Zimbabwe
A journey to Zimbabwe will take you through a beautiful array of landscapes, from highveld, balancing boulders to breath-taking mountains and incredible rivers. Here you can spot the Big Five (leopard, lion, rhino, elephant and buffalo) in a select few of its national parks, discover World Heritage sites and stand in awe of one of the natural wonders of the world, the mighty Victoria Falls on the Zambezi.
11
national parks
5 heritage sites
5m hectares of protected wildlife areas
Getting There
Zimbabwe is internationally connected through three major International airports, namely Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls International. Flights arrive everyday through a multitude of different airlines. Within Zimbabwe, domestic air travel is quite reliable due to the operation of two separate airlines in competition with each other it is recommended instead of traveling by road. By road, some areas heavily potholed, particularity between border posts and cities, so self-drive is available, however, should be travelled cautiously.
harare (HRE)
-
Cape Town (CPT) South Africa Flight time: 2h 15m
-
Dar Es Salaam (DAR) Tanzania, United Republic of Flight time: 2h 15m
-
Bulawayo (BUQ) Zimbabwe Flight time: 0h 50m
-
Lilongwe (LLW) Malawi Flight time:1h 10m
-
Victoria Falls (VFA) Zimbabwe Flight time: 1h 10m
-
Windhoek (WDH) Namibia Flight time: 2h 15m
-
Lusaka (LUN) Zambia Flight time: 1h 0m
-
Kigali (KGL) Rwanda Flight time: 2h 40m
-
Nairobi (NBO) Kenya Flight time: 3h 0m
-
Johannesburg (JNB) South Africa Flight time: 1h 40m
-
Addis Ababa (ADD) Ethiopia Flight time: 4h 10m
victoria falls (VFA)
-
Johannesburg (JNB) South Africa Flight time: 1h 40m
-
Nairobi (NBO) Kenya Flight time: 3h 15m
-
Cape Town (CPT) South Africa Flight time: 2h 55m
-
Harare (HRE) Zimbabwe Flight time: 1h 5m
-
Windhoek (WDH) Namibia Flight time: 1h 35m
-
Gaborone (GBE) Botswana Flight time: 1h 15m
-
Bulawayo (BUQ) Zimbabwe Flight time: 0h 45m
Victoria falls
harare
Livingstone, Zambia
THE VICTORIA FALLS
home to
population
14.44 million +
birds
+/- 650 species
The Victoria Falls or known by the locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders) is the biggest waterfall in the World, spanning 1700m wide and 108m tall. The impressive curtain of water can be viewed from over 50km away and can be heard up to 40km away. As Dr. David Livingstone once said "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight."
mammals
350 species+
16 official languages
plants
5,000 species, of which 10% are used as traditional medicine
WHY ZIMBABWE
Great Game Viewing
VICTORIA FALLS
CULTURE
ACTIVITIES
frequently asked
Money & Spending
Following the collapse of the Zimbabwe Dollar, Zimbabwe currently uses the US Dollar as its currency. Cash is king in Zimbabwe: make sure you can cover your costs during your visit as withdrawing cash from an ATM or bank is not something you can rely on. Travellers’ cheques and credit/debit cards are not widely accepted and often incur hefty fees.
Tipping
Bring small denomination notes - small change is rarely available in Zimbabwe - and note that although tipping lodge staff and guides is customary for good service, make sure that a service charge hasn't been added onto your bill beforehand.
questions
Best Time to Travel
Victoria Falls- March to May (Fullest)
Game Viewing Safari - May to October (Dry Season)
Birding Safari - December to March (Wet Season)
White Water Rafting - August to December (Low Water)
Climate
Average summer temperatures: 17°C to 31°C
Average winter temperatures: 7°C to 29°C
Rainy season: November to April
What to Pack
For your Zimbabwe safari, pack lightweight clothing in light, neutral colours (but not white as it gets dirty very easily). Include a warm jacket or fleece in your suitcase for evening game drives as well as a pair of comfortable walking shoes.
Flights & Getting Around
Harare International Airport: the easiest way to fly into Harare is via Johannesburg.
Victoria Falls International Airport: Direct flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi and Addis Ababa makes this a logistical hub and connects easily with safari destinations in Botswana and further afield.
Road transfers in Zimbabwe are usually conducted in mini buses and game drives in open-sided 4X4 vehicles. Light aircraft charters are available for flights to more remote destinations.
Visa & Passport Requirements
Visas are required by most visitors to Zimbabwe and can usually be obtained at your point of entry. Citizens of the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, most EU countries, Israel and Japan as well as a number of other countries will receive their visas at the airport or border post upon payment of requisite fees. However, some nationalities will have to apply for and obtain a Zimbabwe visa prior to travelling.
Ready to Go on Safari?
Get in touch with one of our Experts to help you tailor-make a safari itinerary:
