Camping
Zimbabwe Camping Safari
Bush Camping And Sleep-Outs at Cawston Encounters
Some of the best moments at Cawston happen after dark. The fire dies down, the bush comes alive with nocturnal sounds, and the sky above — with no town light for miles in any direction — does something to a person that is difficult to explain to anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Overnight Safari Experiences in the Zimbabwean Wilderness
The Giraffe Hide Sleep-Out — Shelter With a View
The Giraffe Hide is a wooden tree-house with the added luxury of a hot shower with a view over the waterhole, and a flush toilet.
Guests have a choice to sleep in a tent or just on their stretchers around the fire outside, beneath the open sky.
For those who find that all too overwhelming, it is possible for 1 or 2 guests to move inside the Hide itself and sleep there.
For horse safari guests, the horses are long-lined nearby. Close enough to hear them moving through the night, which turns out to be one of the more reassuring sounds the bush produces.
Meals are cooked on the open fire in front of you. Think of coffee brewing while pancakes are cooked on the open fire in the early morning. Hearty stew in the pot or flame-grilled steak with potatoes softening in the embers at night. The kind of food that tastes better outside than it has any right to.
Elephant Sleep-out
For small groups seeking something truly unique, we also offer overnight camping beside the elephant boma.
Enjoy sundowners and a simple bush dinner around the campfire before retiring to your camping bed in a shared, authentic Ndebele hut. Drift off beneath the stars while listening to the elephants’ nocturnal sounds — a magical experience you will never forget.
Meeting Chitora, Mungwezi, and Chinja is not only an incredible experience, but it also directly supports their care and contributes to broader elephant conservation in Zimbabwe.
Leave inspired by their resilience and the importance of protecting the habitat and world of these incredible animals for future generations.
This is an experience for no more than 4 guests and is weather-dependent. Typically available April to November.
Practical Details
Children are welcome and must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. We cannot host guests under 18 without parental supervision.
Guests who want comfort without compromise will be well looked after in the camp’s five tented suites. The sleep-out options are for those who want something beyond the lodge confines.
