Zimbabwe

This land locked nation, straddling the great African plateau between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, offers almost everything you could wish for in a single country. For the more active traveller it is an excellent destination. If the idea of having your own guide for your entire safari, at a cost that won't break the bank, appeals to you then Zimbabwe is your country.

We are fortunate to have great friends in James and Janine Varden and we arrange the most spectacular safaris throughout Zimbabwe, accompanied by Zimbabwe's finest guides. Affable, charming but, most importantly, supremely knowledgeable, James and his colleagues will guide you along the Zambezi River through Mana Pools in a Canadian canoe, watching the Carmine Bee Eaters at eye level on the river banks and exploring islands on foot. Canoeing is, with riding, one of our favourite ways of being on safari as it allows you to get so close to wildlife, at a wonderful pace, and see all manner of species such as vibrantly coloured frogs, beautifully spun spider's webs and birds nesting on the reeds.

The Zambezi River is enormous, often 3/5 kms wide at certain points. By canoeing one can soak up the tranquil atmosphere and stunning scenery, all framed by the Zambezi escarpment as well as having an ideal opportunity of getting close to game such as elephant, hippo and buffalo grazing on the water's edge. There are fabulous opportunities in Zimbabwe to have what has to be an all round perfect safari: a few days canoeing from camp to camp, dovetailed with, perhaps, a walking or game viewing safari in the exquisite Mana Pools National Park or a riding trip in the Mavuradonha's based either at Janine's main lodge or, as mentioned elsewhere, on a riding trail with a mobile camp.

Mana Pools has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife anywhere. Overlooking the Zambezi River, the park is one of the most scenic and is home to 12,000 elephant and 16,000 buffalo, as well as lion and a host of antelope. The vegetation ranges from dense bush Mopane Forest to flood plains. Zimbabwe has other places, of course; Hwange remains wonderful and James can guide here, walking and game driving. One can round off a safari in luxury at one of four luxurious retreats: Ruckomechi in Mana Pools, Sanyati Lodge at Lake Kariba (where one can do a spot of tiger fishing), Matetsi Lodge at Victoria Falls or the glorious Pamushana in Gonarhezou National Park.