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The Zambezi River
This offers an exciting range of activities, safaris and adventures for tourists. The most famous destination on the Zambezi is the mighty Victoria Falls, or Mosi-o-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders’, as it is known locally. Zimbabwe offers a panoramic view of the Falls, from a spray drenched rain forest opposite the curtain of water that is unrivalled by the views offered from the Zambian side. Bungee jump from the railway bridge over the river chasm or ride the white water rapids, or take the Flight of Angels over the falls from the air. Travel further downstream with the Zambezi and you came to Lake Kariba, which is a tourist destination in its own right, offering game viewing from the water, fishing, house boats, water sports, walking safaris and hours and hours of sunshine. After passing through the electricity turbines in Kariba Dam Wall, the river flows through magnificent wildlife sanctuaries, and game fishing grounds, including Chirundu and Mana Pools.

Wildlife
For those interested in including safaris in there custom trips, Zimbabwe is blessed with a fine selection of African wildlife, including the Big Five. Significant parts of the country have been dedicated to its protection and conservation, and Zimbabwe has active Black Rhino and Wild Dog breeding and protection programmes.

Major wildlife reserves include world renowned Hwange National Park which offers everything from camping to exclusive lodges, Gona re Zhou which provides a more luxurious experience, and Mana Pools for a more rustic experience. Not all of the places are easy to reach, and we often suggest taking a 4x4 tour (either self-drive or guided) to these areas.

Mana Pools is unique in that it is one of the few African wildlife reserves which permit visitors to walk unattended in an area with big cats, buffaloes and elephants. It is truly a great privilege to be able to immerse oneself in the African bush, surrounded by wild animals, camping under the African stars or staying in one of the basic self-catering lodges.

Matopos and Great Zimbabwe
The precariously balanced rocky outcrops of the Matopos area, near Bulawayo, protruding from the woodland are unique to Zimbabwe, and are interspersed with great domes of granite, ruwares, which rise above the surrounding landscape, and provide fantastic natural viewing platforms. Many of these rocky outcrops are dotted with bushmen paintings recording Zimbabwe’s heritage. Further north lies Great Zimbabwe, ‘House of Stone’, a well-preserved stone walled city, which was the centre of a vast empire known as the Munhumutapa Empire

Eastern Highlands and Chimanimani
A spectacular cloud tipped mountain range runs the length of the eastern border with Mozambique. The rugged rocky peaks of the Chimanimani mountains cater for the hiking and camping enthusiast; as well as those looking for an ofroad 4x4 adventure. In contrast, the ranges of the Nyanga region are tamed by commercial forests, manicured golf courses, and various resorts, offering trout fishing, horse-riding, walking and a more family oriented break. Mount Nyangani, Zimbabwe’s highest peak at 2,592m, provides a few hours of relatively challenging climbing, but should only be contemplated with the sanction of National Parks, as cloud cover can descend very quickly, resulting in dangerously low visibility.

Reading:
To find out more about Zimbabwe or to bag some books, dvd's or music for your trip, please take a look at the Mud Hut's Reading List!