Hwange National Park, a vast, wedge-shaped expanse of rugged, heat-blistered terrain in the far west of the country, ranks among the aristocrats of Africa's game sanctuaries. it covers nearly 14,620 km (5645 sq miles) of dry Kalahari sandveld - mainly grassland plain with scattered bush and trees - and it sustains a greater variety and density of large animals than any other conservation area in the country. Specifically, Hwange is home to around 15,000 buffalo, 3m000 giraffe, 3,000 zebra, 16 species of antelope, including 5,000 handsome kudu and 200 sable, and an impressive 25 different kinds of carnivore.

Hwange National Park is especially know, though for its elephants. During the rains, which in good years fall from November through to February, the herds are dispersed, many of them migrating across the border into Botswana's Chobe, Linyanti and Moremi areas. But in the dry winter season more than 20,000 of these gentle, but environmentally destructive giants are drawn to Hwange's sixty-odd natural pans and pump-supplied waterholes.

Among the predators in the park are lion and leopard, the beautiful cheetah, and the spotted hyena and wild dog. birdlife is prolific and around 400 species have been identified, notable mong which are the raptors.

Visitors have a choice of three major camps located in the northern sector and a number of smaller campsites and lodges, all linked by around 480km (298 miles) of dirt roads along which there are picnic sites, and waterholes overlooked by viewpoints.

Main Camp is the principal entry point for the park and serves as the administrative headquarters. It has a shop, petrol station, restaurant and a variety of fully equipped cottages. A short distance from the camp is Nyamandhlovu Pan viewing platform - an ideal vantage point for seeing a variety of wildlife, including elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and buffalo.

Sinamatella Camp situated to the north-west overlooks sweeping plains famous for their elephant, and offers accommodation in luxury two-bedroom cottages. Robins and Nantwich lie farther west in prime lion, hyena and cheetah country. robins has game-viewing hides at Big toms and Little Toms, situated on a tributary of the Deka River. To the east of the camp is a fossil forest and Manzinchesa hot springs.

The northern parts of the park are characterised by rocky outcrops, extensive teak forests and mopane woodlands, but the remainder of Hwange - about 80% of the park - is fairly flat and open, which is ideal for game-viewing but which, in the interests of conservation, is accessible only to specialist or private camping and photographic safaris.

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