We saved the “best” for last, ending our dream birthday trip in Zimbabwe at Singita Pamushana where the luxury meter was off the charts.
Having spent an action packed stopover in Victoria Falls (which you can read about here) it was a relatively easy flight to the Buffalo Range Airport followed by a Jeep ride to Pamushana.
Pamushana is undeniably one of the most remarkable of Singita’s properties but the Malilangwe House accommodation on the property is another level entirely. Having stayed at two Singita properties on our last trip to South Africa we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed, but honestly we were blown away!
Our rangers and trackers who picked us up from the airport would remain with us for the duration of our stay, and upon arrival they made a point to introduce us to all of the highlights of the property and made us feel incredibly welcome. Even the tiny critters turned out to welcome us! Interesting fact, there were dozens of Rock Hyrax (Dassies) that live in the rocks on the way to Malilangwe House and surprisingly it turns out their closest relative is the elephant! They were so adorable and friendly that we seriously considered packing one in our suitcase to bring home with us.
Set on a 115,000 acre reserve Pamushana consists of 8 luxury villas plus the 5 bedroom Malilangwe House which is perched high above the Malilangwe dam offering incomparable views. Paul Tudor Jones, the hedge fund manager and founder of the Robin Hood foundation has made conservation a priority and is responsible for founding both the Malilangwe Trust and the Grumeti Fund. He has been integral in both preserving the land, and bringing the Black Rhino back from the point of extinction. Additionally he has benefitted the people who live in the surrounding areas tremendously.
Malilangwe House, where we stayed is the home Paul Tudor Jones built to stay in when he comes to visit and needless to stay it is amazing. The house staff greeted us with a birthday cake (the party continued) and a song and quickly gave us the grand tour. The juxtaposition of visiting an extremely remote location in Zimbabwe while at the same time staying in one of the most luxurious homes imaginable is just hard to process. When our trip planner said we would be blown away, he was right! Seriously.
The house was sprawling with the primary suite on one end and the four additional bedrooms on the other. Our room was massive and the bathroom and closet featured stunning details and finishes to die for; the bed and bedding was heavenly, especially when the netting was pulled. All in all, a 10/10.
While we only needed three bedrooms for our family it turns out it was lucky we had four since a bat had found its way in to one of the bedrooms and until it could be removed it was off limits. The decor and finishes were just as impressive as the primary suite but on a smaller scale.
As you would expect the food was abundant, healthy and delicious. We had a chef available around the clock as well as the most amenable staff ready to fulfill our every request. In truth we were seriously low maintenance and at times they were pushing us to dream up some challenges for them. There was a light breakfast daily before we set out and then a feast when we returned, tea time, drinks, dinner and a multitude of snacks rounded out the menu, all served with big smiles.
In addition to meals served at the house we were fortunate to enjoy some truly unique and elaborate experiences out in the wild (complete with more cake)!!
Besides breakfast in the Bush, we had Sundowners on the water, supervised by a multitude of hippos.
The most dramatic meal was dinner under a massive Baobab tree with our rangers John and Tengwe and guides Hebert and Yeyani, it was so much fun gaining insight on their lives outside Singita and their incredible commitment and enthusiasm for what they do.
Chef Tatenda led the team in creating a memorable and incredibly delicious meal in an unforgettable setting. We were informed that the animals were afraid of the fire and would not approach, though there were many rifles at the ready in case there was an especially bold predator lurking about. While using the loo several people noticed eyes staring at them in the dark, but were assured that they were just hyennas.
The diversity of the wildlife was impressive, and it seemed luck was on our side because on our first game drive we encountered a pack of 24 African wild dogs, an endangered species that is one of the true conservation successes thanks to the Malilangwe Trust.
This was a truly exciting and rare sighting! Our rangers said it had been weeks since anyone had encountered the wild dogs so they were especially thrilled for us.
Suffice it to say the variety of wildlife we saw was staggering, and frequently we came across the animals in vast quantities. As a bonus there was so much ground to cover that unless we orchestrated a meet up with the other Jeep there were no other guests to be seen, only animals.
Pictured below are a mere fraction of the photos I took , otherwise you would be reading for hours. There are hundreds more for each one included here, and they are all stunning!
All photos and videos were taken on my iPhone 17 Pro.
We managed to see just about everything during our stay at Pamushana, except for the elusive leopard.
Lest you think the animals were the only stars of the show, our rangers took us to see something truly remarkable, rock art dating back 2000 years!
One of the most incredible experiences we had was observing the animals as they visited the watering hotel thanks to a “hide” built into the ground granting us the ability to watch the animals undetected from the most unbelievable vantage point. We spent about three hours absolutely mesmerized by what we saw, but in reality could have spent far longer.
The hide was equipped with drinks and snacks (of course), a flush toilet, and binoculars for each of us. It was fantastic!
We were thisclose to an ever changing assortment of animals and birds. Take a few moments to watch the videos below, they are truly special.
I couldn’t get enough of these zebras.
A rhino dust-up.
Seriously up-close and personal.
Have you ever considered how a giraffe takes a drink of water?
The sightings continued, crocodiles, more cape buffalo, brilliantly colored birds and the rare black rhino (another success of the conservation efforts of the Malilangwe Trust).
The sheer number of hippos we encountered was impressive (and a little unnerving to be honest). On the one hand they are cute, but on the other super scary.
At one point we left the Jeep with Tengwe (and his loaded rifle) in order to get a closer look at these powerful beasts. Thankfully they stayed in the water where they belonged!
We spotted dozens of giraffes grazing treetops, they are massive and adorable at the same time.
On our last game drive of the trip our tracker spotted this group of lionesses with their recent zebra kill, impressive enough on its own, but as a bonus there were also lion cubs!!! What an amazing sighting to end the trip.
In the blink of en eye our epic trip was coming to a close and it was time to head back to real life. The household staff lined up to bid us farewell and our rangers John and Tengwe loaded us up in the Jeeps and drove us to the airport.
Our flight back to Johannesburg was the last of our private flights and our pilots (who had flown us throughout the trip) warned us we were flying in to a bit of weather and might encounter some turbulence. As it turns out turbulence is far worse if you can actually see the radar (there was no door to the cockpit) and my usually unflappable husband saw the preponderance of purple blotches all over the screen and decided this was it, we were all going to perish. I on the other hand was completely optimistic that after some bumps we would land successfully; and as usual, I was right. Important tip: if you are flying on a small flight with a nervous flier, have them face away from the cockpit and radar.
Another tip, if you are flying into Johannesburg and have a lengthy layover before your flight home book a table for lunch at Quills at the airport InterContinental. You can store your luggage there, have a pretty tasty bite and then cross the street to the airport to check in. Be sure to hire an expediter to bypass the insanely long lines for passport control, you will be glad you did.
On the way back we once again flew British Air with a stop in London and as first class passengers we were able to access the Concorde Room (along with two guests) to enjoy a tasty breakfast enjoyed alongside the tip of the Concorde! The flight(s) home were on time, and comfortable, and as an added bonus my entertainment systems actually worked on both flights.
I hope you were able to get a sense of just how incredible this trip was, a truly once in a lifetime opportunity. If you have an inclination to book a trip like this, DM me and I will put you in touch with the planner who can make it happen.
The big question, which safari lodge did I prefer, Selinda or Pamushana? I would say that its an impossible choice, they both far exceeded my expectations! The real answer?? Plan a trip that incorporates a visit to both.
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