Hwange, Lake Kariba and Mana Pools
As a country located in eastern Africa defined by countryaah, Zimbabwe has a lot to offer nature lovers. Matobo Hills is one of the most scenic parks in Africa with hills and cliffs that tumble over each other in all possible forms and is one of the best areas to see the Sanfolk paintings. Hwange National Park is the country’s largest safari park and offers varied salt lakes, acacia thickets and grasslands. Matusadona National Park consists of approximately 338,000 hectares of unspoilt wilderness, mighty mountains, streams, Miomba forests and Mopanebush along the shores of Lake Kariba. The nature of the Mana Pool National Park is overwhelming and there is plenty to do. Here, safaris take place in open jeeps, boats, canoes and on foot. What do you want to do? Zimbabwe is abbreviated as ZI by abbreviationfinder.
Zimbabwe – 17 days
Day 1 Departure with scheduled flights from Sweden .
Day 2 Johannesburg – Matobo Hills
After changing in Johannesburg, you land at the airport in Bulawayo and are met by our local guides for transfer to Matobo Hills (about 30 minutes). The park has many strings on its lyre. It is partly a national park with a rich fauna, partly it is known for its cave paintings and finally also as a spectacular burial ground for Cecil Rhodes.
Camp: Camp Amalinda, Matobo Hills National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 3 Great Zimbabwe
Together with your guide you make a full day trip to Great Zimbabwe (about 3 hours one way). From the 13th century and a few hundred years on, Great Zimbabwe was the capital and trading center of the gold trade that Swahili conducted during this period. In the 15th century, the city’s status began to decline and another 100 years later, when the Portuguese arrived, it was no longer the same power factor. At most, up to 20,000 people lived here. In the morning you visit the strange stone ruins which next to the Pyramids are the largest that can be found in Africa. The ruins are spread over a large area and we pick out the most interesting to visit.
Camp: Camp Amalinda, Matobo Hills National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 4 Matobo Hills
Early morning you go on the trip’s first safari. The park has plenty of rhinos, a rich bird life and a high concentration of the shy leopard. The national park is just over 400 square kilometers and within the area there are thousands of traces of cave paintings that the San people created here almost 10,000 years ago. We select some representative caves that we also visit in the morning. Cecil Rhodes, who owned the world’s largest gold and diamond mines, found a special love for this mineral-rich area and chose the incredibly beautifully situated hill that today bears the name World´s View to be his last haunt. Here he is buried in the middle of the giant stones, kopjes, which balance on each other over the whole area. Zimbabwe’s former name Rhodesia comes from the surname Rhodes.
Camp: Camp Amalinda, Matobo Hills National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 5 Matobo Hills – Hwange National Park
In the morning you will be picked up for a car transfer to Hwange National Park (approx. 4 hours). Your camp is located in the southeastern part of the large national park and is one of the few camps in the area. Hwange is famous for its, especially during the dry winter months, huge supply of wildlife, among them elephant and buffalo. It offers great opportunities to see big game while traveling in open off-road jeeps. Preferably in the early mornings and late afternoons when the animals are most active. The program also includes safaris on foot, accompanied by armed guides. The camp is completely secluded with a view of a small water hole – where a lot of big game is located. The accommodation consists of 5 comfortably furnished large tents, all equipped with shower and toilet with running hot and cold water. There is also an outdoor shower for those who like to laze under the open starry sky. The lighting is powered by batteries, which creates an extra calm and quiet environment.
Camp: Little Makololo, Hwange National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 6, 7 Hwange National Park
For two full days you will enjoy Hwange’s beauty. In summer, large antelope herds are seen moving across the savannah, closely followed by their natural enemies, the predators. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, saber antelope, wildebeest and sometimes even gemsbok antelope usually show up in the area. The area is one of the most predator-intensive in all of Africa – lions, leopards, wild dogs and cheetahs are among the regular visitors. In their company, African feral cat, serval, honey badger, civet and hyena are occasionally seen. Several water holes that attract the animals in large numbers, especially during the winter months, are concentrated in the neighborhood. The camp guests can sit down there and watch the four-legged creatures parade past on their way to quench their thirst. For the bird watcher, there are many kinds of winged species to observe, from the native species of Miombo to the rare species of the Kalahari Desert.
Camp: Little Makololo, Hwange National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 8 Hwange National Park – Matusadona National Park
After breakfast you will be picked up for transfer to the runway and continued journey towards Lake Kariba. Your camp is located on the shores of the lake. After lunch you do your first game drive in the park. Elephants, which have adapted to a partially aquatic lifestyle, are often seen along the shoreline, just like most species of antelopes. The new life patterns are governed by the ever-changing water levels in the lake. Lions, leopards, hyenas and cheetahs occur in healthy strains as well as a few endangered black rhinos.
Camp: Changa Safari Camp, Matusadona National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 9, 10 Matusadona National Park
For two days you will explore Matusadona National Park with your godie. In addition to traditional big game, Fågellivet is rich and over 350 species have been identified in the park. Particularly exciting is the large number of different species of seabirds seen along the shores of the lake or up in the canopy of the petrified and partially flooded trees that have become an iconic marker on Lake Kariba. These bare trees are remnants of large deciduous forests from the time before the flood. Today they are home to bats and insects as well as lookout points and nesting sites for eagles, cormorants and kingfishers.
Camp: Changa Safari Camp, Matusadona National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 11 Matusadona National Park – Mana Pools
The journey continues with flights to Mana Pools National Park. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guides for transfer to the western edge of the park. Here, Ruckomechi Camp has found itself well in a forest grove overgrown with Accacia and Mahogany trees. The view of the Zambezi River and the great mountains in the distance is breathtaking. The camp receives its guests in 7 chalets covered with straw and with fully equipped bathrooms. The wildlife is overwhelming and there is plenty to do. Safari in open jeeps, boats, canoes, and fishing. Daily walks under the guidance of knowledgeable guides are also among the highlights. Kudu, zebra, impala and waterbuck regularly frequent the open river plain and the neighborhood elephants can be well tasted by the large number of Albid trees that grow nearby. Predators such as lions, wild dogs, leopard and cheetah lurk in the bushes while buffalo herds prefer to stick to the river bank. The bird watcher also gets his fill because the river attracts waterfowl in large numbers.
Camp: Ruckomechi Camp, Mana Pools National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 12, 13 Mana Pools
Two full day safari in Mana Pools. Kudu, zebra, impala and waterbuck regularly frequent the open river plain and the neighborhood elephants can be well tasted by the large number of Albid trees that grow nearby. Predators such as lions, wild dogs, leopards and cheetahs lurk in the bushes while buffalo herds prefer to stick to the river bank. The bird watcher also gets his fill because the river attracts waterfowl in batches and minutes.
Camp: Ruckomechi Camp, Mana Pools National Park (full board including drinks)
Day 14 Mana Pools – Victoria Falls
After one last early morning safari, the journey continues with a flight to Victoria Falls. You land at Victoria Falls Airport and are met by our local guides for transfer to your hotel. After checking in, you have the rest of the day on your own.
Hotels: Victoria Falls Hotel, Victoria Falls (no meals)
Day 15 Victoria Falls
After breakfast, visit the spectacular Victoria Falls National Park. Here you get to experience the mighty roar of the Zambezi River when the water masses plunge down the edge of the ravine down to the foot of the waterfall. The odd shape of Victoria Falls means that you can see basically the whole case at the same time. A walkway is made on one side of the ravine so you can view the falls from several directions. At 16.30 you will be picked up for a sunset cruise on the river before the day ends with dinner at your hotel. Search for hotels in Victoria Falls Hotel, Victoria Falls
Day 16, 17 Return
At lunch you will be picked up for a transfer to the airport and your return journey via Johannesburg.
