Location:  Davison's Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Date:  February 2010
Observer: Simon Stobbs 
Photographer: Simon Stobbs

My visit to Hwange National Park had some serious expectations to meet up to. Hwange is well known for its phenomenal dry-season game viewing when waterholes are surrounded by a diverse array of mammals. I was rather anxious to see what Hwange would be like in the wetter summer months.

After an easy two-hour drive from Victoria Falls airport on good surfaced roads (Davison's is also conveniently accessible by air), we arrived at Hwange Main Camp where we were met by Dennis, our guide for the next two days. We climbed into Dennis's open vehicle and departed around mid-afternoon for Davison's Camp. The drive would be in the region of 2hr30min depending on what we would see...

After about 30 minutes we came to an open area where a large herd of elephants were enjoying the abundant water. A short while later we saw zebra, giraffe, baboon, warthog, impala, kudu and two sable antelope. All in all, a pretty good start. We continued on our journey making our way through open grassland areas and tall teak woodlands appreciating the diversity of Hwange.

As sunset drew nearer, Dennis arrived at Mbiza Pan where sundowner drinks had been set up for us against the backdrop of a palm-fringed open clearing. After enjoying the sunset we arrived at Davison's Camp after dark where we were greeted by the welcoming staff. As far as 'transfers' into camp go, this was certainly up there with the best of them, turning into a productive afternoon game drive.

We set off early the next morning for Ngamo Pan, filled with eager anticipation of what we would see. On arrival we were struck by the abundance of wildlife - the pans were full of birds: from Grey Crowned Cranes to Abdim's and White Storks, as well as a host of other waterbirds - I was astounded by the diversity. There was also abundant game here with large herds of zebra and wildebeest as well as a pack of black-backed jackals. I could have spent the entire day just at Ngamo. The great sightings continued with more elephant herds and plenty of general game before returning to Davison's Camp late morning for brunch.

At around 15:30 we headed out on our afternoon drive. Dennis wanted to head down to the Linkwasha open areas as there had been reports of lion sightings in the area the previous night. On the way to Linkwasha we had good sightings of a herd of sable antelope and a family of bat-eared foxes. On arriving at Linkwasha, we were greeted with the sight of a herd of elephants moving across the plains. Further on a herd of buffalo grazed contentedly against the backdrop of a gathering thunderstorm.

We then came across a magnificent male lion moving through the lush green grass. It truly was turning into a fantastic afternoon. After spending some time with the lion we headed off for our sundowner drinks at Scott's Pan - a pan which we ended up sharing with a huge herd of elephant. What an afternoon! What made it even better is that we had all these sightings to ourselves.

The following morning we set out from camp early in order to get back to Hwange Main Camp. Surely things could not get better? Along the way, we came across a herd of kudu staring in one direction. We rounded the corner and lying right next to the road was a pack of seven African wild dogs.

What a great way to end a magnificent stay in Hwange. Apart from the great game viewing, we also saw a diverse array of birds including specials like Bradfield's Hornbill, Arnott's Chat and Racket-tailed Roller. I was totally 'sold' on how good the summer game viewing was. I left Hwange far from disappointed...