Nehimba Lodge, Hwange, Zimbabwe

Overview

Nehimba Lodge is deeply hidden inside a private concession, inside the remote northern region of Hwange National Park. By combining luxury living with elegance and lots of African charm, this lodge offers a wonderful safari experience.

The main guest area and 7 spacious guest accommodations are thatched tents built on teak decks, all overlooking the magnificent pan - a favoured spot frequented by a large numbers of elephants, particularly in the dry season, as well by a variety of other wildlife.

The main guest area has an open fronted, dining, sitting and bar area, a lower dining deck and a campfire area adjacent to the swimming pool.

The seven suites are generously proportioned being around 57-60 sqm. Each has king-sixed bed, tea/coffee facilities with expresso machine, bath gowns, safe, minibar and ceiling fan. The timber-clad bathroom has a ball and claw bath and there’s an outdoor shower. Two of the suites are family units which have an extra alcove with two twin beds, all under mosquito nets.

Terrain and Activities at Nehimba Lodge

Nehimba lies on the edge of the mopane woodlands of the north of the park and the kalahari sandveld of the south and west. All the diversity of Hwange's fauna and flora is within easy reach. No two days are the same at Nehimba Lodge and game viewing is tailored to your preferences with the choice of game drives, walking safaris and night game drives on their private concession in search of nocturnal species. Whether you choose to track a herd of elephant on foot with your guide at dawn or spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or on the deck overlooking the waterhole, this wild and unspoilt bush paradise will leave you with lifetime memories.

Another rewarding option is to spend some time in the Nehimba hide close to the camp where you can while away some time observing the varied wildlife as they quench their thirst.

Nehimba Lodge is close to the Nehimba seep, one of the only year-round naturally occurring sources of surface water in the whole of Hwange National Park. As you can imagine, this is mecca for animals in the later dry winter months and elephants come from miles to dig for precious water and minerals.

In Pictures

Nehimba Lodge on the map

Rooms

Double rooms

• 3 x double rooms: 57sqm with thatched roof overlooking the lodge waterhole, king sized beds, fan, tea and coffee making facilities, electronic safes, en suite bathroom and outdoor shower. • 1 x double room: 42 sqm with thatched roof overlooking the lodge waterhole, king sized bed, fan, tea and coffee making facilities, electronic safe, en suite bathroom and outdoor shower. • 1 x double room with day bed: 60 sqm with thatched roof overlooking the watering hole, king sized bed, fan, tea and coffee making facilities, electronic safe, en suite bathroom and outdoor shower.

Family Room

• 2 x Family rooms: 60 m sq with thatched roof overlooking the watering hole, 1 king sized bed and 2 x ¾ beds, fan, tea and coffee making facilities, electronic safes, en suite bathroom and outdoor shower

Nehimba Lodge Review

Nehimba is a luxurious camp situated in the relatively remote north-west part of Hwange National Park. It would be a great camp to sell in the dry winter months from say late June onwards. It is close to the famous Nehimba seep which is one of the only permanent water sources in this part of the Park. This means excellent game-viewing especially later in the dry season when elephants and other wildlife are in desparate need of water. However earlier in the season, the bush is quite thick and the grasses are high making game-viewing less rewarding than at the southern camps of Camelthorn and Bomani.

However there are plenty of plus points at Nehimba such as luxurious chalets with an indoor bath and outdoor showers, good food, a stunning setting overlooking a large dam, and best of all - regular (and I mean regular) - visits from elephants coming to drink from the water and even the swimming pool. We were sitting at the fire having drinks and the elephants kept coming to visit, silently arriving, silhouetted by the moonlight. It was a truly magical experience!

I am not sure about the outdoor showers in the winter months of June/July. Could be a bit chilly!

The road transfer into Nehimba is from the north and very attractive. It is one of the few camps that you could come to straight off the Vic Falls flight (preferably with SAA) as you would leave the airport at 1.30pm, get to the gate at 3pm and then have a game drive transfer into the camp.