Zimbabwe

National Parks & Places of interest in Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls is a spectacular waterfall on the border with Zambia. Although the most famous stretches of River Zambezi are in Zambia and Zimbabwe, the river traverses a whopping six countries that include; Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Victoria Waterfalls are the largest in the world measuring 5577 feet wide and varies in height from 262- 304 feet and It is estimated that roughly 600 million cubic liters of water hit the ground every minute on the Victoria Waterfalls. The months of January through April are considered the ‘flood’ months where the most water flows over the Falls and forms unbelievable clouds of spray spreading kilometers into the air. During the months of September to December, tourists enjoy 'toying with danger' on the edge of the waterfalls at the naturally formed Devil's Swimming Pool.

The Zambezi river that forms the Victoria Water Falls is the fourth largest African River after River Nile, River Congo and River Niger. Sunset Cruises and canoeing safaris are two highlighted activities to partake in on the upper river, whilst the river below the Falls is considered the biggest and best one day white water rafting in the world.

Hwange National Park

The largest game park in Zimbabwe, borders with Botswana and is found along the main road to Victoria Falls in Northwest Zimbabwe.In 1928 the park was first founded as a game reserve, and in 1961 it was designated a national park. There are a variety of camps in the park where visitors can stay, including luxury bush camps.

There are 480 kilometers of roads in Hwange National Park, some of which must be closed during rainy season. Night driving through the park is not allowed.

Wildlife that can be seen in Hwange National Park includes elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, antelopes, and gemsbok, and is home to one of the world's largest elephant populations, estimated to be as high as 30,000. Due to poaching there is very few Rhino left in Hwange National Park so this is a very rare siting.

Lake Kariba and Matusadona National Park

Located on the Zambezi River, Lake Kariba is one of the world's greatest man-made lakes. As a reservoir, Kariba holds some 180 billion tons of water at any time. The Dam was built in the 1950’s for hydro‐electric power generation and was officially opened in 1959.

Operation Noah, a 5‐year wildlife rescue operation, rescued over 6,000 animals, most of which were relocated to the Matusadona National Park whilst the Lake filled up upon completion of the Dam. Besides wildlife, a large number of families were relocated and homed in new towns and villages, now on the shores of the Lake such as Kariba, Binga, Mlibizi and Siavonga. The filling of the Lake between 1958 and 1963 caused more than 20 earthquakes of greater than 5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The Lake soon became a tourist attraction on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean side of the Lake, frequented by local and international visitors. Kariba has many mooring opportunities both on the mainland and on islands and offers romantic spots with idyllic waterfalls in places like the Sanyati Gorge.

The Matusadona National Park is the centrepiece in this beautiful landscape surrounding the lake. Kariba also has the most incredible birdlife to be found, rivalled only by the Okavango Delta in Botswana

Mana Pools National Park

This unique park is a WORLD HERITAGE SITE, based on its wildness and beauty, together with the wide range of large mammals, over 350 bird species and aquatic wildlife. Mana Pools is one of Zimbabwe's most popular parks, and it is easy to see why it falls into this profile.

The name "Mana'' means "four" in the local Shona language. This applies to the four large pools inland from the Zambezi River. These pools are the remnant ox-bow lakes that the Zambezi River carved out thousands of years ago as it changed its course northwards. Hippopotamus, crocodiles and a wide variety of aquatic birds are associated with the pools. ''Long Pool'', is the largest of the four pools, extending some six kilometres in a west-east direction. This pool has a large population of hippo and crocodiles and is a favourite for the large herds of elephant that come out of the thickly vegetated areas in the south to drink.You can take in the stunning landscapes, try a canoe trip along the Zambezi River to view the big game or go on a walking safari.

Matobo Hills National Park

An area scattered with huge piles of granite boulders, Matobo Hills National Park has some of the region's most breathtaking scenery and occupies a total area of 44 500 hectares. Established in 1953, the Park was awarded Unesco World Heritage Status in June 2003. Matobo meaning 'bald heads' was the name chosen for the area by the great Ndebele King, Mzilikazi. He is buried in the Matobo Hills just a short distance from the park.

Matobo National Park is also the site of the grave of Cecil John Rhodes. He is buried at the summit of Malindidzimu -' hill of benevolent spirits'. He referred to this hill as having a 'View of the World'. A short walk from the parking lot will lead the visitor to his grave, which is carved out of the solid granite hill and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of massive boulders.

The Park is home to a wide variety of animal species including: black and white rhinoceros, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, eland, sable, klipspringer, leopard, hyena, cheetah, hippo, warthog, rock dassies, waterbuck, wildcat, springhare, common duiker, crocodiles, baboons and monkeys as well as being a hikers paradise.

Chizarira National Park

Chizarira National Park is a remote region overlooking the Zambezi Valley best explored by walking and 4WD game drives. The rugged terrain dotted with gorges and ravines attracts those who take walking and safaris seriously.

Gonarezhou National Park

Gonarezhou National Park is situated in the south eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe and covers an area in excess of 5 000 square kilometres. "Gonarezhou" meaning "Place of many Elephants" is an extremely scenic Park full of rugged and beautiful landscapes. Three major rivers - The Save, Runde and Mwenezi - cut their courses through the Park, forming pools and natural oases from which hundreds of species of birds, wildlife and fish gather to feed and drink. As its name implies, Gonarezhou is famous for its elephants, and many of the largest-tusked elephants in the region maybe found within the Park.

Gonarezhou National Park is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), a massive Pan-African Park that includes South Africa's famed Kruger National Park and Mozambique's Gaza. This huge area is set to become one of the finest "peace parks" in the world and is dedicated to conservation, biodiversity and the economic development of the surrounding local communities. The vast and diverse nature of the mega-park will provide world-class eco-tourism to the visitor and strive to re-establish historical animal migration routes and fragile regional ecosystems. The combined Park will include more than 500 species of birds, 147 species of mammals, at least 116 species of reptiles, 34 species of frogs and 49 species of fish.