​Overview – Matobo NP

Matobo National Park has huge scenic appeal with balancing granite rocks towering above the plains. Wildlife viewing has become less productive over recent years due to heavy poaching. Lion and elephant are absent. Several well-preserved Bushman rock art sites are open to the public.

 
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Best Time to Go July to October (Dry season)
High Season July to September (Matobo doesn't get busy)
Size 445km² / 172mi²
Altitude 1,169-1,462m / 3,835-4,797ft
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Pros & Cons

  • Dramatic rock landscape
  • Great birding destination, especially for raptors
  • Excellent rock art
  • Good park for self-drive visitors
  • Accommodation options for different budgets available
  • Limited variety of safari animals (no elephant and lion)
  • Small park with limited road network

Matobo NP Safari Reviews

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  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Wildlife

Matobo has no lion or elephant, but white rhino is spotted quite regularly. The park has Zimbabwe’s largest concentration of leopard. The agile cats love to move around the rocky outcrops (koppies) at dusk and dawn. Another animal associated with the rocky terrain is the klipspringer, which is often found in pairs hopping from rock to rock.

Scenery

Two types of rock formations dominate the scenery. Huge, smooth, gray, granite whaleback hills rise up from the plains. Even more dramatic are the balancing piles of angular shaped rocks – which look like giant children’s toys carefully stacked on top of each other.

Weather & Climate

During Matobo’s Dry season (April to October), sunny days are the norm, but early mornings and evenings are chilly. During the Wet season (November to March), heavy afternoon downpours interrupt the bright conditions.

Best Time to Visit

The second half of the Dry season (April to October) coincides with the high season at Matobo. But you’ll rarely be troubled by anything resembling a crowd here. You will, however, get to see plenty of wildlife at this time, with the animals huddling around the available water sources. The wetter months are favored by birders.

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Matobo NP Safari Reviews

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  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Brian Jackman  –  
United Kingdom UK

Brian is an award winning travel writer, author of safari books and regular contributor to magazines such as BBC Wildlife and Travel Africa.

Lost in a lonely world of granite
4/5

It was Mzilikazi, the first great leader of the Matabele , who called these bare granite summits the Matobo because to him they resembled a huddle of bald heads. Today these strange, brooding hills are still a holy place, riddled with caves...

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Latest User Review
Elizabeth  –  
United Kingdom UK
Reviewed: Sep 1, 2019
5/5

The park is well run, with good roads and tracks. The scenery is spectacular, and the rock art we saw was the best we'd seen in our journey. There are no elephants, and not a huge amount of other wildlife, but we were there to see rhino,...

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