Hwange National Park

About this place

Hwange National Park is the largest protected area in Zimbabwe, about 14,600 square km in the north-west between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. It holds more than 100 mammal and 400 bird species, has large numbers of elephants, and is a big safari destination close to the falls. It was founded in 1928 as Wankie Game Reserve and became a national park in 1961. In 2011 it joined the Kavango-Zambezi transfrontier area spanning five countries. Most of it lies on Kalahari sand, with no rivers across much of the park, so animals gather in the dry season at pans where water is pumped. You drive or ride an open vehicle on sandy tracks through mopane woodland and yellow plains. You wait at the pans, where elephants and grazers come, and lion hunting is closely tied to them. At sunset single trees stand against a red sky. The north has valleys and small rivers, and camps include Main Camp, Sinamatella and Robins. The park's mapped point is 154.9 km in a straight line south-east of Victoria Falls town. The nearest town is Dete, and Mpofu Gate is the main entrance. Some tracks need four-wheel drive. Leave your vehicle only where allowed and do not feed animals. The dry season is best, and ask a doctor about malaria precautions.