MAKALOLO PLAINS
Hwange, Zimbabwe

Introduction

Makalolo Plains is another of the few private camps situated within Hwange National Park. The Makalolo area is ecologically diverse, including vast, open, palm~fringed plains, grasslands, acacia woodlands, and teak forests. This ensures a varied food "pantry" which feeds great numbers of animals year round. Makalolo is made up of two small camps which have exclusive use of a massive concession area within Hwange National Park. Makalolo Plains has nine rooms so guests enjoy a wonderful, personalised service and exclusivity.

Camp Description

Guest accommodation is provided in large, comfortable, tastefully decorated, tented rooms with en suite facilities within the main body of the tent. The bathrooms have hot and cold running water, showers and flush toilets as well as an additional outdoor shower. The living area includes a dining room, pub, plunge pool and an open fire area for those evening fireside bush tales. Makalolo Plains is raised off the ground on wooden platforms.

Game Viewing

Summer sees the large antelope herds migrate onto the plains, closely followed by their predators. Elephants, Buffalo, Sable, Roan, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Impala and sometimes even Gemsbok can be seen here. The area is one of the best for predators ~ Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog and Cheetah are regularly sighted, along with the smaller African Wild Cat, Serval, Honey Badger, Civet and Hyena. The area has a number of waterholes which attract game in large concentrations, especially during the winter months. Guests can sit at a waterhole and watch the passing parade of animals as they come to quench their thirst. For the bird watcher, Makalolo offers a wonderful range of birding, from Miombo species right through to the Kalahari species As Makalolo Plains is within Hwange National Park itself, guests' game viewing starts right at their doorstep. Game drives in 4x4 Land Rovers and walks with an armed guide are all part of the experience.

The Owner

Alex was born and schooled in the Hwange district. He and his wife opened a general dealers store on Hwange National Park's boundary in 1972, but struggled during the course of the war and was forced to close in the late '70s. They re~opened in 1981 and they run the trading store to this day. During the 1980s, Alex became involved with Zimbabwe's "CAMPFIRE" programme that was initiated by National Parks to restore the management of wildlife resources in communal lands, back into the hands of the people living in those areas. He acted as vice~chairman of the "CAMPFIRE" Association and his interest in the tourism sector grew. Around this time he met Keith Vincent who runs Wilderness Safaris in Zimbabwe. In 1996, National Parks advertised a number of areas for lease within Hwange National Park. Alex and Wilderness Safaris entered into a partnership and successfully tendered for the Makalolo concession. Makalolo Plains was built and opened in April 1997 and Little Makalolo opened in June of the same year.

Pricing

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Location

o Situated in the South Eastern section of Hwange National Park in a wilderness area on a private concession.

Accommodation

9 tents in total consisting of:
7 twin bedded tents (can be set up as double beds if required)
1 honeymoon tent 1 tour leader or guest tent
This camp can accommodate 16 guests and one tour leader or 18 guests if all in one group with tour leader in basic staff accommodation.
Sold to a maximum of 16 guests on a FIT basis
Tent details:
o Luxury tents raised off the ground on teak decking
o En-suite bathrooms within tents with showers
o Fans
o Tents have outside showers
o Honeymoon tent has an outside bath
o Wooden doors, ie no zips
o Mosquito proof
o Gas radiator heaters in winter months
o Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room

Camp description

The camp is built on a raised teak platform under thatch overlooking the Somavundhla plain, and set in a stand of teak trees.
o Telescope for on deck viewing
o Plunge pool on raised deck
o Curio Shop
o Conference facilities available on request if group books out whole camp
o Diningroom, lounge and pub are thatched
o Library
o Game viewing platform
o Bunker hide in pan in front of camp

Game viewing

Lion, large herds of elephant, buffalo, hyena, giraffe, sable, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, reed buck. The highlight here is the large open plains where one can see large quantities of animals. Summer game viewing is excellent with wildebeest, zebra and eland found in abundance on the plains. In winter the water holes are magnets for elephant etc and on some days each water hole can get up to 1000 elephants coming down to drink.

Activities

o Game drives in 2 x 7 seater and 2 x 9 seater vehicles (wind-resistant ponchos provided during winter months)
o Walking Safaris with armed professional guide
o Bunker hide underground in front of camp next to waterholes
o Hides in the trees overlooking waterhole

Suggested Daily Activity Schedule

All times are a guide only. Times can and do change depending on local conditions.
summer/winter
05h00/06h00 - Wake Up
05h30/06h30 - Light Breakfast
06h00/07h00 - Game drive, canoeing, boating, walk with drinks and snacks
10h30/11h00 - Brunch/lunch
- Option to rest or sit at hides
15h30/15h30 - Afternoon tea
16h00/16h00 - Game drive / walk with drinks and snacks
20h00/20h00 - Dinner under the stars or under thatch

Laundry policy

Daily service, weather permitting, included in the nightly tariff.

Extras payment

Curios and/or tips/gratuities will be billed to the tent number and settled on check out. Payment can be effected by cash (US$), travellers' cheques or the following credit cards: Visa or MasterCard
If guests feel that they want to tip, our recommended tipping schedule is as follows:
Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
General Camp Staff - US$3.00 per person per day
Specialist Guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day.
(This is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards)

to/from Hwange Airport 20 minutes
Victoria Falls to the camp's strip 55 minutes
Makalolo to Giraffe Springs 30 minutes

Air strip details

Linkwasha airstrip is located 30 minutes' drive from camp.
Air strip co-ordinates: S19.07.93, E27.12.79 1000m long, grass strip, can take King Airs 90's provided that they have high flotation landing gear

Electricity

o Camp has 220v generator powered electricity, power is stored in 12v batteries which power the lights and fans in the rooms
o Videos can be charged whilst out on a game drive
o Water for showers etc is heated by solar power

Guest Comments

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay - our first visit to Africa and we saw a great number of game - Buffalo, Zebra, Elephant etc., the highlight being 8 Lions right on our doorstep!

J.M.T., Glasgow, Scotland

The atmosphere of the camp was excellent with the opportunity to mix with other guests. The knowledge and skills displayed by Mark gave us an unforgettable series of experiences. Our expectations were totally surpassed.

G.C., Essex, U.K.

Makalolo Plains once again we were treated like "kings" the staff without exception were the very best with Collette running the place like clockwork. We must also thank our two guides Owen and Courtney, their knowledge, skill and enthisiam was quite fantastic - what a fun camp this was.

P.S.,UK

This is a very special place - "top notch" the guests' needs are anticipated and you couldn't ask for better service, can't wait to come back again.

R.W., USA

Thank you for a memorable dinner under the African skies. The People are so warm, casual and motivated.

T.T. and J.T., Malaysia

Whoever is responsible for selecting you as the in-country host deserves a pat on the back. The camps that we visited were excellent! The staff is wonderful, the camps clean, comfortable and in wonderful locations. Every camp somehow got better than the last. This is our first experience with a tour group and have to admit we really liked all of the assistance with ground transport. Particularly, Gordy in Joburg. He met us at the airport as well as took us back at the end of the trip and shepherded us through the entire maze at the Joburg airport. I intend to write a letter to Colin at WS to thank him for his effort and tell him of our wonderful experience. Many thanks for your assistance.

D.W. and D.W.

We had a great time! Everything worked out perfectly: even the planes were on time, which is more than we can say for the US. There appeared to be no tourists in Zimbabwe -- great for us, too bad for the locals. All the guides were very hospitable and knowledgeable. We are trying to induce some of them to apply as summer camp counselors at our son's summer camp in Wisconsin -- a great way to see the States. The accommodations were first class; in fact, my husband said "this is too deluxe." We found the food to be EXCELLENT and way above our expectations. Thanks again for arranging this!

M.M. and M.M., USA

Thank you for sharing this awesome place in earth with us. The walks and drives were fantastic. We did not think that the sounds of the night in the wild could be so restful. Being close to elephants, giraffes, zebras in their habitat has been a privilege. We hope to be back in the not too distant future. You were so wonderful in sharing your knowledge.

N.J. and J.K., London, UK

Loved the lion kills, rhino search, another sunset in paradise!

R.D. and W.D., LA, USA

One of the most exciting moments of my life! I will never forget this wild paradise and the people who taught us their wonders.

M. and J, Belgium.

Your tremendous numbers of game, Dave and Tendai's encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of natural history, the staff's wonderful attitude, and the beautiful bracelets all combined to make this a truly memorable experience for us and our grandchildren in your beautiful camp.

K.N. and J.N., Glencoe, Illinois, USA

A magical blend of warm hospitality and wonderful wildlife - unbeatable! Thank you for such a memorable holiday and best wishes for the camp's continued success.

B.Y and F.Y., Chiswick, London.

Absolutely as advertised which means absolutely great. The elephant, the rolling hippo, the mating lions and especially the last minute present of the leopard made a great experience. Thanks to all.

J.G. and M.G., Canberra, Australia.

Wow! What a wonderful experience! Wildlife, beauty, comfort, warm smiles, fabulous food, great spirits and much more. I have truly enjoyed my stay here. The people make the difference.....Thank you so much! V. Spectacular elephants and supernumerous springhare. Food, staff and ambiance extraordinaire!

K.D.

Wow! What a fantastic place to spend your honeymoon! Highlights: lions at nights, dung beetles, scenery, people, too much more to mention. WE SHALL BE BACK.

P.T. and J.T.

Wow! We had such a great time here. We saw so many things. Dolf showed us a wildcat, close up lion, rhino and lots more. Tendai did too. Dave took us on great walks. The staff were so friendly. Happy Millennium.

K.B., USA

We can't stop raving our fabulous trip. We can now appreciate why you selected the camps you did, and why it was necessary to fly those little charter planes into the camps. As a person who fears all planes, I am able to say they were safe, comfortable and well worth the reward of going to Makalolo, Amalinda and Mana Pools. The staff and guides were superb. Not only were they unbelievably knowledgable about the wildlife, but several of them went well beyond the call of duty to take us to special parts of the park to see unique things. Benson at Makalolo is a star, and Kevin, Simeon and Beks at Mana Pools were quite a team. With so few tourists around, we felt like we had a private tour everywhere we went! Brochures don't do justice to the beauty and comfort of the camps and the superb way they are set on the landscape. The food was also terrific. How many superlatives can I find to say everything was great! Our pictures come back today and I will certainly send in an entry to your photo contest. We were lucky to follow a pack of wild dogs all 4 days we were at Mana Pools. We also saw an angola pitta - and though we aren't birders - we understand from our guide Kevin's enthusiasm that this was a rare event. We promised to send him the photo even if it only shows the leaves on the tree! Most of all, I will remember the kind people we met everywhere, and the feeling that we were treated like family. The camps were like bed and breakfasts - you felt like a guest in someone's home - and not as if you were in a hotel for tourists. I hope we will return to Africa. There are many other places we'd like to visit, and this has just whet my appetite. Thanks again for all your help in arranging our itinerary on short notice and helping us include all the locations we wanted to visit.

B.S. and D. B., - USA

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