Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE is a land-locked country that straddles the Tropic of Capricorn, in central-southern Africa. It covers over 390,000 square kilometers, slightly larger than Malaysia. Zimbabwe was formerly known as Rhodesia until it gained its independence in 1980.

The country is blessed with fertile soils, mineral wealth, wonderful scenery and large herds of big game. Two major rivers form its northern and southern boundaries. The great Zambezi River cuts along its northern frontier to form the border with Zambia, while the more languid Limpopo River forms the southern border with South Africa.

Zimbabwe’s most famous attraction, Victoria Falls, flows from the Zambezi River that forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. More than a mile wide, Victoria Falls drops 325 feet, creating clouds of spray that rain down on the lush rainforest.

Southwest, in a land of rolling hills lies Africa’s largest complex of stone ruins, Great Zimbabwe. These man-made structures — the most spectacular archaeological site south of the great Egyptian pyramids — date back to the 13th century and are the heart of Zimbabwe’s history. Some scholars believe Great Zimbabwe is the lost city of Ophir from the Bible.

It is in the wilder northern regions of Zimbabwe where we concentrate our safari operations. The Zambezi is a mighty river offering an exceptional variety of wonderful scenery and water activities, coupled with superb national parks that harbour immense herds of wildlife and great game viewing as well as one of the world’s natural wonders — Victoria Falls. The national parks along the Zambezi are legendary. Mana Pools and Matusadona are located on the low-lying floodplains of Africa’s Great Rift Valley and offer extraordinary game viewing combined with remarkable scenery as the mountains of the Rift Valley form a picturesque backdrop. Along the Botswana border, the easternmost tongues of the Kalahari sands creep into Zimbabwe and mix with the teak forests of the interior. Here, desert-adapted animals live in the same area as moist woodland species. This is Hwange National Park and home to some of Southern Africa’s last great Elephant, Buffalo and Sable herds. The Linkwasha - Makalolo concession within Hwange National Park is a truly wild area where animals continue to use their ancient migratory routes. There are very few areas anywhere where one can see Gemsbok, Sable and Roan antelope naturally.

Each one of the camps in our Zimbabwe portfolio is small, exclusive and situated in the very finest wildlife locations in the country, offering a superb and unforgettable experience.