Destination Zimbabwe, Africa

Zimbabwe - Basic Facts

Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. Zimbabwe has enjoyed the status of best tourism attraction till early 1990’s but after the economic reform program in 2000, there was 75% decrease in tourist which highly effect the economy of Zimbabwe. However, Zimbabwe is slowly regaining its lost glory and tourists return back to the country to enjoy natural beauty can be witnessed. Zimbabwe has several major tourist attractions. Victoria Falls on the Zambezi, which are shared with Zambia, are located in the north west of Zimbabwe.

The Victoria Falls National Park is also in this area and is one of the eight main national parks in Zimbabwe, the largest of which is Hwange National Park. Hwange National Park and Mana Pools, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are some of the best National Parks and safari destinations in the region. The capital and largest city is Harare and the second largest being Bulawayo. A country of roughly 16 million people, Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most commonly used. The country is mostly savannah, although the moist and mountainous eastern highlands support areas of tropical evergreen and hardwood forests.

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About Zimbabwe - Victoria Falls & Amazing Wildlife

For many years, Zimbabwe’s reputation as a travel destination has been tainted by the specter of political unrest. However, the country is more stable now than it has been for decades, and slowly, tourism is returning. Most of Zimbabwe’s top attractions are found outside the main cities, and are therefore considered relatively safe. Those that decide to visit can expect breathtaking nature areas, exotic wildlife and ancient sites that offer a fascinating insight into the continent’s history. Best of all, Zimbabwe’s world-class game reserves and UNESCO World Heritage Sites remain incredibly uncrowded — giving you the truly thrilling sense of having stepped off the map. Here are 10 of the best places to visit on your Zimbabwe adventure. . Here is a selection of Zimbabwe’s Top 10 most popular and unmissable destination attractions;

Zimbabwe's Famous Cities, Towns and Regions

Harare City, Zimbabwe's Capital: Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe with an area of 370.9 sq meter and elevation of 1,490 feet. It is the most populated city of Zimbabwe which was founded in 1890. Due to its presence at high altitudes it has a subtropical highland climate. This huge city has a number of outskirts to visit which should not be skipped by the tourists like Chapungu Sculpture Park, Zimbabwe Museum and National Heroes Acre. It is a one of the largest commercial city of Zimbabwe which is popular in trading for the variety of products including Cotton, Maize, Tobacco and Citrus fruits. It is the city where gold is mined and has many industries like chemical industry, steel industry and textile industry. Doon Estate, Harare is the best place for shopping as one can buy homemade things like confectionery. Coffee of the state is one of the delicious things to enjoy as it has a great taste that one cannot forget. Local authors and artisans can be enjoyed there in a lovely manner. Shops there include Dendera gallery, Zimbabalooba, Roz Byrne and many more. this place is serving good food from vegetable platters to salads and yummy lemonades.

Bulawayo Town, Matabeleland: If you find yourself craving urban culture, pay a visit to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city (after the capital, Harare). Founded in the mid 19th-century by Ndebele king Lobhengula, the city came under the rule of the British South Africa Company during the Matebele War. As a result, much of the city’s present-day architecture dates back to the colonial era, and walking through the wide, jacaranda-lined streets feels a lot like stepping back in time. Top attractions in Bulawayo include the Natural History Museum, home of taxidermied safari animals and rarities including a dodo egg and a prehistoric coelacanth fish. It is possible to encounter living African animals at Chipangali Widlife Orphanage, located a short drive southeast of the city. Medieval replica Nesbitt Castle adds to Bulawayo’s atmosphere of eccentric history and doubles as a boutique hotel.

Mutare City: Also located in the far east of the country, Mutare is Zimbabwe's fourth-largest city; yet has a laid-back atmosphere inspired by its scenic highland setting. It's known for its charming guesthouses and B&Bs, including popular budget option Ann Bruce Backpackers. Old-fashioned Mutare Museum is a must-visit for transport enthusiasts with a notable collection of vintage cars, motorbikes and steam engines. For nature lovers, Bvumba Botanical Reserve promises breathtaking views and walkways that give you the chance to look out for rare fauna including the Swynnerton's Robin and the endemic Samango monkey. For many people, Mutare's greatest worth is as a base for exploring the Bvumba Mountains or nearby Nyanga National Park. Overlanders appreciate its location a few minutes' drive from the Mozambique border post.

Kadoma Town: This dilapidated gold rush town is located 166 km by road, southwest of Harare. In the very heartlands of Zimbabwe, the town of Kadoma actually started life as the home of the miners and prospectors who crowded to the central provinces here. This mining area also provides copper and nickel. After the discovery of gold, Kadoma prospered quickly. Before 1990, the people of this area began cotton cultivation and as a result cotton related industries began their business here. Now, Kadoma is a richly-motivated place, with some colonial-style church towers and an agile local population of nearly 80,000. Visitors come here to know about Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth, and see the beauty of the swaying cotton field in the African breezes.

Chinhoyi Town: A small crossroads town on the main way west from Harare to Lusaka across the border in Zambia, sleepy Chinhoyi is a kind of picture of rural Zimbabwe. It sits nestled between the rising ridges of the Mashonaland West Province, and comes with a sleepy vibe and a set of essential services – a bank, hospital and the like. However, Chinhoyi is famed mainly for one thing and one thing only: its caves. Chinhoyi is home to the mysterious Chinhoyi Caves. A subterranean system of limestone and dolomite caverns and tunnels, the caves are protected as park of Chinhoyi Caves National Park. Known simply as the Chinhoyi caves, these carve their way into the cliffs just west of the center. They occupy their very own national park, and divers come from far and wide to try ultra-technical deep descents into the cool subterranean waters that hide in the gaping caverns.

Victoria Falls

Victoria fall is a waterfall with the height of 355 feet ( 108 meters ) located at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is the worlds largest waterfall on the basis of its width and height which was discovered by David Livingstone in 1855. It is forged by the Zambezi river that plummets into a 100 meters deep chasm. Its boom can be heard from 40 kilometers away. It has a diverse collection of flora and fauna. A large number of birds can be seen there and has a large variety of fish. Now this place is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Main attraction of this place is a devils pool located right next to the cliff and is a place to swim and face a number of amazing things. Bungee Jumping off the Victoria Falls is a major tourist activity here. The most kooky, nutty and terrifying thing to do is Bungee jumping from the height of 111 meters off the Victoria falls. This is been running by a company named Zambezi Adrenaline Company. it is one of the most adventurous dive into the Zambezi. A person is tied from its ankle with a rope and can jump into the Zambezi in four seconds. This fall is one of the first top five jumping on the Planet. It is one of the seven natural wonders. it is the best place in Zambezi to visit. thousands of people enjoy this jump every year.

Hwange National Park, Metabeleland North

Hwange National Park in one of the best tourist places in Zimbabwe, covering an area of 14,651 km which was founded in 1928 and constructed near the Kalahari desert. It is located between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. This area is dry and has a lack of water during winter months but during the wet summer months the park become lush green. It has almost 500 species of animals, birds and huge number of elephants which make it an important place for predators. It has many camping and picnic sites which attract the tourist even more. This park can be explored by walking or using animal trails. It is one of the best places in Zimbabwe to visit. Hwange National Park is the oldest and largest of Zimbabwe’s game reserves. It covers a vast expanse of around 5,655 square miles/14,650 square kilometers and provides a refuge for over 100 species of mammal - including the Big Five. It is most famous for its elephants - in fact, the Hwange elephant population is thought to be one of the largest in the world. The park is also home to some of Africa’s rarest safari animals, including the African wild dog, the brown hyena and the critically endangered black rhino. Birdlife is abundant here, with over 400 species recorded within the park. Accommodation in Hwange National Park ranges from luxury lodges located in their own private concessions, to rustic camps that offer the chance to spend a night under canvas in the heart of the African bush.

Mana Pools National Park

The Mana Pools National Park is fed by the lifeblood of the Zambezi River, which spills over onto the plains and grasses here when the rains fall to create a patchwork of watering holes and pans during the wet season. Mana Pools National Park is one of Zimbabwe’s most wild and outlying parks. Mana means ‘four’ in the local vernacular Shona language, one of Zimbabwe’s major languages. These pools are contributed by the Zambezi River. In the wet season, when the rain falls, it creates a patchwork of watering holes. For the adequacy of grass and water, the varying wildlife here thrives and multiplies every year. The long pool is the biggest among the four pools. This pool offers a good number of crocodiles and hippos and herds of elephants that come here to bathe and drink. As it’s a top one game viewing destination, visitors are bound to catch a glimpse of big herbivores like zebra or elephant and occasionally a lion or a cheetah. Continuous trekking into the forest will lead you to come across the Zambezi River which acts as the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Of these, it’s the largest four that gave the area its name , but there are actually countless little puddles to see. The main upshot is that animals gather at the sites to drink, making Mana Pools a game viewing destination of the top order.

Nyanga National Park

Nyanga National Park is the home of the Highveld is a wild and wonderful place. Perched on the very roof of Zimbabwe, more than 1,800 meters above sea level, it’s formed by hulking hills of dolomite rock, and suspended boulders that creak in the cool breezes. Dressed in groves of msasa trees and cypresses that are rare to these regions, the habitats here can host a truly otherworldly array of creatures. Many are endemic, like the Old World Samango monkeys, with their white-brushed throats that can only be found in these parts. You’ll also find a smattering of leopards and lions, just in case you wanted a taste of the quintessential African safari!.

Matobo National Park

The mythical Matobo National Park is a cross-shaped reserve located just south out of aforesaid Bulawayo. Eminent since ancient times, for its strange order of inselbergs and hoodoo rock formations, it’s a land of sculpted granite peaks and anthropomorphic slopes. These have been a sanctuary for men for millennia. Today it’s possible to find out the remains of southern Africa’s pre-history engraved into the stone at places like the Nswatugi Cave. In the mean time, others come to follow ungulates in the Hove Wild Area – the presented game park here; an area of sable antelope and wildebeest, baboon group and leopards.

Gonarezhou National Park

Gonarezhou National Park is situated in the south eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe and covers an area in excess of 5 000 square kilometres. “Gonarezhou” meaning “Place of many Elephants” is an extremely scenic Park full of rugged and beautiful landscapes. Alternative folklore suggests the are was named for the herbalists who would stock their medicines in tusks (known as gona in the Shona language). Three major rivers – The Save, Runde and Mwenezi – cut their courses through the Park, forming pools and natural oases from which hundreds of species of birds, wildlife and fish gather to feed and drink. As its name implies, Gonarezhou is famous for its elephants, and many of the largest-tusked elephants in the region maybe found within the Park. The vista of Gonarezhou National Park is dominated by the rock-ribbed, rust-colored escarpments. The wildland is the home of a good number of big mammals. It also houses some rare species like the king cheetah. As the park is dissected by three rivers: the Save, Runde, and Mwenezi, the park’s wildlife thrives greatly for the adequacy of water. Fish, birds and larger animals crowd to the pools and oases that are formed by the rivers. Like most forests and mountains in Zimbabwe, this park is sacred and claims great respect from those who choose to visit here.

Chimanimani Mountains, Zimbabwe

Chimanimani is actually a park that includes outstanding Chimanimani mountains. The astonishing scenery and immaculate environment of these mountains have always attracted audacious travelers. This provides hiking, rock climbing, camping, caves and natural swimming pools. most of the range is levelheaded with quartzite ridges. The highest point is 2440 meters high. the village of chimanimani was founded by Thomas Moodie. At 70 meters high and 16 meters round tree called mahogany can be visited. Bridal Veil Falls can also be visited which is located above the Chimanimani village. Base camps are available for the limited number of visitors.

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins, Masvingo Province

It is Zimbabwe’s one of the ancient archaeological sites which is believed to be the city constructed by Gokomere culture in 11th century. Later this site was settled in 14th century, which is now turned into a ruin. here some walls can be seen with height of above, then 5 meters, which are not joined by mortars. this property of almost 750 hectare is divided into three groups named Hill Ruins, the Great enclosure and the Valley Ruins. first group include several layers of human settlements. second group includes a variety of blocks arranged in a regular courses made up of granite and the third group is a series of living organizations.it is a best place to visit in Zimbabwe.

Lake Kariba

Located on the border of Zambia, this lake is one of the biggest manmade lakes on earth. It offers access to the exciting Kariaba Dam which is one of the most wonderful engineering feats in these parts. This lake is responsible for a rich ecosystem consisting of game, birds and fish. The tiny lakeside town attracts thousands of visitors a year to the absolute northern tip of the country. Visiting Kariba is a worthwhile effort. Besides the big lake and the cultural importance of the Kariba, once there one can enjoy plenty of entertainment activities including the customary African experience of game viewing, a fishing tour and best of all, an excursion on a boat house just living life while on the drift. Spectators can enjoy the red-pink African sunsets in the company of local people, as the evening hues fall over Antelope Island in far. For more information regarding Zimbabwe Holiday Travel ideas, DO NOT hesitate to Contact Us.

AfriChoice operates a wide range of carefully designed tours and safaris to Zimbabwe by providing transport and booking a hotel for you. Our safari consultants will always be at your assistance should you need a tailor-made holiday to this unique destination. NB: For more information regarding Zimbabwe Travel, DO NOT hesitate to Contact Us.