The Intimate And Exclusive Elephant Camp

Southern Africa stirs to life as travellers dream of their next adventure from a new point of view. Mindful of the challenges of a transformative year, The Elephant Camp West epitomises the future of safaris under canvas, offering guests a restorative sanctuary that harnesses the healing power of nature. The design of Camp West harnesses the simple elegance of The Elephant Camp Main. The flagship design has been thoughtfully adapted for exclusive use by family and friends who crave meaningful distancing from the world’s demands and distractions. 

Inspired By Nature

Resting lightly on 4500 acres of private wilderness, The Elephant Camp has always been synonymous with restorative retreats and exclusive experiences.

From the interior spaces’ uncluttered beauty to the careful placement of each suite to capture the best views, the carefully crafted camp is enveloped by stillness and serenity.   

From the outdoor showers to the private plunge pools, the lodge invites continuous engagement with nature’s healing power. 

Reimagined through a modern perspective, the essence of adventure inherent to a tented safari experience is more aligned with how travellers have evolved. Simplicity, sustainability and comfort remain the golden thread of the design, amplified by thoughtful touches that inspire meaningful connections with the environment.

The main deck overlooks the cavernous Batoka Gorge, with the cloud of mist from the Victoria Falls commanding the skyline. 

Activities can be adapted and planned according to preference and private game drives, walking safaris, gorge sundowners, elephant encounters and more allow guests to immerse themselves in every experience. We have now included a luxury cruise on the Zambezi Royal in the inclusive-activities on offer to guests staying at The Elephant Camp. 

Victoria Falls river cruise on the Zambezi

The Zambezi Royal Luxury Sunset Cruise

The luxurious Zambezi Royal is a single level cruise boat and offers a unique and intimate way to view the Zambezi River.

During the premium two hour guided sunset cruise guests can look forward to 5-star service on board, consisting of imported wines and spirits, gourmet hot & cold canapés.

Find out more here. 

 

A Guided Tour of The Victoria Falls Rainforest

Victoria Falls has captivated philosophers and poets. The Natural World Wonder engages all the senses, and vibrates through you. Guests staying at The Elephant Camp can book a morning or afternoon Guided Tour of The Victoria Falls Rainforest (excluding Parks Fees). 

Discover more about Victoria Falls throughout the year here. 

The Victoria Falls Canopy Tour

The Canopy Tour is a great family activity and offers fantastic views of Zambezi rapids, Victoria Falls Bridge & the spray of the Falls.

Observe the riverine forest from a variety of different vantage points – from above, below and within the canopy itself. The Victoria Falls Canopy Tour offers a network of slides, trails and rope bridge walkways within the canopy of the hardwood forest of the Zambezi gorges.

The Canopy Tour is family fun with a unique birds-eye view of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Find out more here

Wild Horizons elephant encounter

Meet The Elephant 

The Elephant Encounter affords guests the opportunity to unobtrusively observe some of the biggest personalities in Africa, in a pristine wilderness environment overflowing with raw natural beauty. Guests spend time and connect with elephants in the most positive and natural way possible.

Find out more about the Elephant Sanctuary here. 

Other activities include:

The Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary is accessible only to our guests, giving travellers a secluded space to reconnect with nature in the company of their loved ones. The Elephant Camp West is part of The Elephant Camp Collection, but the intimate lodge caters exclusively to groups of friends and families with a secluded main area, dedicated guide, chef, host and private game vehicle. 

 

The exclusive-use itinerary ensures guests can explore the endless space on their terms. TripAdvisor rated The Elephant Camp as the seventh-best hotel in Africa for service. Our dedicated team is intuitive yet discreet, understanding that the experience is a chance to return to life’s simple pleasures and meaningful moments.

Get In Touch

Our products have a purpose. From community empowerment to conservation and culture, we create meaningful and enlightened travel experiences that enrich your experience while giving back to the legacies that make Victoria Falls so spectacular.

Get in touch to book your safari to Victoria Falls today and experience the abundant beauty Victoria Falls promises throughout the year.

Wild Horizons Offers COVID Testing

In addition to extensive new health and safety protocols, Wild Horizons guests staying at our luxury Victoria Falls lodges will have the option of an in-house COVID-19 PCR test that can deliver results within hours. This builds on our six ‘Golden Rules of Prevention’ to provide a comprehensive approach to health and safety. Whether they require the test for onward travel or simple peace of mind, in-room COVID-19 tests can be arranged with the lodge management team for $60 per person.

The new measures are completely driven by the customer and were implemented with a specific question in mind, ‘When you are willing and able to travel again, what will be important to you?’ The new procedures are a direct result of that discussion.

As we move towards a new era of travel, the open space and tranquillity that define a safari experience will meet the trend for travel that emphasises wellness, space and exclusivity. We have been staying at home but staying ahead to ensure that our guests can travel with confidence and comfort, knowing that their safety is at the forefront of our mind. If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kind Regards,

The Wild Horizons Team

(October 2020)

Being whisked away by Dean Jones

Africa is a nation rich in a diversity of flavour, and as Virginia Woolf so adequately said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well”. The Elephant Camp is committed to providing guests with a delicious cuisine that celebrates our bounty of fresh local produce, ensuring that every meal is an experience to be remembered and revered.

Dean Jones, Wild Horizons’ Executive Chef, based at The Elephant Camp, recognises that food is more than just a meal, but an art in the most delicious form. He believes that “being a chef is an expression of character, passion, creativity and love”.  Dean did his culinary training at Silwood School of Cookery in Cape Town, which is highly acclaimed for its three-year Grande Diploma Course. However, it was while watching his mother prepare sweet and savoury snacks for functions as a young boy that his seeds of passion were sown. He soon recognised food as a way of bringing people together and expressing himself through the different flavour profiles in each meal.

During his culinary training, Dean was taught the fundamentals of French Cooking. Throughout his first year, he mastered the techniques that would come to define, and radiate, through his expertly accomplished dishes. During his second year, Dean spent two months in five different kitchen environments, where he gained valuable experience working at several reputable restaurants, including The Conservatory at The Cellars Hohenourt, Myoga Restaurant at the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont, and The Foodbarn in Noordhoek. Dean’s innovative and creative recipe development and food styling skills can be attributed to his time spent with Abigail Donnelly at the Woolworths Taste Magazine.

In the April of 2016, Dean was selected as a semi-finalist out of tens of thousands of chefs from around the world in a global competition called The San Pellergrino Young Chefs Award. Due to this Global competition, at the age of 30, Dean was recognised as one of the worlds ‘up-and-coming’ young chefs.

If food is the body of good living, then wine is the soul. Under the guidance of Chef Margot Janse at Le Quartier Francais’s The Tasting Room in the beautiful Cape Winelands of Franschhoek, Dean gained valuable knowledge about the process of tasting wine, as well as the winemakers themselves. Dean will introduce and execute decadent Wine & Coffee pairings, as well as High Tea & Champagne pairings that are sure to exhilarate our flow of international clientele. Having been motivated by a variety of multi-talented and well-renown chefs, Dean is now striving to be the type of food connoisseur that future diners and chefs are inspired by.

Dean has a passion for pastry that arose while he spent time in his Ouma’s bakery as a young boy. Through his flaky phyllo pastry, tantalising tarts, and buttery crisp croissants, Dean’s freshly baked menu achieves a wow factor in textures, flavours and presentation. American humorist Erma Brombeck was right when she told the world: “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.” It will take a strong-willed person to wave away Dean’s pastry display.

The concept of travelling is infused with the aromas and tastes of each place that we visit, and in order to truly absorb a culture, we need to savour the delicacies that the region has to offer. The meals devised by Dean are well worth travelling for.

Happiness is derived from good food, good music and good wine, all three of which Dean has a well-nurtured passion for. His creativity in the kitchen shapes food artistry that introduces diners to new sensations, cultures and tastes.

“Life is made up of many wonderful, colourful people, and food has a way of bringing cultures, families and friends together. It has the ability to induce nostalgia, calm, healing and peace.” – Dean Jones.

Meet the Wild Horizons Lodge Management Team

The Elephant Camp

Bradley and Annie White

The Elephant Camp, General Managers Brad and Annie are the new general managers of The Elephant Camp situated just outside of Victoria Falls. Together they have spent 7 years sculpting a successful career in the Hospitality and Tourism industry. Brad has an extensive background in hospitality management and Annie has a background in hospitality and beauty therapy. After completing various courses in South Africa, Brad and Annie worked their way upwards from working at South African game lodges and hotels to running high-end lodges in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. They joined Wild Horizons 3 years ago and managed Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge.  Brad grew up in Victoria Falls, so The Elephant Camp really is like home to him.

Hilda Ncube

Hilda Ncube

The Elephant Camp, Assistant Manager
Hilda joined Wild Horizons 4 years ago as the Assistant Manager at ‘The Elephant Camp’.  She has dedicated the past 10 years to the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe and has worked in and around the Victoria Falls area for most of her time. She previously managed Matetsi Water Lodge. Her experience in managing 5-star lodges radiates through and shows off her capabilities, which seem unending. With a safari background and a hotel management qualification, she brings a strong understanding of customer care and attention to detail to the team.

The Elephant Camp West

Stacey Howland

Stacey Howland

The Elephant Camp West, Manager
Stacey joins Wild Horizons as Manager of The Elephant Camp West and we are eager to see her enthusiasm shine through in all that she does. She qualified in the hotel management industry in South Africa and has an advanced knowledge of catering and service brought about through her training at Silwood School of Cookery in Cape Town.  Stacey comes to us after spending the past 3 years managing Spurwing Island on Lake Kariba in the Matusadona National Park.

Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge

Jon and Sarah Lucas

Jon & Sarah Lucas

General Managers
Jon and Sarah are very much at home in the bush and are passionate about sharing the splendours of Zimbabwe with visitors from far and wide.  They have both been in the tourism and hospitality industry since leaving school.  Jon went to the International Hotel School in Cape Town and Sarah studied Tourism Management in Pretoria. Sarah’s 10 years of experience have all been in Zimbabwe while Jon’s experience has taken him from top hotels in Cape Town to a Villa in Italy, onto guiding overland trucks through Southern Africa and finally the opening and running of Chundu Island before they joined Wild Horizons to manage Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge.

Relief Management

Himal Nathoo

Himal Nathoo

Himal first joined the Wild Horizons team as a freelance fishing guide at Imbabala Safari Lodge, after which he then joined as part of the management team. He has grown grew up in Victoria Falls and as such a career in tourism was imminent. Himal studied Hotel Management and Hospitality and enjoys working with people. He now provides relief management across all three Wild Horizons properties – The Elephant Camp, The Elephant Camp West, and Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge.