Driving into camp
May 16, 2024
Our guests often ask about the drive to Hwange… and so we thought we would share a few things you should know. Typically our visitors fly into the Victoria Falls airport (which is an international airport). From there, you can choose to spend a night to two in Victoria Falls before getting on the road to Hwange. You can of course also fly from Vic Falls to the Hwange airport, but we’ll talk about the drive..
We are situated a little over 2 hours south of Victoria Falls, so you can arrange a ground transfer with us (or you can rent a vehicle). The drive can actually be a journey in itself. The roads are not perfect - so take your time and make an adventure of it.
Along the way, you’ll see a host of natural wonders (not the Vic Falls kind).. Just look around and you’ll see .. the series of rural settlements dotted along the roadside, the baobab trees reaching up from the earth - and if you look closely enough, you might even see the relics of the original old, narrow road that once carried horse drawn carts. Of course, you may very well also see a present day donkey drawn cart of two… these are the classic sights of Zimbabwe.
About halfway between Victoria Falls and Gwango is the actual town called Hwange. It’s an old coal mining town (you’ll know it when you pass through it). Hwange is home to some of the richest deposits of coal in the world .. it’s hugely exploited, so you won’t see much in the way of community development (a sad reality that we do hope someday will change). The town was also home to one of the world’s premier golf courses (but that’s a story for another day). Stopping at the cross road to Hwange town for a coke (in a bottle) you can still take a few moments to admire the old relic of a railway train and the dramatic landscapes that surround town.
Ah… the open road.. it winds its way through what are still relatively underdeveloped picturesque landscapes with contrasting thickets of trees and dry deserted open rivers.
It’s not common to see wildlife until you reach the Hwange National Park turnoff, but an elephant might surprise you as this is the region they call home. You can also always count on an array of diverse fauna and birdlife - some of our friends even stop along the way to see what they might find… but no need, you’ll see lots when you get to Gwango.
Travel is not just about the sights though - it's also about the people - friends we meet along the way. There are a few places you can stop on the roadside where local villages sell handcrafted curios or baskets and even fresh produce. You can’t help but feel at home, when you see the smiling faces of our people.. warm hospitality is a part of our rich tradition.. It’s part of what defines our culture as Zimbabweans.