As Close To Wild African Elephants As You Can Get

As close to wild African elephants as you can get? Well yes. When their breath is parting your hair, that’s close! Take a look at this video to get an idea of what we mean.

The Mysterious World of Elephants

One of our most fervent desires on safari is to have the luxury of watching elephants for extended periods of time. The largest land mammal is also one of the most interesting. Elephants make you feel like they are members of a smart, secret society that know something you don’t. They have a wonderful family vibe so we love sitting perfectly still and just observing. It’s a thrill to see the babies meandering under their mother’s legs; to see the juveniles practice their mock charges; to watch the herd drink their fill, splash in the water, and take their sand baths. But, when you’re on a safari jeep with others, the guides feel pressure to “tick” off as many animal viewings as they can: Elephants, check; Cape Buffalos, check; Giraffes, check; Lions, check. You get the picture.  We’ve never had the chance to sit quietly and watch a herd of tuskers for as long as we wanted – until this past March, when we got to be as close to wild African elephants as you can get, at Ivory Lodge.

Ivory Lodge’s Unique Perspective

We experienced our closest elephant encounter ever at Ivory Lodge outside of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. It’s part of the wonderful Amalinda Collection of lodges (which we’ll describe in more detail in other posts.) Situated in the Sikumi Forest Reserve on a private concession of 5,000 sq. acres, Ivory is perfectly positioned next to a large water hole that attracts hundreds of animals – including the “Presidential Herd “of elephants. (Hwange’s 40,000 elephants were given this title by then President Robert Mugabe in 1990. This special decree was meant to symbolize Zimbabwe’s commitment to responsible wild life management, and to protect the elephants against future hunting and culling.) The Lodge’s guest rooms are actually built high on stilts with large mesh windows and spacious balconies – ensuring fabulous views down to the water hole. That’s impressive enough, but the jewel in this place is the “hide” built right next to the spot where the elephants congregate.

Say Hi To Ivory Lodge’s Hide

On our first evening at Ivory Lodge, we saw more than 20 elephants wander up from the water hole – right up to the “hide”. This bunker structure was built to afford guests an incredibly close view, without the animals being at all disturbed by our presence. You enter quietly from the rear entrance into a comfortable seating area. There’s an opening in the outer wall facing the water hole, and there’s plenty of elephant action going on very, very close. It’s a bit like being in the most exciting theater you’ve ever visited. That’s because the “players” are giant elephants sniffing the air close to your face! Elephants have poor eyesight, geared more to seeing movement that detail. While they probably could smell us, they certainly couldn’t see us. The elephants come to this particular spot to dig for important minerals they need in their diet, so they hang around. As long as you don’t do anything to get their attention, they’ll remain and interact in a peaceful way. It’s hard to observe them for this long and this close in any other setting.

One Of The Greatest Shows On Earth

We sat there for more than half an hour while the elephants were just five feet away – searching for minerals, tossing sand over their bodies, keeping the kids in line, and having “run ins” with some very presumptuous Cape Buffalo. Imagine our utter delight at this long, fabulous viewing!  It was the up close and personal experience we had always hoped for – now ours to remember always thanks to Ivory Lodge.

Where Is It And How Do You Get There?

Ivory Lodge is located just over 2 hours south of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. So it’s easy to combine an Ivory Lodge safari with a visit to the iconic Falls. You can book directly at Ivory Lodge by clicking here.