers, helping to grow trade routes and create important new inbound and outbound markets for tourism.”

David Chawota, chief executive officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) said: “The arrival of an airline of Emirates’ stature will be very significant for Zimbabwe, increasing capacity, connectivity and choice as the country strives to consolidate its economic recovery through attracting new trade, tourism and investment.”

The Schedule is expected to be as follows:
Emirates Flight EK 713 will depart Dubai on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0925hrs, arriving in Lusaka at 1450hrs. The service will depart Lusaka at 1620hrs, arriving in Harare at 1720.

The return flight leaves Harare at 1920, arriving Lusaka at 2020. It departs Lusaka at 2150 and lands in Dubai at 0710hrs the next day.

It is likely that as Zimbabwe slowly regains its position on the map as a sought after Tourist Destination, more and more airlines will begin to show renewed interest in operating flights to and from the country.

Last tuesday, whilst guiding some wonderful guests at our Zambezi Life Styles Camp, we were privvy to one of the most incredible sightings I have experienced in all my years of guiding!

Whilst exploring the area on a walking safari, we came across one of the four pools after which Mana Pools is named. We watched in anticipation as 18 Wild dogs chased an Impala through the vleii and into the pool. It just so happened that a Hippo was wallowing in the shallows of the pool as the Impala strode into the water. The hippo seized the impala in its mighty jaws, killing it in the process, and throwing the Impala to one side. As the dead Impala lay in the shallows of the water, the hippo charged the wild dogs who were standing at the waters edge. The wild dogs realised that the hippo was too large to contend with and moved off back into the bush, leaving the dead Impala floating in the water.

Benefits:

While enjoying our luxury camps in the finest safari locations, families will benefit:

• 2 children under the age of 12 will stay free of charge for families or groups of 6 to 10 persons.
• A Private vehicle will be allocated to family groups of 5 or more.

Conditions

• Location: Somalisa Acacia (Zimbabwe), or Linyanti Ebony (Botswana).
• Valid: 1st October 2011 to 31st March 2012
• Conditions: this special is subject to availability.

Details:

For details about Somalisa Acacia (Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe) and Linyanti Ebony (Chobe enclave, Botswana), please see the related pages.

You may also like to see our child policy in our Terms & Conditions.