Imvelo Safari Lodges
Imvelo Safari Lodges is a pioneer of successful community-based ecotourism in Zimbabwe, operating a portfolio of five unique camps in and around the iconic Hwange National Park. By prioritizing the “luxury of exclusivity” over traditional opulence, Imvelo focuses on remote locations and authentic interactions that ensure local communities and wildlife are the primary beneficiaries of tourism. While they love game drives just as much as the next safari operator, their passion lies in getting guests out of the vehicles for a more intimate, active, and hands-on experience!
What Makes Imvelo Safari Lodges Unique?
- Remote Exclusivity: Their five intimate lodges are located in remote corners of Hwange to provide a “private” feel, far from the busier tourist circuits, focusing on the luxury of seclusion while being surrounded by an abundance of wildlife!
- Community-based Ecotourism Model: Imvelo has spent over two decades proving that when local communities benefit from tourism, wildlife can thrive. They don’t just build lodges, they build partnerships that protect the land and empower its people for decades to come.
- Active & Adventurous Safaris: Imvelo specializes in getting guests out of the vehicle, offering unique opportunities such as tracking elephant herds on mountain bikes, exploring the bush by canoe, and being eye-level with the trunk of an elephant at one of their look-up hides.
- The Elephant Express: A unique railcar, ingeniously designed to offer guests an unforgettable experience while transferring to some of their camps in southern Hwange.
- Groundbreaking Rhino Conservation: Imvelo spearheaded the return of white rhinos to Hwange through their Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI), establishing protected sanctuaries on community land to reduce human-wildlife conflict and provide local employment.
Camps & Lodges
Imvelo Safari Lodges offers a portfolio of five individually unique lodges and camps in Hwange National Park. Each has been meticulously designed to offer all the comforts of home, a splash of luxury, and an exciting dash of uniqueness. On top of this, the locations have been carefully selected for two vital reasons: the local communities’ dedication to Imvelo’s conservation partnership and their proximity to some of nature’s most impressive wonders in Hwange, famed for its thousands of elephants.
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Camelthorn Lodge
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Bomani Tented Camp
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Nehimba Lodge
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Jozibanini Camp
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- Camelthorn Lodge
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- Bomani Tented Camp
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- Nehimba Lodge
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- Jozibanini Camp
Camelthorn Lodge
Camelthorn’s eight forest villas are nestled in the cool woodlands on the southern edge of Hwange’s famed Ngamo Plains. One of only three lodges in Zimbabwe built on community land, Camelthorn offers both a spectacular wilderness experience as well as un-choreographed and meaningful cultural encounters in the nearby villages, the lodge’s partners and neighbors.
Camelthorn Lodge Fact Sheet
Camelthorn Lodge Wetu iBrochure
Camelthorn Lodge high-resolution photos
Bomani Tented Camp
The definition of a classic tented safari camp, Bomani is situated in a private concession on the magnificent Ngamo Plains, on the edge of the remote and unspoilt southeastern corner of Hwange National Park. Bomani offers nine tented accommodations plus a private two-bedroom family suite and a thatched chalet set around a prolific waterhole.
Bomani Tented Camp Fact Sheet
Bomani Tented Camp Wetu iBrochure
Bomani Tented Camp high-resolution photos
Nehimba Lodge
Situated in a huge private concession in northern Hwange, Nehimba’s nine spacious canvas-under-thatch tents overlook the magnificent lodge waterhole which is frequented by huge numbers of elephants and other game, particularly in the dry season, and has been called “the greatest elephant show on the planet.”
Nehimba Lodge Fact Sheet
Nehimba Lodge Wetu iBrochure
Nehimba Lodge high-resolution photos
Jozibanini Camp
With just six tents on raised teak decks, Jozibanini is a small and exclusive adventure camp situated in one of the most remote and unspoiled areas in the far south of Hwange National Park. This is a truly wild place allowing guests to completely unplug and enjoy a unique untamed wilderness experience.
Jozibanini Camp Fact Sheet
Jozibanini Camp Wetu iBrochure
Jozibanini Camp high-resolution photos
Tum Tum Treehouse Lodge
Building treehouses for a lodge has been a dream of Imvelo’s for more than 20 years. The dream started to turn into reality in 2025 when they met with the folks from Nelson Treehouse of Treehouse Masters in Seattle.
Perched among camelthorn woodlands in south-eastern Hwange National Park, Tum Tum Treehouse Lodge allows guests to stay high in the canopy amongst the birds, with elephants quietly walking below! The waterholes in front of camp are distinctive for their red mud, and as the day heats up, elephants arrive to drink and take a mud bath.
Tum Tum Treehouse Lodge Fact Sheet
Meet Butch and the Imvelo Safari Lodges team
Mark ‘Butch’ Butcher – Managing Director and Guide
Mark ‘Butch’ Butcher – Managing Director and GuideEven though ‘Butch’ is Imvelo’s Managing Director, he still spends as much time as he can spare in the bush. Butch’s wildlife career started in 1979 when he became a ranger for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management. He completed a BSc in Zoology and Botany at Rhodes University before moving on to work for Zimbabwe’s Forestry Commission. As Provincial Wildlife Officer, Butch was responsible for all the wildlife that roamed within 1.8-million acres of indigenous forest. He quickly discovered how essential the local people’s support was to the well being of the estate. Butch began to develop programs that would both engage the people and benefit the natural ecosystems. He finally left the Commission to develop these initiatives from the other side of the fence. Butch’s lifelong passion for Hwange – its elephants, wildlife and communities – formed the cornerstone for Imvelo Safari Lodges to grow into what it is today.
Sibahle ‘Sibs’ Sibanda – Imvelo Head Guide
Harris Mupedzi – Professional Guide, Bomani and Camelthorn
Tyron Hurst – Professional Guide at Nehimba Lodge
Hayley Plaskett – Marketing and Sales Director
Hayley VanHese – Senior Manager, Sales & Reservations
Margaret ‘Mags’ Rajah – Sales & Reservations Manager
Nimisha Daya – Sales & Reservations Manager
Community and Conservation
Imvelo Safari Lodges has proven that engaging and empowering local communities bordering national parks is the first and most important step in conservation. To that end, they have an exhaustive list of thoughtful, innovative and impactful programs to achieve their goals, some of which are highlighted below.
