If you travel deep, deep into the heart of Hwange National Park, you will find a small, intimate camp in splendid isolation, off the grid and with one of the most spectacular elephant experiences…the perfect location to celebrate World Elephant Day.
Brunch break whilst cycling from Jozi
Jozibanini is remote, a simple camp made for those wanting to escape, be off the grid and enjoy the simple safari pleasures of a camp fire, a bucket shower and sleeping out under the stars. It’s location was inspired by a tragedy. 150 elephant were poached in 2013, the community rallied and the poachers were caught but it highlighted that this area of Hwange was without a ranger station. Butch, the inspiration behind Imvelo, was determined to change this and today Imvelo operates Jozi and has helped finance and support a brand new ranger station to protect this wild part of Hwange NP.
Jozibanini Waterhole
Jozibanini Camp has put money into schools and boreholes for the local communities bordering this isolated part of the park and pumps a solar hybrid waterhole which attracts and supports extraordinary wildlife. During the worst part of the drought late last year, the elephants were dominating the waterhole 24/7 so the lodge manager had to leave out buckets of water for the wild dog and lions to survive. The elephant seek out the freshest water which is situated just outside the look-up hide and many a guest has had a spray as the herds jostle and tousle for the best water rights.
Elephant from the Look up hide at Jozibanini, Hwange NP
With just 5, tents Jozi is the perfect place to escape with friends or family with simple meals cooked on an open fire, dinner by candlelight, sundowners overlooking the waterhole and surprise brunches laid out around a corner whilst on a cycling or walking adventure. Guests take the time to draw a breath here, reconnect with nature and slow to its pace, the wilds of Hwange offer splendid isolation. The night skies are dramatic. The beds roll out on to the deck so that you can watch shooting stars as you fall asleep. As one guest wrote, “it is not a 5 star camp it is a 5 million star camp”! Activities include visiting the local communities, cycling, walking, time out in the look-up hide and game drives.
Jozi ‘Not a 5 star camp but a 5 million star camp’
Elephants dominate the scene here but many other species are also resident with wild dog and lion often seen. The camp opens from May to October with a minimum 2 night stay. Stay 3 nights and receive a free one way flight to/from Bomani or Nehimba airstrips. We recommend driving in one way (on a pump run, which means a full day game drive, stopping at several of the waterholes that Imvelo look after in this corner of Hwange and stopping for lunch) and then flying out but you can also drive in from Bomani and transfer on to Nehimba. For more information or a more detailed look at Jozi please press reply as we would love to share more stories about the camp and its key role in this wildest part of Hwange.
