Khulu Lodge and Tent Camp

Khulu Lodge and Tent Camp

Zimbabwe, Africa adventure continued. Quick link to video(best viewed in landscape).

Day 6 we made it to Khulu Lodge and Tent Camp on the edge of Hwange National Park. The lodge and camp are on a concession which allows private companies/persons to lease land from the government to set aside for natural habitat and conservation. The concession and national park are only separated by a railroad - there are no fences - so animals can travel freely.

Khulu means "grandfather" in the local language. The lodge and camp are named for Cedric, Sharon (of Amalinda Collection) 's father. Cedric designed the lodge and camp and everyone calls him "khulu" hence the name. We had the good fortune to meet Cedric and Gay (sgogo = grandmother) while we were at Khulu. Cedric and Gay spend Thursday through Monday at Khulu and the other days at their home on Bulawayo. Cedric charmed us with many stories and jokes.

The amazing feature about Khulu Lodge and Tent Camp is the watering hole, called a pan, and the lodge's swimming pool. Certain pans are maintained by pumping ground water. We were told this is done so that the animals do not have a reason to leave the parks and concessions during the dry season. This reduces animal-human interactions which can end badly. The water pumps are run off electricity generated by solar panels so there is no noise, fumes, or need to run fuel to them. By the way, all the lodges/camps we stayed at are also run by solar-generated electricity with generator backup.

Jeff and Marlin's "tent"

The accommodations at Khulu are referred to as tents. They are canvas sided with thatched roofs that sit on a raised wooden platform. There are both indoor and outdoor showers. 

The elephants did come to the pan (watering hole) in the evening before dinner. They made their way to the lodge swimming pool which made for a fantastic photo op.

After dinner we went on a night safari with our guide Maiso, aka King. King used a powerful flashlight to scan the bush. The goal was to find lions but did not. We did see Spring Hares (lots), Bushy-Tailed Mongoose, White-Tailed Mongoose, Impala (lots), Springbok, and Elephants with babies.

The next day we got up early (before sunrise) to go on a safari ride into Hwange National Park. We tracked lions but did not see any. We did see a lot of animals (click here for link to animal video). We had breakfast at an overlook built in the park.

After lunch we were joined by two couples, one from England and the other from France, for another safari ride. Susan really wanted to see giraffes and King got word from the neighboring camp that there were giraffes near there. We drove in the direction of Ivory Lodge and encountered a herd of elephants. As the elephants were passing by us very close, we spotted 2 then 3 giraffes. King couldn't move the vehicle as the elephants were too nearby.

After the elephants passed in one direction and we were still hoping the giraffes would come out of the bush, the elephants turned around and came back the way they had come from. Now amongst the mostly calm elephants was a bull elephant that was agitated because he really wanted to get some "action" if you know what I mean. There were some very, very tense moments with the big bull. Ask Marlin and Pam how they felt as they were on the side that the bull was on. King gave us stern instructions to not move or make any sounds. After a few false charges, a lot of ear waving, and urinating all around, the bull left us alone....and miraculously two giraffes walked out of the bush and into the clearing. It was a real safari moment.

Sundowner on the savannah

After the excitement with the giraffes and elephants, King drove us to a quieter part of the concession, and we had our sundowner drinks and appetizers - happy hour on the savannah.

We were out late and had an impromptu night safari on the way back. We encountered an eagle owl right in the pathway. It must have missed it's catch and landed right in front of us.

Day 8 - it rained again overnight (no surprise anymore). Marlin, Susan, and I took a walking safari with Bryn. Bryn is the father of Shaun who had made our trip accommodations with Pam. Bryn showed us some of the smaller things that you don't necessarily see when being driven around. We investigated Spring Hare burrows, Dung Beetles (all the guides like to pick up dung), and Elephant tracks and eating habits.

That afternoon Marlin and I took a break from safari drives. Susan and Pam went out but didn't see anything.

Dinner plate

That evening was a barbecue which, of course, was delicious. We said our goodbyes to the French and English couples. We said hello again to the couple from Maine/Florida as they had come from Amalinda where we met them first. We also said hello to a gentleman who spends a great deal of time in Africa on his own with his own safari vehicle. He was taking a break from being out on his own.

The next morning, Day 9, Marlin, the visiting safari guy, and I went out on a safari ride with King. King really, really wanted us to see lions but, alas, we did not find any. We encountered a large herd of Cape Buffalo and ended up kind of following them around and back to the lodge's pan. We also got to see Vervent Monkey, Black-Backed Jackal, Kudu (several including a large male), Ground Hornbill, and several Lilac-Breasted Roller.

Late that morning (or was it after lunch?), we flew by charter plane -- 4-seater plus the pilot Tayne -- from Hwange International Airport (it is a paved runway at least) to Robins Airstrip (grass/dirt runway) on the other side of Hwange National Park. I sat in the co-pilot seat. Susan got the way-back which was basically the tail! When we landed it started to pour down rain!

Khulu Lodge and Tent Camp video (best viewed in landscape).

Link to Amalinda Lodge and Matobo Hills post.

Link to Africa Animal post.