Zimbabwe: Matusadona National Park
Situated on the southern shore of Lake Kariba and bounded on the east by the Sanyati Gorge and the west by the Umi river, this scenic 600 square mile park has an abundance of elephant, Kudu, impala and buffalo. Game viewing by boat near shore, fishing and walking safaris are available.
A one-hour flight from Harare will take you to one of the most stirring sights in Africa: Victoria Falls, known locally by the Kololo people as Mosi-Oa-Tunyaa (Smoke That Thunders). At Victoria Falls, the mile-wide Zambezi River suddenly plunges 30 stories, at times spilling water at a volume of more than 2 million gallons per second. Rainbows, mist and the tremendous roar of the water stir the senses – few other natural wonders match its raw power.
First-time visitors to the falls are often surprised to find that it can’t all be taken in from one vantage point on land; rather, it’s seen from several viewing points along a paved, winding path on the opposite side of a narrow gorge, and there’s no sweeping perspective. But seeing it one piece at a time has its own rewards – each viewing point isolates and reveals another aspect of this spectacular place.
Related Travel Information
Zimbabwe: Lake Kariba/Mana Pools
Lake Kariba, created when a hydroelectric dam was built on the Zambezi River, offers a wide variety of islands, excellent wildlife viewing and big-game fishing. However, crocodiles, hippos and the parasite bilharzia make it a less-than-ideal venue for water sports. The Bumi Hills Safari Lodge is the lakeside property - it's small (only 34 rooms) and has a great location overlooking the water. On our last visit, we flew into the lodge's own (rather rough) gravel airstrip in a private aircraft. The shoreline on the lake side was mottled with hundreds of hippos wallowing in the shallows.
Zimbabwe: Chizaria National Park
This national park in western Zimbabwe is one of the country's most remote and least-developed reserves. The park sits astride the dramatic Zambezi Escarpment and is filled with steep cliffs and river gorges. The wildlife, particularly in the Busi Valley, is abundant. There are a few camps in the park, but the Chizaria Wilderness Lodge, just outside the park is the lodging of choice if you can afford it. Be aware that there are no facilities within the park, so you'll need to take along your own supplies. 200 mi/320 km west of Harare.
Zimbabwe Travel Destination: Gweru (Gwelo)
This town is situated in the middle of the county. The town of Gweru is mostly used as a base for visiting nearby national parks and ruins. While Great Zimbabwe has the most extensive ruins in the country, they are not the only ones: There are more than 200 such sites, and a few are near Gweru. The Dhlo ruins (small ruins with chevron and herringbone designs) are 45 mi/70 km away, and the Nalatale stone ruins, another small but interesting site, are 40 mi/65 km away. Sebakwe National Park (noted for fishing, birding and beautiful
Zimbabwe: Gonarezhou National Park
This park is 5,053 square kilometres in extent and is characterised by low altitude (most of it is below 400 m above sea level), high temperatures of up to 50ºC and rainfall that is low, varied, and unreliable. Gonarezhou (pronounced Gonna-res-or) or "place of the elephant" is the only large big-game national park in Zimbabwe not in the Zambezi basin. Its situated in the south-east lowveld, and bordering on Mozambique, Gonarezhou is in one of the hotter and drier parts of the country. Despite these apparent drawbacks, the Park is an extraordinary place to visit. It is
Zimbabwe Travel Destination: Kwe Kwe (Que Que)
A small town in central Zimbabwe, Kwe Kwe is best known for its nearby privately owned wildlife reserves and proximity to other sights (see also Gweru Midlands). Cabergeigh Estates, the best of the bunch, includes of a picturesque game lodge set amid 20,000 acres/8,100 hectares of mopane trees and water holes. Open-top all-terrain vehicles make it easy to spot large herds of elephants, wildebeests and impala, while sable, giraffes, eland, nyala, waterbucks, zebras and crocodiles are also common. Licensed hunting is possible in the park. 110 mi/180 km southwest of Harare.
