Zimbabwe Parks
Philip has traveled through Zimbabwe several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.
Chizarira National Park is one of Zimbabwe’s largest national parks and home to four of the Big Five (rhino is missing). Despite this, it is very remote and little visited, and animal densities are low as a result of ongoing poaching. Chizarira’s main attraction is undoubtedly its enormous wilderness appeal. It is well suited to the adventurous traveler, with guided walking safaris a big part of the experience.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Elephant and buffalo are regularly seen. The terrain is excellent for leopard, and lion and spotted hyena are also present, but none of these predators is seen with any regularity. There are good populations of antelope including klipspringer, impala and greater kudu. Roan and tsessebe, seldom seen in other parks, are also present.
Scenery
Chizarira’s rugged and dramatic terrain is dominated by the formidable Zambezi Escarpment, as alluded to in the park name, which derives from a local Tonga word meaning ‘Great Barrier’. 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.
Activities
The range of activities on offer in Chizarira is somewhat limited. There are very few roads and those that do exist tend to be rough going and unsuited to recreational game drives. The main reason people visit Chizarira is to go wilderness camping or on a walking safari, which is best arranged in advance with an experienced professional guide.
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 July to October, during the middle and end of the Dry season, is the best time to spot animals at Chizarira’s waterholes and rivers. Sunny, clear skies and no 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.
