Travel Zimbabwe Top National
Parks
Travel Zimbabwe and you
will experience one of the most beautiful countries in all of Africa.
The top four National Parks there are
well worth a visit even though some of them have lost a little of their lustre
due to poaching and a lack of infrastructure maintenance.
Due to political instability the
game reserves here don't receive a big infusion of tourist generated cash that
they need to thrive and grow but despite that they are still excellent places to
visit on Zimbabwe holidays.
The smoke that thunders. A very
apt literal translation of the name given by the indigenous people to this
massive waterfall which you can see from a long way away due to the plume of
spray that it throws up.
It's listed as one of the wonders of the
world and definitely deserves the title with the water tumbling down into a
gorge about a mile wide and 330 feet (100 metres) high.
Remember to bring a raincoat or
umbrella (or you can hire them at the waterfall) because you will be soaked to the skin by the spray if you go close
enough in season .
You won't find too many animals
in the immediate vicinity because there is too much human activity apart from
the occasional bushbuck among the vegetation.
View Victoria Falls trip reports »
2. Lake Kariba & Matusadona
National Park
Imagine lazing around on a
Zimbabwe tour on a houseboat with great food, drink and unlimited sunshine at
your beck and call. Well, no need to imagine it because it's a reality at Lake
Kariba which was formed by damming the Zambezi river.
You can also try your hand at a
spot of tiger or bream fishing and go buzzing around islands and inlets with an
outboard motorboat.
But whatever you do, don't
go for a swim because the lake is home to masses of crocodiles which you can see
sunning themselves at regular intervals along the shoreline.
Matusadona National Park lies
along the southern shores of the lake and here you can take game drives, walking
safaris and canoe excursions to spot amongst other game elephant, buffalo, lion,
black rhino and a variety of gazelle.
3. Travel Zimbabwe Malilangwe Game Reserve
This is a private reserve so it has
resisted a lot of the poaching predations that have plagued the other national parks
in the country.
It is big five country (lion,
leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino) and is run on a non-profit basis and includes
the local community in
its running and development.
There are only two safari lodges in
this 100 000 acre reserve so you can be assured that you can enjoy your wildlife
viewing in peace and quiet and this is where a travel Zimbabwe safari shines in
comparison to other African countries safaris where there are sometimes too many
tourists
Along with the large variety of
mammal species found here there are also over 400 species of bird found here.
The dry season here runs from April
to August and the rains start moving in around November until March.
Elephants, elephants everywhere.
This park is full to the brim with the big pachyderms as you will soon realise
when driving in Hwange because of all the elephant dung deposited on the roads
not to mention the fact that you spot them around every corner.
That's not all you will see though
because there are also buffalo, hyena, lions and the elusive leopard to spot and
if you are very lucky a rhino or two.
Night drives are allowed here on a
travel Zimbabwe safari
because there are a number of private concessions and this always makes for some
exciting game viewing as the nocturnal animals are very active at night.
View Hwange safari trip reports »
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