Makalolo Plains - Zimbabwe
Makalolo Plains is one of the few camps situated within Hwange National Park. The Makalolo area is ecologically diverse, including vast, open, palm-fringed plains, grasslands, acacia woodlands and mopane forests. This ensures a varied food "pantry" which feeds great numbers of animals year round -- including elephants, rhino, buffalo, sable, roan, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and sometimes even gemsbok. The area is one of the best for predators -- lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah are regularly sighted, along with the smaller African wild cat, serval, honey badger, civet and hyaena. The area has a number of waterholes which attract game in large concentrations. Guests can sit at a waterhole and watch the passing parade of animals as they come to quench their thirst. For the bird watcher, Makalolo offers a wonderful range of birding -- from Miombo species right through to the Kalahari birds.
The Makalolo Plains Experience
Makalolo Plains is a collection of small camps which have exclusive use of a massive concession area within Hwange National Park. The largest of these camps has sixteen beds and the other camps have eight beds each. Guests are therefore guaranteed wonderful, personalised service in privacy. As Makalolo Plains is situated within Hwange Park itself, guests' game viewing starts right at their doorstep. Game drives in 4x4 Landrovers, walks with an armed guide and night drives are all part of the experience.
Accommodation
Guest accommodation is provided in large, comfortable, tastefully decorated, tented rooms with en-suite facilities. The bathrooms have hot and cold running water, showers and flush toilets. The living area includes a dining room, pub, plunge pool and an open area fire for those evening fireside bush tales.
Access
The Makalolo area is in a remote part of the park and is a three-hour game drive from Hwange airport. The drive is scenic and offers great game viewing en-route. An airfield is planned close to the camps which will make it possible to fly into Makalolo Plains from Hwange, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo or Harare.
The Ownership
Makalolo Plains is a new camp built on the site of the old Makalolo Camp, which closed when its lease expired in October 1996. When the camp was put out for general tender a local businessman, Alexis Chiyasa, successfully bid for the new rights. For the first time, indigenous Zimbabweans have been brought into the mainstream of Hwange tourism, and benefits from these projects can start to filter down to some of the people who live adjacent to the park. Wilderness Safaris Zimbabwe designed, manages and markets the camps.
Makalolo Plains at a glance
