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Raw, untamed and baking wilderness (40ºC+ in summer). Network of game-viewing roads but most require 4x4. The 4-5 day trails probe real Africa. Main camp with thatched chalets. Camp sites, some primitive, along the rivers. Several private lodges operate around the park. HwangeOnce the hunting preserve of Matabele Kings, this 14,650km2 park was proclaimed in 1949. Said to contain Zimbabwe's widest variety and greatest density of wildlife. Sits on the fringes of deep, heat-blistered Kalahari sands. Fossil dunes and rivers confirm that the area was once a desert. Granite kopjes in the north. Pans are watered from boreholes. 1100 plant species, including 260 types of trees and shrubs - notably acacia, mopane and teak. 107 mammal species; Big Five, 25 different predators and 16 types of antelope. 20-30,000 elephant migrate between here and Chobe NP in Botswana. Over 430 bird species. 500km of roads and several waterhole viewing platforms and hides. Companies and individuals operate game drives, mobile safaris and 2-8 day walking trips. Three camps provide lodges, cottages, chalets, camp sites, a restaurant, shop and bar. Four more exclusive bush camps accessible by 4x4. A hotel and various private lodges, most upmarket, operate from nearby estates and concessions. KazumaA 331,300ha reserve first proclaimed in 1949; deproclaimed 1964; reinstated mid-'70s. Lies north-west of Hwange on the Botswana border. Kazuma's heart is a large, open, grassy, natural pan. It and other local pans are flooded in the rains. Kalahari sands dominate the terrain. Most Hwange wildlife types found here, in sparser numbers. Home to Zimbabwe's only naturally occurring gemsbok and oribi. Lion and cheetah, in good numbers. A wide variety of waterfowl visit the pans. Remote, quiet and with good vistas, the park provides excellent game viewing away from crowds. Two primitive camp sites. One company runs 2-4 day camping trips. The closest accommodation is at Matetsi or near Victoria Falls. |