Tracking rhino on foot
Tracked quietly, at distance, with guides who know every valley — in one of the safest places in Africa.
Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice
4.6 / 5 from 294 reviews
Family-run since 1994
01 A place like no other
Carved from three billion years of granite.
The Matobo Hills hold a stillness the modern world has forgotten.
Here, a handful of guests share a private corner of a UNESCO-listed wilderness — with rhino on foot, ancient rock art, and a silence you can feel.
We are the only private lodge inside the park, which means the hills are quiet by the time the day visitors have gone.
A place like no other
Six reasons people come.
03 The chalets
Stone, sky, silence.
Seventeen chalets nestled into the hillside, with no neighbours and no noise.
Each has a private veranda looking out over the granite horizon, an en-suite bathroom, complimentary Wi-Fi, a tea and coffee station and daily housekeeping.
04 Signature experiences
What you will actually do.
An Ndebele afternoon
A homestead visit with the neighbours. A meal shared, a craft shown.
A sample stay
Three Nights at Matobo
Three nights is the shape most guests settle on: you arrive, spend two full days on foot and in the hills, and leave after a slow last morning. Yours to reshape.
Day 1
Arrive at the lodge
You arrive at the lodge and the day slows down. A drink on the deck as the granite goes gold, then a three-course dinner at your own private table, the hills going quiet around you.
Day 2
Rhino on foot, then the caves
An early start. After breakfast you head out on foot to track white rhino with a guide who knows the ground. Back for lunch, then into the cool of a granite cave to read San paintings left on the rock tens of thousands of years ago. Swim if you like; the evening is yours.
Day 3
The village, and World's View
A morning with an Ndebele community a short drive from the lodge, unhurried and on their own terms. In the afternoon you climb to World's View, where Cecil Rhodes is buried on bare granite. You stay for a sundowner up on the rock: gin and tonics, a cold beer, something to eat, the kopjes going dark on every side.
Day 4
Departure
A last breakfast on the deck, and time to sit with the silence before the drive back to Bulawayo. Most guests leave already working out when they can come back.
Planning notes
Useful guides before you travel.
Culture & History
Matobo Hills: A Visitor's Guide
A 2.6-billion-year landscape of granite, paint and memory — the definitive guide to one of Africa's oldest places.
20 min read
Read the guide
Travel Planning
Best Time to Visit Matobo Hills
Every season in Matobo brings something different. When to come for wildlife, for walking, and for the light.
6 min read
Read the guide
Experiences
Walking with Giants: Rhino Tracking
There is a moment when time stops — standing twenty metres from a two-tonne white rhino, on foot.
8 min read
Read the guide
Culture & History
The Ancient Art of Matobo
Painted 13,000 years ago, these are not just pictures — they are portals to a spiritual world.
5 min read
Read the guide
Wildlife
Wildlife Safari in Matobo: What Will You See?
Rhino, sable, leopard and the world's densest population of Verreaux's eagles.
6 min read
Read the guide
Travel Planning
The Merino Wool Travel Clothing Guide
GSM weights explained, safari-specific layering, and what actually survives a week in the bush.
7 min read
Read the guide
The Matobo Journal
Read the rest.
Guides, field notes and a monthly letter from the lodge.
Open the journal
A glimpse of Matobo.
Getting here
Closer than you think.
- 55 kmSouth of Bulawayo
- 55 minBy road
- 90 minFrom J. M. Nkomo International
- InsideMatobo National Park
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Rates & park fees, in writing.
Accommodation, guided activities, park fees and transfers — everything for a 2026 stay, in a single PDF, sent to your inbox.
In their words
What guests say.
Rated 4.6 out of 5 across 294 reviews on Tripadvisor.
Such an amazing location and built to fit in perfectly with the rocks of Matopos.
Its setting is magnificent, its comfortable chalets blend seamlessly into the landscape, the food was delicious and the staff delightful.
A special shout-out to our cheerful tour guide, TK, for an unforgettable rhino experience and trip to World’s View.
The attention to detail was deliberate and consistent, and the staff operated at a level of attentiveness that genuinely stands out.
Fine dining, beautiful location, very peaceful, great service.
Start your enquiry
Tell us what you have in mind.
Dates can be flexible. A few details are enough for our team to begin shaping a Matobo itinerary.
Stone underfoot. Eagles overhead.
Inside the UNESCO Matobo Hills, with the family that has opened the door here since 1994.
Before you come
Frequently asked questions.
How far is the lodge from Bulawayo?
About 55 km south, roughly 55 minutes by road. J. M. Nkomo International Airport is around 90 minutes away and we arrange transfers on request.
What is included in the rates?
Every package includes the chalet, breakfast, Wi-Fi and pool access. Dinner, full board, guided activities and park fees are added depending on which package you choose.
Is rhino tracking on foot safe?
Yes. Walks go into the Intensive Protection Zone accompanied by an armed National Parks ranger alongside our own guides. Matobo is one of the safest and most reliable places in Africa to track white rhino on foot.
Is Matobo a malaria area?
Matobo is a low-risk area and most of the year presents very little concern. We would always suggest speaking to your own doctor before you travel.
Can children join the rhino walk?
Younger children are welcome at the lodge and on most activities. For the rhino walk specifically, please talk to us about ages when you enquire so we can advise honestly.
Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Yes. Tell us when you book and the kitchen will plan around it — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergies are all routine for us.
Is there Wi-Fi and mobile signal?
Wi-Fi is available in the main lodge area. Mobile signal is intermittent in the hills, which many guests come to appreciate.
What should I pack?
Sturdy walking shoes above all — you will be on granite. Layers for cool mornings and evenings, sunscreen, a hat, and binoculars if you have them.