Zimbabwe
Safaris to Zimbabwe
This land locked nation offers almost everything you could wish for in a single country. For the more active traveller it is simply perfect. 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. Imagine riding along on elephant trails across valleys with beautiful views; canoeing along the mighty Zambezi River with elephant and buffalo on the water’s edge; imagine watching the carmine bee eater nesting on the river bank at eye level; cantering in Hwange with the sun on your back and some of the best wildlife ahead of you, from huge herds of elephant and large lion populations as well as wild dog. Have your own private mobile camp set up for you in the Mana Pools region with one of Zimbabwe’s finest guides. Finish off perhaps pampering yourself at the Relais et Chateaux establishment in Gonarhezou.
Highlights of Zimbabwe
- The best wildlife canoe safaris in the world with the best guides
- Fantastic Horseriding – up there with the best offered in Africa, again with fantastic guides in Hwange and Mavuradona
- Wildlife in general – so many parks, from Hwange to Mana Pools – the wildlife is phenomenal
- Beautiful tented camps and lodges throughout Zimbabwe
- Private mobile tented safaris with some of best guides in Africa
- Walking Safaris – the best way to explore the bush
- Elephant back safaris – the least expensive that you will have anywhere in Africa
- Whitewater rafting – at Victoria Falls, which offers everything from microlighting, fixed wing and helicopter flips over the Falls, horseriding and bunjee jumping – perfect for famillies!
- Fishing for tiger fish – on Lake Kariba
General information on Zimbabwe
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, riding 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 which is a member of Relais et chateaux.
