Enjoy this watery wilderness combining the beauty of Lake Kariba with superb big game sightings in Matusadona National Park.
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Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe was formed when the Zambezi river was dammed in the late 1950’s. This has brought not only hydroelectricity, but it also created a beautiful lake with wildlife sanctuaries, mesmerizing sunsets and wraparound views. Now Lake Kariba is the largest man-made lake in the world - 200km long and 40km at its widest point. This shimmering lake, with its characteristic silhouettes of dead trees, is mezmerising. And the Matusadona Mountains offer a beautiful backdrop. A Lake Kariba safari offers a paradise for photographers, particularly at sunset.
Visitors come to Lake Kariba mainly for the wildlife of the surrounding Matusadona National Park. With the dam. the wildlife has congregated on the southern shores of Lake Kariba in the Matusadona National Park. As beforet the dam build, they burnt the existing vegetation. This created a layer of fertile soil on both the lake bed and surrounding floodplains. So now the lake has a vibrant ecology with plenty of hippos and crocodiles. Plus the kapenta and tiger fish attract large numbers of fish eagles, cormorants and other birdlife.
A Matusadona safari affords superb game viewing on both land and water. Elephant, buffalo and black rhino roam in large numbers on the flood plains. (The melodious Matusadona actually means ‘constant dripping of dung’ which refers, rather unmusically, to the huge elephant population!)
Bumi Hills was actually one of my favorite lodges on this trip. It is situated on a hill overlooking Lake Kariba. And the lake adds a lot of dimension to your experience. You immediately feel at home with friendly, engaging staff, a great infinity pool overlooking the lake and a spa.
It was not as uber-deluxe as Thorntree, but still had a great overall standard of accommodation, as well as a stunning setting overlooking the lake. They reduced the original number of rooms down to 12 rooms including the Baobab Villa. All air-conditioned rooms overlook the lake with an outside balcony, inside and outside showers, separate enclosed loo and twin vanity. However there are plenty of steps to the rooms so not ideal for the very old or frail. The two-bedroom Baobab Villa takes 4 adults or 2 adults with 2 kids so it's a stunning family unit. It could also be used by two couples travelling together as both en suite rooms are identical
Add in friendly, helpful staff, good food and enjoyable activities. What more could you ask for? Steve, our guide made it all fun. He was very good and engaging. The sunset cruise was stunning with a phenomenal sunset. And the game drive was enjoyable with a large herd of buffalo, elephant, zebra and lots of impalas. There are many activities including visiting some of their empowerment projects, the clinic, bush walks, fishing on a catch and release basis. In the evening, you see hundreds of small fishing boats fishing for Kapenga but this may not be very sustainable.
Overall a wonderful experience. Two nights will be ideal at Bumi Hills; even three nights if time and budget allows.
I would definitely include a stop at Bumi Hills in a Zimbabwe safari to Hwange and Mana Pools It is ideal to be between Hwange & Mana Pools, which are both big wildlife areas. Alternatively you could add it at the end so that you can relax after your main safari. However do see it as a secondary safari experience to that at Hwange and Mana Pools.
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