Zimbabwe is the former Rhodesia. Zimbabwe was once the land known of the Bushmen and Bantus and all with their own kingdoms. In the 19th century the British took over this part of Africa and everything gradually disappeared. There was a lot of struggle for independence. Zimbabwe is on the rise. Zimbabwe has a fascinating landscape, modern cities, quality hotels, safari camps, holiday homes and very importantly, Zimbabwe has peace and quiet.
With an area of 390,245 km2, Zimbabwe is 10 times the size of the Netherlands.
Flag of Zimbabwe
- Form of government : Republic
- Currency : Zimbabwe dollar
- Language : English
- Inhabitants : more than 12 million
- Religion : Syncretistic 50%, Christian 25%, Indigenous 24%
- Best time to travel : March – November
- Time difference : 1 hour later in winter, none in summer
climate
Zimbabwe has a high altitude, which gives it a subtropical climate . Temperatures on the plateaus range from 13˚C in June to 23˚C in October. In the low-lying areas, Zambezi Valley, temperatures range from 20 to 30˚C.
Precipitation usually falls from November to March and varies in amount from area to area.
Accessibility
Flights to Zimbabwe are operated at Harare and Bulawayo international airports .
Striproads are important in traffic. These are adjacent to the road landing strips for small aircraft. The road network is good, spacious roads and the train is also an important means of transport in Zimbabwe.
Victoria Falls / Source: Zest-pk, Flickr (CC BY-2.0)
Tourist areas
The Zambezi River, with the Victoria Falls, and Lake Kariba together form the (natural) border with Zambia.
Harare
The capital of Zimbabwe, the former Salisbury. Harare is a modern colonial city. Here you will find the National Museum with zoological, historical and ethnological collections. The botanical garden in the museum is definitely worth a visit.
Great Zymbabwe used to be an important point for the gold and ivory trade and is also known for its numerous ruins. A starting point for safaris and excursions is Kariba , located on Lake Kariba near the Zambian border.
National parks
The Matusadona Game Reserve is located near Lake Kariba. You can explore it by Land Rover or on foot. It must be done on foot under the guidance of rangers , experienced guides. It is possible to do a walking safari
in the Chizarira National Park . Hwanga National Park is also called the Wankie National Park. It is the largest and most game-rich park in Zimbabwe , located on the border with Botswana. You will find here:
- largest population of elephants in all of Africa
- the protected white rhino
- the sable antelope – this animal is the national symbol of Zimbabwe
A bizarre landscape with barren hills and rock formations can be found in the Matapos National Park . Caves with prehistoric wall paintings depicting the life of the Matabele have been discovered here. This is a tribe that lived in Zimbabwe.
Victoria Falls excursion
A great excursion. These waterfalls are also called Musi-Oa-Tunya, which means the smoke that thunders. The Victoria Falls are located in the Zambezi River basin. The plateau is almost 2 kilometers wide and the water plunges from 120 meters down and squeezes through a gorge several tens of meters wide. The Victoria Falls National Park offers amazing flora and fauna.
Rafting is possible from the waterfalls downstream to the Zambezi Gorge. Or a sightseeing flight above the waterfalls is also possible.
Near the Victoria Falls it is possible to visit crocodile farms.