Set atop an enormous granite rock and commanding inspiring views across Matobo National Park, which is a World Heritage Site, Big Cave Camp offers rustic accommodation amid ancient Khoisan rock art. Matobo Hills has one of the highest concentrations of ancient Bushmen rock art found anywhere in the world and these well-preserved ‘galleries’ can be visited on foot or by 4x4. The park also has plenty of plains game and boasts an impressive leopard population. Birds of prey are also particularly prevalent here, especially raptors which can be seen circling the skies at almost any given moment.

You can choose either to explore this rugged wilderness on foot with an armed guide or view the game from the comfort of a 4x4. Encounter wildlife on the camp’s private property as well as in the Whovi Game Park where night drives introduce you to the park’s nocturnal life. Spend the twilight hours before dinner sitting atop giant granite boulders around the campfire while gazing up at the stars.

Tours to the nearby Ndebele village and school provide insight into the lives of the neighbouring community, which guests of Big Cave Camp have supported through various social upliftment projects for many years.

Highlights

• View well-preserved Khoisan rock art in the Matobo Hills
• Immense prehistoric granite boulders
• Encounter wildlife around the camp & in Whovi Game Park
• Swimming pool, library & cave-like boma
• Tours to the nearby Ndebele village & school
• Honeymoon suite & family room
• Visit Nswatugi Cave & Cecil John Rhodes’s grave

Activities

• BUSH DINING
• GAME DRIVES
• GUIDED WALKS
• LOCAL VILLAGE VISITS
• BIRD WATCHING
• HIKING
• YOGA

Rooms

Chalet

Accommodation at Big Cave Camp consists of seven A-frame cottages with different configurations to suit couples, families or groups of friends. Your cottage is built from stone and timber is set within the rocky terrain of the Matobos. Thatched roofs and tiled floors keep the rooms cool in the summer months and cosy in winter. Each suite is adjoined by a furnished balcony affording splendid views, especially in the late afternoon when the setting sun is reflected off the large granite rocks surrounding the camp. All have en suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot-water showers.

Ntwane is a spacious honeymoon suite that can accommodate two children on a sleeper couch.

Facilities

The main communal area at Big Cave Camp has a natural rock pool and sundeck, which provides an idyllic spot to relax after a day exploring the national park's rock art and wildlife. A well-stocked teak bar, comfortable lounge and dining area all form part of the Leopard’s Lair, which features a large boulder as its centrepiece. Before dinner, guests are invited for drinks around a campfire in a cave-like boma. The lodge also has a small library and a swimming pool where guests can cool off on sunny afternoons.

One of the most popular rock art sites within the park is Nswatugi Cave – with its red and gold animal paintings – often visited in conjunction with Cecil John Rhodes’s grave at World’s View.

Dining

Meals at Big Cave Camp are unpretentious yet wholesome and delicious. A full English breakfast is the standard morning fare, which includes how-you-like-them eggs with all the trimmings as well as a continental buffet with pancakes, toast, cereals and fruit. Dinner always includes a delicious starter such as local pumpkin soup, followed by a hearty main course and dessert.