​Overview – Chizarira NP

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip has traveled through Zimbabwe several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.

Philip is the Zimbabwe expert for SafariBookings and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Philip is our Zimbabwe expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Although Chizarira has four of the Big Five (rhino is missing), animal densities aren’t huge. The terrain is excellent for leopard, and there is a good variety of herbivores. The main attraction is its enormous wilderness appeal. Walking safaris are a big part of the experience.

Best Time To Go July to October
High Season June to August (Chizarira never gets busy)
Size 1,920km² / 741mi²
Altitude 704-1,240m / 2,310-4,068ft

Pros & Cons

  • Good general wildlife and four of the Big Five are present
  • Walking safaris are excellent
  • Beautiful, rugged scenery
  • Remote and rarely visited
  • There is no accommodation in or near the park, only camping
  • Poaching is a problem
  • Both access roads and game drive-tracks are difficult year-round

Chizarira NP Safari Reviews

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Wildlife

Elephant and buffalo are regularly seen. There are good populations of antelope including klipspringer, impala and greater kudu. Roan and tsessebe, rarely seen in other parks, are also present. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are the main predators and Nile crocodile can be found lying on the shoreline.

Scenery

The park’s rugged and dramatic terrain is dominated by the Zambezi escarpment. The park encompasses seven ecological zones, from lowveld valley savannah to highveld broadleaf woodland. Lush pockets of vegetation, fed by natural springs, are found in the valleys between the mountain ridges.

Weather & Climate

Chizarira’s mild climate is subject to two distinctive periods. The Dry season (April to October) is marked by generally warm days and cold nights. Everything changes with the coming of the very warm Wet season (November to March), especially in October when the park’s lower altitudes bake in temperatures of up to 40°C/104°F.

Best Time To Visit

From the middle to the end of the Dry season (July to October) is the best time to spot animals at Chizariria’s waterholes and rivers. Sunny, clear skies and an absence of mosquitoes are other advantages of visiting at this time of year. The greenery does flourish when the rains come, but this tends to be outweighed by unreliable roads.

Want To Visit Chizarira NP?

Chizarira NP Safari Reviews

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  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
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  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Emma Gregg  –  
United Kingdom UK

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

Seclusion close to Lake Kariba
4/5

Lying southeast of Lake Kariba, Chizarira looks reasonably near Hwange, Matusadona and Harare on the map, but once you’re there it feels extremely remote. I wouldn’t recommend Chizarira to anyone who’s primarily interested in Big...

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Latest User Review
Zimfreak Reviewed: Sep 21, 2011
4/5

Poaching problem.

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