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Zimbabwe Tourist Information

Zimbabwe has two main "hubs", namley Harare & Victoria Falls. There are daily flights into both destinations from Johannesburg. Most of the country's tourist areas are easily reachable from these hubs, however there are a few that will require domestic air travel. Domestic air travel takes on two forms. The first is Air Zimbabwe scheduled flights, however these are not always ideal in terms of connecting flights but do work most of the time. The second option is charter flights. Charters allow for more flexibility and can also prevent overnighting in unwanted stops due to bad scheduled connecting flight times. Charter allows us to sell a product that works, but please remember that charter is always more expensive than scheduled flights and is also subject to a minimum of two passengers.

Zimbabwe has a well maintained road system that connects all the major areas of the country. Most of our transfers are done by road, however certain lodges cannot be accessed by road, due to location, and in those cases we make use of air transfers directly to the lodges.

Location:

Southern Africa. Zimbabwe is landlocked and bordered by South Africa in the south, Mozambique in the east, Zambia in the north, Botswana and Namibia in the west.

Area: 390 759 sq kms (150 873 sq miles) Capital: Harare (central north east)

Language: English, Shona and Ndebele

Time: GMT +2

Tourist attractions:

The Victoria Falls (world heritage site)
Lake Kariba (Matusadona National Park)
Hwange National Park
Mana Pools National Park (world heritage site)
Matobo Hills National Park
Eastern Highland

Business centres: Harare & Bulawayo

Health:

Most of the tourist areas in Zimbabwe are endemic malaria areas. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Visas:

All Commonwealth passport holders - except Australia and New Zealand do not require Visas. Most other passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival on payment of US$ 30. There are a few nationalities that require a visa prior to entry so please ensure that you check with the Zimbabwe consulate in your country

The different areas of Zimbabwe have different "best times" to visit. This is also dependent on what your preferences are.

Vic Falls:

The Falls are best viewed between February and June, when the Zambezi is in full flow. This is however the worst time for white water rafting, which is a major attraction in Vic Falls. The best season for rafting is when the water levels are low. This is usually August to December. The Falls are still spectacular during this period, but not in full flow.

Hwange, Mana Pools & all game lodges:

Travel to Hwange is centred on game viewing. This is best in the dry season as the inland water supply is low so it is easier to track the animals to main water sources. The bush is also thinner than it would be in the wet season, which makes it easier to spot animals. The winter (dryer) months are cold in the early morning and late afternoon, so please ensure that warm clothing is taken for game activities.

Eastern Highlands:

This area is mountainous and very lush and therefore the focus is on the outdoors. Keep this in mind when visiting this area as the summer months tend to bring rain. Winter in the mountains can be a bit cold so please ensure that the correct clothing is taken along.

Kariba / Matusadona:

This region is renowned for getting extremely hot and humid around the months of October and November. If visiting this area in that period, please try to stay out of the midday sun and be sure to take a wide brimmed hat.