Singita travel review and photography for marketing

Hidden Gem in Zimbabwe: Singita Pamushana

December 28, 2016 (Please note that this lodge has been refurbished since this story was published)

Review by Samantha Curgenven for Go2Africa

The first leg of our journey started at Singita Pamushana in Malilangwe Private Reserve in the South Eastern region of Zimbabwe, which shares its southern boundary with the famous Gonarezhou National Park.  Pamushana is owned by the Malilangwe Trust, which is a non-profit organisation that specialises in wildlife conservation and community support programmes.  

Driving into Malilangwe PrivateReserve we went through a boom gate where we had to report to the lodge that we were on our way.  The staff at the gate were friendly when we signed inand the process was quick and painless.  Within the first five minutes of leaving the gate in our dust we saw impalas and giraffes.  The well-maintained road led us to our turn off where Jephet, our ranger, was waiting for us with the Singita game vehicle (6-seater vehicle).  He introduced himself and advised we must follow him to the lodge.  On our way to the lodge we saw zebras, njalas and also a hippo roaming around.  About ten minutes later we arrived at the parking area of the lodge where we were greeted by friendly smiles and beautiful singing.  The game vehicles were all parked at the bottom of the lodge and Jephet took us up to the main entrance in a golf cart. It is a mini adventure to get to the lodge – although the drive is quick, we saw giant plated lizards and antelopes. (Be careful selling this to people with mobility issues.)

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Singita is a luxury safari brand that we all know and love - Pamushana is unique and the experience surpasses the luxury elements by far, even though the luxury elements are also very spectacular.  When we walked into the main lodge our eyes were immediately fixed on the infinity pool overlooking the lake.  Natural instinct led me to the large viewing deck where you have to take a moment to realise that you have now arrived in paradise.  The lodge overlooks Malilangwe Lake and due to its elevation, boasts with picturesque views of the lake and the mountains. Rocky outcrops, large Baobab trees and thousands of Acacia trees makes this area even more appealing to the eye – it is absolutely beautiful, and words cannot describe the feeling of serenity and peace that this place offers. 

 After check in we were escorted to our room by Valerie, our hostess for the duration of our stay. Valerie was friendly, kind, humble and explained all the aspects of the lodge with a warming smile and calm persona.  Valerie then left us, and we were greeted by bold colours popping from the walls, décor and furniture. The authentic designs were inspired by the Shangaan people who have lived in the area for thousands of years. (The décor changed since I have been there and is more neutral in colour.)

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We had time for a quick swim in our private plunge pool and then we were on our way to experience our first game drive.  Delicious snacks and the aroma of local brewed coffee embraced us in the main area where Jephet met us again to take us down to the game vehicle.  We were surprised to see that it was only us and two other ladies that were allocated together for a game drive.  They were fromZimbabwe and we were paired with them due to similar familiarities.  (They said they will always try put similar people together.) The game viewing was intimate and because Pamushana is the only lodge on the reserve, you will not see another game vehicle, except if it is an excellent sighting.  They really try and make you feel like you are the only guests at the lodge and will schedule the activities in such a way that you do not overlap.

I cannot believe the amazing wildlife sightings we had being December and the weather……. absolutely beautiful (between 22 °C and 26 °C daily with only short spurts of rain). On our first game drive we did not have a tracker and Jephet took us around – we did not move far from the lodge and we saw eland, wildebeest, large herds of buffalos, zebras, giraffes, leopard, hyena and an elephant. Jephet is without a doubt one of the best rangers I have met and his humble nature with his excellent skills sets him apart from many other in the industry.  Jephet tracked a male leopard and once we found him, we followed him for about thirty minutes.  It was lovely not rushing between sightings and this allowed us to experience little surprises along the way, from little bugs to tracking white rhino on foot.  The first evening when we stopped for sunset drinks, we saw an elephant meandering through the trees and a hyena that ran past us while we were sipping on our G&T’s.  The curious hyena was about ten meters away from where we were standing. 

The second day we went on both the morning and afternoon game drive, and we were accompanied by a wildlife tracker named “Difficult”.  In the morning we saw another large journey of giraffe, more kudus, njalas,impalas, buffalos, warthogs and waterbuck.  I spotted a rhino and her calf running through the bush and we followed them for a while with the vehicle and then we tracked them on foot when they went into the thickets.  Difficult was our tracker for both the game drives, and on the afternoon game drive he showed off his tracking skills.  Pamushana has scouts on the reserve that walk around and track wildlife on foot.  We drove up to the border of Gonarezhou to where a scout tracked a pride of lions.  When we met up with the scout, he advised that they were moving fast, and it looked like they were on the hunt.  Difficult and the scout tracked through the bush on foot and eventually found them, but they were on the move.  We caught up with them when they decided to take a rest stop, one male lion and four females. And to top it all off we saw an elephant bull interact with three lionesses where he had some fun and chased them around. (Amazing wildlife sightings.)

After our morning game drive, we went to do some fishing on the Malilangwe Lake.  It was the first timeI have fished for Bream and all together we caught over 25 fish. In the evening the chef prepared the Bream for us and it was absolutely delicious. (The chef would usually prepare fresh fish for the guests.)  I could probably write another five pages onour experience at Pamushana, but I have to mention one last thing – the food was absolutely spectacular – scrumptious and delicious.  The food is a fine dining experience, but with generous portions.  I cannot fault anything at Pamushana, and it is one of my top experiences in Southern Africa.

Quick Facts and highlights: 

·      Pamushana is located on the 130000 acre Malilangwe Private Reserve.

·      Borders Gonarezhou NationalPark

·      Malilangwe Trust Non-profit organization

·      Big 5 Area - +- 45 leopards, 25lions, 120 white rhino, 100 black rhino, 2500 buffalos and elephants.

·      Trackers and guides – max 6people on a game vehicle (camera mounts on the vehicle, as well as roll-down rain flaps)

·      4 x 1-bedroom suites each with a private infinity pool

·      1 x family suite (2 adults, 2children) with a private infinity pool

·      1 x family suite (2 adults, 4children) with a private infinity pool

·      x 5-bedroom villa retreat with a private infinity pool

·      Hides throughout the property(You can arrange a picnic lunch at the hide)

·      27 Wild dogs and 15 cheetahs on the reserve.

·      Birding paradise with numerous migrant birds. 

·      Bush painting stop on game drive and cultural experiences.

·      Intimate safari experience. 

·       On-site spa and wine cellar.

Activities:

·      Walking safaris, 

·      Daytime game drives and spotlit night drives (the option for sole use is available, subject toavailability),

·      Community visits, 

·      Mountain biking,

·      Rock art site visits, 

·       Fishing and sundowner cruises on the dam below the lodge

Type of traveller:

·      First time and seasoned –Families, honeymooners, couples and solo travellers

Rack Rates:
$ 1 495 per adult per night
$ 748 per child per night
5- Bedroom Villa $ 8 970 per villa per night (1-6 guests), $ 1 495 per additional adult per night, $ 748 per additional child per night

Children Policy:

·      Children of all ages are welcome.

·      Infants under the age of 2years will be accommodated free of charge.

·      Children aged 2-16 years will be accommodated at 50% of the adult rate when sharing a standard Suite with 1adult or child.

·       Children accommodated in their own suite will attract the full adult rate.

Logistics:

·       By road – From Harare: approximately 6.5 hours’ drive

·      From Johannesburg: approximately10 hours’ drive 

·      By air – Federal Air flight: Mondays and Thursdays from OR Tambo International Airport in

Johannesburg to Buffalo Ranch airport. A minimum of three nights’ accommodation at

Pamushana is necessary when selecting this option with a minimum of two guests traveling. 

·      Pamushana is located 45 minutes from Buffalo Ranch airport.  

·      Scheduled flights fromJohannesburg O.R Tambo International Airport – Buffalo Range

InternationalAirport: approximately 2hrs 30 minutes.

·      Flights between SingitaPamushana and Victoria Falls will operate on selected Thursdays in September,November and December 2016.  Singita is busy negotiating with Halstead Aviation to make this apermanent flight option in 2017.  

·      Singita Pamushana (Lonestar airstrip) 10h30 Vic Falls Intl. 12h15 

·      Vic Falls Intl. 14h00 Singita Pamushana (Lonestar airstrip) 15h45

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