Antelope Park, Zimbabwe Established in 1987, Antelope Park has since become the country’s premier private wildlife park, winning the World Tourism Awards for Zimbabwe’s leading private game reserve for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Set in over 3000 acres of open savannah grassland, it’s a haven of tranquillity set in the African bush. Here, enjoy a variety of accommodations suitable for any preference. From camping and self-catering lodges to en-suite luxury island cottages and river tents. Relax by the pool and river or experience the wilderness . ALERT and Antelope Park have been the subject of a major UK TV wildlife documentary “LION COUNTRY” and the Park has also featured in a number of other wildlife shows including “Karina: Wild on Safari”. During 2012 Animal Planet is based at the Park filming a 14 part series called “Roaring with Pride” which will document the lion release programme in detail, explaining in depth how our organisation is helping to save the future of the African Lion.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
I have spent a total of 7 weeks at Antelope Park (AP)—5 weeks in August 2018 and 2 weeks in March 2019 and it is undeniably my favorite place on earth. I visited as a volunteer, however, on our second visit, my boyfriend and I upgraded to a river lodge for a few nights and it was amazing. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Between my visits, they upgraded their WiFi so it is fairly easy to stay in touch with family and friends while there, however, I truly enjoyed being disconnected for the periods of time I was there.
The reserve is beautiful and guest accommodations are very comfortable. You will make plenty of domestic cat friends while you are there and get visits from wild monkeys and bush babies! There are plenty of giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and antelope to see around the reserve. Their four rescue elephants are the sweetest and LOVE fruit so make sure you have plenty on hand to feed them when you interact with them.
Many people have concerns about the ethics of animal tourism but having spent weeks here and seeing the care and attention given to all the animals and getting a first hand experience cleaning enclosures, feeding, making toys for and walking the lions myself and learning about their program, I wholeheartedly believe that the animals are well cared for and their best interests are at heart.
This is a wonderful, friendly and welcoming place. It’s the perfect place to meet people from around the world while also getting that quintessential African experience. The staff at AP are some of my favorite people I’ve ever met and I keep in touch with many of them. I even met my boyfriend here! I simply cannot put into words what AP is like or how much I love it. Not a day goes by that I don’t long to be there!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The service there was pretty much standard. The tour guide was very helpful,courteous and knowledgeable about the animals during the game drive. Giraffe, wildeebeast, springbok, zebra, lions and elephant are but six of the many species of wildlife found on the park.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Antelope_Park_Zim, Guest Relations Manager at Antelope Park
Responded 24 Jan 2020
Hi Ashleigh, We are glad you enjoyed the Game drive and viewing all the wonderful animals at Antelope Park. We hope you can visit again soon. Have a wonderful 2020.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I had a beautiful holiday surrounded by utmost hospitality from staff. Antelope Park had also been on my bucket list for years, I am glad an opportunity to explore the amazing place paid off. I was a solo traveller but never ran out of options, either walks around the property or a range of activities.
The meals were scrumptious, the game drives, carriage ride, elephant encounter and lion feeding were memorable visits, I have a lot of photos!
I would love to return and relive the experience!
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You can come to Antelope Park as a Volunteer or as a Tourist. We came as tourists
It is a magical setting, with the main lodge looking out over a lake. But maintenance is poor - see other reviews below
My feeling is that they were badly hit by Covid and finances have not recovered. Be that as it may, I was disturbed by the "feeding of the lions" - mangy lions in a zoo line enclosure. One could not but feel sorry for the lions in this small enclosure
The park also hosts camping for long distance camping lorries for backpackers - who fill the pool area. The pool itself is not well maintained
Bottom line is, if you want to see lions, then see them somewhere else, where they are in the wild. As far as I could tell from questioning staff, no lions from here have been released into the wild for many years. You do not have to travel to Africa to see lions being fed in a zoo
Read more
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After reading some of the reviews I was tempted not to travel to Antelope Park but I am one person who likes to be proved wrong. My sister and I travelled to celebrate her birthday and yes I was proved wrong. Things at Antelope Park could be better but they could definitely be worse given the difficulties many businesses are facing.
The reservation and booking process went smoothly, thanks to the cheerful and communicative Ashleigh and Samantha. However, upon arrival, we found that our room was not cleaned and had a leak. This was quickly rectified by Management who upgraded us to an Island Lodge. Benjamin and Tyler were gracious enough to help us move to our new room, facing the river.
We chose two activities, the snake interaction and game drive. The guides, Taku and Maibongwe, were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter. We learnt a great deal about the local wildlife, including snakes, impalas, wildebeest, zebras, and rhinos. The opportunity to hold a snake was particularly memorable.
The surroundings were calming and breathtaking, making the morning walks a joy. The food was lovely, and our waitress Sarai was fantastic, adding to the overall positive dining experience.
While the place requires a capital injection to update accommodation and carry out major maintenance, there are small things that could be improved to restore it to its original glory. Despite these issues, they should be commended for their work in animal conservation.
While there were some hiccups, our overall experience was positive and fun. I look forward to seeing how they continue to improve and grow in the future. After all life is what you make it.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked via WhatsApp. On arrival they could not find our booking. However the receptionist assigned us a River tent. The tent was great and at a wonderful spot. Around the river there were beautiful birds: really wonderful. The meals were good: you can have them at the restaurant and at the cafeteria. The next day we selected the game drive from the list of activities provided by the receptionist (like almost all an intern). On arrival at the vehicle we were told that there were animals like Elephants, rhinos , zebra, lions and antelopes. On the game drive we got once explanation when we saw zebras. After this for 1,5 hour we toured around in the bush without further explanation. We saw rhinos but the guide did not stop. We asked him to stop. The guide replied ‘this is not in your package’. He refused to stop at the elephants as well. The whole crowd was furious . After talking to the manager it seems that we booked a antelope tour, that is their game drive. As it was not well explained at the beginning the manager gave us a compensation to see the lions and rhinos at the second drive. This is appreciated.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Ask carefully what activities entail
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My friend and I went here on a working holiday and it was the most amazing experience which fully lived up to my expectations and I will definitely leave a bit of my heart here! All the staff at the park were very friendly and knowledgable, they just want to ensure you have the best experience. They work very hard to ensure the people and animals are all well looked after. There are a variety of horses you can ride, at different levels but they are mainly rescues so don’t expect perfect riding school horses or 5* accommodation - if you want that stay in England or pay a fortune for a posh safari! It is important to remember you are staying in a developing country with people who care deeply about the animals and are doing their bit for conservation - volunteering here is really the best way to get up close and personal with local people and the animals. The rhino tracking experience and ancient cave paintings at Motopas Park was a really interesting addition to my stay and I’d totally recommend. I also got the chance to take part in the community projects run by Antelope Park and it was an incredibly humbling experience! Another huge positive was the other volunteers - we’ve made new friends for life and I hope we’ll be back next year!
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed one night as a stop over on a long journey and we were so glad we chose this lovely place. We stayed in a River Lodge, which had a lovely view out over the dam and we saw lots of bird life. The room was excellent, and we were grateful for the heaters on a cold May night.
The braai diner was superb and the early morning bird watching drive in the game parkway great. There is a lot to do for families and is well worth a longer visit.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
On our tour of Zimbabwe we stayed for an overnight stay at this lodge. The complex is very spacious, everything is clean, the tented camps are spacious. The breakfast buffet offered everything your heart desires, the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. We had a walk that was advertised as a "game drive" for a duration of 1.5 hours. There were zebras, giraffes and some antelopes to see, fortunately we had a very experienced guide who made the ride very pleasant due to his detailed reports about this species. But a "game drive" like in other African national parks or wildlife areas should not be expected here.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: October 2024
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fabulous life long memories! Wonderful place but remember if you book as a Volunteer this is a WORKING holiday. It is a brilliant way to get fully involved and a proper ‘hands on’ experience! Yes, the facilities are not 5 star or 1st class but the staff (without exception) are very welcoming and friendly and the whole point of the park is to help and preserve conservation of Zimbabwe. We had a brilliant time and would recommend to anyone wanting the full experience.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Day Lindiwe,
Thank you for your enquiry. My sincere apologies. Your email actually did not come through to us. Please kindly advise on your exact dates and on your email address please as we are unable to send through our email to you on TripAdvisor. Alternatively, please may you send us your email directly using the email addresses on our website, together with information on your nationalities, meals you may wish to have, contact numbers and the dates.
Have a lovely day and thank you again.
Warm Regards,
Amanda - Marketing and Front Office Manager
Hello Andrew M
Thank you for your enquiry. Our River Lodge would be the most appropriate accommodation considerating the number of adults and the child. It has a double bed and a bunk bed.
If you are Zimbabwean residents, the total is $185, if you are non-residents, the total is $213. Should you wisht to make a booking, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Have a great day.
Warm Regards
Amanda - Front Office & Marketing Manager
There are more places to choose from in the Gweru area.
LOCATION
ZimbabweMidlands ProvinceGweru
NUMBER OF ROOMS
24
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
