WALKING WITH GIANTS
After decades of instability, Zimbabwe is reinventing itself as one of Africa’s safari gems – we rediscover a wilderness where there are 200 times more elephants than visitors… WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS MARK EVELEIGH Zimbabwe
ust a few metres away, hunkered down Ever since I had entered Hwange, after a three-hour road-trip from in the dust, was a herd of snorting African Victoria Falls, we’d been surrounded by elephants. At this moment, buffalo. There was nothing but a thin veil however, my focus was on the shadowy forms of the buffalo that were of spiky acacia between us and a group of staring in our direction and sniffing noisily at the air. Zimbabwe is half-tonne bulls that served as the herd’s famous for producing the best guides in the safari industry and I was rearguard. I was aware that there was only grateful that mine, Ty Hurst, had vast experience of bush-walking. Zimbabwe’s riches (clockwise from this) one high-calibre rifle in the immediate “We’ll be fine if we keep downwind of them,” he whispered over his Wildebeest gather at vicinity and shoulder. “But the wind’s swirling a bit.” The Hide waterhole; I was doing kudo; Tyron Hurst, And if they did catch our scent? Hurst head guide at Nehimba my very best read the question in my eyes before Lodge; zebra to position ‘In Hwange National I had a chance to voice it and replied myself in with a phrase that I’d heard a thousand between the man holding it and the Park, elephants times over the years in Zimbabwe: “We’d potentially belligerent creatures. just have to make a plan,” he shrugged. There’s something about the sheer, outnumber foreign wild immensity of Hwange National J Noisy neighbours Park that makes you feel very small visitors by almost Ty Hurst is head guide at Nehimba indeed. Nowhere on the planet can you Lodge, near the centre of Hwange immerse yourself in such an impressive 200 to one’ and bordering a zone known as the concentration of large animals; the Southern Wilderness Area. Since the biodiversity of Zimbabwe’s biggest park lodge is in a private concession, the usual (covering an area about twice the size of Devon county) is surpassed in strict rules of a safari in a national park are waived, so Hurst and his Africa only by the Serengeti and Kruger. But whereas the crowded fellow guides are able to lead guests on adrenalin-charged walking Tanzanian and South African giants each attract close to 2 million safaris through a region that is known for its great populations of visitors a year, Hwange sees fewer than 40,000. With the long-awaited buffalo, lions, leopards, wild dogs and, of course, elephants. end of former president Robert Mugabe’s dictatorship, visitors are The lodge building overlooks a waterhole that attracts so much slowly starting to return to Hwange; for the moment, though, it still wildlife that you can often see as much from your own veranda as you offers that rare chance to experience an African wilderness where can from a safari vehicle. There was also an enticing-looking swimming elephants outnumber foreign visitors by almost 200 to one. pool, built for the use of human visitors – at least that was the plan. ⊲
Wanderlust May 2018 | 89 Zimbabwe
⊳ “The elephants enjoy the cool, clean water from the tiled pool,” excavated with its powerful feet and tusks. Behind him, on the edge of further across the savannah a matriarch was already leading her herd of a great chain of pans that are famous as the hunting grounds said Hurst, a smile breaking out, “so every night they drink it dry.” a thinning forest, we saw the bulky forms of countless others, breaking towards the waterhole. Amid the tangle of trunks and shuffling legs, of some of Africa’s biggest lion prides. That was all to come. Water is a constant preoccupation for pretty much every living branches and battering trunks to get at the succulent mopane leaves. a couple of calves could be seen, their legs going double-time to keep up. creature in this arid part of Africa – essentially an extension of the When the first pump-driven boreholes were created here, there were “There’s a trick to estimating elephant numbers,” our guide quipped Changing of the guard mighty Kalahari Desert. Lodge guests may be delighted to sip their gin just 1,000 elephants in the park; now some 46,000 dominate Hwange’s with a smile. “Just count the legs and divide by four.” I knew he was This was my fifth trip to Zimbabwe, and every time I’d arrived in the and tonics while, just a few feet away, six-tonne pachyderms muscle forests and savannah. The battle the park faces today is to balance the joking but a glance across the great plain, speckled with black dots, country with very different feelings. But my first visit, rattling over the in on the pool. But, for the park’s wildlife, natural supplies of water needs of the animals they push out with the depletion of different told me that there were at least 150. While their numbers have border from Mozambique in the back of a lorry, was an unadulterated are scarce and it is only through man-made sources – in the form of kinds vegetation and the destruction that so many elephants bring. become a problem for some residents of the park, the lions have their case of love at first sight. The rolling hills, studded with rock koppies scores of boreholes rather than swimming pools – that they survive. In the ransacked bush, we watched as kudu, roan, sable and other own solution and have come to see elephants as a part of their diet. (small hills), seemed to epitomise everything that I’d read about Africa. It wasn’t always the case, though. When Hwange (then known as browsing antelope plucked the greenery from branches the elephants “The local pride that hunts around Nehimba Seep have become real Back then, at the start of the millennium, the country was already Wankie) was first established as a game reserve in 1929, Nehimba had brought down. Occasionally the young bulls would wave broken experts in elephant psychology,” Hurst explained. “They will usually slipping from its pedestal as the ‘bread basket of Southern Africa’, Seeps was the only permanent water source in the entire region. branches at us in juvenile temper tantrums or try a mock charge. make a dummy attack on the youngest baby in the herd. When the yet every US dollar I changed still bought me eight Zimbabwean “Nehimba means ‘place of digging’,” Hurst explained as he eased his When Hurst cut the engine near a shrinking waterhole, we could hear elephants – loving parents that they are – rush to protect the baby, the dollars. Less than a decade later, the same transaction would make me Land Cruiser past the cracked earth of the pans that afternoon. Sure the rumbling of a dozen huge specimens slaking their huge thirsts. lions change tack and quickly bring down one of the adolescents.” a local trillionaire (15 times over) as things fell apart. Now, with Robert enough, as we came over the ridge, a huge bull elephant was kneeling In the background, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest waited nervously We weren’t disappointed to move on from Nehimba before we saw Mugabe very effectively removed from power by the military – in the on the baked earth, snorkelling water up from a deep trough it had at the tree-line for their overbearing neighbours to move away. But that. Besides, I was still to visit the park’s Somalisa Camp, on the edge coup that wasn’t a coup – there is great hope for the future again. ⊲
Muddy waters Elephants at one of the controversial boreholes that are often credited with helping turn Hwange NP into a success; (left) giraffe
90 | Wanderlust May 2018 Wanderlust May 2018 | 91 Zimbabwe
⊳ I recalled the words of a long-suffering Bulawayo conservationist I’d met when things were at their worst: “You only realise just how rich this country is,” she’d said, “when you see how much has been ripped out of it, for so long… and there’s still so much left!” From the Mana Pools in the north – one of the most concentrated wildlife habitats on the continent – to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins further south, the largest medieval stone city in sub-Saharan Africa, there is certainly plenty to see. Yet, for scenery, you can’t beat the west. Before visiting Hwange, I picked up a hire-car in Bulawayo and drove out of a city that seemed almost sedated by the hazy bloom of jacarandas that arched over the avenues. Western Zimbabwe has traditionally been the homelands of the Matabele people and was, until recently, a magnet for much of Mugabe’s hatred and violence. Only now are visitors returning to rediscover one of the most beautiful parts of Africa, rising from the tinkle of the Limpopo River at the South African border to the crescendo of Victoria Falls at its northern tip. Within an hour’s drive I was among the rock domes of Matobo National Park. The Matabele call this area ‘Bald Heads’ – after its smooth boulder-topped koppies – but the ardent imperialist Cecil John Rhodes thought of it as ‘World’s View’ and loved it so much that he chose to be buried here. I explored its landscape for a few days, and the play of the light on its rock was so hypnotic that I woke before dawn every morning to watch the sun work its way down the valley. Tiny rock hyrax (closest relative to the elephant) and nimble-footed klipspringer antelopes joined me to enjoy their own moment of sun-worship. Together with a guide, we worked hard tracking Matobo’s prolific leopards but wildlife is notoriously hard to spot in this area. Easing the car through the bush with my camera balanced optimistically in my lap, there were moments of excitement when we stopped to photograph the offspring of a zebra that had crossed with a donkey (‘Debra the zonkey’, I named her). Then, late one afternoon, I was rewarded for ⊲
Kings & queens (clockwise from this) The gravestone of Cecil Rhodes in spectacular Matobo NP; lionesses prowl; jacarandas shed over the path
Wanderlust May 2018 | 93 Zimbabwe
The new king Taking over the pride that once belonged to the famous Cecil, Bhubesi’s name means ‘big male lion’ in Xhosa
⊳ my patience. I skidded to a halt as a white rhino crashed out of Chadyendia had good reason to keep his voice down: we were sitting a thicket and rumbled into the bush with her baby dashing ahead. in an open Land Cruiser just a few metres from Bhubesi. The word means ‘big male lion’ in Zulu, and he certainly looked the part. He was Pride before a fall draped across a sun-baked hummock on Ngweshla Pan and was hungry. Matobo might be the best place on the continent to experience the Bhubesi took over the pride after Cecil was killed, and his battle-scarred serenity of the African wilderness, but Hwange is still the setting for nose gave him the air of an old warrior. But Chadyendia, who was there the most dramatic wildlife encounters. when Cecil issued many of those badges I’d been drawn here not only by its of honour, maintains he was never a elephant herds but its great predators. match for the ill-fated King of Hwange. True to form, the park’s elusive ‘When Cecil the Nor was the new lord of the savannah painted dogs evaded us for a solid week looking too happy this morning. of tracking. Then, one night, a pack of lion roared, you “He hasn’t eaten for days but it serves ten instigated a nocturnal squabble with him right,” said Chadyendia. “Bhubesi is a small herd of elephants, right in front felt your vehicle an old bully. The females do the hunting of our tent at The Hide camp. The area’s and then he steals their food. He’s been big cats, however, weren’t anywhere shake from the roaring all night for his ladies; it’s no near as shy: we had four good leopard tremors’ wonder they don’t answer.” sightings and, in the course of a single We knew exactly where they were. game drive one morning, we saw half Less than an hour ago, we’d turned a dozen hyena and no less than 22 lions. a corner to find ourselves in the middle of a dozen prowling lionesses. It was the latter that caught the world’s attention in 2015 when They passed so close to my seat in the Land Cruiser that I cursed my a lion was lured out of Hwange at a spot not far from The Hide, to be long lens. The click of my shutter drew their penetrating amber eyes shot by American dentist Walter Palmer. Unfortunately for Palmer, towards mine and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. that lion was Cecil, the undisputed superstar of Hwange – known for Once again, it struck me that Hwange has a habit of making you feel his spectacular size and obliging habit of posing for photographs. very small. It’s a healthy sensation – one we should all experience from Even today, veterans of the park still enthuse about him. time to time. The park is also arguably the best place on Earth to enjoy “He really was exceptionally huge,” Robert Chadyendia, one of the that sense of having a wilderness to yourself. As the country readjusts guides at my next stop, Somalisa Camp, whispered one morning. and visitors slowly return here, that may change. But secrets always “When Cecil roared, you felt your vehicle shake from the tremors!” escape in the end. You just have to cherish them while you can.
Wanderlust May 2018 | 95 Digital-Mapping.co.uk; Dreamstime
evenings andearlymorningscanbechilly. concentrate aroundwaterholes,but the besttimetovisit,aswildlifewill ■ ■ ■ When togo with sufficientUSdollarsforyourvisit. the country. ATMs areunreliable, sotravel US$1) butthey’renotlegaltenderoutside Zimbabwe issuesbondnotes(equalto jettisoned in2009favourofUSdollars. Money: TheZimbabweandollarwas (£46) single-entrytouristvisa. carry enoughUSdollarsfortheUS$65 that isvalidforatleastsixmonthsand nationals. You shouldhaveapassport Visas: International diallingcode:+263 Time: Shona andNdebelearethemostcommon but Zimbabwe has16officiallanguages; Languages: Population: Capital: Harare STATISTICS VITAL bhejanetrust.org friendsofhwange.com –conservationinfo Zimbabwean tourismauthority zimbabwetourism.net Zimbabwe (BradtTravel Guides,2016) crime is rare but avoid political meetings. crime israrebutavoidpoliticalmeetings. for hepatitisA,tetanusandtyphoid.Violent year-round). Vaccines arerecommended Nov toJun(andintheZambezivalley taken iftravellinginthelowlandsfrom impassable, but there’s greatbirding. impassable, Many campscloseandsomeroadsare months arelowseasoninHwangeNP. November is also calvingseason. visitors and pleasant temperatures. Hwange NP, Zimbabwe Footnotes Jan Jul
♦ ♦ PLANNING GUIDES ♦ ARCHIVE ARTICLES for linkstomorecontent Transition months–expect fewer – the winter months are Dry season–thewintermonthsare Wet season–thehotsummer(rainy)
Falling forZimbabwe Kayaking theZambezi Zimbabwe travelguide GMT+2 Visas are issued on arrival for UK Visas areissuedonarrivalforUK Health &safety Further reading Further reading & Information Malaria prophylaxis should be Malaria prophylaxisshouldbe Aug Feb More online Visit www.wanderlust.co.uk/186 17 million English is widely spoken English iswidelyspoken Sept Mar – localNGO Apr Oct – the local – thelocal – – issue 111 issue 125
May Nov
Dec Jun
need your own vehicle and to cover your need yourownvehicle andtocoveryour $15pppn (£11).Inallthese casesyouwill and hascampingamenitiesfrom outside (unfenced)HwangeNationalPark (amalindacollection.com) islocatedjust $44pppn (£31).Tuskers CampSite Private Camp(kapulacamp.com) from from $40pppn(£28),orintentsatKapula Sinamatela Camp(zimparks.org/parks) available inchaletsatthenationalpark’s fees andgamedrives. bathtubs overlookingthefloodplains. tented suitesalsocomecompletewith from $390pppn(£277).Itstenimmense takes ‘glamping’toanewlevelwithstays (£274). Meanwhile, TheHide(thehide.com) adventure underacanvasfrom $385pppn (wilderness-safaris.com) offers African (£300) andboastsfantasticguides. the shadeofacaciasfrom$420pppn offers stylishtentedaccommodationunder Expeditions (africanbushcamps.com) from yourveranda. seeing plenty ofHwangeNP’s wildlife are included, youhaveachanceof Although gamedrivesandnight chalets positionedaroundawaterhole. from $595(£423)inoneofninethatched accommodation (imvelosafarilodges.com) stayed withthefollowing: The authortravelledindependentlybut game driveswithZimbabweanguides. all-inclusive packages usually including accommodation tosuitallbudgets,with Hwange NationalPark hasavarietyof THE TRIP (3 hrs from the Falls), are also available. (3 hrsfromtheFalls),arealsoavailable. Airways (kenya-airways.com) via Nairobi £238. Otherroutes,suchaswithKenyan a 1.5-hour connectiontoVictoriaFallsfrom around 11hoursandcostfrom£643,with London HeathrowtoJohannesburgtake African Airways(flysaa.com); flightsfrom British Airways(ba.com) orwithSouth Victoria FallsviaJohannesburgwith UK toHarare. MostUKvisitorsarrivein safe (figureonaboutUS$2/£1.50perkm). hours, withlocaltaxisbothreliableand A roadtransferfromthefallstakes five with Falls (aboutonehour)intoHwangeNP choose totake anaircharterfromVictoria between HarareandVictoriaFalls.Many Falls, whileFastjet(fastjet.com) flies connects Harare, BulawayoandVictoria All prices include meals, drinks, park All pricesincludemeals,drinks, park The evocativeDavison’s Camp The beautifullydesignedSomalisa Nehimba Lodge offers exclusive Wilderness Air(wilderness-air.com). Getting around Getting there There are no direct flights from the There arenodirectflightsfromthe (airzimbabwe.aero) Air Zimbabwe(airzimbabwe.aero) Accommodation Budget accommodation is Budget accommodationis
estimated populationof20,000 people. sub-Saharan regiononcesupportedan language andthebiggeststonecityin means ‘stone houses’ intheShona civilisation oftheMiddleAges. Zimbabwe remnants ofthegreatestAfrican The ruinsofGreatZimbabwearethe yourself toa once-in-a-lifetime viewing. through theday, sodon’t necessarilylimit time you visit.Lightchangesconstantly Thunders; trips, Mosi-oa-Tunya (TheSmoke that means ‘baldheads’ inthetraditional iconic, domedrockkoppies, Matobo stop en-routefromHwangetoMatoboNP. those whotake thetimetovisit.Anideal of purplejacarandas,Bulawayorewards avenues linedwiththecascadingblooms Victoria Falls or one of the many parks. Victoria Fallsoroneofthemanyparks. for onwardtravelto hub as ahandy million, isstilllargelyusedbytravellers the capital,withitspopulationof1.6 liveable city’. Thingshaveimprovedbut leading analystas‘theworld’s least 2 1 accommodation; $20/£14fordayvisitors). own parkfees($10/£7ifyou’rein 5 4 3 run upwardsofabout£120ppperday. unless youhaveyourownvehicle, costs among thecheapestinregion,but WEST ZIMBABWE HIGHLIGHTS BO In 2011, Harare was dubbed by one In 2011,Hararewasdubbedbyone Harare A charming city of parks and colonial Acharmingcityofparks andcolonial Bulawayo Undeniably a highlight of many African Undeniably ahighlightofmanyAfrican Victoria Falls A spellbindingly beautiful region of A spellbindinglybeautifulregionof Matobo NationalPark National Monument National Monument Great Zimbabwe TSW Cost oftravel National park entry fees here are National parkentryfeeshereare
) is different every pictured) isdifferentevery 2 ZAMBIA
ANA F Vi
Hw alls ctoria NP ange
Bulawayo Kariba
La
ke 5 7 Matobo SOUTH AFRIC NP NP Chizarir 4 Gwanda NP Matusadona 0 Gweru
6 Z a Masvingo a m
b highly recommended. highly recommended. and wilderness-safaris.com areboth stop packages, africanbushcamps.com camps andparks.Whenbookingmulti- all-inclusive tripsthatcombineseveral visitors arrivingintheparktendtobook expensive andcomplex toarrange. Most famous foritsdensityandvariety. only asevenththesizeofHwange, itis world’s greatwildlifehotspots.Although 1984, ManaPools isconsideredoneofthe 7 6 back 13,000 years. and thousandsofrockartsitesdating elusive, itisirresistibleforitssheerbeauty language, andwhileitswildlifecanbe e also a popular placetorelax. (along withspectacularcrocs),thisis and apart fromgreatwildlifeviewing Kariba iswhatpassesforthebeach, 5,000 sqkm.Inthisland-locked country made lakes, Kariba coversmorethan z i However, self-drivingcanberather R One oftheworld’s largestman- Lake Kariba AUNESCOWorld Heritagesitesince Mana Pools NationalPark i
NP Mana Po v e r Wanderlust May2018 Caves NP Chinhoyi A 3 ols 1 MOZAMBIQUE Monument National Great Zimbabw HARARE Chimanimani Muta
NP Gonarezho 3 re NP e u
500k
| 97 m