![A sunset of blues to golden hues against a silhouette of a lone tree.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-sunset-shot-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
Evening safari drive, Tree Lodge at Sikumi, Hwange, Zimbabwe
Lions, elephants and a puncture
A typical day on safari?![The safari truck parked up with its door open just at the edge of a track as the sun goes down.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Parked-up-at-sunset-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
Close your eyes and imagine the early evening wind blowing by and fluttering your safari hat as you bounce across the bushland terrain. Holding on tight to the truck as the aroma of the hot, dusty African trails whisk past your face.
All combined with the adrenaline of what incredible wildlife you’ll see emerge from the trees…. take me back there.
Quick Links
An African Pitstop
McLaren would have been proud![A dirt track on the edge of the grass filled ancient river bed.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Feeling-brave-from-the-side-of-the-track-evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
Good to know!
A herd of African Elephants
I’d been waiting for this momentNow I think it was fate if we hadn’t had the puncture my everlasting memory of sitting amongst a herd of graceful elephants would never have happened.
It was one of those magical moments when you had to pinch yourself. Danny had spotted the silhouette of a matriarch elephant just emerging from the bush, it was incredible.
![A group of five elephants entering a clearing made up of four juveniles plus an older female at the rear.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Elephants-arriving-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![A young elephant, with one broken tusk walking towards us. Its ears are standing out, and it's observing us.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Weve-been-spotted-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
The surroundings now almost make the landscape look prehistoric.
We pulled in amongst the fallen forest and sat and watched, slowly more and more elephants large and small, male and female stride out from the woodland edge.
The smaller ones didn’t care about us they wanted to play with each other, but the elders we a little more cautious.
![An elephant walking through the bush with its ears flared and a broken tusk.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Walking-through-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![A close up of an elephant, with a baby elephant in the background, framed by tree trunks.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Sneaking-a-peak-evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![A close up of a young elephant. Its head fills the frame, and you can see the texture of its skin.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/A-young-one-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
These incredibly powerful animals came so close at times, that if they stretched out their trunks, they could have almost touched us.
After a while Danny asked if we wanted to move on, I wasn’t ready this was a beautiful experience and one I tried to hold on to.
![Two young elephants playing within the herd with their trunks are wrapped around each other as they play.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Playtime-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
Preparing for your safari
The beauty of Africa
Graceful giraffe![A lone giraffe in an acacia glade with dead wood in the foreground.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/A-lone-giraffe-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![The head of a giraffe as it reaches up for the pale green seed pods of the Acacia tree.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Giraffe-nibbling-at-the-Acacia-tree-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-places-to-stay-in-Hwange-National-Park-Visit-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
A helpful guide
If you're considering an adventure around Zimbabwe, then your in for a holiday of a lifetime. I always find it incredibly useful to plan our trips with the help of a guide book.
Take a look at this informative Bradt guide, it will give you great tips and advice.
An African landscape
Not to be taken for granted![A piece of dead wood in the centre of grass clearing that used to be a river bed.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/The-grassland-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![A lone zebra walking in the long grass in front of a termite mound in the old riverbed.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/A-lone-zebra-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![An Impala looking over his shoulder back at us in the Hwange region of Zimbabwe, Africa](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/An-Impala-keeping-track-of-us-Zimbabwe-Africa-R3.jpg)
Is Zimbabwe for you?
Take a peek at our other Zimbabwe posts and start creating your own adventure for yourself.
Search for your flights in one easy place with ebookers.com and open up a world of options. Over 400 airlines are scanned for your favoured routes and chosen dates.
Memories from Africa
Savour the moments![A hornbill perched on top of a stump illuminated by the evening sun.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-Hornbill-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
There are some beautiful birds in this part of the world, you have to be quick to catch them on camera though, they don’t sit around for long.
Ohh yes and always keep an eye out for the smaller guys as well, so often we’re looking far ahead into the bushland and not looking down. Danny spotted a leopard tortoise pacing it out along the side of the track.
![A close-up of a leopard tortoise, with it's spotted shell.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-leopard-tortoise-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
Baboons also appear to be less popular with the locals around these parts.
I suppose perhaps it is because they are relatively common in Zimbabwe; nonetheless, we are visitors here after all.
![A young baboon with its young sitting in its lap.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mother-Child-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
![A group of 3 Tesebee antelope grazing in front of a small termite mound.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tesebee-antelope-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3.jpg)
Sunset in Hwange
![Pastel shades of a sunset over the bush in north west Zimbabwe.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-beautiful-sunset-in-Zimbabwe-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
![Danny, our guide, smiling with Janis at sunset.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Danny-our-guide-and-Janis-at-sunset-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R3-1.jpg)
![A sunset of blues to golden hues against a silhouette of a lone tree.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-sunset-shot-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
Let us know!
Homeward bound, ohh and that lion I mentioned
Zimbabwe: A World of WondersIt was a bit of a distance back to the lodge and by which time the sun had set entirely. In the eerie shadows, we could make out some dark movements across the dry river bed. As our eyes tried to adjust a vast herd of buffalo were moving in great numbers along the vlei. This was surreal.
However, the best was yet to come, as we were nearing the lodge Danny spots some bright eyes watching us just off of the side of the track. I kid you not, they belonged to a lion.
![A lioness laying on the ground, illuminated by the headlights of the safari truck](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/a-lone-lioness-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
![A lion cub playing wit it's moth in the grass, lit by the safari trucks headlights.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Platyime-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
![A lioness and her cub laying in the grass. They watching us watching them.](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/A-lioness-and-her-cub-Evening-safari-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-R2.jpg)
Danny had seen this lion regularly, and she used to have a female cub, who has since died. The male cub with her was around 6 months old. Apparently, this lioness usually travels with two males, but they were nowhere to be seen. Or perhaps they were watching us.
Another lifelong memory from Zimbabwe.
Getting to Hwange
Prior to arriving at Hwange, we’d visited Victoria Falls town for a couple of nights, after flying in from Harare. It goes without saying that a visit to the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site of Victoria Falls is a must; however, I urge you to venture further afield. Hwange National Park is only around a 2-hour drive from Victoria Falls town, and there’s such incredible wildlife at your fingertips. Another location I highly recommend is Lake Kariba, this is truly an experience you’ll treasure for life.
Flight options from Harare to Victoria Falls are with either Air Zimbabwe or Fastjet airlines.
* This post may contain links to affiliated sites where we earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Inspired to visit Hwange National Park?
![A Pin image of our post 'Evening safari drive, Tree Lodge at Sikumi, Hwange, Zimbabwe'](https://www.ourworldforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/An-evening-safari-drive-Tree-Lodge-at-Sikumi-Hwange-Zimbabwe-Pin.jpg)
(Why not Pin It for Later?)
If you enjoy what you see, and you’d like regular updates then join us for a monthly newsletter.