Celebrate our Grand Opening, visit Gwango

Oct 26, 2014

Greetings friends,

I can’t believe how quickly the year has gone by! New Year’s Day 2015 will mark a full year since we moved to the wilderness, just outside Hwange National Park. Ten months later, preparations are underway for an opening celebration at Gwango Elephant Lodge and the Gwango Heritage Resort.

Almost every evening, for ten months - as the blazing sun gently tucks away beneath the tree line I've thought of my mother and wished she could be here to experience the splendour of our place in the bush. I came here.. bound by a promise I made to her, that I would look after our land and the elephants. Little did I know that I would be living amidst the fabled Presidential Elephant herds of Zimbabwe.

With only two tents (no electricity and no running water), we brought very big dreams...  We set up camp - near a dilapidated old tree house surrounded by piles of rubble!  

On the first night here, as we were settling into our tents, we heard the powerful roar of lions... a little too close for comfort! We kept a small fire burning all night, but still I opted to sleep in our vehicle for many nights after that, until one evening when our neighbours insisted that we “come over to Sable Sands”... That was the beginning of our dear friendship with Brian and Marleen.

For two months following that day, they generously saved a delicious hot dinner for us - and we slept in one of their thatched rondovals overlooking the vlei. At sunrise we would head back to Gwango - our 4x4 loaded with gallons of water (a scarce resource at a time when we had no running water).

I hope my simple sentiments will help you understand our journey and the significance of our soon to be completed main building at Gwango Elephant Lodge.

With hand-crafted stone pillars and an impressive arched stone entry, its architectural grandeur symbolizes the resilience of Gwango and reflects the natural beauty of our country, Zimbabwe ("dzimba dza mabwe" means "houses of stone").

To celebrate the opening of Gwango, I'm proud to personally invite you to visit our house of stone in Hwange. Here, at one of the most astonishing destinations in all of Africa, you'll enjoy a wide array of accommodations - from our exclusive high-end lodge, to an old fashioned self-catering campsite. Or, for a classic family safari vacation, visit our friends at Sable Sands on the spectacular Dete vlei.

Our properties are owner managed - so we pay attention to the small, but important details.  Booking is easy, simply click on the BOOK NOW button on our website or send us an email.
 

As always.. a huge thanks for your continued support.. we can't wait to see you soon in Hwange!

Cheers for now,
Elisabeth