Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe's largest and oldest game park, home to a profusion of wildlife, including giraffe, lion, zebra and approximately 40 000 elephants. It lies only two hours' drive south of Victoria Falls en route to Bulawayo so it’s easily combined.

Its size necessarily includes a range of vegetation and a resulting diversity of game, from the dry southern acacia bordering the Kalahari to the northern mopane woodlands, valleys and granite hills characteristic of the north. Hwange is big game country with massive herds of elephants, especially visible at the end of the dry season in September. There’s also a sizeable population of wild dogs thought to be among the largest groups in Africa. Game-viewing in Hwange is made easier by the shallow salt pans throughout the park. These natural salt pans offer the perfect cooling mud bath for elephants.

The game lodges are either in private concessions or adjacent to the park. Here you take part in early morning and late afternoon game drives in open 4x4 vehicles and game walks. The best time to visit Hwange is in the dry winter months from July to October when the animals are forced to congregate around these water pans and ponds for much-needed water.