Walkways to our Tree Top Villas

Aug 01, 2024

We always talk about how we built Gwango from nothing.. the Gwango estate was pure wilderness. But there was one distinct relic that we found.. Tell tale signs of a raised walkway, now shattered and rotting away. It was in fact one of our first big clean up jobs when we arrived on the property, and it apparently extended from where the firepit at Gwango Elephant Lodge now sits, all the way to the Gwango pan.. 

We’re told this walkway was the inspiration for the famous long walkway at the Painted Dog Conservation Centre (PDC), because a lovely man named Greg Gibbard (from PDC) had stood in the spot where the old walkway once stretched, and told us that this had been his favourite game viewing spot. He showed us old photos he’d taken from the walkway, and spoke with fondness about his many sightings. Several years later, we scattered Greg’s ashes at the waterhole (a very sad story for another day).. his love for the place was so apparent.. 

As we eventually settled into Gwango land and realised we’d be building a place.. (rather than leaving a caretaker to watch over the elephant herds), we began to dream of sharing the beautiful space we’d come to love. One of our first projects was the Tree Top Villa at the far end of Gwango Elephant Lodge, which we positioned overlooking our expansive waterhole. The biggest dilemma however, became, how we would safely get our guests from the dining area to their hideaway villa - which was quite a trek through the dense teak forest… And that’s when we decided to restore the concept of the original raised walkway.

So in 2016, we got to work building one of Gwango's most unique features - a long mystical 200 meters walkway, which stands 3 meters high so you feel like you’re walking in the treetops. It’s an adventure just to walk across it, but when you get to the Villa, you’re always surprised by the breathtaking views and unexpected sightings.

The walkway serves an important purpose. It keeps our guests safe from our wild neighbours, while providing an incredibly enchanting path to our Tree Top Villas. Beneath your feet, you might catch a glimpse of anything from a sneaky snake to the regal lion. We’ve caught glimpses of leopards and cheetahs while on the walkway, and of course, - elephant can always be found meandering through and between the walkways. In fact it’s so high that some elephants are still able to walk beneath the walkway. 

The walkway stretches all the way from what is now the pool area.. And our pool happens to overlook another smaller waterhole. Here, guests can take a cool splash or enjoy a poolside drink as elephants, kudu, buffalo, zebra and more drop by for their own evening thirst quencher (yep… like nature’s happy hour).

From the pool, we have built a stone staircase that leads you deeper into the forest, to the privacy of your own Tree Top Villas. The balconies at the villas have the most breathtaking views of the endless savannah.  As dusk settles over the horizon and paints the sky in hues of burned orange, the drama of the bush unfolds below. Most days elephants gather at the waterhole very close to the Tree Top Villas. It’s hard to describe in words the National Geographic moments… It’s just magical.