Gwango Heritage Resort
Chalets, bungalows and camping · Private teak-forest estate on the park boundary · Elisabeth Valerio
Budget
Outside the gate
Owner/family-run
Chalets, bungalows and camping on a private teak-forest estate on Hwange's boundary, run by a Zimbabwean owner who founded the local tourism association. An active elephant waterhole sits below both the restaurant and the splash pool, camping costs ten dollars a night, and no 4x4 is needed to reach it. It is the best-value real bed in the Hwange area.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Elephant waterhole overlooked by the pool and restaurant
- Chalets from $85 a unit, including meals and drinks
- No 4x4 needed, and about 1 km from the park
- Open all year, one of the few that never closes
- Camping from $10 a night
Cons
- Activities and park entry fees are not included
- On a private estate outside the park boundary
- No child policy found on the site
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Wi-Fi
- Restaurant
- Campsite
- En-suite bathrooms
- Self-catering
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Birding
Read from Gwango Heritage Resort's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Hwange National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe rate if you drive in from outside.
- $24per person, per day
- Vehicle$10 a day on a day visit, $3 if you are staying inside.
- $10per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $174 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
The full fee schedule for Hwange National ParkRates at Gwango Heritage Resort
From $10 camping. Bush chalet $85 per unit, deluxe $115, self-catering bungalow $155, all including levies. Chalet rates include meals and drinks.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates from operators' own rate cards, gathered July 2026. Always confirm with the lodge. One thing to watch when comparing: some camps include ZimParks fees in their rate and some do not, which shifts the real gap by $12 to $36 per person per night.
Questions about Gwango Heritage Resort
Can you self-drive to Gwango Heritage Resort?
Yes. Gwango says the estate is easily reached by road and no 4x4 is needed. It is just over two hours' drive from Victoria Falls and about a kilometre from Hwange National Park, with Hwange Main Camp airstrip nearby.
What does the rate at Gwango include?
Bush chalets cost $85 a unit and deluxe chalets $115, and chalet rates include meals and drinks; the deluxe chalet rate lists meals, beers and soft drinks. Self-catering bungalows with a kitchenette cost $155. All levies are included, but activities and park entry fees are extra.
Is Gwango good for families?
We found no published child policy for Gwango, so ask when you enquire. What it offers a family on a budget is choice: self-catering bungalows with a fully equipped kitchenette, chalets with meals included, camping from $10, a splash pool and an elephant waterhole below the restaurant.
When is Gwango Heritage Resort open?
All year. Gwango describes itself as one of the few resorts in the Hwange area that stays open year-round, which makes it a dependable base in the rainy season, when some camps close.