Things to do in Zimbabwe

Bomani Tented Lodge: a synergy of community, environment and awesome wildlife

We want people to have an immersive safari and importantly, meet the local community…

By Mark Butcher

Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges

Bomani is definitely a destination for people wanting to travel further off-the-beaten path. Sitting in a 5,000-acre private concession with only 10 tents and one family suite, we want people to have an immersive safari with lots of different activities and importantly, meet the local community. A lot of lodges will talk about hiring locally when they actually mean hiring Zimbabweans, but we typically try and hire people within walking distance of Hwange National Park. So it has to be from the community – I’m talking about the front-line villages; that’s my criteria.

We’ve done lots of cool things together. We’ve built special treehouses where guests can stay for four or five hours and we fetch them later. We do a lot of sleep-out nights under the stars. We eat outdoors more than indoors usually. Set up lunches by the waterholes; a bottle of cold wine, set the tables under a nice shady tree and watch the elephants coming into drink. Sometimes they’ll come into camp and you can sit quietly on your deck with the elephants all of five meters away. That’s one of the coolest things you can do in Hwange – just hang out at camp surrounded by animals.

Inside the park, you’re not allowed to drive or walk off the road and it’s a good rule but on the Bomani concession you can follow predators by car, something that really sets us apart. Walking though is a thing we really do a lot of. If you see an elephant from a car it’s wonderful but when you walk up to them on foot, wow that’s a whole new dimension. People sometimes worry about it and the way I explain it is I say if I drive around the M1 in London, I’m terrified, I’m white knuckled. It’s not my environment. But you guys know what you’re doing and it’s the same thing with us here. We spend most of our lives walking around Hwange Park and we know what you can do and what you can’t do.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Special Offer

Essential Zimbabwe
by Adele Jones

Length8 Days

Price range£4,275 - £4,875pp
Itinerary

Special Offer

Family Victoria Falls and Safari Adventure
by Helen Austin

Length8 Days

Price range£4,075 - £4,850pp

Alfred & Mark Butcher

Mark Butcher is an eco-tourism professional with a passion for linking local communities directly to wildlife conservation. In the 80s, he was a ranger for the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wildlife and later, the Provincial Wildlife Officer in the Matabeleland North Province adjacent to Hwange National Park. Mark is now the Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges, a selection of properties that directly benefit disenfranchised communities around Hwange.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Adele, who's travelled extensively in Zimbabwe. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember – the ranger who can show you the best game viewing and fishing spots on the Zambezi, the guide who’ll introduce you to ‘moonbows’ at Victoria Falls and the locals who’ll share their dinner with you.

Adele Jones

Africa Travel Expert for Alfred&

Adele has been travelling for 21 years, with plenty of time in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. As a keen wildlife enthusiast she is fascinated by seeing wild animals in their natural environment, as well as understanding how landscape and topography drive their behavioural patterns. Her experience in Africa got off to a memorable start, with a sighting of a wild dog pack within 10-minutes of landing on her first ever safari trip!
Cloud Magondo

Professional Guide at Nyamatusi Camp

Cloud joined African Bush Camps after five years of experience working as a professional river guide. He has also recently achieved his Professional Guide licence, a highly regarded achievement within the safari industry. His passions are canoeing, star gazing, animal behaviour and birds while also recognising the importance of the smaller things like insects and flora. As a guide who canoes the Zambezi, he has plenty of respect for the resident hippo and crocodiles.
Mark Butcher

Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges

Mark Butcher is an eco-tourism professional with a passion for linking local communities directly to wildlife conservation. In the 80s, he was a ranger for the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wildlife and later, the Provincial Wildlife Officer in the Matabeleland North Province adjacent to Hwange National Park. Mark is now the Managing Director of Imvelo Safari Lodges, a selection of properties that directly benefit disenfranchised communities around Hwange.
Tich Tandi

Sales and marketing manager at Wild Horizons, Alfred&’s partner in Zimbabwe

During more than three decades in the hospitality industry, Tich Tandi has been everything from a waiter to a tours coordinator in a five-star hotel. Originally from Rusape in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, he now works for Wild Horizons in Victoria Falls as part of the sales and marketing team, a role he thoroughly enjoys.
Jane Msamba

Deputy General Manager, Ilala Lodge Hotel

Born in Zimbabwe, Jane began working with Ilala Lodge Hotel as a senior cashier in 1995. She has worked her way through the ranks from Junior Tours Consultant to Tours Manager and this year took up the role of Deputy General Manager of the hotel. Happily married with three children, Jane has recently become a proud grandmother. She lives in Victoria Falls with her husband and the couple is passionate about wildlife.
Francis Nyabadza

Guide at Wild Horizons, Alfred&’s partner in Zimbabwe

Francis Nyabadza grew up hearing the roar of the Victoria Falls, and familiarity has done nothing to diminish his sense of awe every time he takes guests to experience this natural wonder for themselves – something he’s been doing for Wild Horizons since 1997. When not at the Falls, his favourite place to take visitors is the village that hosts the company’s Meet the People cultural activity.