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andrew_mc_d
Visited:
September 2011
Reviewed: Oct 2, 2011
Adventurous Self Traveller? Get off the beaten track in Zim.
That was pretty much the standard answer when we told people that we were spending our summer holiday in Zim. We being me, my wife, my Father in Law and two children, 8 and 10. My wife had been born there "back in the day" and so we were making a trip down memory lane as well as spending some time in South Africa and Botswana.
Our first exposure to Zim was the border crossing at Beitbridge. We had been warned it would be difficult and would take a while to get through. Three and a half torturous hours later (including the time and cash it took to temporarily import our hire car and write down the serial numbers of the money we paid our visa fees with) and we were in country.
We spent some time visiting old haunts and so it was a few days before our first trip to a national park proper, Matopas (also known as Matobo). As always with national parks in Zim we were met at a guarded gate by
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a pair of uniformed officials. And as always they were friendly, polite and honest - one enthused about how wonderful it was that we had come all the way from Ireland to his country and the other listing all the Irish soccer players he knew! Once we had found out that we supported the same team we were friends for life!We made the well worn trek up to the heights to visit Rhodes grave and were rewarded with some of the most spectacular views across raw bush that looked like it hadn't changed in thousands of years and from there we followed the route through the park recommended by my new best buddies at the gate. The viewing was partly restricted by the time of day but we saw the usual small game - impala in particular are very common in the area. Other than that we had some close encounters with giraffe and several large herds of elephants, including at least two nursing mothers. The scenery in the park itself was also outstanding - the trip down around the dam is a must. One warning though - many of the roads are tar but we branched off onto the "Scenic Route" which was a dirt track and it quickly deteriorated to the point where our standard jeep couldn't go on and we had to turn in the bush - a larger 4x4 such as a Land Cruiser could have coped but do be wary if you are in anything smaller (we were in an X-Trail). I have been told by several people that the largest concentration of wild leopard in the world are in the park but we didn't see any.
We then carried on to Antelope Park, a lion rehabilitation centre near Gweru. It's not a safari experience in the truest sense but it is well worth a detour for the experience.
Our next proper camp experience was at Miombo Lodge on the edge of Hwange National Park. This is a Lodge that has recently changed hands and the treehouses were undergoing renovation during our trip. That said I have rarely had a friendlier welcome and I would recommend this camp without hesitation - great food and atmosphere. One of it's best features is the waterhole just on the edge of the property and early in the morning we had a knock on the door from the owner to tell us that water buffalo were on their way to drink barely 200 yards from our room door - a very nice way to start the day!
Hwange itself we barely scratched the surface of as we were on a pretty tight schedule to see friends but it was much the same as Matopas - zebra, giraffe, lots of small game and herds of elephants. I should point out that we were self driving and self guiding and someone who knew the area better may well have seen more.
We rounded off the Zim leg with a short stay at the superb Elephant Camp in Victoria Falls - probably the highlight of the entire trip. It's an astoundingly high quality camp with fantastic lodging and world class food. Best of all was using the "bush shower" on our private veranda (complete with plunge pool) as the sun rose over the Zambezi and with the spray of the falls in the distance while a herd of wild Water Buffalo wandered through the bush just a few hundred meters away. And we did have a close encounter with a cheetah that most of our friends refuse to believe...!
We chose to set our own itinerary and travel independently through Zim and it was a pleasure and surprisingly easy. We paid in advance using Paypal and Bank Transfers to minimise costs and cash/bank risks in country. Travel throughout the country was on fairly well maintained and clearly signposted roads and we had very few issues with navigation although I wouldn't recommend driving at night. Fuel was reasonable and plentiful and everyone we met, from petrol station attendants to street vendors and lodge or park staff were friendly and polite. The food was of a high standard and fresh.
We didn't do a standard tour at any point in Zim so I can't comment on how organised trips and tourists are treated or what they are like but I would highly rate and recommend it for an independent safari traveller who is looking for a destination that isn't overrun and where you have more chance of seeing animals than other peoples backs!
arnorab
GB
Visited:
February 2010
Reviewed: Sep 23, 2011
65+ years of age
It all remarkably unspoiled at the moment.
kboaler
AU
Visited:
August 2009
Reviewed: Sep 22, 2011
20-35 years of age
Full of character and surprises.
We went there in August and the weather was amazing, October gets really hot and dry. We went to Victoria Falls or "Mosi oa Tunia" as the locals call it. The smoke that thunders. It was absolutely amazing and I recommend it to anyone. Victoria falls has loads of activities to offer, rafting ,canoeing , Gorge swing , game viewing, river cruises and much more.
The hotels are mostly 5 star although if you are on a budget Victoria falls has a variety to offer as does most of the country.
Watch out for Visas, if you are on an American or British passport be prepared to pay up to $50 for a single entry!
The amount of wildlife you will see depends on the time of year that you go, if you are ere during the "rainy season" most of the big game will be hard to find, though the guides should be able to find most.
Don't rely on public transport though the trains seem to be ok, they leave once a day.
Jörg Schönfels
DE
Visited:
October 2001
Reviewed: Sep 18, 2011
35-50 years of age
a (very) short view in North Zimbabwe
We visited - coming from Botswana on the way to Zambia - shortly the Zambezi N.P. and the Falls. 2001 was the time at beginning of the crisis in Zimbabwe, there where only a view organized tourists at the falls and no one in the N.P. accept ourself. There were some problems with the petrol supply e.g.
Wildlife was a bit poor in the park - have seen just some pigs and a lot of monkeys, which try to steel what they could get (including closed tins and onions).
The Falls are better to visit an the Zimbabwe side than on the Zambian.
Because of the unsave situation inside the country at this time we did not travel further in Zimbabwe.
Michelle Welch
NZ
Visited:
November 2019
Reviewed: Dec 28, 2019
Email Michelle Welch | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful experience - loved every moment
had nothing but positive experiences. This was largely based on the friendly, helpful and kind people we met along the way.
Zimbabweans are resilient. Despite the tough economic hardships they are experiencing they continue to find ways to keep their lives and their businesses operating and they do it with a sense of humour and a smile. We were encouraged by their endurance.
The weather was very hot on the Zambezi and rain was desperately needed. Our guide was a natural bush man - passionate about the flora, animals and birds. He kept us well informed on what we were seeing along the way and helped to educate us on the interactions of the wildlife in the ecosystem. We had plenty of bottled water, good healthy food and comfortable accommodations with warm water for showers and morning washes. Safety was a high priority with the guides and we felt
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safe both on land and in the canoes.The highlight of the trip was sitting around the dinner table and to have the guide say 'don't move anyone' - as an elephant walked right past our table.
Our only concern was to see plastic waste on the river banks and to hear powerboats and generators - ruining the pristine nature of this beautiful wilderness area.
Fred and Deb
CA
Visited:
December 2017
Reviewed: Feb 4, 2018
Email Fred and Deb | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Experience, wonderful guide, wonderful staff, wonderful accommodation.
Everything we expected and more, especially our guide Leo who was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. Weather was a bit wet, but it was the rainy season, and our guide was prepared. Food was great as was the camp staff.
Victoria Falls and safarias make Zimbabwe a wonderful vacation destination !We
In Hwange, accommodations were not too opulent nor too rustic. We stayed at the Ivory Lodge. It had a safari “feel” with all needed amenities in our private building overlooking a watering hole. We sat on our deck to watch wild animals come out of the bush to drink. We felt as though the staff’s only priority was to be sure our needs were met and that we had a great time. It was not “just a job” to them. They went above and beyond. The camp director, Jamie is indeed a special hostess I hated to say goodbye to.
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guides shared their vast knowledge of the bush and wildlife with us. They tracked the animals and communicated with each other to give us the best viewing possible. We especially liked Jeb.Food was very good and my special dietary needs have never been catered to as well as at The Ivory Lodge.
Everything was perfect, except we would have liked to have seen more cats. The bush however is not a zoo!
mankale
ZA
Visited:
December 2013
Reviewed: Mar 14, 2016
Email mankale | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazingggggg & Breathtaking
To be quite honest you can never talk about Zimbabwe and not see my eyes popping. Its
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a country I will visit as many times. I suggests tourists start going into the depth of the country not only what is shown when you google.
www.wlasnadroga.pl
PL
Visited:
September 2013
Reviewed: Aug 26, 2015
Email www.wlasnadroga.pl | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
For plus I can write that park is almost empty. You can trade the price because there is not so many people. But if you would like to see many different animals you can be disappointed. In Zimbabwe every park has something different, so you have to choosen what is interesting for you.
momathew
GB
Visited:
September 2014
Reviewed: May 2, 2015
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mana has no dearth of wildlife, and it ticks all the boxes as a great safari destination