How To Get To Cawston

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Getting To Cawston

How To Get To Cawston Ranch

Getting to Cawston is seamless with international and domestic flights into Bulawayo, followed by a short road transfer. Below, we advise on pertinent travel requirements and information to make your stay at Cawston hassle-free and enjoyable.

Flights To Bulawayo – Direct and Via Johannesburg

Airlink and FastJet both fly several times daily, from Johannesburg to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo.

Ethiopian Airlines flies direct into Bulawayo, with a short stop in Ndola, and flies this route on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Airport Transfers

Road transfers are approx. 1.5 hours to Cawston Encounters.

Flights To Bulawayo
Visa To Zimbabwe

Visas

All travelers are required to apply for an evisa prior to arrival. It is essentially an online immigration form. It is less stressful if you apply before departure, as the internet at the Bulawayo airport may not be functioning.

Passengers may complete the required form using this link: https://evisa.gov.zw/app/index.html#/standby-kiosk

Visas fall into three classes – A, B, & C, and each has different fees. Payment can be made online by card or on arrival, but only in cash. Ensure you have the exact amount in clean USD notes.

Malaria

Cawston Encounters at 1150m elevation is classified as low malaria risk.

However, we do provide mosquito nets over beds, from September to May, in order to reduce mosquitoes and other bugs from disturbing your sleep.

Risk is minimal in the dry season (May–October) and low-to-moderate in the rains.

Many visitors choose not to take prophylaxis but consult your travel doctor for personal advice.

Mosquito Nets
Tourist Withdrawing Foreign Currency

Currency And Payments

Zimbabwe’s main currency of trade is the US Dollar.

Debit/Credit cards are not widely accepted, typically only in the bigger shops and at ATMs.

It’s useful to bring cash for tips and small purchases.

We do not have facilities to accept debit/credit cards at the Camp.

What To Pack

  • Neutral or darker (olive / dark greens, darker beiges, etc.) coloured clothing
  • Sturdy walking shoes
  • Warm layers for early morning game drives (May–August can drop briefly below 5°C and then warm up beautifully)
  • Sunscreen
  • Hat
  • Binoculars
  • Camera

We provide towels, soap, shampoo, and body lotion.

What To Pack

Cawston Encounters FAQ

No specific vaccinations are legally required to enter Zimbabwe unless you are arriving from a yellow fever endemic country, in which case a Yellow Fever Certificate is mandatory. Recommended, but not required, vaccinations include Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, and Tetanus. A routine check with your travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure is good practice for any African safari.

The nearest medical facilities are in Bulawayo, approximately 75 km from the Camp. Mater Dei Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals provide 24-hour emergency care. We carry a comprehensive first-aid kit in Camp and have registered nurse aides resident at Cawston.

For serious medical emergencies, air rescue with Medical Air Rescue Service (MARS) can be arranged. We recommend travel insurance with medical evacuation cover for all guests.

Cawston Encounters is home to leopard, hyena, jackals, warthog and various antelope — but it is not a Big Five area (no elephant, lion, or buffalo). There is a small fence around the Camp which serves to keep out the larger herbivores.

Encounters with wildlife within the Camp area are generally limited to smaller animals. This makes it safe to walk around.

We do occasionally get African Tick Bite Fever. This typically comes up 7 to 10 days after an infected tick bites you. The classic sign is a coin-sized angry red blotch somewhere on your skin, you feel jaundiced and achy with a headache.

Tick Bite Fever is simply dealt with by taking a one-week course of doxycycline.

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