ZIMBABWE

Because of the political situation in Zimbabwe, tourists are few and prices are competitive, but the main parks are still cared for and well worth visiting. Hwange National Park is not to be missed, and Mana Pools National Park offers great canoeing safaris on the Zambezi. Victoria Falls, Africa’s largest waterfall, is a must-go-to destination; standing in the spray of this powerful curtain of flowing water is both moving and majestic.

Rates (USD) $220 to $1,073 pp/day
Best Time to Go May to September (All parks)
High Season July to October (Only Victoria Falls gets busy)
Size 390,757km² / 150,872mi²

Pros & Cons

• Excellent guiding
• One of the best walking safari destinations
• A chance to see Victoria Falls
• Competitive rates and low tourist densities
• Some decline of facilities and wildlife numbers
• Political instability

Wildlife
Hwange and Mana Pools are Zimbabwe’s prime sites for wildlife viewing. The most commonly spotted animals are the elephant and hippo, while the giraffe, zebra, lion and hyena are also present in good numbers. When it comes to the leopard or other cats, however, sightings can prove rare. The beautiful sable antelope and the bat-eared fox are two lesser-known highlights of the local animal population.

Wildlife Highlights
The beautiful sable antelope is a Hwange special as well as brown hyena, bat-eared fox and springhare, which inhabit the Kalahari sands of the region. Zimbabwe is a good destination to see the endangered wild dog, and the nocturnal honey badger has become quite habituated in some of the parks and can sometimes be spotted around camps and campsites at night.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time for wildlife viewing is the dry winter months (May-October). Water is scarce especially at the end of the Dry season and animals tend to congregate around water sources. Afternoon showers can be expected in the Wet season (November-March).

POPULAR ATTRACTIONS IN ZIMBABWE

• Hwange NP
• Mana Pools NP