Article Mike Garden | Images Deteema & Mike Garden
An opportunity to explore the wild is always a pleasure! Zimbabwe is home to a wonderful selection of national parks that are truly its assets. They provide a great escape from city life and allow you to discover the copious quantities of African wildlife. Among these, is Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve with an immense elephant population. Nestled in this park is Deteema Springs Camp, which is part of the Machaba Safaris group. Deteema Camp derives its name from the remarkable springs that surround it. We had the pleasure of spending two nights at this luxury camp situated two hours south of Victoria Falls. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the very friendly staff and offered a much needed “Deteema Cocktail” to quench our thirst while gazing at the herd of elephant and buffalo going about their day at the springs.
This was followed by a welcome tour of the camp that is built with magnificent panoramic views. Deteema Camp is set on a private concession with 8 canvas tents including a family tent, a dining/lounging area and a library (for those interested in looking up birds they have just seen). The tents are a combination of comfort and luxury in the bush, built on raised wooden decks that allow for your protection and positioned in a way that you are granted an uninterrupted view of the beautiful sunrises, the springs and the wildlife that frequent it from your private deck. The camp offers a magical experience of lying in bed and waking up to the sounds of wildlife calling. From the coucal, spotted hyena, the elephants to the distant roaring of lions, these sounds make for a rewarding symphony. As we sat on our private deck in the early hours of the morning, overlooking the elephants drinking and watching the various squabbles for water- uninterrupted, we took a moment to appreciate being able to enjoy the untamed wild while sipping on a cup of tea ready to face a brand-new safari day. Game drives are always an exciting aspect of a safari, one always looks forward to the sightings. Filled with eagerness and anticipation of what we would see, we had our cameras and birding/wildlife books ready. Ntando the guide during our stay always had such energy and excitement to show us the bushveld. He shared stories that kept us captivated throughout; from identifying tracks and the explanation behind them to bird sightings. As the game drive progressed, we had several interactive sightings from an unbelievable large herd of buffalo that blocked our pathway, to a bull elephant going about its day consuming leaves of a mature Baikiaea tree in front of us unbothered by our presence.
The most delicate and once in a lifetime moment was when we saw lion cubs crossing right behind our stationary vehicle only to join their calling mothers on the other side. In awe, we sat as we watched a pride of 4 lionesses with about 8 cubs while the alpha male on the other side kept a beady eye on us. So many emotions were stimulated in that single moment. We also visited the Salt Pans situated 8km from Robins Camp, a beautiful flat stark landscape that was stunning. This area made for a wonderful birdlife experience; a change from the thick vegetation to the endless plains of light and white glistering sand. On any given trip, you appreciate it more when the staff go the extra mile to make sure you feel comfortable. Deteema Springs staff made every moment quite special, especially the well thought out bedtime story we had grown accustomed to every night, the well laid out breakfast consisting of an array of freshly baked goods, fruits and their must-try ice coffee! Our trip to Deteema was truly magical from the incredible sightings, the comfortable lodgings, the good food to the kind staff. We would recommend a visit to Deteema Springs!