Imire Lodge

Set across roughly 10,000 acres of miombo woodland, open plains and granite outcrops in the Hwedza district, Imire sits about 120km east of Harare. The conservancy was built on rescue: in 1987 it took custody of seven orphaned black rhino calves, unable to survive alone in the wild, and began a breeding programme that has since produced 21 births, with a dozen released back into national parks. Nine black rhino and four white rhino now live on the land, alongside three orphaned elephants, two rewilded cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and sable. Guides track rhino on foot rather than by vehicle, so the approach is quiet. You hear birdsong and impala calls before you see anything at all. Guests can spend a morning with elephant handlers or an afternoon on horseback through the acacia, cantering past browsing giraffe and baboon troops on the open ground. Imire Lodge, run by Kate Travers and Chris Carless, holds seven thatched ensuite rooms with home-style cooking and a pool. It is a compact stay. The wider conservancy still borders the rural villages that supply much of its staff, and Imire funds a school, clinic and community sewing project alongside its anti-poaching and breeding work. Zimbabwe's dry winters and wet summers, from November to March, shape the rhythm of each visit.