Nehimba Lodge

Nehimba Lodge resides in northern Hwange National Park in an 8,000-acre private concession. The lodge itself is quite luxurious with some modern touches. 7 thatched chalets sit on raised teak platforms and overlook a very active waterhole. The dark wood rooms are cozy but the big glass windows can really brighten things up. The bathrooms are enormous and there’s nothing better than first arriving at the lodge and seeing a full hot bath waiting for you. The showers are outside on your private deck, separated from the comfortable lounge chairs. At the center of the horseshoe configuration of the lodge is the main guest area. The comfortable sitting area, dining area, and bar are under one thatched roof with open sides, again, looking out over the waterhole. The small swimming pool is arguably the best in Hwange. It’s not uncommon for the elephants who come to the waterhole to ditch it entirely and head to the cleaner waters of the pool, even when people are swimming in it! The food isn’t our favorite, but the service is great and the safari experience makes up for it.

The wildlife in the Nehimba Concession is really the highlight of your stay. It’s a fantastic area for bush walks. Those looking for a thrill can set off on foot with their armed guides in search of an elephant herd to track on foot. The game drives are also excited because, rather than just driving looking for game, there are some really interesting areas to visit like the Nehimba Hide, Nehimba Seep (one of the only year-round natural sources of surface water), the Mandavu Dam, and the Mtoa Ruins. The varying landscapes draw different wildlife and always keep you engaged. And because Nehimba is in a private concession, night drives are possible.

Being in northern Hwange, Nehimba is very easy to combine with Victoria Falls. You can either charter a plane to the Shapi Airstrip (15 minutes from camp), or do a road transfer – 90 minutes on tar road plus 2-3 hours game drive through the park. We then recommend combining Nehimba with Bomani Tented Lodge or Camelthorn in southern Hwange, and you can even take the Elephant Express between the two! The landscape in northern Hwange is much more hilly than the south so it’s worth seeing both areas if you can. Wildlife sightings are best from May to October during the dry season.

The food isn’t our favorite, but the service, accommodation, and the safari experience make up for it. It’s also fantastic value for money and great for families so we highly recommend it.