Exclusive picnic sites (Masuma, Mandavu, Shumba and others)
Exclusive-use campsite · Across the park, several beside the best hides · ZimParks
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (ZimParks)
Six exclusive-use campsites scattered through the park, from Masuma and Mandavu beside two of Hwange's best hides to the quieter Shumba, Deteema, Ngweshla and Kennedy 1. Book one and it is yours alone for the night, for up to six people at about $39 each. Masuma's hide over the dam is the standout. Bring everything, including water you trust.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A whole campsite inside the park to yourselves for the night
- About $39 a person when six share the $235 site
- Masuma and Mandavu sit beside two of Hwange's best hides
- Shaded shelter, braai and a small ablution block with running water
Cons
- Bring everything, including water you trust
- $235 per site is steep for a couple on their own
- No child policy found on the ZimParks site
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 for guests sleeping inside the park.
- $12per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered vehicle, at the staying-inside rate.
- $3per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $81 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Sleeping inside the boundary is what keeps that low. $12 if you sleep inside the park, against $24 a day for anyone driving in from outside.
The full fee schedule for Hwange National ParkRates at Exclusive picnic sites (Masuma, Mandavu, Shumba and others)
$235 per site. Whole site for up to six people, so about $39 each. Shaded shelter, braai and a small ablution block with running water.
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 Exclusive picnic sites (Masuma, Mandavu, Shumba and others)
How much does an exclusive picnic site in Hwange cost?
An exclusive picnic site costs $235 a night for the whole site, for up to six people, which works out at about $39 each with a full group. Book with ZimParks by email at info@zimparks.org.zw. Once booked, the site is yours alone for the night.
Which Hwange exclusive picnic site should I book?
Masuma and Mandavu sit beside two of the park's best hides, and Masuma's hide over the dam is the standout. Shumba, Deteema, Ngweshla and Kennedy 1 are quieter. All six are exclusive-use, so whichever you choose, nobody else camps there that night.
What facilities does an exclusive picnic site have?
Each exclusive picnic site has a shaded shelter, a braai and a small ablution block with running water. There is nothing else, so bring all your food, bedding and drinking water you trust. ZimParks' own page advises campers to bring a tent and sleeping bag.
Can children stay at a Hwange exclusive picnic site?
We found no published child policy for the exclusive picnic sites, so ask when you book. The sites take up to six people, which suits a family group on price, but you bring everything yourself, including water.