Eminently Eve.
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Click on the subheadings below to jump to their contents:
- Introduction
- Booking & contact details & fees
- Packages offered & fees
- Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
- Arrival & experience with the staff members
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Activities
- Conclusion
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NB: It is strongly advised to read all the reviews on this site in their entirety to ensure that the destinations really suit all your needs & preferences.
Introduction
Around November last year, we sat down to compile a pros and cons list on destinations we wanted to visit in the near future and Bally Vaughan Game Park came up. I knew it was a great park because we had visited it for a day back in 2019, however, after finding out their overnight fees, I was so sure there was no way I was going to spend a night at this game park, at least not in the foreseeable future. Fast forward to February 2023, I couldn’t resist the amazing conservation work that they are doing and the passion that they have so I decided to just take the plunge and pay them an overnight visit, which would also allow me to give a more comprehensive review on their services. So we started the booking process…
Booking & contact details & fees
The contact number was so easy to get as they have very active social media accounts and also a well run website. Mwanga Lodge Bally Vaughan Game Park & Sanctuary contact number for calls & WhatsApp is +263772300935. I noticed many of you like to make your bookings via calls but I would strongly advise you to try and communicate everything in writing when making a booking regardless of the destination. This will help you in case of misunderstandings over your booking agreements. We therefore made our booking via WhatsApp and Jane, who was on the other end of the line was swift with her responses, very helpful and polite.
Packages offered & fees
*Please note that fees in the tourism industry are always fluctuating depending on the season
There are three main packages that they offer at Bally Vaughan Game Park & Sanctuary.
- There is the Walk-in package. This one allows you to tour and see all the animals in the sanctuary. From my experience this tour is done without a guide and the fee is $10 per adult. According to their website, the highlight in this package is seeing the predators when they are being fed at 4pm. When we visited as walk-in clients back in 2019, we did not see this happening but it could be that we had left before 4pm (I don’t remember). The gates are opened at 9:30 am and closed at 5:00 pm everyday.
- The second one is the Day Safari package. This one is $65 per adult. The day starts at 9:30 am with a tour of the sanctuary which will be led by a tour guide. This is followed by canoeing then lunch at 1:00 pm. After which you will be taken on a game drive, passing through the Masai lion enclosure. The day ends at 4:30 pm.
- The third one is the Overnight package which is $160 per adult. Specific details of this package are not on their website so I got all the information from Jane upon enquiring. It includes 3 meals and 2 activities namely animal sanctuary tour and choosing between canoeing or game drive.
They only confirm the booking after payment and the payment is made at their offices in Newlands, Harare. Now on the day of payment, I was going through their website once more and I picked up that if I opt for the Day Safari I will do 3 activities while paying only $65 but the overnight package will allow us only 2 activities while paying $160.
Umh! The equation was not balancing. So I immediately brought my concerns to Jane. She tried to offer us the third activity on an additional $40 like…?! Of course I declined because I would rather pay $65 and do all 3 activities than pay $160 to only do 2 activities or $180 to do the same 3 activities. Eventually she said she was going to talk to her bosses. A few hours later she came back and said that we could do the 3 activities on the $160 package. We were happy with that so we proceeded with the payment and now we were just waiting for our travel date to come.
Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
The wait felt quite long, even though it was just a 3-weeks wait but this is because I was longing to be in the bush so badly. At last, the travel day came and I was pumped up. Bally Vaughan Game Park is located in Goromonzi district, along Shamva road, just 44 km from Harare CBD.
So you take ED Munangagwa road/A2 and drive until you get to the toll gate. Soon after the toll gate you take your immediate left turn going onto A13 and you just keep your eye out for the Bally Vaughan Game Park sign posts. The Game Park is on your left. Alternatively you can also just use Google Maps. The road is tar all the way to the park so any vehicle can manage, however, there are certain parts which are infested with terrible potholes and they just appear out of nowhere so you are to drive with caution. You will not be using your vehicle in the park so a small vehicle is perfect for this destination.
Arrival & experience with the staff members
We arrived way earlier than the stipulated time because we wanted to avoid congestion in the CBD since we did our trip on a Thursday. We arrived around 9 am instead of 10 am so we didn’t honk at the gate. Not long after 9 am, one gentleman came to open the gate and he & everybody else were very kind enough to accommodate us.
One lady at the canteen directed us to Mwanga Lodge where we were welcomed by Clemence, who was going to be our tour guide for the duration of our stay. I know I am getting too far ahead but I just have to say Clemence was a brilliant guide. He was very attentive to us, communicated effectively, gave us space but was still available when we needed him. If you have read some of my previous blogs you will know that I hate this system of having a “24/7” guide. After having Clemence as our guide though, I now know that what I hate is the clinginess that most guides have. You literally can’t even have a moment to speak privately with the people you have travelled with because the guide is right there in your face. So I definitely love that Clemence was not clingy at all and he was also knowledgeable about wildlife, Goromonzi and he has a vast general knowledge.
Accommodation
We did not go to our lodge straight away because we had got there way before check in time so we started with the sanctuary tour, after which we came back and were escorted to our lodge.
The whole time walking to our lodge I was in awe, realising how I was legit going to be in a little heaven for the next 24 hours or so. While looking up Bally Vaughan, I actually had not realised how isolated Mwanga Lodge is and how it overlooks this pristine remarkable bush. Not a single cue of the chaotic, polluted city life I had left 44 km behind me was in sight. All I saw was nature and some resident zebras which are always in the vicinity of the lodge and can be seen at any given time.
I was so lost in my surroundings when I heard a cheerful voice saying, “We’re here. This is your lodge”. I looked up and Wow! Just what I had hoped for – a remote A-frame structure with a thatched roof and stone walls (the two things I’m a sucker for when it comes to game park accommodation). I couldn’t wait to check the inside so I walked briskly like a child, excited to see what awaited us on the inside and everyone else followed suit. The glass sliding door was opened, one step in, I felt this calm sensation all over me and I knew that I was home.
The first thing I noticed was the bed which had a colourful printed bed cover. I opened it immediately and I was happy to see white linen. Leaning against the wall was a low wooden headboard with bedside tables where two lamps were. On the right side of the bed was a coffee station with pretty much everything you need to make coffee or tea plus water glasses. The floor on each side of the bed had these fluffy, cosy and comfy rugs which my feet could not get enough of. When I turned around to look back at the door, my eyes were met by this glorious view of the same bush that I had seen while walking outside. I felt a smile building on my face as I refocused my attention on touring the rest of our new home.
Unlike the bedroom & passage which have shining blood red tiles on the floor, the bathroom has bright ceramic tiles plastered on both the floor and the walls. They were definitely generous with the space in the bathroom when working on the plans and I loved it. As you enter the room, to your right is a sink with storage space underneath, followed by the toilet and then the bathtub at one end of the room. Next to the bathtub is a shower cubicle which was a nice surprise because I thought they would only have one of the two. Opposite the shower is the vanity corner which has a wall mirror, floating table and a gorgeous ethnic stool.
This lodge was close to perfect. I loved the style and comfort that it gave. As I’m growing older my body is becoming more and more picky when it comes to where I’m laying it on and the bed in this lodge passed the comfort test with flying colours.
The only two issues that we had were firstly, the lodge did not have a mosquito net and there were an insane number of mosquitoes. We were also not offered any mosquito repellent so for the first hour when we tried to go to sleep we were restless. For $320 a night, I was not at all expecting to be given a room without mosquito net or at the very least a mosquito repellent. If it weren’t for the little mosquito repellent lotion that we got from Antelope Park back in November, (randomly packed in one of the backpacks we had travelled with), I don’t know how we would have survived the night.
The second issue was hot water. If you know anything about me from my other destination reviews, it is that I NEED my bath water to be HOT. Lukewarm or cold water just ruins it for me. So it was unfortunate that because they use electric geysers and solar geysers, the weather was not conducive most of the time to support the solar system and electricity was also cut off throughout the night (I believe), we therefore had to bathe with lukewarm water. We had had amazingly hot water the previous night though. Other than these two issues, everything else was excellent. We did also mention the issues in their review book so I hope they will be rectified.
Meals
The overnight package we chose included breakfast, lunch and dinner (excluding drinks).
Around 10 am after our sanctuary tour we were dying from hunger so we asked if we could have some tea at the canteen (not Mwanga restaurant). We thought we were going to pay for the tea but surprisingly the tea and scones were part of the package so we greatly appreciated that. We enjoyed our tea while watching the ducks and geese which were just roaming around the yard. We also had a great sight of the mini waterfall which is in the vicinity.
Lunchtime came and we had our 3 course lunch at the Mwanga Lodge restaurant. We had rice and chicken stew plus steamed vegetables, coleslaw and vegetable salad. I’m not a foodie so I’m not sure what the dessert is called but it tasted and looked like a slice of cake dipped in custard. We had our lunch outside, enjoying the sounds of the weaver birds which were coming from a nearby palm tree. The birds looked so busy, weaving their nests using the palm leaves. It was such a beautiful sight.
For dinner we had mushroom soup, french fries, pork, steamed vegetables and I guess cake dipped in custard again. The next morning we were offered a full English breakfast made up of bacon, sausages, egg, potatoes, a slice of tomato, toasted bread and different spreads. It is important to note that all the meals are fixed, however, at the time of your booking they will ask if you have any dietary restrictions so that they accommodate your needs. I enjoyed all my meals fully. The waiter and waitress who attended to us were also quite pleasant.
We had our dinner and breakfast inside the restaurant so we toured it a bit and it looked exquisite. It is divided into two sections – the dining and the lounge sections. Both are elegantly decorated with ethnic furniture and ornamental pieces dotted around. There are also some radiant plants which make the rooms look lively. A tv can be seen in one corner of the room as well as an immaculately built fireplace with different kinds of rocks in the centre. I loved the cadet-blue couches as well, which added a pop of colour in the room.
Activities
Bally Vaughan Game Park & Sanctuary has quite a number of activities which are listed below:
1. Sanctuary Tour
One thing that you can not take away from the team running this park is their passion and dedication when it comes to the well being of wildlife. I remember even the first time we visited, they had a lioness which was not feeling well and they were praying for it (in addition to doing everything scientific to help it).
The sanctuary is such a big part of their rescue and rehabilitation efforts. They also use it to educate visitors about the wildlife we have both locally and in other parts of the world. If I were to talk about every single animal they have I would end up writing volumes and volumes of books because they have quite a number of species from birds, to reptiles & mammals in this sanctuary.
I did see some animals that I had never seen live before such as the water mongoose and the Masai lion and lionesses. The water mongooses are named after the type of habitat they inhabit which is anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa with permanent water such as rivers and perennial vleis and dams. I also had no idea that there were some noticeable differences between the lions we have here compared to those found in Masai, Kenya. Thanks to Bally Vaughan, I saw the pure breed of these Masai lions and it was quite fascinating.
I will not share any details here so that you are also intrigued about them when you visit the park. Other animal species we saw in the sanctuary during our tour include giant rats, some adorable marmosets which are squirrel-like monkeys, crocodiles, serval, tortoises, ostriches and many others. Touring this sanctuary with Clemence was a great learning experience for sure.
2. Canoeing
After the sanctuary tour we had a tea break and went canoeing soon after. There are so many different forms of intimacy with nature I love and canoeing is definitely somewhere on top on that list. Water calms and relaxes me in ways I can not even explain. I was grateful when Clemence asked if we wanted him to canoe us or if we wanted to canoe ourselves and we opted for the latter. So he came in a separate canoe but still maintained a distance between us which allowed us to fully relax and this is one example of how even though he was our personal tour guide, he was actually not clingy.
While canoeing we saw a number of bird species including wattled plovers, Egyptian geese, white faced ducks, jacanas and many others. The animal species that stole the lime-light was the large leguaan which made its debut almost out of nowhere. It looked so incredible with the sun shining bright on its body with yellowish and black markings. Of course I will not forget the water lilies which are always ready to brighten the water bodies whenever they are in flower. Oh! How I wish I could go back in time.
3. Game drive
From canoeing, we went to have lunch, relaxed a bit and it was time for a game drive. Before going any further, we had a close up look at this zonkey which we had spent the entire day seeing but from a bit of a distance. A zonkey is a hybrid cross between a zebra and a donkey. It therefore has both zebra and donkey features.
At Bally Vaughan they have two zonkeys which were rescued from a certain village where a donkey and a zebra had mated and reproduced. The village wanted to kill them because they thought it was an abomination. They had killed one unfortunately before the remaining two were rescued.
I had always heard of zonkeys but I hadn’t seen them live so this was quite an experience for me. While a zebra and a donkey can breed successfully, the offspring (zonkeys) can not produce viable offspring. I felt a bit sorry for this zonkey because even though it was raised by zebras, and was hanging around them, it still looked like it was a bit isolated as each time we saw it, it was not very close to the zebras like they were to each other.
We did not drive too far before Clemence stopped the vehicle and asked if we were seeing something in a hill quite a distance. Of course we were not seeing anything until we looked closely and there was a giraffe and a few other animals which looked like zebras. We were quite impressed to see that especially because it is not common for giraffes to climb hills. Clemence then explained that there is a certain plant species that they love so much up that hill so they always find their way there. I thought that was incredible.
At the time we only saw one giraffe but when I was now at home looking back at the pictures, I realised that there were actually two giraffes on that hill. The second one was on the far left in what looked like a sitting position. Again, not a very common position for giraffes as they feel vulnerable in it, which goes to show how yummy this plant species must be.
It started raining and at first I was worried that our game drive was going to be cut short but Clemence invited us to sit at the front with him where we were protected from rain and cold wind. This allowed us to continue with the drive in comfort. From there we spotted a herd of impalas which were hiding from the rain under a tree. Impalas always look curious and that curiosity in their eyes I find accentuates their cuteness.
While admiring the impalas Clemence excitedly asked me to point the camera at one of the Msasa trees. I eagerly did as he had asked and voila! It was a gorgeous army of caterpillars covered in these beautiful golden hairs. Before using the camera, I thought I had seen lichen (a type of algae which lives on fungi) but nope, it was something even more fascinating. Clemence went on to explain that these caterpillars are actually eaten the same way madora/amacimbi/mopane worms are eaten. However, they do not taste as good as the mopane worms so they are sold for cheaper and are also not as popular. Quite interesting, I had no idea.
The game drive continued and we saw some wildebeest as well as other Masai lions. All in all it was a really refreshing time out which was much needed and it did us so much good. From the game drive we went back to the Mwanga lodge where we had a nice hot bath, went for dinner and called it a day.
Other activities
The other activities offered at Mwanga Lodge Bally Vaughan Game Park & Sanctuary are below.
4. Swimming
3. Fishing
4. Braaing
Conclusion
Mwanga Lodge Bally Vaughan Game Park & Sanctuary is an amazing destination which is perfectly located as it is less than an hour from Harare CBD. I had an absolute blast and I would definitely recommend it without any reservations. I will of course suggest that you go with a mosquito repellent just in case they would not have yet sorted the mosquito situation out. Yes, I did not like the lukewarm water we had to bathe with in the morning but that was because both sources of hot water (electricity and the solar) could not help in the situation. They do have a generator for charging electronics and also for lights though so that is not a problem. I hope you make your booking soon and do tell me how it goes when you visit.
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature
