Zimbabwe

Why go

Dry-season wildlife is excellent, and the country links cleanly to Chobe and to the Zambian side of the falls.

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  The falls

  Peak water is around April and May. The Zimbabwe side gives the broad view. Spray can hide the gorge when the river is highest. A flight shows the whole sheet.

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  Hwange

  A huge dry woodland park. Elephants and painted dogs at waterholes in the late dry season. It is the classic Zimbabwe safari.

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  Mana Pools

  A UNESCO floodplain on the Zambezi. Canoeing and walking are the activities. It is wilder and more seasonal than Hwange.

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  The south and the lake

  Gonarezhou is the remote south, next to private land at Malilangwe. Lake Kariba and Matusadona are houseboats and lakeshore game, a different trip again.

  • Zambezi National Park sits beside Victoria Falls town, so a drive and a river cruise do not need a second flight.
  • Matobo, near Bulawayo, is rhino tracking, horseback, and thousands of rock-art sites.
  • Mana Pools is the place people hope to see wild dogs, on a walk or a canoe, not from a town hotel.

Where to go

• Victoria FallsThe town and the rainforest walk along the gorge. Stay here for the falls, not for a full safari. Day trips run to Chobe if you want elephants without changing hotels.
• HwangeThe main wildlife park. Private camps around the concessions, and the national park itself. Three nights is a fair minimum.
• Mana PoolsCanoes, walks, and albida shade on the floodplain. Reached by air or a long drive. Best in the dry months when the park is fully open.
• Gonarezhou and KaribaGonarezhou for a quiet Big Five landscape in the south. Kariba for the lake, fishing, and Matusadona's shore. Choose one, not both, on a first trip.

When to go

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  May to October

  Dry, mild, and the best game viewing. June to October piles elephants onto Hwange's pumps and pans. Nights are cold in June. Malaria risk is lower, not absent.

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  January to April

  Rains, green bush, and a full falls. Some camps and park roads close. February can be too misty to see the gorge clearly from the path.

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  April and May

  The useful overlap: the falls are still powerful, and the bush is drying into safari season. Rates start to climb in May.

Travel advice

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  Borders

  The falls are shared with Zambia. A day on the other side needs the right stamp or visa. Chobe in Botswana is a common day trip from the Zimbabwe town.

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  Flights

  Victoria Falls has the international airport for this corner. Hwange and Mana Pools are light-aircraft hops if you do not want the road.

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  Health

  Take malaria advice for the Zambezi and Hwange. The falls town is not a reason to skip it. Drink bottled water.

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  Cash

  US dollars are widely used in the falls town and in camps. Confirm what the lodge wants before you travel. Cards are not a plan in the park.

Accommodation

Costs

From the journal

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  Places

  Our Ultimate Guide to a Zimbabwe Safari

  Our Ultimate Guide to a Zimbabwe Safari is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Zimbabwe. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Places

  10 Best Zimbabwe Safari Tours

  10 Best Zimbabwe Safari Tours is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Zimbabwe. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Places

  Zimbabwe Zambia Choosing Sides Victoria Falls

  Zimbabwe Zambia Choosing Sides Victoria Falls is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Zambia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.

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  Places

  Zambia vs Zimbabwe vs Botswana Which Is Best for Safari

  Zambia vs Zimbabwe vs Botswana Which Is Best for Safari is a planning note from Safari Continents Travel. It sits beside the destination guides for Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia. Published trip prices are a guide. You receive a quote before anything is paid.