Zimbabwe Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

• Formerly Salisbury, Harare, the capital, is Zimbabwe’s commercial and industrial center and also the usual starting point for any visit. It is a clean and sophisticated city, characterized by flowering trees, colorful parks and contemporary architecture. Local sightseeing includes the modern museum and art gallery, the Robert McIlwaine Recreational Park, which has a lake and game reserve, the Lion & Cheetah Park, the Larvon Bird Gardens and the landscaped gardens of aloes and cycads at Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens. Due to its pleasant climate, Harare is known as the ‘Sunshine City’.

• Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city, is a major commercial, industrial and tourist center. The city is rich in historical associations and is the home of the National Museum. Nearby are the ancient Khami ruins, while to the south is the Rhodes Matopos National Park, notable for its exotic formations of huge granite boulders. Dams with excellent fishing, caves with rock paintings, Cecil Rhodes’ grave and a well-stocked game park make this area popular with visitors.

• A holiday in Zimbabwe would be incomplete without a visit to the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the largest complex of ruins in Africa south of the pyramids in Egypt. The Main Enclosure, or Temple, has walls over 9m (30ft) tall, 4m (14ft) thick and over 228m (250 yards) in circumference, giving approximately 485,521 cubic meters (635,000 cubic ft) of hand-trimmed mortarless stonework. The remains are what is left of a city-state that flourished between the 13th and 15th centuries, trading in gold. Lake Kyle National Park is not far away; there is a well-organized campsite close to the lake.

• Do not miss the Victoria Falls. 120km (75 miles) from the Hwange National Park are the largest waterfalls in the world – at 2.5km (1.5 miles) wide, 550 million liters of water plunge 100m (330ft) into a narrow chasm every minute; the spray can be seen 30km (20 miles) away. To gain an overall impression of the falls, the ‘Flight of the Angels’ light plane trip is a must, as is a cruise up the mighty Zambezi River. It is possible to walk across to Zambia (with the minimum of formalities) to view from the other side.

Top Things to Do

• Formerly Wankie National Park, Hwange National Park is one of Zimbabwe’s largest parks, both in size, 14,620 sq km (5,644 sq miles), and in the variety of animals and birds that may be seen. Hwange is one of the last of the great elephant sanctuaries in Africa, with over 40,000 living in the national park.

• Not far from the Victoria Falls is the Zambezi National Park, where sable antelopes and other exotic animals graze in a parkland setting.

• Mana Pools National Park is one of Zimbabwe’s most beautiful national parks, occupying 2,196 sq km (848 sq miles) of forest along the shores of the Zambezi River. The animal population includes hippo, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many types of antelope. Game-viewing on foot is allowed. The birdlife along the river and in the bush is particularly prolific. It is possible to fish for tigerfish, bream and the giant vundu.

• Situated in the northwest of the country on the Zambian border, Lake Kariba covers 7,770 sq km (3,000 sq miles) and holds a million gallons of water. Game can be viewed from the comfort of various safari camps, or from well-appointed cruise vessels and self-contained safari-crafts.

• Located close to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second major city, Matobo National Park is noted for its spectacular granite rock formations and its wealth of ancient rock paintings. Cecil Rhodes’ tomb can be visited at Malindidzimu (View of the World). The Nswatugi and Pomongwe caves are worth visiting.

• Situated in the mountain range that covers the eastern part of Zimbabwe, Nyanga National Park is an area of high grasslands, evergreen forests, waterfalls, cliffs and lakeside cottages. Trout fishing is very popular and the trout hatchery is well worth a visit.

• Apart from the traditional way of driving along the parks’ game viewing roads, canoeing and boat safaris are popular alternatives. At Lake Kariba, which has abundant elephant, buffalo, rhino and smaller game living on its banks, boats can be hired for a day or for over a week. Canoeing safaris ranging from three to 10 days are especially popular between April and November along the Zambezi River past the Mana Pools flood plains.

• At the mighty Victoria Falls, the 111m (364ft) bridge linking Zimbabwe to Zambia offers one of the world’s highest bungee jumps. White-water rafting through the Zambezi Gorge is at its wildest between July and August. Canoeing and kayaking can be practiced on the more subdued river stretches above the falls.

• The string of mountains and the lush countryside in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, which form a natural border with neighboring Mozambique, are particularly sought after by walkers and trekkers. Climbing Zimbabwe’s highest mountain, Mt Nyangani, takes around one hour 30 minutes. The World’s View offers a panoramic view across northern Zimbabwe. From here, a steep footpath leads to the road to Nyanga village with its English gardens, village common and church.

• Zimbabwe offers excellent freshwater fishing, the best locations being Lake Kariba (famous for its tigerfish), the Zambezi River above the Victoria Falls (known for its giant catfish), the streams of the Eastern Highlands and the many lakes.

• There are around 40 golf clubs, most of which have 18-hole courses. The Eastern Highlands have the highest concentration of courses. The Zimbabwe Open is an annual competition attracting world-class players.