Hwange Trails

suitable for active and outdoorsy guests

Hwange Trails is located in the Hwange area of western Zimbabwe.

Operating in the private Linkwasha Concession to the east of the Hwange area of western Zimbabwe, Hwange Trails is a deliberately simple and outdoorsy four night walking safari from Davisons Camp to Linkwasha Camp, staying in simple bivouacs along the way.

Walking will, as usual, mainly concentrate on the nuances of flora, fauna and tracking, but will usually also include deliberate attempts to approach potentially dangerous animals such as elephants, buffaloes, hippos and lions. In other words, this is a proper walking safari.

Morning and afternoon walks usually last for 3-4 hours and go at a leisurely pace, with a long break for a proper lunch and a siesta. The usual walking distance is around 10 km per day, so really not too tough. Although later in the season, Oct-Nov, the temperatures may climb sufficiently high to make even that seem very arduous.

The overnight stops are in a light mobile camp which is set out by a separate support crew and consists of a table and chairs for dining, plus small bivouac tents. There is a shared safari bathroom with washstand, bucket shower and long-drop toilet.

Hwange Trail is an excellent way to get out and explore the bush, have some real adventures and enjoy the intimate company of a lovely Zimbabwean crew.

The Hwange area is reasonably close to the substantial international airport at Victoria Falls, making it easy and convenient to include it in safaris.

The usual stay duration is 3-7 nights, with longer stays often combining two lodges.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Hwange is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused around the waterholes and easy to find.

Within that period, May-Jul is pleasantly cool at night, but the animals may not yet be fully migrated back into water.

Towards the end of that period, Oct-Nov the wildlife should be at its strongest, but the weather is likely to be uncomfortably hot, especially at night. Bear in mind that most camps do not have air-conditioning.

Getting there

Hwange lies quite close to Victoria Falls and the journey between the two is usually done by means of a scheduled light aircraft hop, direct into the various bush airstrips.

It is also possible to transfer by road, a journey of 4-5 hours. It may even be possible to travel down by train.

Onward flight connections are available to Matusadona, Mana Pools and on to Gonarezhou. Onward road connections can be made to Matobo, Great Zimbabwe and Gonarezhou.

almost always combined with Victoria Falls