The best way to start your safari? It has to be from above.
For many guests, a stay at Victoria Falls marks the beginning of a Zimbabwe adventure, a day or two soaking up the spectacle of one of the world’s great natural wonders before heading deep into northern Hwange National Park to Hideaways Bumbusi Wilderness Camp. And there is no more memorable way to arrive in the African bush than by helicopter.
Lifting off just minutes from the Falls, the flight begins with a flip directly over Victoria Falls itself. From up here, the Zambezi River narrows and then disappears entirely into the churning white of the Batoka Gorge, mist rising high into the air around you. The scale of it feels entirely different from the sky. Wider. More alive.
But the Falls are only the beginning.
As the helicopter heads towards Hwange, the landscape opens up into pure wilderness as far as the eye can see. Roads become faint tracks, and the last signs of civilisation slowly begin to disappear. Below, the wilderness stretches endlessly towards the horizon, and if you are lucky, guests may even spot some of Zimbabwe’s iconic wildlife moving through the bush beneath them.
The journey to Bumbusi can be experienced in more than one way. While road transfers through Hwange offer their own rewarding wildlife encounters, the helicopter flight adds an unforgettable view from above, reaching camp in roughly 20 minutes. Fast, stress-free, and genuinely unforgettable, it gives guests more time where it matters most: on safari.
Guests will drop down right onto Bumbusi’s private concession amongst the evergreen trees. Before the camp itself even comes into view, there is nothing around but wilderness in every direction.
Landing and stepping out feels worlds away from Victoria Falls. No crowds. No other game drive vehicles as far as the eye can see. Just the stillness of the bush, the sound of birdsong, and the feeling of having truly arrived somewhere wild.
The helicopter transfer is available both into and out of Hideaways Bumbusi Wilderness Camp, meaning your safari can begin and end above the African bush. Whether you are arriving in Hwange or departing to Victoria Falls with one last breathtaking view of the wilds below.
