We’ve always said that treehouses have a way of taking you places and this one took us halfway around the world!
In collaboration with Imvelo Safari Lodges, Nelson Treehouse is proud to consult on the development of Tum Tum Treehouse Lodge, a new safari destination tucked deep within Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. Designed to be both elevated and eco-conscious, this lodge is shaping up to be unlike anything we’ve worked on before.
Our Project Manager, Daryl McDonald, and Head Architect, Daniel Ash recently spent a week on-site at Hwange with Imvelo’s Managing Directors, Mark “Butch” Butcher and Marc “Bones” Jones, to kick off the design process and provide hands-on consultation for installing treehouse attachment bolts (TABs) in the local camelthorn trees.
Named after a nearby pan (watering hole) first known by the San people, Tum Tum will become Imvelo’s newest safari lodge and their first with elevated treehouses. The lodge will include:
Four elevated treehouses with raised platforms and canvas roofs, each perched 12–16 feet off the ground, with king or twin beds, ensuite bathrooms, and private decks perch in the camelthorn trees
A main lodge building serving as a communal gathering space
One family tent, designed to accommodate 4 – 6 guests comfortably on the ground level
Each treehouse will be spaced about 50 meters apart, offering a peaceful and private experience with sweeping views of the bush. And because elephants in the area tend to rub against the trees (as evidenced by the worn camelthorn trunks), a perimeter fence will be installed to protect both the trees and the structures.
Daryl and our Daniel spent seven days in Zimbabwe to walk the site, take measurements, draft designs, and consult with the local team on TAB installation.
“It’s a two-hour drive each way to the site,” Daryl said. “One route takes you through the local village or through the national park.” Either way, you’re seeing wildlife, epic sunsets, and ending the day with a beer break on the drive back.
Their home base for the week was Camelthorn Lodge, an Imvelo property that’s also home to two rhinos, Thuza and Kusasa. While staying there, the team worked on:
Designing four elevated platforms for the treehouses
Drawing up the common lodge area, with plans for a bar, lounge, and dining space
Creating a hardware schedule and verifying that our go-to hardware would work with the camelthorn species
Consulting with the on-site team on safe and effective TAB installation and treehouse building tips
Camelthorn trees are ancient, some over 200 years old, with gnarly limbs and old growth patterns. That meant finding healthy spots for TAB placement requires planning and thoughtfulness.
Daryl brought a selection of Standard Limb TABs, guiding the team through the process. “You’re avoiding old branches, wounds and knots.” he explained.
The height of each treehouse,12 to 16 feet, was intentionally chosen to stay above the reach of curious elephants.
Of course, not all days was about designs and hardware. This trip offered up moments of awe, adrenaline, and pure joy. A few highlights:
Getting mock charged by an elephant (everyone’s okay!)
A pride of 20 lions spotted in the park
Drafting treehouse plans while a rhino strolled INTO the lodge
A pair of lions lounging in the shade, just minutes after spotting their tracks
And a cheeky monkey peering through the window while the team worked
“It was a trip of a lifetime,” Daryl said. “Every day you wake up and you wouldn’t know what’s going to happen” but it was always something incredible.
Tum Tum Treehouses Lodge is set to open in late 2025, and we’re honored to play a role in its story. This project represents the heart of what we love most about building in the trees: collaborating across cultures, learning from the land, and creating spaces that help people connect with nature and with each other.
We’ll keep sharing more as the build progresses but for now, we’re just grateful to have had a front-row seat at the beginning of something truly special.
To the trees and to Tum Tum!
Find out more about having us design and build a vacation rental treehouse here.
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