Safari at Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe

All aboard. We took a late evening train to Hwange National Park from Victoria Falls to experience train travel in Africa. It was good and it was cheap - about $7 for a 6 hour trip. We arrived at 2 am and got a flat tire on the way to the Hotel. That was right after the guide was pointing out the glowing eyes of Hyenas just next to the road. So who's going out to fix it? We went to bed very late. 

Later we found out we could have flown in less than half an hour for around $20.....arghhhhh. So we flew back.

 
 
. Hwange Lodge is a private lodge. It's got the usual 3 price tiered system. We were overseas foreigners and therefore had to pay the mega-$ per night ( $250/night per double). Locals pay about a quarter of that. The main advantage of paying top-dollar is that on the hotel premises in a watering hole where all the big game come to drink. Hans is sitting in the observation deck watching them come and go.
 
Beautiful animals everywhere. The Discovery Channel is great, but nothing compares to seeing and feeling the animals - "up close and personal".  
 
  The elephants are always impressive no matter how many you see - and we did see thousands! They are humongous and there are so many of them sometimes. The way they interact is so gentle - greatly contrasting their bulk.
 
We moved to Main Camp in Hwange National Park. We got a 3 room chalet like the one in the picture with a bathtub (important for Tiffany) for about $9/night. It was basic accommodations but very nice. No 3 tiered tourist raping system here. The park opened at dawn and closed at sunset. After that there wasn't anything else to do but eat and talk with the few other people staying there.  
 
  While Hans went to Sinamatela Camp - in the northern part of Hwange Park, Tiffany made some friends at Main Camp. A couple from New Zealand and a bush hunter responsible for exterminating the "bad" animals in the park. He had great stories. This troop made its last safari in Hwange together before heading back to Vic Falls.
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More photos of animals in Hwange
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