Zimbabwe Leopard

Zimbabwe Safaris

Temperature Chart
Map of Zimbabwe

 

Zimbabwe, home of the celebrated Victoria Falls, is a perfect introduction to Africa with magnificent scenery, warm people and boundless game.

A Zimbabwe vacation can take in all the pleasures of this varied country: the ever-changing landscapes and large number of national parks provide a rich variety of animal, plant and bird life, making it ideal for visitors wishing to combine a number of different areas and activities into one vacation.  

Your Zimbabwe safari might include Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest National Park with a huge concentration of elephant or Mana Pools,  one of Africa’s most beautiful parks with amazingly diverse game viewing and good concentrations of wild dog. Lake Kariba and Matusadona combine to provide a wonderful contrasting landscape.  Whichever areas you choose, a vacation in Zimbabwe is sure to surprise and delight.

 Read about white-water rafting in Zimbabwe >> 

Zimbabwe - Travel Tips


  • Game viewing is best between the dry months from May to October.
  • The Victoria Falls are at their most powerful between April and June and the most famous views of all are those from the Zimbabwean side.
  • A wide range of adventurious activities and different styles of accommodation can easily be combined in one trip.

Zimbabwe Safaris - A Personal View

Alice Gully

 

Zimbabwe in the mid 1990s is where my passion for Africa began. I worked on Lake Kariba and in Hwange National Park for a couple of years and for me it’s the most diverse of all African countries, offering a bit of everything (except coast, but Lake Kariba more than makes up for that).  I enjoyed the sailing and walking from Lake Kariba and Matusadona National Park, and catching Vundu (a type of cat fish)up the Sanyati Gorge at sunset will be one of my fondest memories.

To the west are the incredible Eastern Highlands and Chimamani National Park where you can hike for days among herds of eland and roan antelope and fish fresh water streams for trout. The south is drier with some important heritage sites and the Matabos hills, famous for their leopard and odd rock formations. Heading north, the massive Hwange National Park would satisfy even the most seasoned safari traveller with a wide range of accommodation and excellent game, in particular a huge elephant population and regular wild dog sightings, and bird life.Then there are the Victoria Falls in the very north east corner which in my view,  make a perfect start or end to any visit to Zimbabwe.

 

Alice Gully - One of Aardvark's Zimbabwe safari specialists

Zimbabwe Safaris - Ideas You Might Not Have Thought About

     
Mana Canoe Trails, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe  

Mana Canoe Trails

A gentle, yet exhilarating paddle down the Zambezi River and as one of the guides says, ‘it’s like sitting at a waterhole, except you are the waterhole’.  By day you drift past hippo, elephant, and a wonderful selection of birds.  By night you camp on uninhabited islands or remote stretches of the river bank. 

     
Zimbabwe - Tiger Fish Lake Kariba  

Tiger Fishing on Lake Kariba

Lake Kariba is well known for large fighting Tiger fish especially during September and October. Fish from the shore or, if you‘re feeling strong enough and want some real excitement, from a canoe.   Alternatively spend a few days exploring the lake on one of Kariba's many house boats. Fully staffed and catered, these offer a great way to see the Lake.

     
Zimbabwe - riding in Hwange National Park  

Riding safaris in superb wildlife areas
For experienced riders there is some wonderful riding in Hwange National park. You have the chance to get close to elephant and buffalo and a multitude of plains game without vehicle noise. An exhilarating way to experience this superb wildlife area.

     
Zimbabwe - Kariba Dam  

Walk across the Kariba Dam
Measuring 21 metres thick, 128 metres high and over half a kilometre long this awe inspiring structure is well worth a visit. Climb the Kariba heights to read how the dam was built and about Operation Noah and the efforts that went to rescuing all the wildlife from the lake floor.

     
Zimbabwe - Chimanimani National Park  

Walking in the highlands in Chimanimani NP

Stay in a lodge or a guest house in the western part of the country and explore some truly spectacular scenery.  You can walk for miles taking in the glorious views and stunning waterfalls or can climb Inyangani which at 2,529 metres is Zimbabwe’s highest point.