Zimbabwe is one of Southern Africa’s undiscovered gems. It has an array of stunning scenery, pristine wilderness and incredible wildlife as well as warm, welcoming people. It is home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, as well as mighty rivers, mountains, forests and thousands of miles of untouched grasslands. The 10 national parks of Zimbabwe were established in order to protect these unique areas all of which are of major significance. Zimbabwe was at the forefront of developing the national park system and conservation in general and other African nations soon followed their model. The various parks all have their own character depending on their location, accessability, climate and wildlife populations. It is worth visiting more than one to get a true idea of the range and diversity of the wonderful wildlife and scenery to be found in Zimbabwe.
Hwange National Park – this is the largest and most popular national park in Zimbabwe. It is easy to self-drive in the park and its location close to Vic Falls makes it popular with tourists. Despite its popularity it is large enough to lose the crowds and it offers excellent wildlife viewing including most of the big safari animals and the Big Five. Hwange is famous for the large numbers of elephants that congregate round the park’s waterholes during the dry season. Between 20,000 and 80,000 elephants congregate around the waterholes during this time. All three of the big cats are regularly spotted and Hwange is also home to a large variety of antelopes. It is also a vital part of the preservation of one of Africa’s most endangered animals the African wild dog who have breeding colonies at Hwange. The park is situated on the eastern edge of the vast Kalahari desert so is mainly made up of sand and scrubland but you can also find teak forest and mopane woodland. We have lots of places to stay at Hwange including Camp Hwange.
Matusadona National Park – this beautiful park is found on the shores of Lake Kariba. It offers excellent wildlife viewing including all of the Big Five. Especially important are the groups of both white and black rhino and this is also where you will find the largest concentration of lions in Zimbabwe. Elephant and buffalo are also abundant in this area and Lake Kariba is home to many hippos and crocodiles. It is a great place for canoeing, birding and walking safaris and it is a great place for those wishing to get off the beaten track to a remote location. If you want to watch the sun setting over the lake with the Matusadona Mountains as the backdrop then this is the place for you! We have a choice of fantastic places to stay on the shores of Lake Kariba including Musango Safari Camp.
Mana Pools National Park – as its name suggests this is a watery wildlife area consisting of 4 main pools and several smaller pools on the floodplains of the Zambezi River. The landscape here includes lots of small islands and sandbanks bordered by lush forest, and also the sharp cliffs of the Zambezi escarpment. This unique riverine habitat and wildlife have been protected as a pristine wilderness and are now also recognised and further protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park is best explored by canoe or on foot as there are few roads and it really is a true wilderness. This is for those who are looking for a safari with a difference and those who like really getting out of the car and into the African bush themselves. If you are a keen fisherman, canoer or birder then this is the place for you. There are no rhino to be found here but the other four of Big Five are all here. You should see the Big Cats as well as large herds of elephants and of course large numbers of hippos and crocodiles. There are also colonies of rare African wild dog to be found here. If you want to stay here you can choose from a variety of camps including Mana Pools Tented Camp.
Victoria Falls /Zambezi National Park – this is one of the smallest but one of the most scenic national parks. Close to the spectacular Victoria Falls it can be visited as a day trip for those based at Victoria Falls so it is good for those with families, those not wishing to go on a full safari or those not wishing to go too far off the beaten track. The mighty Zambezi runs through the heart of the park providing lots of great scenery and picnic opportunities. This park cannot be compared to some of the larger National Parks as it is much smaller and has far fewer species. You are only likely to spot elephant and buffalo who are prevalent in the park as are crocodiles and hippos. The park is home to rarer species like lion and wild dog but you are very unlikely to spot any. We have a range of hotels in and around Victoria Falls but if you are looking for a safari camp then Elephant Camp is the place for you.
Matobo – this national park is famous for its incredible scenery which offers the unique sight of enormous granite rocks piled high on top of each other towering high above the plains. Like other sites in Zimbabwe (Greater Zimbabwe etc.) this park is also home to their ancient civilisation and there are several well-preserved bushman rock-art sites that you can visit here. There is a good amount of wildlife in the park although no lion or elephant but white rhino is spotted quite regularly. This park is also the best place to see leopard as it is home Africa’s largest density of this elusive big cat. They are really at home in this rocky landscape with plenty of place to hunt, climb and hide. It is good for self-drive safaris as small and has roads.
Chizarira – this national park is very remote and fairly inaccessible which means there are only a few visitors at any one time. The camps here are remote, the environment is untouched and you will ge to experience the true African wilderness. You should be able to see the Big Five apart from rhino. There are plenty of elephant, buffalo, antelope and a variety of predators including lion, leopard and spotted hyenas. Walking safaris are a big part of the experience here and the scenery is stunning as it is dominated by the rugged and dramatic Zambezi escarpment. The park actually covers 7 different ecological zones from low veld valley savannah to high veld broadleaf woodland.
Gonarezhou– this a huge park (5000 kms2) which is actually part of greater a trans-national wildlife preservation area called the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park. This Trans-frontier Park is also made up of Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park and South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Altogether they make up a vast wilderness area which allows the wildlife to cross national boundaries whilst still being protected. It is a vast area so the density of animals is not strong but there is a huge range of wildlife to be found here including the Big Five. You will also rarely see anyone else out on your game drives. Walking safaris are fantastic here and it is really the chance to experience the untamed bush in all its glory that make this park worth visiting.
Nyanga– this is not a major park for wildlife and safaris in general. The main attraction instead lies in the beautiful scenery, hiking and some interesting rock art and archaeological sites. Nyanga is also one of Zimbabwe’s top birding hotspots. There are over 300 species and there are several near-endemic species to be found here. The park is also part of the globally important Eastern Zimbabwe Mountains Endemic Bird Area (EBA).
Chimanimani– this scenic park is one of Zimbabwe’s finest mountain wilderness areas and a very popular hiking destination. The mountain range lies on the Zim/Mozambique border and the tallest peak is almost 2,500m. Close to the town are the famous waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls. The wildlife is not so important here but it is the landscape and scenery that is protected here. The park includes the Chirinda Forest, Africa’s southernmost tropical rainforest and home to rare species of plants and trees including the 1,000-year-old Big Tree at nearly 70m tall and 16m in diameter.
Kazuma– this park lies on the border with Botswana and is home to savannah grasslands. There are also a series of seasonally flooded pans in the south-west of the park that provide food and water for lots of birdlife and other wildlife.
Our team at Real Africa have visited many of the main national parks in Zimbabwe and have checked out all the accommodation options in each area so if you would like to find out more then give us a call.
Posted by Ruth Bolton