Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is an unforgettable jewel in the Southern African crown boasting a wealth of national treasures is famed for its warm and welcoming people. Vast, rolling landscapes, thundering rivers and rocky escarpments, Zimbabwe will not cease to astonish in its diversity both in scenery and wildlife. Featuring two World Heritage Sites – Mana Pools and Victoria Falls – along with Hwange, Malilangwe and Gonarezhou National Parks, the country is able to offer the greatest diversity of animals in it’s protected areas.

Currently, Zimbabwe represents the best value destination in Africa, offering luxurious lodges with incredibly hospitable staff. Accompanied by professional safari guides that have earned the reputation of being among the best in Africa, visitors can benefit from such expertise in exciting, unspoiled and un-crowded locations, embarking on a variety of adventures, by vehicle, by boat, by canoe or on foot.

Hwange National Park

The country’s largest national park borders onto Botswana and encompasses an area of 14 000 square kilometers. With its varied habitat of Kalahari sandveld, mixed woodlands, salt pans and grassy savanna, Hwange can boastan unrivalled level of diversity of wildlife in a single protected area. 

With over 100 mammal species, and 400 species of bird, Hwange is famed for its massive herds of elephant and buffalo that swell to the hundreds in the drier seasons. The park is also home to rare species such as sable and roan antelope.

Mana Pools National Park

This World Heritage site lies at the heart of Africa’s Great Rift Valley.  Bordered by the great Zambezi River, towered over by the majestic Zambezi Valley Escarpment, this stunning area teems with wildlife. Creatures great and small roam the floodplains and bask in the shade of the prolific Acacia forests.

Here, the river meanders along a series of channels and pools, which attract animals in great numbers: large herds of buffalo and elephant swim out to the grassy islands, and many pods of hippo bathe in the clear waters. Endangered wild dogs are seen frequently: lucky visitors might encounter a pack on the hunt, racing across the plains towards their prey. 

In this spectacular location walking, boating and canoeing safaris  offer a different dimension to game viewing – Mana Pools is truly a photographer and wildlife enthusiast’s paradise.

Victoria Falls

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, this natural, awe-inspiring spectacle needs little introduction. At double the height and triple the size of Niagara, Victoria Falls is known as ‘the smoke that thunders,’ and with 700 000 cubic meters of water plunging over 100 metres into the gorges below, it certainly lives up to its name. From the swirling eddies and graceful, meandering river above the waterfall to the raging rapids and zigzagging gorges below, this is one of the prides of Africa, the ethereal mist of the Falls felt for miles around.

Malilangwe Private Wildlife Reserve

With 40 000 hectars of pure, unfenced wilderness, this dramatically diverse and beautiful piece of Africa is often referred to as the continent’s “best kept secret.”  

A vast reserve boasting geological diversity, and  a wide variety of plant and animal species, Malilangwe is also home to one of the highest concentrations of the endangered Black Rhino, along with a healthy population of White Rhino. The area teems with  big game (lion, cheetah and leopard are seen often)  and includes other rare and endangered species such as the Roan and Sable antelope. 

The area is also famous for its magical sandstone outcrops, Mopane forests, majestic Baobab trees, and over 100 rock-art sites that date back more than 2,000 years.

A superbly executed trip with a phenomenal guide. Africa Bound Safaris is a rare company where a meticulous planner and an extraordinary guide amplify one another’s gifts.