Mesmerising African Wilderness

Upon arrival at Bulawayo, fly 40 minutes by helicopter to the camp in the Matopos Hills, the core of the Matobo Park – Matobo means “bald heads.”  The Matopos boasts stunning views of the surrounding park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Highlights include Malindidzimu, Cecil Rhodes’ grave at the “View of the World.”  The granite domes and castle kopjes of the Matopos are among the most spectacular rock landscapes in the world, and for the more adventurous, some stunning rock art.  Enjoy three days of game viewing in the Matobo National Park and adjacent Whovi Game Park.

This morning you will be flown in a private plane to Gonarezhou National Park, southeast Zimbabwe where you check-in to a lodge situated atop a breathtaking gorge.  Three rivers run through Gonarezhou National Park which stretches over 5,000 sqkm, making it the second largest National Park in Zimbabwe.  With a huge diversity of habitats, lions, cheetah, wild dogs, hyena, buffalo, hippo and giraffe can all be seen, but Gonarezhou is known, first and foremost, for its elephants.

Today, you will take a short flight to Masvingo, and before continuing onto Mana Pools  take a short detour to the Great Zimbabwe in a 4×4 vehicle.  Great Zimbabwe (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the remains of the capital of one of the great Shona States that developed in the region after 1000 AD.  In the afternoon you will make your journey to a camp on the southern side of the Zambezi River in the Mana Pools Game Reserve.  You may be lucky enough to see the elephants standing on their hind legs to reach the trees – a Mana Pools speciality. Spend four nights at the camp with activities including game drives and walks, canoeing, fishing, fly camping, picnics and sundowners.

Return journey to London via Masvingo and Harare.