Zimbabwe is not for the faint-hearted. You need to be fit and healthy to “rough it.” While tourism revenues ensure that the amenities are getting upgraded, there are still many travel comforts that you would miss when you are in the country. However, if you have an open mind and are ready to take things in stride, you would be having an experience like no other when you tour Zimbabwe, from the dazzling and majestic Victoria Falls to walking with some lion cubs, riding on the backs of African elephants, kayaking and river rafting, to game fishing.

Rather than visiting the cities and districts, Zimbabwe offers so many places to see and hundreds of things to do when you visit some of the country’s internationally renowned parks. Even the more remote and small parks and nature reserves around Zimbabwe offer different adventures and encounters that are exhilarating and are sure eye and mind openers. Prepare to take hundreds of pictures to capture all the beautiful, exciting and wonderful memories you are bound to have as you take a trip around Zimbabwe.

Places to see in the Eastern Highlands

Located near the edge of the eastern side of Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique is the Eastern Highlands. Tall mountains are located here including the Chimanimani Mountain Range, the Nyanga tea plantations, the Botanical Gardens of Vumba and the tallest mountain in Zimbabwe, Mount Inyangani. The scenery is breathtaking, even if it rugged. The area includes the Eland Sanctuary, the Nyanga National Park and the Bridal Veil Falls.

You would be awed by the 762-meter, two-tier, free leaping Mutarazi Falls in Nyanga. It is the second highest waterfall in Africa and the 17th highest in the world. The water flow from the falls remains constant throughout the year. The Vumba Botanical Gardens covers 201 hectares, divided into a 159-hectate botanical garden and a 42-hectare botanical reserve. The botanical garden is planted with endemic fern trees, proteas, lilies, fuchsias and other types of flowering plants. At the Botanical Reserve are ferns and orchids that are indigenous to Zimbabwe and Africa, herbs, roses, tea bushes, cycads, aloes and palms. There are numerous birds that are attracted to the plants and flowers in the gardens and several footpaths under shady trees are laid out to encourage visitors to walk around the gardens. You could turn lucky and spot some Samango monkeys that are indigenous to the Eastern Highlands.

Things to Do in the Eastern Highlands

For those who do not want to miss a game of golf, there are excellent golf courses in Nyanga. You could also do some trout fishing and go on hikes in the mountains here. Horseback rising is also offered if you want to try it. For the rest of the tourists, there are so many outdoor activities that you can do while you are here. The most mundane thing you can do here is to visit the ruins that show Stone Age and Iron Age artifacts. For a relaxing picnic, the Bridal Veil Falls in Chimanimani village is an ideal spot. The surrounding area is rich in local flora, including the water parsnip or Sium repandum, Crotalaria variegate, with flowers that look like butterflies with deep purple/blue wings and bright yellow heads, the pineapple-looking flower with a yellow florets and a crown of green called Eucomis autumnalis and wild banana groves.

Camping facilities, swimming pools and caravan sites as well as a tea room are available at the Vumba Botanical Gardens if you plan to spend the night in the area.

Places to See in Lowveld

Located in the southeastern side of Zimbabwe, near the Eastern Highlands is the Lowveld where you could find several reserves, including the Lonestar Reserve and the Gonarezhou National Park.

In the border of Gonarezhou National Park is the Lonestar Reserve. It is privately-owned and covers about 98,000 acres. The reserve has several rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalos and elephants. On the other hand, Gonarezhou literally translates to “place of the elephants” or “elephant’s tusk” in Shona language and there is a substantial number of these tall and massive yet gentle animals. It is actually famous for having the most number of largest-tusked elephants. The park covers and area of 5,053 square kilometers and is connected to the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The animals that are in the Gonarezhou can freely roam across all three parks.

Things to Do in Lowveld

Gonarezhou National Park is located in the province of Masvingo. The vast parkland offers you many opportunities to take photographs of the stunning scenery and the many animals that are in the park. Several lodges and privately-owned campsites are available in the area so you can rest and spend more time to see the park at different lighting conditions, as the changes in the sceneries at dawn and dusk are spectacular. If you remember the book, the Little Prince, then you will remember the baobab trees, those weird looking trees that look like having been planted upside down with the roots exposed. As you go on your safari tour you would likely encounter buffaloes, rhinos, leopards and lions. Indigenous flora and fauna, including some of the world’s most endangered animals are also found here. Masvingo is also where you will find the world famous Great Zimbabwe ruins. This is your chance to see its famous undulating and serpentine walls build from blocks of limestones and fitted closely together without using mortar. There are also remnants of stone structures that are believed to be the residences of royalty, court officials and the citizens that lived within the walled city. These are evidences that a civilization already existed in Zimbabwe long before the European civilization was born.

Places to See in Zambezi Valley

In Zambezi Valley is located the northern part of Matabeleland, where the world-famous Victoria Falls is located. The majestic falls was named after Queen Victoria by Scottish explorer and missionary, David Livingstone. He was believed to be the first European to ever see the falls in 1855. In the Shona language it is called Mos(i)-oa-Tunya or the “smoke that thunders.” It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Victoria Falls is claimed to be the largest waterfall in the world, with a height of 108 meters and a width of 1,708 meters. It is twice higher than Niagara Falls and double the width of Horseshoe Falls, part of Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. At its full flood between February and May, its spray could reach a vertical height of 400 meters or higher and seem some 50 kilometers away. The spray can be a sight to behold especially during the full moon when a “moonbow” is visible. Even without seeing the waterfalls you will hear the thunderous fall of water for several kilometers.

Further down the Zambezi River is the Mana Pools National Park. The location is quite remote so the area is still unspoiled. It is rich with flora and fauna and the array of animals that could be seen here is bewildering. It contains one of southern Africa’s richest concentrations of wildlife. Magnificent mahogany, baobabs, wild figs and ebony trees are found in the surrounding forests while the flood plains attract leopards, lions, buffaloes and elephants. A multitude of birds make the trees around the park their home.

Things to Do in Zambezi Valley

Victoria Falls and the surrounding Victoria National Park is one big adventure location. For those who relish wilder adventures and adrenalin rushes you can go white-water rafting in the Batoka Rapids at the Zambezi River. The ride takes you on a 24-kilometer stretch that covers 18 rapids. It’s one bumpy ride especially when the water level is low. With the rapids given names as Oblivion, Commercial Suicide, Devil’s Toilet Bowl and Overland Truck Eater, you would know what to expect. It has been classified by the British Canoe Union as Grade 5, meaning this is an extremely difficult ride. One other adrenalin-pumping activity is bungee-jumping at Batoka Gorge. You will get a good view of the Victoria Falls before you jump and plunge 111 meters down. And to look at the mighty Victoria Falls from another angle high up in the sky, sign up for a helicopter ride. The best time to do this is when it’s nearing sunset.

If you want something gentle and almost soothing, take a ride on the back of an African elephant. You could be lulled to sleep by its gentle swinging motion, although you will be missing some other things to see if you do fall asleep. There are also opportunities to walk beside three 3-month to 16-month old lion cubs. Be sure to have someone take plenty of photos of you walking alongside the majestic king of the jungle without restraint to impress people back home. There are several shops selling local crafts and watching traditional tribal dancing is some of the tamer activities here.

The Mana Pools National Park is also a World Heritage Site and has the country’s largest concentration of water buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamuses. It is widely-known as the best site for wildlife viewing as they gather near the banks of the Zambezi River. Cheetahs and black rhinos are also frequent visitors at the park. About 380 species of birds come and go in the forests that surround the park. Livingstone’s flycatcher, banded snake eagle, yellow-spotted nicator, Nyasa lovebirds and white-collard pratincole are some of the birds that could be seen at the park. Camping, canoeing and walking safaris are the favorite activities of the tourists who come to the Mana Pools National Park. Mana means four in the Shona language and the name of the place was derived from the four pools that were carved by the Zambezi River eons ago.

The Chizarira National Park offers walking safaris with a licensed guide and it is very ideal for nature enthusiasts. Aside from the regular large animals that freely roam among the different parks, you could encounter several antelopes including kudu, sable and bushbuck. Birdwatchers will have a grand time taking pictures and making notes about Pel’s fishing owls, black eagles and crowned eagles. At the Matusadona National Park you would have a fine time watching and taking pictures of the glow of some of the most spectacular sunsets and vivid sunrises you might not see anywhere else. Aside from that you could see herds of elephants, hippos and buffaloes. Lake Kariba is an inland sea that is frequently visited by birds and animals, with its water teeming with fish. Unique to the place are the skeletons of flooded trees.

Places to See in Harare

After going on a safari, you might be longing for a breather and a new perspective on city life. Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe, a cosmopolitan area with impressive architecture, expansive gardens, and wide avenues. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe conserves and presents Zimbabwe’s visual heritage and contemporary art. The National Archives showcase the history of Rhodesia, the former name of Zimbabwe as well as the Zimbabwe in modern times. There are colonial artifacts, accounts of early settlers and explorers, photographs and a display on the Second Chimurenga or the Rhodesian Bush War (Zimbabwe War of Liberation) that occurred in 1964.

The Wildlife Society of Zimbabwe holds its base at the Mukuvisi Woodlands. The site offers horseback riding so visitors can ride among the wildlife in the park, take a walking safari or purchase souvenirs.

The Ruwa Sculpture Gallery, Gunhill Stone Heritage Gallery and the Msasa Nhukutuku Sculpture Village are some of the galleries where you can view African stone sculptures and other traditional crafts.

Things to Do in Harare

If you want to take a look at great stone sculptures created by African artists, the Chapungu Sculpture Park will not disappoint. You could walk among the large stone sculptures, created by old masters and young contemporary sculptors-in-residence.

Harare is a haven for shoppers, as you could find several craft centers where you could buy souvenirs. You could go to Art Mart where you will find local arts and crafts and buy locally-made chocolates at the Cocoa Tree. They sell novelty chocolates that will make fantastic presents for people back home. Harare has several world-class gold courses if you are into this sport.

For those looking for some designer stuff to own or use as gifts, a visit to the Patrick Mavros studio and gallery is a must. The shop sells African-inspired designer jewelry for men and women made of silver, as well as collector-item paperweights, desk accessories, sculptures and other items in gold and leather. His jewelry’s signature style is the use of the ndoro shell, which was the currency originally used in Zimbabwe.

Jet skiing, fishing and sailing are offered at Lake Chivero for those who are looking from some outdoor water activities. Those with children should not miss going to the Lion and Cheetah Park. You and your kids will enjoy a drive at the lion enclosure, have a guided tour at the main section of the park where one of the attractions is a 300-year old tortoise or have a game drive to see impalas, zebras, elands, wildebeest and other animals.

Places to See in Bulawayo

Bulawayo is the second-largest city in Zimbabwe and given the moniker “The City of Kings,” as the city was the former home of the kings of the Ndebele Dynasty. The city boasts of the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe and has the world’s second largest mounted elephant, and exhibits that showcase the wildlife and mineral wealth as well as the history of Zimbabwe. The Bulawayo Railway Museum has a large collection of locomotives, the oldest of which dates back to 1897. The exhibits trace the history of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe’s railways.

About half an hour’s drive from Bulawayo are the Matopos Hills. These hills are considered mysterious and spiritual and were chosen by Cecil John Rhodes, the founder the diamond company of De Beers and the founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) as his burial site. The hills are well known for having some of the incredible Balancing Rocks formations. Mzilikazi, the founder of Matabele kingdom or Matabeleland was also buried at the Matopos Hills in 1868.

Things to Do in Bulawayo

Bulawayo also has ruins of an ancient civilization similar to the Great Zimbabwe. If you are fond of archeology you would be delighted to take a look at the Khami Ruins. The site shows seven areas that were occupied by the royal family. It was built with circular and terraced platforms enclosed by stone walls. The 6-meter high retaining walls still show traces of a beautiful checkerboard design along its 68-meter length. Huts, courtyards, cattle pens and other buildings are still visible.

While Zimbabwe has its fill of wild animals, some of these become hurt or orphaned. The Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage is one such place that endeavors to help these animals. You can help the not-for-profit organization by visiting the place and making a donation.
If you are looking for souvenir items, one place you could go to is the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Center where you can buy baskets, pottery, sculptures, woodwork and beadwork, all created by talented local artisans. Nearby is the Bulawayo Home Industries Center where you can get some beautiful embroidery work and batiks.