That afternoon, we drove some three hours through the park to Deka Camp, Deteema’s sister property and likely Hwange’s remotest lodge. En route we saw kudu crowned with their telltale spiral horns, rare roan antelope, and a dazzle of zebra darting through the parched grass in a dizzying, black-and-white blur—but nary another jeep, which speaks to the truly uncharted nature of northern Hwange.
Back at camp, Deteema’s charming, gregarious staff make cocktails and dinner in the beautifully outfitted common tent an especially festive affair. Dining on creamy cauliflower soup and perfectly grilled beef washed down with South African Pinotage wine while listening to a team member’s tale of being chased along Deteema’s wooden walkways by an ornery honey badger was an ideal end to a day of discovery.
No visit to Zimbabwe is complete without a visit to Victoria Falls—called “The Smoke That Thunders” in the local Tonga language—the largest waterfall in the world, and one of its seven natural wonders.
Twenty-five miles upriver, nestled on a verdant stretch of the Zambezi, lies Matetsi Victoria Falls, one of Africa’s most lauded lodges. An über-luxe base from which to explore the Falls, Matetsi also offers outstanding safari experiences on its private, 200-plus-mile game reserve, a unique value proposition that puts the resort in a class by itself.
Comprising two artfully designed camps, each with eight suites and one family suite, as well as a four-bedroom private villa with its own staff, Matetsi pampers guests in peerless style.
Rooms feature resplendent king-size beds, indoor and outdoor rain showers, and plunge pools overlooking the river, while Zimbabwean art throughout the property highlights the lodge’s emphasis on celebrating local talent.
Service by Matetsi’s ever-smiling team is also world-class and emblematic of the defining warmth of the Zimbabwean people.
Upon arrival, I asked to have a dress pressed for that evening, which magically reappeared at my door, still warm from the iron, some 40 minutes later. After a morning walking safari in the considerable heat, I returned to my room to find a bubble bath awaiting me in the oversize soaking tub, along with a handwritten note from my housekeeper.
The lodge’s cuisine, overseen by executive chef Shane Ellis, is arguably some of Africa’s finest, with a focus on fresh fish from the river and other locally sourced fare.
Ellis’s prodigious talents were on full display during a pop-up boma dinner deep in the bush, where we dined on exquisite dishes like spicy coconut poached prawns and kudu fillet with beetroot chutney—prepared on-site by Ellis and his headlamp-wearing team—beneath lantern chandeliers hung from the trees.
Game drives through Matetsi’s lush and diverse landscape—studded with African sausage and acacia trees, blanketed by sweeping golden savannahs—showcase the most resonant element of the “Matetsi magic.”
Once nearly decimated by poaching and illegal hunting, the reserve now teems with buffalo, elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, and zebra, as well as several lion prides, thanks to the considerable conservation measures undertaken by Zimbabwean businessman John Gardiner, who purchased the property five years ago, and his family.
They promptly reestablished a vast road network vital to anti-poaching efforts and drilled 16 solar-powered boreholes to bring precious water to the reserve. These and other ongoing initiatives have helped restore the concession to a thriving, pristine wilderness—a vivid snapshot of both Zimbabwe’s exceptional gifts and its boundless potential.-Fortune
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