Article – Rudo Nhamoinesu, NZiRA Magazine Images – Hideaways Group & Rudo Nhamoinesu
Historical and cultural heritage has over the years contributed immensely towards tourism and cultural upliftment. The existence of a strong relationship between history and tourism brings with it a sense of natural inquisitiveness and interest among locals and tourists to an area. It is said that a visit to a historical destination promotes spiritual enrichment and outlook expansion. One such destination is Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest and oldest park. Once a royal hunting area for Mzilikazi, the Mthwakazi King in the 19th Century it has over the years transformed into a magnificent tourist destination that boasts of great wildlife sightings and incredible landscapes. The history of the area is reflected through its oldest established camps- Main camp, Robins, and Nantwich. Nantwich in particular has just celebrated its 60th anniversary.
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
The land was originally owned by Percy Crewe, a British National who came to then Southern Rhodesia in search of gold. After trying his hand at a few things, he became counsel to the then Ndebele King, Lobengula. Percy, a colourful character was well known for his attempts to ease tension between the settlers and Lobengula. Although his efforts were in vain, the King showed his appreciation by rewarding Percy with land that later became known as Nantwich. This land, he chose to use as a farm and attempted sugarcane farming to no avail because of the climatic conditions in Hwange. After Percy died in 1961, thirty years after the fact, the land was repossessed by National Parks and turned into a camp. Originally built by National Parks as a satellite camp for Robins, which is located 15 km away, the camp consisted of the main house with a dining area and three bedrooms, and a little further away were 3, two bedroomed lodges. The main house was leased by Hwange Colliery as an executive retreat for the Hwange colliery company who then later took over its administration. After realising this as an unsustainable venture, a fire had also destroyed some parts of the buildings, they ended their lease and National Park’s took over in the early 2000s.
A HIDEAWAY’S TAKEOVER
The Hideaways group under Garth Jenman of Jenman Safaris took up the challenge of transforming this historic camp into a modern eco-lodge after it had been lying idle for years. Armed with a vision and fuelled by passion, Garth partnered with Tony Park, an Australian author and international bestseller who had spent 25 years of his life visiting Nantwich yearly. Tony, ‘a moving history book’ of the area combined his knowledge and Garth’s vast years of business experience in the tourism industry and together commenced reconstruction of the lodge in 2018. The original structures of the camp were maintained and reconstructed due to the damages caused by the fire. The concept behind this was to bring modernisation to the lodge while maintaining its historic feel.
THE MAIN AREA
Formally known as “Isilwane” (in Ndebele meaning lion), the main house was converted into the lodge’s main area which is marked by a colourful mosaic lion feature on the dining floor. The initial structure and wall design remain untouched, renovations have been done around this structure to include a modern equipped kitchen, a lounge, dining area, office, and library. The main area offers incredible views of the waterhole and plain, a great place to sit with a book or your binoculars and look out for the game that regularly visits the waterhole. Sightings of Cheetahs, Elephants, and Antelope are among the most recent. Sitting at the main area reminds you of just how special this safari experience is; you just have to sit back, sip on your cold drink and enjoy the game views. brick structures are the original 2-bedroom lodges that have been reconstructed, paying homage to the old camp. A crisp contemporary design has been applied, borrowing pieces from the old structures creating a sublime fusion of history and contemporary luxury. The repurposed material, such as old window panes and old pipes have been reused as shower screens and towel rails giving the room a historic feel. Guests can choose to slumber in one of 9 thatched roof lodges, each accommodating 2 people, with 4 of these having connecting doors suitable for a family but still offering privacy. A honeymoon suite is also available. The rooms have an intimate serene feel to them and for a second you forget you are in the bush because of the amount of detail and work put into each room, from concrete finish floors to the lightweight curtains and African design pieces throughout the room. You can tell a lot of effort has been put into the ventilation and cooling system of each room. The use of fans, the thatch, and other cooling measures, are sure to keep guests cool during the Hwange summer days and nights.
Each room leads out to a private patio facing the waterhole, where you can sit back, have your cooling refreshment as you wait and watch for wildlife. Each room comes with its private outdoor tub and shower- an absolute favourite of mine. Keeping to the Hideaways Ethos, the rooms are all sustainable and have little impact on the environment. Solar geysers are used as well as glass jars for your tea station.
THE BAR AND POOL
A stone’s throw away from the rooms is where the old laundry room was situated. This has now been reconstructed into the bar and pool area. The bar, now called “Vuvuka Arms” was named after Percy’s Ndebele Partner Vuvuka. A lady who was well known during her time for brewing the strongest traditional African beer (commonly known as 7 days), a favourite of Percy! Here, guests can enjoy a refreshing cold drink or beer any time of the day! This area offers incredible views of the plains. Currently there is a pool with a plan to turn it into an eco-pool. This pool will work on the concept of water cleansing. Plants remove nutrients, microorganisms keep harmful bacteria in check, and pool filters remove detritus. Wildlife can drink from this with no harm to them. For privacy it has been sectioned away cleverly, allowing you to swim in your secluded area.
ACTIVITIES
Activities at the lodge include game drives and bush walks as this is a great walking area. The landscape and different water sources offer great photographic opportunities. With the large herds of game, this is big-cat territory. During my stay, on each game drive, we were fortunate to run into different Prides of Lion. Of note was the resident Pride, Percy’s Pride, named after the Nantwich founder consisting of 3 lionesses and 4 cubs. Large herds of Buffalo were always on the move and the antelopes seemingly ready to drop their young. Our guide Courage always ensured that our game drives were always so entertaining and informative. He always took time to take us through the surrounding flora and fauna. Our game drives would come to a stop at a beautiful spot perfect for that morning coffee or a sundowner. One of my favourite sundowner stops was at the Big Fig Tree, an incredibly large old tree that afforded us its shade as we shared laughs, stories, and life experiences over a drink while watching the sun go down. It is moments like these that stand as a reminder of just how incredible a day in Africa is. My Nantwich stay was nothing short of amazing. This intimate luxury lodge offers you comfortable lodging, great food, a different safari experience with views like no other place in Hwange, A big thank you to Garth, Tony, Nicola, Sullett, Courage and the whole Nantwich team for an amazing experience.