ZIMBABWE

Waterfalls & Wilderness

Despite its recent history, Zimbabwe has much to offer and the people are amongst the warmest, friendliest and most hospitable that you are likely to meet. Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of grandeur on the Zambezi River, with columns of spray seen from miles away as up to 546 million cubic metres of water per minute plummet over the edge at a width of nearly two kilometres into a deep gorge below. In addition to witnessing this natural phenomenon, the region has become a hub for adventure sports including bungee jumping, gorge swinging, micro-light and helicopter flights and white water rafting to name a few.

The Zambezi continues its journey through Lake Kariba, a man-made creation formed in the 1950s, where the resident wildlife of neighbouring Matusadona National Park are regular visitors drawn by the permanent source of water. Whilst further along the Zambezi you’ll find Mana Pools National Park, rich in wildlife such as hippo, crocodile and elephants. Canoeing is the highlight of any visit here, gently paddling along the river whilst elephants cast a wary eye in your direction is a thrilling encounter with nature.

Hwange National Park has one of the densest concentrations of game in Africa and some of the highest mammal diversity for any park in the world. At 1.4 million hectares, it is the largest reserve in Zimbabwe with varied habitats and vegetation types. There are just a handful of excellent camps in the park that offer superb guided game viewing, in particular the dense number of elephants and cape buffalo. In addition, visitors may encounter hyena, African wildcat, lions, leopard, Burchell’s zebra, numerous jackal species and honey badgers.

Matobo National Park occupies a total area of 44,500 hectares and includes an Intensive Protection Zone where a large population of black and white rhino are successfully breeding. The region is distinctly recognised for its huge granite rock formations where many historic rock art works have been preserved.

When To Go

♦ Zimbabwe’s summer is from November –April when afternoon showers can be expected. Mana Pools closes during this period but Hwange is less affected and camps remain open.

♦ The Victoria Falls peak flood is in March and April when due to the masses of spray rising, the full width of the Falls can’t be seen on foot. The aerial view at this time though is spectacular.

♦ As the floods abate, the view of the Falls gets better and better. At its lowest, around November and December, the Falls become smaller rivulets spilling over the edge.