Bumi Hills Safari Lodge

a laid back punctuation in a longer safari

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge is located in the Matusadona area of northern Zimbabwe.

This historic property was completely rebuilt in 2018 and transformed into a gorgeous modern lodge.

It is centred on a substantial main building, leading out to an impressive swimming pool area, as well as a gym and spa.

Guest accommodation is in ten sumptuous Rooms with air-conditioning, plus the larger Baobab Villa.

Activities include vehicle safari, walking safari and motorboat safari.

Matusadona is not a strong area for savanna safari. The primary reason to visit is to include a relaxing punctuation in a longer safari, providing a break from the relentless daily schedule and take time to breathe in this beautiful lakeside location.

Seasonality

Like most areas in Zimbabwe, safari in Matusadona is very seasonal and careful planning is extremely important.

The best time to visit Matusadona is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused along the lake 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 around

Visiting and travelling around Zimbabwe is relatively straightforward. By far the easiest (but also the most expensive) way to travel is to connect the various areas by light aircraft flights. However, some of these flights are relatively long and expensive.

Matusadona is usually accessed by light aircraft from Victoria Falls, Hwange, Mana Pools or Harare into the local airstrip on the nearby Fothergill Island.

From there it is a motorboat safari of around 20 minutes to the lodge.

It is also possible to fly into the main airport at Kariba and journey for around two hours by motorboat across the lake.

Where to stay

The Matusadona area contains just a handful of camps.

The most upmarket option is the substantial Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, which seeks to provide a relaxing change of pace from the usual safari nights, with a heavier build and a higher level of convention comforts.

Another high quality option is Changa Safari Camp, whilst Musango Safari Camp is a very characterful owner-guided property.

usually combined with Mana Pools and Victoria Falls