Big 5

Africa’s world-famous Big 5 consists of the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros. Welgevonden Game Reserve is proudly home to all five of these majestic creatures, thriving alongside more than fifty other diverse animal species.

You can encounter the Big 5 throughout the Welgevonden Game Reserve during our guided game drives. However, the magic often comes directly to you. The Big 5 and other wildlife frequently visit the waterhole situated right in front of Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa. For an extraordinary and safe photo opportunity, you can walk through our 65-metre tunnel to the underground hide for a close-up, eye-level view of the wildlife drinking and bathing.

The optimal times for viewing the Big 5 are during the cooler hours of the day. Our expertly selected rangers conduct daily game drives in the early morning and late afternoon, when the animals are most active. Additionally, our underground waterhole hide offers uninterrupted, spectacular viewing opportunities at any time of the day without leaving the lodge