Zimbabwe Travel Guide

Zimbabwe — Things to Do

Browse the Zimbabwe Photo Gallery

Game Viewing

Wildlife flourishes in the untamed wilderness of the Zambezi Valley, in national parks and on the shores of Lake Kariba, where hippo, crocodiles, buffalo, rhino, elephant and lion roam freely. Remote and protected wildlife reserves line the banks of the Zambezi River and the region offers some of the finest canoe safaris in Southern Africa, particularly the World Heritage site at Mana Pools, which is renowned for its outstanding variety of game. The saltpans and grassy plains of Hwange National Park support one of the largest concentrations of animals in the world, and it is the largest game reserve in the country.

Zambezi River Boarding

Nearly half the rapids on the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls are classified as Grade 5 (Grade 6 is commercially unrunnable), which means that the steep gradient of the river causes long and extremely turbulent rapids with big drops and a high volume of water. For those that want even more adrenalin than the white-water rafting can give, river boarding allows individuals to surf their way down the mighty Zambezi armed with only a body board, fins, helmet and lifejacket. The big attraction is the physical freedom and the sense of achievement felt after tackling the Zambezi on your own. Some of the rapids are too big to be done on a river board, however, and for these rapids you will climb into the raft.

Bungee Jumping

At 364ft (111m), the bridge over the Victoria Falls was until recently the setting for the highest bungee jump in the world (the highest today is over the Storms River in South Africa). This jump is renowned for its adrenaline rush as you stand far above the turbulent water, looking down into the gorge below. The Victoria Falls Bridge lies in 'no man's land' between the Zimbabwean and Zambian border posts. Immigration officials will issue a Gate Pass for jumpers and spectators.

White Water Rafting

The Batoka rapids of the Zambezi River in Vic Falls is widely considered the best one day white water rafting trip in the world. Classified as Grade 5, with 'extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas', the challenge of rafting these rapids has been attracting adrenaline-junkies to the river since the early 1980s and, along with body-surfing in the gorge, still features as one of the most exciting things to do in Vic Falls. The White water rafting season is from early July through till early March, this varies slightly from year to year dependant on the river level. Rafting is closed between early March and Early July. The most exciting months for rafting are from late August through till mid December.

Kariba Tiger Fishing

Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has long been considered one of the best tiger fishing destinations in Africa. This vast lake, covering an area of over 5,000 square kilometers, sees hundreds of fishermen flocking to its shores each year to catch the huge, fearsome-looking tiger fish, considered the best fresh water sport fish. Kariba's annual Tiger Tournament, held in October, is a game fishing event that has gained global recognition over the years and draws quite a crowd. There are a number of houseboats that can be rented for fishing trips on Kariba and most of the boats have staff with a good knowledge of the best fishing spots, bait and gear to use.