Hwange (Safari) Day Trip from Victoria Falls

Excellent

Awesome experience from Vic Falls. Guide Ethan was great, we drove around 100 miles in the park through all kinds of random trails. Morning was very quiet, missed out on some lions, but afternoon was epic with lions, painted dogs, zebras, wildebeast, too many to list. Drive to within 10 feet of 3 sleeping lions who ignored us completely. Saw nobody else in the park for hours at a time. Went to Chobe the day before which seemed full of tourists in comparison. Chobe had a more dense animal and people population, whereas Hwange was definitely more of the desolate, rugged safari vibe.

via Viator

Although we had seen the animals in zoos, seeing them in their natural habitat was amazing. Please preserve these havens

It was an amazing experience! We felt very looked after and safe even though the lions were 5ft away from us. Our guide was very informative, not just about the animals but the birds and botany. He impressed us by reading the landscape and explaining what had been happening in the park recently and how the countryside was changing. He provided an excellent lunch and seemingly limitless supplies of water and fizzy drinks. At the end of the day, he stayed with us to make sure we found our taxi for the return trip to our hotel.

via Tripadvisor

Lots of driving

I enjoyed the ride in the Hwange park. It was an all day adventure. The 2 things that I struggled with were the 3 hr there and back ride/transfer and they didn’t have great options for those with dietary restrictions.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on the Hwange Day Trip from Victoria Falls. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the adventure within Hwange National Park — it truly is a special place with so much to offer. We understand that the long transfer to and from the park can be tiring, and while the distance is unfortunately unavoidable due to the park’s location, we are always exploring ways to make the journey as comfortable as possible for our guests. We also sincerely apologize for not meeting your expectations regarding dietary options. We recognize how important it is to cater to all dietary needs, and we are actively working on improving communication and meal planning with our catering partners to better accommodate guests with specific requirements, including allergies and dietary restrictions. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and it helps us improve the overall experience for future guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again and provide an even better safari adventure. Warm regards,

via Viator

Exceptionally disappointing

I had read previous reviews on this experience that were highly complimentary. I can only discern that it must have been with a different company. The issues were around the operations of the safari. The van that drove us from Victoria Falls had an issue with the rear hatch. It kept popping open and we had to stop to close it. On the way back the driver finally secured it after the fifth or sixth time. It added at least 20 minutes to the return three hour journey. The safari truck was older and also had battery/starter issues at least four times before the guide/driver secured assistance from another driver. Lastly there were two of us who had requested gluten free meals for the lunch. Lunch was pasta salad and fried chicken- neither gluten free. So we went a full day without food except for an orange. I had requested GF in the original booking and confirmed my dietary requirements the day before. This is a major oversight for a full day activity. Neither the guide nor the van driver were aware that there were two people with GF dietary requirements. Not sure who dropped that ball. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable but provided facts not information by which I mean that context was often lacking. Unfortunately there were not alot of animals which is not the responsibility of the company nor the guide. Overall the experience was exceptionally disappointing especially in light of the cost.

Response from the operator: We sincerely appreciate your feedback and are truly sorry to hear that your experience on the Hwange Day Trip did not meet expectations. What you experienced was, without question, a bad day in the office for us, and we take full responsibility for the operational shortcomings that impacted your safari. First and foremost, we deeply regret the issues with the transfer vehicle, the mechanical problem was merely caused by the bad state of the road, we have since fixed the hinge to prevent similar disruptions in the future. With regard to the dietary oversight, we completely understand how frustrating and disappointing it must have been to go the entire day without proper food — especially after taking the time to communicate your gluten-free requirements in advance. Unfortunately, on the day of your trip, our operations department was stationed in a part of the park with poor network coverage, which prevented the dietary information from being relayed to the on-ground team in time. We have since communicated and refunded all the affected guests for that day in recognition of this serious error. Additionally, we have implemented new protocols to ensure that any critical guest information — especially dietary or medical requirements — is communicated through multiple channels, including offline and backup systems, in case of network failures. While we cannot change the experience you had, please know that your feedback has directly led to tangible improvements in our operations. We are committed to learning from this and ensuring that future guests receive the high standard of service we are known for. Thank you again for bringing these issues to our attention. We hope we have the opportunity to restore your faith in our services in the future. Warm regards

via Viator

Outstanding

Amazing safari with amazing staff. Philip and Bothwell have gone above and beyond. Thanks for such an amazing safari where we have seen so many animals

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! 🌿 We’re delighted to hear that you had an amazing safari experience and that Philip and Bothwell made your day extra special. They’ll be so pleased to know their efforts were appreciated. It’s great that you were able to see so many animals — that’s always the highlight of a Hwange adventure! We truly appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope to welcome you again for another unforgettable experience. Warm regards,

via Tripadvisor