Experience the raw beauty of Africa in Zimbabwe from the incredibly beautiful Hwange national park home to the big 5 and many endangered species to one of the natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls, or as it is known to the locals, Mosi Oa Tuny aka “the Smoke that Thunders”
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east.
The area of Zimbabwe we love and highly recommend is on the outskirts of Hwange National Park around the rural town of Dete which is about a 2-hour drive from Victoria Falls International Airport.
This is a particularly beautiful part of Africa with teak forests, miombo forests and prolific wildlife. Hwange is known for its mega herds of elephants and with roughly 600 lions and 200 African Wild dogs in the park and plenty of leopard.
The locals are friendly and although a true African bush experience, there are lodges to visit for a beer, swimming pools to cool down in the heat and the most fantastic conservation efforts taking place by local experts in the field with research and monitoring of African Wild Dogs and lion populations.
Hwange National Park is the ultimate wildlife experience and the beauty of the park is that there are no fences just a railway line as the border so wildlife is 100% free roaming in the true sense of the word.
Aside from free roaming wildlife which one needs to be aware of at all times, it is a very safe area and with friendly locals catering for visitors as tourism is such a large industry in the area predominantly for wildlife viewing.
Of course we always encourage our volunteers to take a few days after their project, to see the magnificent Victoria Falls which the town of the same name surrounds.
We love this region as there is so much to do and see, it is safe and easy to do a day safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana, sundowners on the Zambezi river or to take a tram over the Victoria Falls bridge onto the Zambia side.
The town itself buzzes with wildlife roaming the streets and lots of great lodges to stay in, vibey eating spots and shopping with all the amenities you may need like pharmacies and clinics. There are even “tourist police” who patrol by foot making sure visitors are safe.
If you would like to experience a true raw wildlife conservation experience in Africa, Zimbabwe is the place to go.
Facts about the Republic of Zimbabwe
Population: Over 15 million (2022 census)
Capitals: Harare is the capital with Bulawayo being the second largest city.
Languages: Zimbabwe has 16 official languages with Ndebele and Shona being the most widely spoken and most of the locals are proficient in English
Climate at Hwange National Park: Hwange National Park experiences a warm climate. The warmest months are September to March, while May to August are the coolest. The dry season, from April to October, brings fine weather with September being probably the driest month of the year. Afternoon showers are common in the wet season from November to March. Dry winters and wet summers.
Currency: Zimbabwean Dollar and the U.S Dollar ($). If using U.S Dollars, make sure you carry small denominations and not large and that all notes are post-2007 or they will not be acceptedlovb
