Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge

Each of the Luxury King and Twin Lodges at Chilo Gorge are designed to blend in with the camp’s natural surroundings, creating a secluded haven that does not take away from the stunning landscape. Guests can enjoy gazing across the sweeping plains and watching hippos and crocodiles as they paddle along the Save River from the comfort of your private balcony. The thatched lodges are designed to maintain a comfortable climate, crafted with local materials. The bedroom includes your choice of either a king-size bed or two twin beds, as well as a minibar, tea and coffee making facilities and a safe for personal treasures. Each room leads to a spacious en-suite bathroom with a large shower, complimentary toiletries, and a separate WC.

The seasonal Chilo Gorge Tented Camp at Mahove is open from the 1st of May until October 31st. The tented camp lies within Gonarezhou National Park, offering guests the chance to connect with nature and sleep under a canopy of glimmering stars. Enjoy front-row seats to the wildlife of the Mahove area and admire the untouched wilderness from the comfort of a luxury tent. Each of the 4 tents consists of a twin bedroom with an ensuite, featuring both a shower and flush toilet. Dinner can be enjoyed either under canvas or beside a roaring fire.

The Ivory Trail Adventure camp consists of domed tents suitable for two guests and with enough height to stand. The 2 stretcher beds are complete with foam mattresses, blankets and duvets. Each tent also has a bush loo and a bucket shower with a canvas frame for privacy. The fly camp also has LED lighting and an inverter on the game vehicle for charging batteries. Staying at the Ivory Trail Adventure Camp allows guests to enjoy the endless exploration of the wilderness and make the most of the seasonal hot spots for viewing game.

The Nhambo Self-Catering Lodges are equipped with a full kitchen so that guests can enjoy their own cooking and have a peaceful stay at these homes away from home. Four of the lodges are designed to cater for two guests, and the Family Lodge is able to cater for 6, with two additional bedrooms and an extra bathroom. The Nhambo lodges are spacious and feature a dining area for guests to gather and spend time together, a braai area and a refreshing plunge pool. Guests staying at the Nhambo Lodges are welcome to join the other guests at Chilo Gorge Lodge for meals and when going out for activities, but must request this when booking.

Guests can look forward to three delicious meals each day, which can be enjoyed in the indoor communal dining area or outside with the backdrop of the sweeping landscape. Chilo Gorge’s team of chefs prepare each meal with fresh ingredients, combining homely dishes with local flavour, and giving guests the opportunity to explore the traditional cuisine of Zimbabwe. Guests can also enjoy barbeques cooked over a roaring fire on the Runde River’s sandy banks, or even choose to be independent and take advantage of Chil Gorge’s self-catering facilities.

Visit Zimbabwe’s second-largest national park and admire the diverse scenery consisting of sandstone cliffs, towering baobab trees, meandering rivers and sweeping plains. Guests can expect to find a wide range of wildlife including lions, cheetah, hippos, hyenas, buffalo and giraffes, as well as Gonarezhou’s large elephant population. In Shona, elephants are called Nzhou and from this, the park takes its name. Game drives take place in both the morning and afternoon, and guests can also choose to optimise their time with a full day drive. Learn interesting facts about the varied wildlife from Chilo Gorge’s resident guides and witness these incredible creatures up close from the safety of a specially-designed safari vehicle.

Embark on an exciting game walk and explore Gonarezhou National Park at your own pace on foot. The camp’s professional guides will keep you safe while providing a wealth of fascinating information about the many creatures you will see as you wander across the plains and explore the banks of the Runde River. Game walks allow guests to pick up on the smaller details often missed during drives. Learn to recognise animal tracks and follow them to exciting viewing opportunities. Guests will also be able to look for smaller species that often go unnoticed during fast-paced drives.

Travel to the Chilojo Cliffs, and enjoy a picnic lunch against the backdrop of the looming red sandstone walls. Positioned at the heart of the Gonarezhou National Park, guests will be able to visit both the Tembahata and Machanu water pans where abundant birdlife congregates, as well as large numbers of elephants and buffalo. Guests can enjoy sundowners on the return game drive to the lodge while watching the stretching shadows of baobabs and giraffes loom over the landscape at dusk. This activity can be enjoyed during the dry season (April to November).

Travel to the local Mahenye Village and meet members of the Shangaan community who Chilo Gorge have worked with for their CAMPFIRE programme in order to help develop and empower the community. Guests will be able to visit the secondary school and meet its pupils, as well as the local clinic. Interact with local people and learn about living alongside wildlife from those who have grown up near Zimbabwe’s stunning wilderness. Learn about the culture and daily village life of the residents, and exchange stories about your differing experiences. Guests may also get to visit the local palm first where you will find a palm wine-maker and learn how palm wine is produced. This will also involve being invited to test a range of samples.

Enjoy an energetic hike along a 2.5km trail from Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge to the stunning falling waters of Chivalia Falls. Guests can choose to embark on this journey at either sunrise or sunset and admire the colourful sky refracted in the cascading water and rainbow mist. The landscape is rugged and offers a number of incredible vantage points for admiring the waterfall. Enjoy a refreshing beverage as you take in the beautiful view.

Gonarezhour National Park is home to over 450 bird species that gather around the park’s three major rivers, the Chilojo Cliffs and the park’s water pans. Many water birds, including herons, storks, egrets, African skimmers, purple-crested Turacos and waders are attracted by the flowing rivers, while the riverine forests are filled with the shrieks of parrots. Around the Chilojo Cliffs, guests can spot peregrine falcons, swifts, bat hawks and falcons. Marvel at the incredible birdlife and enjoy watching for incredible bird species in the tranquil surroundings of the Sacred Sand Forest where you may find the green malkoha, Narina trogon, chestnut-fronted Helmet shrikes, and square-tailed drongo.

The Mahenye Charitable Trust was set up by Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge to help the local community by raising funds and donations that go directly to projects that benefit the members of the local village. The charity works with village elders in order to fulfil the specific needs of the community and find creative solutions to fill them. These projects are then supervised by the members of the Chilo team.

Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge support the local community and offer support to the local economy through responsible tourism. Visitors to the lodge are encouraged to visit the Shangaan village and learn from their culture.

‘Clive Stockil grew up amongst the Shangaan, and, with the community, he has created a unique environment where local cultures, wildlife and responsible tourism are all able to thrive and enrich one another. The local community at Mahenye Village have built a school, clinic, police station and mill from income earned through tourism.’

CAMPFIRE was established by Clive Stockil, the founder of Chilo Gorge, in order to conserve wildlife and prevent conflict with humans. Stockil worked with local Shangaan people to encourage them to find peaceful solutions to wildlife conflict and live harmoniously alongside nature. The project raised money to build a school in Mahenye where Stockil could teach local people about the benefits of living alongside wildlife. By monitoring wildlife populations and finding ways to protect livestock and crops from predators and elephants, both the community and wildlife are benefitting and can live in a safer environment.

‘Over the years, guns have been replaced by cameras, and local people and visitors alike have learned to appreciate the animals as they should be; unmolested in their natural habitat. (…) CAMPFIRE has turned conflict into cooperation and everyone has benefitted. The community is happy, the parks are happy and the animals are happy.’