The Camp

Location: Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Number of Tents: 6

Little Makalolo features down-to-earth yet luxurious, elegant tents with dreamy beds, crisp linens and very large en suite bathrooms that feature twin copper wash basins with hot and cold water, robes, and both indoor and outdoor showers. This eco-conscious camp generates electricity via solar power to ensure a lighter environmental footprint. The central living areas include a dining room, lounge, plunge pool and open fire area for convivial evening storytelling. There is a log pile “tree house” hide overlooking the waterhole where guests can enjoy close-up wildlife viewing during the siesta hours. As the food must be flown in from a great distance, it is hard to imagine how the chef can create such varied and excellent meals, but remarkably, he does! From the moment your guide meets you at the airstrip, you’ll find that the camp’s warm and accommodating staff will take care of every detail to make your safari adventure an incomparable one.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with indoor/outdoor showers
• Family Accommodation: 1 family tent with 2 bedrooms sharing the same bathroom and entrance
• Shampoo, soap, lotion and insect repellent
• Room fan
• 220v charging outlets in main area
• Central safe box for valuables
• Central plunge pool
• Sleep-out platform
• Wi-Fi in room
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• Credit cards not accepted
• No air conditioning, hair dryer, telephone or cellular coverage

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Located on the border with Botswana, Hwange National Park harbors one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, and some of the highest mammal diversity for any national park. Its great herds of Cape buffalo and elephant (nearly 30,000) are a spectacle. Hwange also has many predators including lion, leopard, cheetah wild dog, hyena, African wildcat, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, serval, honey badger, civet and caracal. A great variety of antelope are on display, and summer brings large herds migrating onto the grasslands. The area’s many waterholes attract wildlife in huge concentrations, especially during winter, when a non-stop parade of animals comes to quench their thirst. White rhino are another special sight, with several having recently been translocated into the park. Little Makalolo offers fantastic opportunities to see many of the 400 bird species identified in the park. Wildlife viewing centers on nature drives in open 4x4s and exciting walking safaris with a knowledgeable and armed guide.

Hwange National Park experiences large herds of elephant and buffalo, especially in the dry season from May to November. The below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area. Other typical sightings may include jackals, caracal and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on seasonality and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

As a concessionaire of a large area within the southeast sector of Hwange National Park, the camp’s operator, working with Wilderness Wildlife Trust, has taken responsibility for many aspects of the management of this quarter-million-acre region. During the dry season, water sources become scarce, and Hwange has some 57 boreholes to pump water from deep underground to sustain wildlife. Little Makalolo’s owners have helped drill, supply and maintain 18 of the boreholes. The camp is also involved with the park in jointly combating poaching along the park's southern boundary, where a large variety of mammal species fall victim to snaring. Partnering with Wilderness Wildlife Trust, Little Makalolo helps provide funding and logistical support in the form of transport, fuel and rations to the anti-poaching units of the national park. Staff also assist with research on endangered white rhino, lion and wild dog, both in terms of logistical support and monitoring conducted while on wildlife drives.

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