HWANGE – Bridging the Gap

Bridging the Gap….

Since I had always imagined Game drives to be an Indiana Jones style adventure, fast paced, rifled guards, lions looming behind the bushy Savannah, screeching of monkeys cutting across the air, and high adrenalin action – Zimbabwe came as a revelation to me.

The first couple of days had been more city centric, and I had gone to The Hide, at Hwange National Park, expecting to audience the drama of wildlife as it unfolded before me. However, I soon realized, that true wildlife experience happen when you are not a mere spectator but somewhere down the line, you become a part of the act. At The Hide you blend into the environment and bridge the gap effortlessly.

On arrival we were escorted to the lounge where we got our first glimpse of the watering hole, which is really the heartbeat of The Hide Safari Camp. All day long, there is continuous bevy of animals in and around the pond, which leaves you mesmerized. Overlooking a tree lined pan where zebras and elephants commonly come to drink water, we could view wildlife safely and quietly. Watching Giraffe’s as they bend over in a split for drinking water, hyenas lurking around, porcupines sneaking up, or Elephants spraying water over their pachyderm friends,  is indeed a humbling sight.

The camp is a conservancy in the Hwange National Park, and is a portion of a natural forest. How authentic the experience is, can be gauged from the fact that the boundary between you and the wild, is a log outside each tent, which you are expected to not overstep. Almost respectfully, you let the animals have their space.

The Hide has plenty to keep you occupied, like game drives, nature walks, bush breakfast/dinner, or just sit quietly in a hide to watch the wildlife. The ‘Hide’ is a safe room near the watering hole, camouflaged as a termite mound, which allows you to get precariously close to animals as they potter around the watering hole. Infact if you are sitting in one of the hides, you can actually hear the water drain up the elephants trunk as they quench their thirst, or once a while, have a hyena pop its head through the little observation windows to say hello. You can never get so close to animals otherwise, and photographic opportunities at this range are fantastic as well.

The Hide has eight standard tents and two luxury tents, with en-suite bathrooms, some with outdoor showers or huge baths. Families would be comfortable in the 2/3 Bedroom set at Tom’s Little Hide, as you get your privacy as a family, and yet enjoy the glories of nature. Here I must also mention that the staff is exceptional and will go all out to see that your stay is comfortable.

Every evening, as the sun sets over the horizon, the guests from all over the world, and different walks of life, gather around the bonfire for Sundowners. The camaradie created over drinks invariably spills over to the dinner table. It is an unwritten rule that all guests eat together at the giant dinner table, the only exception to this rule being, honeymooners, for whom the camp can set up a private dinner in the sit out of the tent for some private moments. For Honeymooners, there is also the Dove’s Nest, a tree house located a couple of kilometers away, is just about the best way to get private moments together. The bedroom of the Dove’s Nest is reached by a wooden stairway and trap door, yet you get all the amenities you could need, like your hot shower and warm bed. The location is second to none, and the experience is exceptional.

If you’re still not tired at the end of the day, gear up for a Night Safari on the camp vehicle – equipped with a rifle and poncho blankets (you may need both). As our vehicle made its way through the bushes as we attempted to site some animals by moonlight, the guide accompanying us would swing this torch around, till we intermediately spotted green pair of eyes gleaming from behind bushes and between branches of trees. The experience was eerie yet exciting, as the ranger would recognize the animals from the shape of the eyes. We sighted eyes of Impala, Buffalos, Zeebras, Kudu and lots of other animals, and this variation took our overall game experience a notch higher.

Somewhere along the way, I chanced to look up at the sky, and was overwhelmed by the expanse above. The sky was the clearest I had ever seen and the stars which were spread all over the canvas, cheekily flirted with the horizon. I tried to put my high school knowledge to test, and recognized the milky way, planets I had studied about, and remember names of constellations and shooting starts… However, as my eyes scanned the heavens I was amazed that between the gaps, I found dimensions I never knew existed.

I had a great experience at the Hide at Hwange National Park, and I felt I had discovered so much I didn’t know about this earth, and beyond….