Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a blend of wilderness, historical sights and geological wonders. Some of the country’s major sights include the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, Waterfalls, Karst landscapes, the geological wonder of the Victoria Falls and the Chinhoyi Caves, all truly unmissable on any visit to Zimbabwe.

Harare is the capital with steel clad skyscrapers, pretty parks and Jacarandas that dot the roadways. It is also the largest city in Zimbabwe. A visit to the National Gallery and the Queen Victoria Museum is a must as well as the wealth of old colonial buildings.

The one must see place on any visit to Zimbabwe would have to be the Victoria Falls where thousands of people gather to see this amazing sight of the roaring waterfall every year. You can enter the Victoria Falls National Park just to the south of the centre, gasping as the great curtain of water comes into view, cascading dramatically off its black rock cliffs in columns of steam and mist.

Bulawayo is the second city of Zimbabwe, with swaying trees that dot the old avenues and the occasional Anglo style public house occupying the arcades. This industrial and economic hub is always green and flowery, with Bougainvillea spilling over the rooftops and palms peppering the roundabouts.

Chinhoyi is a small crossroads town on the main throughway from Harare to Lusaka, a picture perfect scene of rural Zimbabwe. It sits nestled between the rising ridges of the Mashonaland West Province. However, Chinhoyi is famous for its caves that carve their way into the cliffs just west of the centre. Located in their very own National Park, divers come from far and wide to try ultra-technical deep descents into the cool subterranean waters that hide in the gaping caverns.

The Nyanga National Park is suspended at the very top of Zimbabwe, more than 1,800 metres above sea level and dominated by large hills of dolomite rock and suspended boulders. Adorned in groves of Msasa Trees and Cypresses that are rare to these regions, the habitats here can host a truly otherworldly array of creatures. Here you will see Old World Samango Monkeys, with their white brushed throats that can only be found in these parts as well as a few Lions and Leopards.

The Mana Pools National Park is fed by the lifeblood of the Zambezi River, which spills over onto the plains and grasses. The outcome is that animals gather at the sites to drink, making the Mana Pools a first class game viewing destination.

Gonarezhou National Park is a rock-ribbed, rusty coloured escarpments that dominate the landscape in the North Gonarezhou National Park. The area covers 5000 square kilometres where you can see Elephants, Giraffe, Zebra and Wild Dog packs between the Mopane woods.

The Kariba Lake region and the Zambezi Valley are small lakeside towns that see many visitors each year. Set just on the edge of Zambia, it offers access to the breathtaking Kariba Dam, one of the most awesome engineering feats in this region. The area is a great place for hiking and outdoor explorations.

Matusadona National Park is situated on the southern Banks of Lake Kariba, on the Zimbabwean side of the great water body. The entire region is beautifully untouched and untracked with Cape Buffalo and Elephants by far the most common mammalian inhabitants.

Matobo National Park is famed for its remarkable array of Inselbergs and Hoodoo Rock formations, it is a land of sculpted granite peaks and anthropomorphic bluffs. While some come to stalk ungulates in the Hove Wild area, the dedicated game park where you can see Antelope and Wildebeest, Baboon packs and Leopards. others come to search out remnants of southern Africa’s pre-history carved into the stone at spots like the Nswatugi Cave.

The Hwange National Park, the centre for ecotourism, a 15,000 square kilometre protected landscape is where you will find the mosaic of Kalahari woods and teak groves, grass plains and flood flats, all of which are peppered with bulbous termite mounds and the occasional pan, a watering hole that makes this one a perfect destination for Lion pursuers. It is also possible to see Hyenas and Wild Dogs, Leopard and Cheetah all lurking amidst the fossil spotted Riverbanks and bubbling Hot Springs.