Eminently Eve.
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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.
VISITS ARE STRICTLY BY BOOKING.
Click on the subheadings below to jump to their contents:
- Introduction
- Booking & contact details
- Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
- Arrival, first impressions & experience with the staff members
- Accommodation (self-catering) & fees
- Kitchen & cooking setup
- Availability of Hot water
- Activities
- Other activities $ fees per person
- Other Packages offered
- Conclusion
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Introduction
It was just another Tuesday afternoon when I received a flier via WhatsApp from one of my followers. The flier was accompanied by a message which read, “Do you know of this place? Does it exist or is it just a scam?“. I looked at the flier and on it was an advertisement for a group trip to a game reserve quite close to Harare. I had never heard of this reserve so I did a quick Google search & nothing of relevance came up. I looked for it on social media platforms and again nothing convincing came up.
This did not present to me as a red flag though, neither did it surprise me since one of the main factors that drove me into creating this website was seeing that many beautiful places we have in our country do not have enough internet presence (if at all). They are therefore never easy to find or verify their legitimacy using the internet, hence the need for me to visit such places and feature them on the website.
Following this, I did some more research to find out if a reserve even exists in the village it was said to be located in. It took several months though as it required me to first find people who come from the same area and at the time I knew of no one. Eventually, I got the confirmation that at some point in time there was indeed a game park there but no one knew the state it was in. So now it was time for me to reach out to the “claimed” admin, gather some more pre-booking information and proceed with making our booking.
Booking & contact details
The contact number for Trelawney Game Reserve is +263712171375. I sent them a WhatsApp message and the communication was quite smooth and timely. To confirm our booking, we had to pay for the accommodation and I was happy that instead of only having a dropoff point, they also offered other payment options. The other options included sending the money via USD Ecocash and Innbucks. As soon as they received the funds, they sent me a receipt. This was accompanied by written directions and the contact number of the gentleman who was going to welcome us upon our arrival, Mr Manhondo.
Contact Empowered Travel on +263784887595 for your Travel/Motorist First Aid Kit, $35.
Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
While you can use Google Maps in most parts to get to this destination from Harare, there are a couple of parts where the application gives wrong directions. The detailed directions below will therefore be quite useful for this trip.
Trelawney Game Reserve is located in Kutama Village, situated in Zvimba District, in the province of Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe. It is just a little over 100 km from the capital city Harare.
So from Harare you take the Bulawayo road and when you get to the Kuwadzana Roundabout, drive for 29.2 km and turn right, exiting the highway. To your left will be a Total Service Station. Drive for about 200 metres and take an immediate left turn. Continue straight on this road for 42.1 km. You will reach a point with different signages including the Kutama Farm Primary School one. Turn left following that Kutama Farm Primary School sign post. The tarred road you’ve been enjoying all this while stops after an additional 400 meters and in comes the dirt road.
If you are a passenger, do look out for the beautiful Hunyani river in just 1.3 km. From the Hunyani River, you will come to a T junction (3.4 km from the river). Take the right turn and after driving an additional 3.7 km, the second T junction awaits. In front of you at this T junction will be the Kutama Farm Primary School, with some shops on your left & right sides. Turn left and continue following this road for 20.3 km and your destination will be on your right.
The total distance from Harare (Kuwadzana Roundabout) to Trelawney Game Reserve is 100.6 km. Of those, 28.7 km are decent, graded dirt roads and the rest are good pothole-free tarred roads. Any vehicle can manage (especially during the dry season) if driven with caution on the dirt road. The roads inside the park are also well maintained so a small vehicle can manage too during the dry season if driven with caution and without deviating from the main roads.
Arrival, first impressions & experience with the staff members
Upon arrival, I was a bit taken aback from the sight of the derelict structures in front of us. My expectations were already not high but now they were even lower. We phoned Mr Manhongo who was already expecting us and he told us to open the gate and drive in. Following opening the rusty crooked gate, we drove in and were met by even more dilapidated structures.
This sight reminded me of one community nature reserve I worked with as a volunteer Ecologist consultant some years back which had a couple of structures in a similar condition. Between funds going to the anti-poaching unit, replacing the game fence which kept on getting stolen, maintaining firebreaks, buying supplementary food for the animals, fighting invasive plant species and veld fires, paying wages, among others; the money coming in through visitors barely scratched the surface of the total expenses incurred.
Embarking on renovation projects without donations was therefore not in the realm of reality by any stretch. A few individuals always had to put in their own money to cover the critical expenses, just so the game park would not close down and the remaining animals poached out. I therefore always hoped that when visitors came, they would not judge us prematurely or harshly but hopefully see the efforts that were being made and how much their support was greatly needed for the continuous existence of this nature reserve.
Similarly, I decided to not judge Trelawney Game Reserve prematurely, until I had seen & heard more. So we proceeded driving and before we even got to the chalet we were graced by a healthy herd of breeding impala. I had an instant heart melting moment looking at these animals which were super chilled, not trying to escape at all. This is usually a sign of a game park/ reserve with anti-poaching systems that are on point, which is one of the hardest goals to achieve for any game park. So I was quite impressed and now excited to see the other animal species they had.
Eventually, we arrived at the chalet and I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. There was this huge dam right in front of us and it was the foreground of all the chalets. What a magical view to wake up to. I was in awe! I was not at all expecting to see this. By the time we reached the staff who were all so kind and welcoming, my mind was still stuck at the thought of the dam and canoeing in it.
We were led to our chalet and it would be a lie if I said I was not dreading what awaited us inside this chalet.
Accommodation (self-catering) & fees
At the time of publishing this review, accommodation at Trelawney Game Reserve is self catering and the fee is $40 per chalet for a couple. I learnt that the current team running this project has been doing so for only under a year. Finally, this explained the dilapidated buildings I saw. It seems like the park had been “deserted” for years and so a lot of work is still needed to be done to bring it back to life, particularly with the buildings. At the same time though, I could see that a lot had been achieved in those few months the new team has been involved. So kudos to them for even considering reviving this beautiful reserve for all of us to enjoy.
We were given Chalet 1 and for only $40 it looked decent. I could tell though that it had seen better days. Like all the other chalets, chalet 1 also overlooks the magnificent dam. It has a veranda which I immediately envisioned relaxing on while enjoying the dam view. In the vicinity are also two braai stands – a movable and a cemented one.
I walked up the few steps leading to the front door and I paused briefly admiring the type of timber that was used for the railing – solid and high quality. The door was opened and again for $40 it’s still not bad. The bed stole my attention immediately. It looked new and of good quality. I opened the white sheets and smelt them. They smelt fresh and looked clean just as the standard pillows did. The continental pillows had no pillow cases though and did not look clean.
On both sides of the bed were bedside tables, each made of high quality timber. The one on the right side of the bed had fresh fluffy white towels while the one on the left was almost empty, except for some little heaps of soil all over it that I assume had been brought in by ants. The admin later told me that the ants are a problem there and they are currently working on deterring them from coming inside the chalets.
Facing the door, is a fitted wardrobe. The wire mesh on it is rather strange but I guess since the lodge is pretty old, the mesh must have been fashionable back in the day. On top of the wardrobe was a mattress which I assume is for a couple that may have travelled with a child and wish to share the room with the child. I think it would be easier on the eye though if it is only brought to the chalet when needed.
Next to the wardrobe is another stunning table and mirror which can be used as a dressing table. On the other wall is another mirror which is bigger. Both mirrors have such striking frames.
In this room there was also a beautiful wooden table and chair set which we moved outside to chill on while we enjoyed the dam view.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a gas skottel braai with a full gas cylinder in one corner of the chalet. Considering that we had forgotten our gas tank (though we had carried the cooker top) it was such a relief to find the gas skottel braai in there. We still would have managed to cook on fire though in the designated area outside regardless.
At first glance, the bathroom looked dirty, however, after taking a closer look I realised that some of the seemingly looking stains (particularly on the wall tiles) are just the prints of the tiles which have gotten older. The others were real stains though probably due to aging and being out of commission for too long. If they can figure out a way to scrub the stains off (which is admittedly not easy) it will help to ease the minds of visitors. The toilet seat also shows its age quite vividly.
Kitchen & cooking setup
Unlike other self catering accommodations I’ve stayed at which have either a kitchen in the same chalet or a communal kitchen, this one does not have a designated kitchen. However, upon arrival or at your request they provide you with cutlery, other kitchen utensils and pots and pans. Our chalet had an electric jug and a gas skottel braai. There is no added fee for firewood so you can cook outside on fire while enjoying the remarkable dam view. Alternatively, there is a lady who can cook for you for an added fee. If you wish you can eat at the dining room or you can use the table and chairs at the chalet.
Availability of Hot water
At the time of publishing this review, there is no hot water provided and I just can not handle cold water at all. So we travelled with a pot and a bucket to heat our own hot bathing water. I imagine that if we had asked for a bucket it may have been provided but just to be safe we travelled with our own. Upon chatting with the admin, I was told that drums to fix or rebuild the Rhodesian boiler system had already been bought so once that is sorted out the hot water issue will be a thing of the past.
Activities
Activities offered at Trelawney Game Reserve include:
1. Canoeing – $5 per person
From the time we arrived, looking at the gorgeous dam, I could not wait to explore it in a canoe. If I could swim in it, I would have lol. So soon after unpacking our stuff and having some tea, we headed straight to the canoes. Mr Manhongo had already set one aside for us.
The canoes are the best quality we have used in a while. After using some not so good paddles as well, you get to appreciate a good paddle deeply and that was the case here. Being able to canoe ourselves, going at our own pace, is something that we appreciated as an option there. The bird species were just so many, and all super adorable and incredible. I did not even know where to turn my head. First it was the Cormorants, then Herons, African Wattled Lapwings, Egyptian Geese, African Jacanas, Giant Kingfishers, Weaver birds, White faced whistling ducks and many others. You can imagine just how magical the music from all these birds was.
The surprise debuts were made by the rock hyraxes and leguans. We followed one leguan swimming in the dam with the intuition that it was headed for the rocks. He made sure we worked hard for it though as he was swimming against the current and of course he had to pick the furthest rock possible lol. Eventually he reached his preferred destination and there we were treated to the spectacle of his full glowing body emerging out of the water… just WOW! The satisfaction of seeing such beauty is unimaginable. We saw another one later on during the day while we were sitting at our chalet.
Rock hyraxes are relatively small mammalian species, looking a bit like rodents, but actually more closely related to elephants than rodents (crazy). The sighting was an interesting result of the eye just wandering everywhere, though the brain was fixated on looking for aquatic animals. That is the beauty of spending time in and with nature though. You never really know what you are going to ultimately get from mother nature’s myriad diverse options. So we saw a few of the rock hyraxes displaying their advanced skills, effortlessly climbing up and down the rocks on the banks of the river as well as the surrounding trees.
All in all, this was by far the best canoeing experience I’ve ever had.
2. Self Game drive – $10 per person
Of all types of game drives, self game drive is my absolute favourite. It gives me the much needed privacy with my husband and a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy some quality intimacy with nature. This activity and setup was therefore perfect for us.
We decided to go for the late game drive around 5pm. Game drives yield better results if done early morning by 7am before it starts getting hot or late afternoon around 4pm when the temperatures start dropping. This is the time when animals are out in the open grazing, browsing or hunting so it is easier to spot them. Any other time, particularly midday, the animals will be sitting in the shade, under trees to stay cool, away from direct sunlight. Due to the camouflage and the thickness of the bush, they are therefore not easy to spot.
Being the dry season, we decided to follow a waterway where we hoped the grass would be the greenest, hence more favourable for the grazers. It would also likely be the only place where water for the animals to drink would be found. We did not drive for that long before spotting quite a herd of zebras and soon thereafter two giraffes. I was ecstatic about it!
Game viewing in such a relatively big park comes with no guarantees, however, having some basic knowledge about wildlife helps. The animals in this park being so chilled (probably due to little to no poaching) also helped a great deal. I even managed to get a couple of pics with the giraffes before they did a short display of their elegant run. What a blissful sight it was!
Of course zebras and wildebeest are always seen together, however, they are each mostly interacting with their own kind. Among the zebras that we saw in this park though, there was one wildebeest which was completely immersed in the zebra herd. It was quite interesting to observe his/her interactions with these zebras.
From there we drove on the other side of this waterway and when we least expected it, we saw a couple of impalas hopping from one side of the bush to the other. While we were still revelling in this sighting of the impalas, from the corner of his eye, my husband saw a big male kudu which was just casually browsing, unbothered by our presence. I almost jumped from my seat when I saw him.
As if that was not enough, after a while of browsing in the same spot, this male kudu started moving to the next bush and a young female kudu appeared out of nowhere and started following him. Turns out she was just lying on the ground next to the male all this while. The camouflage of these animals never ceases to amaze me, I tell you.
The mesmerising golden African sunset concluded our game drive on this day and no doubt by this time I was having a dopamine excess and it felt super magical.
Other activities $ fees per person
3. Horse riding – $5
4. Fishing – $10
5. Bush walk – $5
6. Boat hire – $15
7. Braaing – no additional fee for firewood
Other Packages offered
With all the activities listed above and how close it is to Harare, Trelawney Game Reserve is a perfect destination for day visits. You can have an amazing time with family or friends, bonding over some quality intimate interactions with nature. For day visit fees contact the game reserve directly on +263712171375.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I had no idea such a beautiful place as Trelawney Game Reserve with wildlife that is so well taken care of and a stunning huge dam that gives heavenly views as that existed. The place seems like it had been abandoned for the longest time (understandably so, considering the state of the economy of our country and just how money consuming it is to take care of wildlife) until other people decided to step in and bring life back to it again. The canoeing and game drive were phenomenal, I would do it over and over again. I did not partake in the other activities but I imagine they are just as good.
Since the new team has only been operational for less than a year, the accommodation has not yet been fully renovated so it is a bit rough. If you are therefore looking for luxury accommodation then you may want to stick to day visits until the chalets have been fully renovated. If you are okay with a bit of rough living, including heating your own bathing water, but sleeping on a cosy bed, waking up to a breathtaking view for only $40 per chalet for two per night, then you should go ahead and give it a try.
If and when you visit this gem, do tell me all about your experience here or on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Until then, Remember to have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature.
