Wild Zambezi congratulates all its travel network partners based within the Zambezi Valley areas who received accolades in the recently-announced 2019 Safari Awards for Zimbabwe (see the list below).
BEST VALUE SAFARI PROPERTY:
Winner: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
Third: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
BEST DESIGN:
Runner up: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Highly commended: Stretch Ferriera Safaris – Goliath Luxury Camp (Mana Pools)
Highly commended: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE:
Runner up: Natureways (Zambezi River/Mana Pools)
Highly commended: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Highly commended: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST SAFARI CUISINE:
Runner up: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Third: Stretch Ferriera Safaris – Goliath Luxury Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST FAMILY SAFARI EXPERIENCE:
Third: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Highly commended: Natureways (Zambezi River/Mana Pools)
Highly commended: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST WALKING SAFARI:
Winner: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
Runner up: Stretch Ferriera Safaris – Goliath Luxury Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST COMMUNITY FOCUSED:
Runner up: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Highly commended: Natureways (Zambezi River/Mana Pools)
Highly commended: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST MOBILE SAFARI:
Winner: Natureways (Zambezi River/Mana Pools)
Runner up: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST SAFARI GUIDING TEAM:
Winner: Stretch Ferriera Safaris – Goliath Luxury Camp (Mana Pools)
Third: Vundu Camp (Mana Pools)
BEST LOCATION:
Runner up: Zambezi Sands River Camp (Imvelo Safaris) (Zambezi NP/upstream of Victoria Falls)
Highly commended: Stretch Ferriera Safaris – Goliath Luxury Camp (Mana Pools)
Highly commended: Changa Safari Camp (Lake Kariba/Matusadona)
Congratulations also to the following operations which won awards, but which are outside Wild Zambezi's area of focus:-
Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge (Gonarezhou)
The Hide (Hwange)
Camp Hwange (Hwange)
Since their inception in 2008 the Safari Awards, now sponsored by the Safari Guild, TravelExpo 365 and Safari Invest, have come to be regarded as an industry gold standard.
The awards are more about excellence than just being 'very good' or 'better than most'. Anyone can nominate a lodge or an operation for the Safari Awards, but the following criteria are required:-
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the property/operation must be located in a wildlife reserve (national or private), or within at most an hour's travel from extensive wildlife (game, bird or marine life), and must not be located in a city or a large town
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the property/operation must offer wildlife viewing excursions, whether big game or marine wildlife tourism viewing
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the property/operation must feasibly be part of the 'safari circuit'- somewhere visitors will stay as part of their safari holiday
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the property/operation can be anywhere in the world, not just Africa
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the property/operation must not offer guided hunting excursions
The judges of The Safari Awards are nominated by the previous year's awards winners and finalists and are the most highly-respected, knowledgeable independent tour operators selling safaris.