Vundu Camp

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Nestled amongst groves of stunning riverine forest on the bank of the famous Zambezi River, Vundu Camp is a small camp known for the excellent reputation of its expert owners and their attention to details and guest’s needs.

The camp is comprised of eight spacious chalet-style tents. Inside the tents, large wooden beams support a high thatched roof with canvas walls and shade-mesh windows. Each chalet features comfortable twin beds on polished concrete floors and cooled by freestanding fans. The family chalet comes with two bedrooms, one twin and one double, which are both en-suite and are separated by a lounge area with comfortable wicker chairs, low tables, and shelves. Guests can enjoy both outdoor and indoor showers with hot and cold running water, hand basin, and flush toilets. Best of all, each chalet has its own private veranda open to the Zambezi River just ten meters away with canvas chairs for relaxing and watching impala, warthog, and elephants wander by on their way to the river for a drink.

The camp sits on the banks of the Zambezi River in the heart of Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, shaded by a grove of ebony and tamarind trees. Mana Pools is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its lions, leopards, and hyenas. It is also part of the Zambezi Valley, a western extension of the Great Rift Valley. Vundu Camp is owned and run by an extremely knowledgeable Zimbabwean, Nick Murray and his wife, Des. Nick has a degree in zoology and wildlife management and started off as a guide in Matusadona National Park.

Several activities are available from the camp. Morning or afternoon game drives bring guests up close and personal with spectacular sightings of wide range of animals from lions, leopards, elephants, water buffalo, eland, kudu, to waterbucks. Armed bush walks afford a closer look at smaller game that might be missed from the vehicles, guides follow animal tracks to the Mana Pools. Perfectly positioned on the Zambezi River, the camp offers half-day or full-day canoe trips on the Lower Zambezi for amazing views of hippos and crocodiles. The river also provides the perfect spot to cast a lure and practice fishing skills as well as being a bird-watcher’s paradise. All activities benefit from the guiding expertise of owner Nick Murray’s and his Zim-pros of knowledgeable, freelance guides.

An elevated main lounge and dining area give off arresting views of the Zambezi River. Guests start their day with a cup of tea or coffee around the fire or on their veranda before starting their first adventure. Then they come back for a full-English breakfast and a chance to enjoy a quick nap or read a book borrowed from the library in the quiet of their veranda before heading out on the next activity. An al fresco lunch is served at one with the colonial luxury of afternoon tea and cake at three. Dinner is served under the shade of the trees and lit by a chandelier and the night sky. The day is ended with drinks around the campfire and an opportunity to make new friends and swap stories.