Ivory Lodge

Ivory Lodge sits inside a six-thousand-acre private concession on the edge of Hwange National Park, near Dete in Matabeleland North. The land is teak forest, and the lodge's nine rooms — seven raised chalets and two Presidential Elephant Suites — stand on stilted platforms above the tree floor. From the deck of your chalet or from the waterhole pan, you watch elephant herds that can number more than a hundred animals at a time. The Presidential Herd, whose home range takes in the Sikumi Vlei feeding areas nearby, comes regularly to drink at the lodge waterhole, which is floodlit at night.

Game drives run in the morning, afternoon, and as full-day trips, both on the concession and into the national park. Species recorded across both include elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, sable, giraffe, and zebra. Walking safaris depart at first light with a professional guide, covering the private concession on foot. Pan sits — stationary game viewing beside the waterhole with full waiter service — are available for half or full days.

The lodge also organises a visit to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre at the Hwange Research Centre, where Zimbabwe's wild dog population is studied and rehabilitated. Dining is communal around a set table, with private arrangements available on request. The lodge is family-run and family-friendly, with a family room and two suites convertible to triples for children under twelve.