Zimbabwe | Doug Macdonald

Experience the classic Zimbabwe safari

Located in Central Southern Africa, Zimbabwe has an excellent collection of National Parks and private conservancies, some of which are interconnected with other parks regionally and within Zimbabwe. These combine for an excellent diversity of species and beautiful scenery. Zimbabwe prides itself with the second largest elephant population in Africa. Zimbabwe's guides are considered to have the highest level of training and accepted as the best qualified in Africa, giving you some of the best bush walking, very much part of the Zimbabwean safari experience.

Victoria Falls is without doubt best viewed from the Zimbabwe side and with great accommodation and activity options it’s a good place to start or end your safari. Zimbabwe has several UNESCO World Heritage Sites dating back thousands of years.

Get a taste of it all

Zimbabwe has a wide range of landscapes and environments to explore, from mountains and wide rivers to dams and balancing rocks. Savannah quickly leading to endogenous communities, and waterfalls feeding into massive dams.

All the while Zimbabwe boasts an extensive range of wildlife, genuine and luxury safari camps, fascinating historical sites and really welcoming people.

What you need
to know

Things that are worth knowing about when traveling to Zimbabwe

All Year around

Best time to go

English, Shona, Ndebele

Language

Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWD)

Currency

Zimbabwe is a fascinating country on many levels. Home to iconic wildlife, several UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Great Zimbabwe. Africa’s second largest population of elephants and a stronghold for some of the most iconic species like Lion, Leopard, Black and White Rhino plus African Painted Dogs. Key areas are the Kalahari environments of the South West, The gorgeous Zambezi Valley, The historical Central Watershed, the vast South Eastern Lowveld and the mountainous Eastern Highlands

Getting There

Zimbabwe’s main international airports are in Harare – Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, there are no direct flights from outside Africa into Zimbabwe, so all flights come in daily from the main hubs around Africa - Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Johannesburg plus there are flights from Windhoek, Kigali, Lusaka, Maputo, Cape Town, Dubai and Qatar as well.

The main means of transfer between parks is by air using light aircraft, in some cases road transfers are also an option. When moving between camps within a national park this is usually a game drive or boat transfer.

Private flight on small luxury aircraft to fly to bush camp lodge

Great Zimbabwe

This is a UNESCO world heritage site and the largest stone structure in Africa, South of the Sahara. This wealthy centre of trade controlled much of Central Africa between the 11th to 15th Centuries. It is well preserved and has a recently refurbished museum and interpretive center.

The Vumba

A beautiful area in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It has a mix of altitudes and ecozones make it a great place for birding or just relax and enjoy the mountain views.

silhouette of elephants in Matusadona, Kariba Zimbabwe

Matusadona National Park

This park used to be very much part of the Zimbabwean safari product but for a variety of reasons fell off the radar but remained very popular for Zimbabweans to enjoy the vast waters of Lake Kariba and the many bays and inlets along the shoreline of the park. The park is enjoying a big reinvestment in management and facilities, so we are seeing this beautiful place coming back to its former place as a prime park for Zimbabwe.

Weather

Zimbabwe has a wonderful climate. Days are sunny, and nights clear and cool. November to April are the summer months (also the summer season), which attract a wonderful array of birdlife. Winter runs from May to August (typically drier, cool weather). September and October are typically hot and dry. In the winter months, temperatures can dip to 0°C (32°F) in the early mornings and evenings.

January to March

These are the main summer rainy season months for this part of Africa, and some of the parks become inaccessible like Mana Pools and for those with access the road network might be quite limited like Gonarezhou National Park. It is however an excellent time to see the parks when animals, birds and plants are at their best and parks like Hwange on the Kalahari sands are fantastic. I really enjoy this time of year and I do recommend doing it as a complete contrast to the usual dry conditions that people see.

June to August

The dry winter season is well set in by this time of year, the vegetation is thinning out and wildlife becoming more focused on particular feeding and watering areas. This is the height of winter as well and the mornings and evenings can be surprisingly cold so you’ll make good use of the camp fire at night, but during the day the temperatures warm up to the mid twenties Celsius and the skies are generally always clear and blue. A really popular time to be on safari.

November to December

A time of year that can create some of the most epic scenes as building thunderstorms roll across the dry and dusty landscapes, the lightning and fresh smell of rain. The environment in all its various forms respond with great speed with any rain that falls in these dry areas and if your timing is right can be a tremendously rewarding time to be on safari.

April to May

You can still experience some rain at this time but usually quite limited, if at all. These months mark the start of the bush drying out and the beginning of the long dry spell that will go through to October. The bush is usually quite thick at this time so sightings can be difficult but the animals are still there and you can have huge wild areas all to yourself which is excellent in itself and you can get some great accommodation specials. This is when camps are starting to re-open depending on how much rain fell during the rain season.

September to October

These months are when the temperatures start to climb and the wildlife concentrates at the last available feeding and watering sites. September is probably the best of these months from a temperature perspective as October can be really hot during the day going towards the 40 degrees Celsius mark in the low altitude parks like Mana Pools and Gonarezhou, but it does cool off at night time. At this time many species of tree start to flower and migratory birds start arriving. For some, these are the best months to be on safari to see the drama before the rains or the spectacle of nature when the first rains arrive.

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General

What do I pack for a safari in Zimbabwe? Please remember that there may be luggage weight or size restrictions on your Zimbabwe safari. Before you travel, we shall advise you on what would be suitable for your specific safari as sometimes you may need a wide range of clothing to cater for the different conditions of your safari. If bush walks are a part of your safari, we advise to not wear white or black coloured clothes. What Stone Ruins are in Zimbabwe? The name Zimbabwe translates as “House of stone”. Between the 11th to 15th Century these stone edifices were constructed around the country and were important centres of trade and government. The main ones being Great Zimbabwe, Khami Ruins and Dhlodhlo Ruins, there are many other smaller ones scattered around. Can I walk by myself in the National Parks? No, you cannot, this is only available in designated areas within Mana Pools National Park after paying for a special permit and signing a disclaimer. We do not recommend doing this, you will have a much better experience being accompanied by a trained professional safari guide familiar with the area. Licensed professional guides working for a registered operator are allowed to take you for walks anywhere within the National Parks. What currency is used in Zimbabwe? The currency in Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwean Dollar. In tourist areas most transactions are quoted and done in US Dollars with South African Rand also possible. What time zone is Zimbabwe in? Zimbabwe shares the same time zone as the rest of Southern Africa, which is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time – (GMT) + 2 hours, in the Central Africa Time Zone (CAT) Can I use my credit cards in Zimbabwe? Yes, but only really in the main cities or tourist areas like Victoria Falls with Visa and Mastercard the most widely accepted. To buy curios or paying for camp extras like National Parks Fees it is better to have actual cash. What power sockets are used in Zimbabwe? In the cities and safari camps Zimbabwe uses 220V power points in the camps mostly using Type G plugs. If you have an item that runs on 110V, please bring a converter. It is also advisable to bring additional universal travel adaptors and extra batteries.
Visas

Do I need a visa to travel to Zimbabwe? Most nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival at the port of entry or apply for an e-visa before arrival. However, some nationalities may have to apply in advance through an embassy.Please check with your Travel Designer to find out if you require a visa to enter Zimbabwe.
Medical

What Vaccinations do I need for travelling to Zimbabwe? At this time there are no vaccination requirements for tourists visiting Zimbabwe – However if you are travelling to Zimbabwe from areas infected with yellow fever, you must have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. We will advise the latest regulations before travelling. If you are unsure about what is best for you, please consult your medical practitioner for professional advice on what other vaccinations may be suitable for you. Medical Evacuations? Air medical evacuations are available in Zimbabwe, but it is important that you have medical insurance with this type of remote evacuation cover and declare the details to your travel designer prior to travel. Do I need to take malaria medication when visiting Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe is in a malarial zone so please consult with your medical practitioner a few weeks before your departure on what the best prophylactic for you would be. Some courses of medication may need to be started in advance of your visit to Zimbabwe.

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Experience the classic Zimbabwe safari

Get a taste of it all

What you need to know

Things that are worth knowing about when traveling to Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

This is a UNESCO world heritage site and the largest stone structure in Africa, South of the Sahara. This wealthy centre of trade controlled much of Central Africa between the 11th to 15th Centuries. It is well preserved and has a recently refurbished museum and interpretive center.

The Vumba

A beautiful area in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It has a mix of altitudes and ecozones make it a great place for birding or just relax and enjoy the mountain views.

Matusadona National Park

Ready to come on Safari?

Ready to start planning your ultimate African safari with the help and experience of our teams? Lets get in touch to begin customising your perfect holiday

Discover Zimbabwe on safari

We specialise in custom designing your adventure from start to finish. However, sometimes you could use a little inspiration.

Lower Zambezi and Gonarezhou National Parks - July 2025

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4

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7 Nights in Gonarezhou with Doug Macdonald - October 2024

Come and explore the Northern part of Gonarezhou along the Runde River and Chionja Hills, This is a really genuine safari experience where game drives and bush walks are part of the day on safari in this wonderful park.

8

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3

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Gonarezhou Safari

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3

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Classic Tented Safari

This is a genuine safari experience to three of Zimbabwe's and indeed Africa's most iconic National Parks. Using only seasonal tented camps with the focus being on the bush and your interests in great safari areas.

9

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4

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Family Safari to Zimbabwe

Taking your family on safari in Africa is an incredible family memory that is hard to beat. The combination of these lodges which are well set up to entertain and fascinate all of you is a great way to go on safari together.

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2

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Zimbabwe Luxury Safari

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What you need
to know

Ready to start planning your ultimate African safari with the help and experience of our teams?

Lets get in touch to begin customising your perfect holiday

Discover Zimbabwe on
safari

Build your safari around
what you want to see