One of their recent crowning achievements was a successful reintroduction of a pack of African painted dogs. This highlight is worthy of massive praise but it is really the totality of their plan that makes one appreciate the industry that we work in. The development of basic infrastructure, a strategic wildlife management plan, wildlife monitoring teams (which we were lucky enough to visit with), and flora and fauna surveys among others.

Our arrival

The flight from Hwange to Chikwenya Airstrip was probably a bit over an hour and a half but it was scenic. It doesn’t take too long before you start to see the Zambezi turn into Lake Kariba and then, if you know where to look, the dam wall itself. After that the river returns, narrow at first and then all of a sudden wide with the classic floodplains and sandy islands continuing for miles. Almost always visible from the air: the Zambian Escarpment in the background and giant winterthorn forests covering portions of the flood plains.

Nearby the airstrip is a giant baobab to greet you. The tree is known as Chikwenya baobab and it served as the burial place of Chief Chikwenya, a famous chief from the mid-20th century. The famously slow-growing tree is impressive and likely 1,200 years old give or take a few centuries. When we first visited there were some elephants camped out so we were not able to get too close but we would return to the area later and explore it in more detail.

The camp gave us a huge welcome with singing and dancing. At some point many of our group joined in. The main area is huge with great views over a large floodplain just east of camp that is often dotted with animals. The rooms are also very spacious as is the case with all Great Plains Reserve Collection properties. One of the great perks of staying at this level of camp is having access to a 100-600mm zoom lens and camera. Each tent gets one as well as a pair of binocs. Irrespective of how many photographs you take, Great Plains will save them to a memory stick that you can take with you. Other than that you have a small pool on your front deck, indoor and outdoor showers, a bathtub, and a friendly room butler to take care of any other needs or wants that you might have.

Our first morning game drive

It is always nice to get some tough sightings ticked off early on during a safari so there is no pressure on you or your guide to deliver as your time inevitably comes close to an end. It was just our luck but on the very first game drive of the morning on our first full day at camp we hit the proverbial hat trick. First up was a pair of lions, likely a mating pair, just taking a breather. In fact the female possibly was finished with the whole affair as at one point she got up and walked off a substantial distance before the male, who was preoccupied with us, looked up and clearly got a shock when he noticed her absence. He immediately got up and trotted after her. Later on during our stay we managed to find him again, alone. I think we all saw that coming.

After this we drove along for a short distance before being blessed with a gorgeous leopard sighting as he crossed the road right in front of the vehicle. What timing! He stalked up a ridge and found his way up a tree. Which provided us with the opportunity to get a few photographs and to stick around a little longer before giving another vehicle a heads up. Once leopards get up in a tree they can be almost impossible to pinpoint.

Finally, we headed west towards the border of the reserve and got to spend some time with a rather large pack of wild dogs. They looked like they had just had a successful hunt, bellies full and taking a well-deserved nap. These animals are really easy on the eyes in this blogger’s opinion. And if you catch them in action get ready for a treat because they can move. Not for the faint of heart.

Most of the time November can be brutally hot, and while it certainly wasn’t cool, the area was overcast for the majority of our stay and in fact the rain would come shortly after our departure. It was nice, therefore, to get out onto the river in the evening. This time of year the southern carmine bee-eaters are nesting in the banks of the Zambezi and it is absolutely fascinating watching them come and go over and over and over again. Having a nice long zoom lens is mandatory if you want to even attempt to get some quality photos. And patience. Lots of patience and lots of trial and error. 

I took some time to appreciate how every bird must know exactly which little hole is their nest. The guides know where the nests are located but due to the Kariba Dam’s schedule of holding and then releasing water for the production of electricity the banks of the river erode more quickly than they would under normal conditions. This means that some colonies lose their nests as a section of the bank falls into the water. It appeared that 2025 was an especially tough year in this regard.

After spending some time with the birds (and a rather large and nonplussed croc) we headed further upstream to a low lying sand island in the middle of the river. Here we enjoyed our sundowners and snacks as the guides prepared the food and drink and kept a close eye on any hippo pods that might be off in the distance. What a magnificent sunset!

Bush dinner to remember

Upon returning to camp we heard some lions roaring in the distance and the guides rounded everyone up to see if we could go find them. Little did we know this was simply a ploy to get us to our bush dinner destination on the floodplain in front of camp. Still not sure how they got the lions to cooperate so thoroughly… The food was excellent and of course the service standards were top notch. Lucky us we had a full moon (or close enough) which added an extra layer of magic.

We were all sad to leave at the end of our stay and I look forward to the next time I get to visit Sapi. It really is a special place filled with some special people and I would be happy to talk with you more about my experience and assist in arranging a trip so that you can experience it for yourself.

Following Lyndon’s visit to Tembo Plains, he is ready to answer any questions you may have about the area and how it can best be combined with other Zimbabwe reserves such as Hwange or Matusadona. Please email Lyndon at lyndon@fisheaglesafris.com. Or if you prefer, call us at 1-800-513-5222 and leave a message with our answering service – one of the team will get back to you promptly. 

Property and sunset photos courtesy Great Plains Conservation