Visit at Verney’s Camp – Hwange’s latest Addition

By Rosemary Masukume

It was the cool morning of the 24th of July when we took the road to Hwange Main Camp for a one night stay at Verney’s Camp. At about 11am, we were met by Trust who is one of the guides for our transfer to the camp. An hour and a half later we were welcomed by very friendly hosts on arrival.

Verney’s Camp opened it’s doors to the first guests on 1st May 2018, and we were excited to visit the camp for the first time. The camp is located in a private concession in a less used part of the Hwange National park - providing untamed wilderness. I was filled with amazement at how in the middle of nowhere such luxury can be found! Michael who was our contact, gave us an orientation of the camp and asked us to sign indemnity forms. However, we had never felt so safe in this very bush environment.

The other hosts we met were Nono and Sakhile who were a pleasure to be with as they are very passionate about the bush and spoke well of how Verney’s Camp takes care of them and their families.

Before lunch, we had a sneak peak at our room so we could have a taste of what our guests will enjoy when they come to stay here. Our first impression was WOW, so much space! And if you know me well, you know that I am someone who really enjoys space. The room we stayed in was identical to the other 7 rooms, spacious, with a very big bed, hot and cold water shower, cooler box with drinks, overhead fan for the hotter months and a work desk in the room for guests that want to read or write before going to bed.

The room has bug repellent spray and an air horn for emergencies. There are plug in points close to the bed, on the work desk and close to the bathroom to charge phones, camera batteries, computers and other electronical gear.

The camp runs fully on solar energy throughout, but for the cloudy days a backup generator is there on standby. Solar energy is now the best way to run camps as it is green energy and the modern way of conserving electricity.

Next we enjoyed lunch! It was a pizza of your choice between three options and a green salad. The one thing that caught my attention was how flexible this camp is to guests’ preferences on times to have meals and for activities. This is one of the three things they strongly believe in; food, flexibility and fun!  With the food, you basically have your meal at a time you prefer, as a result we found that the guests that were in camp all had their lunch at different times (as long as it was within the stipulated meal times). Back to my pizza, it was delish! The pizza base was thin which is what I thoroughly enjoyed.

Secondly with Flexibility guests get to enjoy the freedom of choosing a time to do their activities as long as it works with other guests, and if guests choose to sleep in or not to go out at all, it is purely up to the guests!

Fun has to do with guests’ enjoyment as camp can arrange bush lunches or breakfasts, traditional meals or short walks to the pan for children accompanied with storytelling for the little ones.

The evenings before dinner are enjoyed with a drink around the fire together with guides, hosts and other guests. All enjoying a laugh and sharing ones life’s experiences or bush experiences from earlier that day. A three course dinner is then served, after which it is back to the fireplace for more stories and drinks before bedtime.

We were on our way back to Hwange Main Camp the next day after taking pictures of the staff members in camp! So much fun, what pleasant people! We guarantee you will have an experience of a lifetime once you come to Verney’s Camp!

Want to visit Verney’s Camp and get to know all those great people yourself?

Get in touch with us and let us plan your dream trip together!

We look forward to welcoming you to Zimbabwe!

Images © The Safari Source