Chizarira National Park

The Gorges Are Gorgeous

Very few people come here as it’s way off the beaten track, but Chizarira is a stunning park with pristine forests and deep gorges along the Zambezi escarpment, making it one of the few remaining true wilderness areas in Zimbabwe. Poaching has taken its toll, so although there are lion, leopard and hyena with their attendant prey species, including sable, tsessebe, roan, kudu, giraffe and other plains game, they are all wary of humans, as are the elephants. When you do see them, it really makes your day, so this park is better suited for the more experienced safari visitor. It’s very underdeveloped and there’s currently no accommodation, so you’ll probably come here with one of the specialist operators who camp and walk in the park, rather than drive. I’ve had some magical nights camping here, sometimes perched right on the edge of the dizzying Mucheni Gorge, other times on a basic platform overlooking a valley, or by a small river in a secret, wooded environment.

The birdlife is fantastic with the rare Taita Falcon patrolling the cliff faces as well as the holy grail of birders, the African (Angola) Pitta, in the forest undergrowth. You should plan for the dry season as many of the tracks are impassable during the rains.