Zimbabwe offers so much – friendly people, spectacular scenery and excellent wildlife reserves. A good internal air service on Air Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Express ensures that the main centers and wildlife areas are easily accessible to the independent traveler, whilst a great variety of accommodation is available, ranging from top class hotels to remote bush lodges.
Zimbabwe is home to the magnificent Victoria Falls, with other attractions including Lake Kariba, a huge inland sea with a wealth of wildlife around its shores; and Hwange National Park, a world renowned conservation area. Zimbabwe has been called ‘Africa’s Paradise. With its spectacular and varied scenery and wildlife, it is easy to see why.
Some 12 percent of Zimbabwe has been given over to National Parks/Game Reserves, with the country’s largest National Park being Hwange at 14 620 square kilometers (5 645 square miles). Other reserves include the Victoria Falls National Park, Chizarira National Park, Mana Pools National Park and Matusa Dona National Park. The famous Victoria Falls measure some 1 688 m across (5 538 ft), with a drop of 100 m (328 ft). The estimated volume of water going over the falls in the wet season is 545 million liters per minute.
The Victoria Falls are Zimbabwe’s most famous attraction. Named by the locals as the “”Smoke That Thunders”” or Musi O’Tunya’ these are the largest and probably the most beautiful waterfalls in the world!
Lake Kariba is a huge inland sea that boasts over 5 000 square meters of tranquil and beautiful clear waters surrounded by beautiful mountains and a fascinating variety of wildlife and birdlife. It is also a very popular playground for fishing enthusiasts and holiday on-board houseboats.
Hwange National Park is another exceptional attraction covering over 14 000 square kilometers of bush. The Park has 482 kilometers of game viewing roads, all leading to areas of outstanding animal concentration and waterholes.
The scenic Eastern Highlands offer incredible and intimidating vistas with mountains looming above the tree tops. This is a place of magnificent scenery, fantastic trout fishing, forests and spectacular waterfalls.
Bulawayo is Zimbabwe’s second largest city and the gateway to the sights of the southwest area. One of the major attractions here is the Matobos National Park, renowned for its wildlife and the burial site of Cecil John Rhodes. The Zambezi Valley is a rugged wilderness teeming with game. It is remote, tough and beautiful, a great valley trapped within the escarpment where the animal is king!
Just 30 kilometers south of the town of Masvingo are the most extraordinary man-made ruins in Africa! The towering walls of Great Zimbabwe are indeed an amazing sight!
Location:
Zimbabwe is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Mozambique to the northeast, South Africa to the south and Botswana to the southwest. The central zone of hills gives rise to many rivers, which drain into the man-made Lake Kariba to the northwest, the marshes of Botswana to the west or into the Zambezi River to the northeast.
The area below 600 m is known as the lowveld, where conditions tend to be drier and hotter, with less than 40 cm of rain per annum, whereas the Eastern Highlands receive 150 cm of rain, and the highveld from 70 to 90 cm per annum.
Capital: Harare.
Population: 12.5 million
Harare has a population of about 1.6 million, and other major centers are Bulawayo, Gweru, and Mutare.
Area: 390 000 square kilometers.
Independence: 18 April 1980.
Religion: Christian, Mwari.
Languages: are Shona and Sindebele however, English is the official language.
Time: GMT + 2.
Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz.
Seasons & Climate:
SUMMER:
October – April, days are hot and generally sunny in the morning with possible afternoon thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures can rise to 30°C and night temperatures drop to around 14°C – 16°C. The temperatures given are those for the main centers but it is considerably warmer all year round in the low-lying areas such as Kariba, Victoria Falls, and the Zambezi Valley. The rainy season runs from November to March, although the Eastern Highlands are damp for most of the year.
WINTER:
May – September, days are dry, sunny and cool to warm while evening temperatures drop sharply. Daytime temperatures generally reach 20°C and can drop to as low as 5°C at night. Please note that exceptionally cold spells can occur (although this is the exception rather than the rule) so it is recommended to bring appropriate clothing, just in case!
