Deteema Springs Camp stands on a low rocky rise in the remote north-western corner of Hwange National Park, built directly above permanent springs that run year-round through an otherwise dry country. Its great pleasure is watching wildlife without moving at all. Elephants, buffalo and plains game gather at the water on the slope below, in full view of the main deck and every private veranda.
Its great pleasure is watching wildlife without moving at all
Through the long dry months, the surface water of this region simply vanishes. A reliable source draws animals in from across the surrounding teak and mopane woodland, and guests need not leave the deck to see it happen. The rise sits between the springs on one side and Deteema Dam on the other, scattered with granite boulders and the hardy trees that hold their ground through the dry.
Alistair Rankin, Murray Collins and the late Chris Hatshe founded Machaba Safaris, and Deteema Springs opened on 1 May 2019 as its second Zimbabwean camp. Blessing Munyenyiwa co-founded and owns its Zimbabwean operations. What the founders wanted was an unhurried kind of safari, built lightly on the land and grounded in the communities around Hwange.
The canvas tents rest on timber decks, the power runs on hybrid solar
The camp occupies the footprint of the historic Deteema picnic site, preserved at the request of Zimbabwe’s parks authority. Everything here is made to tread gently. The canvas tents rest on timber decks, the power runs on hybrid solar, and the whole camp is designed to be dismantled and the ground rehabilitated within roughly eighteen months. The tents are smaller than at the group’s other camps, scaled down to sit quietly in the setting.
At night and before dawn, the bubbling of the springs carries up to the tents. It comes layered with the deep rumbling of elephants at the water, the low roars of distant lions, the whoop of spotted hyenas, and at first light the call of the Senegal coucal. Arrival is marked with a chilled Deteema cocktail on the main deck, where buffalo and elephants are often drinking within metres. Mornings begin slowly, tea in hand on a private veranda as the sun lifts over the rugged hills and the day gathers pace below.
The north-west of Hwange holds a strong concentration of game, and it sharpens through the dry season from June to October. Elephant herds and large buffalo herds move to the springs in numbers, while lion prides, leopards and cheetahs are seen through the immediate area. Packs of African wild dog hunt across the open floodplains around the water. The birdlife is rich too, and as the season tightens its grip the seeps draw raptors, waterfowl and dry-country specialists to the retreating water.
Packs of African wild dog hunt across the open floodplains around the water.
Morning and afternoon game drives in open 4×4 vehicles cover the surrounding wildlife area, while guided walks led by armed Zimbabwe professional guides turn to tracking, spoor and the small ecosystems around the springs. Night drives with spotlights are not permitted inside Hwange, a rule that holds here as across the park. Much of the game viewing, though, happens without leaving camp at all, from the raised decks and the pool that look straight onto the water below.
Dining is simple and generous, wholesome home-style cooking built on fresh local ingredients rather than elaborate international menus. Meals are served alfresco on the main deck under open sky, moving into the lounge only in poor weather. Pre-dinner drinks are taken around the central campfire, where the head chef presents the evening’s menu to guests in person. The camp is all-inclusive, and the mood throughout stays quiet and close to the wild ground it stands on.
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accommodation
Eight canvas tents raised on timber decks hold a maximum of eighteen guests, seven double or twin tents and one family tent. Each has an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, ceiling and standing fans, charging points, and a large shaded veranda over the springs. There is no air-conditioning; the cooling is by fan.
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activities
Morning and afternoon game drives in open 4x4 vehicles and guided walking safaris led by armed Zimbabwe professional guides, focused on tracking and the springs' ecology. Birding and photography are strong. Passive game viewing from the decks and pool is central. Night drives are not permitted inside Hwange National Park.
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conservation
Machaba Safaris supports Mabale Village and Hwange Main Camp Primary School, funding textbooks and, with the Matter Foundation, a solar computer lab and a community garden. It runs on hybrid solar power with bio-plant waste treatment.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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Fly from Victoria Falls to Robins Airstrip, about twenty minutes in a light aircraft, and the camp collects you for a game-drive transfer of forty minutes or so through the park's north-west. There are no scheduled airline services into Hwange, so the flight is a charter we arrange with the trip, and we can make it private, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12. The vehicle transfer from the airstrip is included in the stay.
By road, allow around three hours from Victoria Falls before the same final game drive. Light aircraft take soft bags only, around twenty kilograms per person including hand luggage, so leave the hard cases at home.
Plan on it. Hwange lies below 1,200 metres, and at those altitudes the UK's official travel health advice rates Zimbabwe's malaria risk as high from November to June, with antimalarials usually recommended; from July to October the risk is lower and careful bite avoidance is the baseline. The CDC recommends tablets for travel anywhere in Zimbabwe whatever the month, so many guests simply take them.
Confirm the current advice with a travel clinic or your doctor before you fly, and cover up in the evenings regardless; the springs draw life of every kind at dusk.
Yes, from the age of six. Younger children are only accepted when the whole camp is taken on an exclusive basis, which we can price for a family or group who want the place to themselves. The family tent, with its two-bedroom layout, is the one to secure early if you are travelling as four.
Walking safaris carry their own minimum ages for safety, so tell us the children's ages when we plan and we will confirm exactly which activities each can join on your dates.
The rate is close to all-in: accommodation, every meal, drinks short of the imported and premium labels, laundry, the guided activities and the vehicle transfers from Robins Airstrip, with park fees and taxes folded in as well. A conservation and community levy is charged per person per night on top.
We build the levy and the charter flights into your quote from the beginning, so the full cost of the stay is on the table before you decide.
Yes, wifi is free for guests, generally used around the main area rather than out on the private decks. It is remote-bush internet, comfortably up to messages, email and sending a photograph of the morning's elephants home, and better treated as a courtesy than a working connection.
If you need to be dependably reachable during the trip, tell us before you travel and we will advise where the solid connections fall in your itinerary.
The north-west is cold country in winter. From June to August, first light over the springs can be close to freezing, so bring a proper warm jacket, a hat and gloves for the early game drives, then light layers as the day warms. September and October swing hot, and the tents are cooled by fans, so breathable neutral-coloured clothing and strong sun protection matter late in the season.
Binoculars deserve a place in the bag, because so much of the viewing here happens from your own veranda. Pack it all soft if you are flying in, around twenty kilograms a person including hand luggage.
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