6 days of captivating natural wonders in Zimbabwe

Last fall, I wrote down a list of dream trips I wanted to take, and this April, I was lucky enough to check one of them off my list: a safari in Africa – or more specifically, 6 days surrounded by natural wonders in Zimbabwe.

When the chance to travel to Zimbabwe with Wilderness came up, I jumped at it. But what I experienced turned out to be so much more than I had ever expected. The beauty of nature and the varied landscapes of Zimbabwe that I witnessed will stay with me forever. 

The time I spent exploring Zimbabwe blew my mind again and again. Where did I go? Well, I began at Victoria Falls, then headed into the bush in Hwange National Park, and later moved on to Mana Pools National Park. Each area felt wildly different, and all of them teemed with wildlife. 

• When to arrive: The time and days of the week tend to fade away on a safari in the bush, so I would recommend coming when flights are affordable and the wildlife is active. Check the best seasons for wildlife in the parks you plan to visit – animals can be seen year-round in Zimbabwe, but some months are particularly special.

• How to get from the airport: When you are traveling on a safari trip with a travel agency, they'll arrange all your transportation, including airport transfers. I arrived at Victoria Falls International Airport, and Wilderness transferred me directly to my accommodation.

• Where to stay: During my visit to Zimbabwe, I stayed at the absolutely stunning Palm River Hotel in Victoria Falls, the serene Wilderness Linkwasha Camp in Hwange National Park, and the Wilderness Ruckomechi Camp in Mana Pools National Park, nestled beside along the Zambezi River.  

• What to pack: Bring neutral clothing for game drives and long, breathable pants. I also recommend a nice warm sweater, especially if you travel earlier in the year in Hwange National Park. After the sun goes down and on early-morning game drives, it gets quite chilly. 

Day 1

How I spent the day

After a lengthy journey from New York, arriving at the city that has grown up around Victoria Falls was invigorating. As my flight descended, I could see mist from the falls in the distance. Once we were off the plane, I headed through customs and straight to the Palm River Hotel. Located along the Zambezi River, the hotel was luxurious, yet it blended in well with its natural surroundings. 

I had lunch at the restaurant before heading down to the pool to read a book. Little did I know I would soon be having my first wildlife encounter of the trip. While I was dozing in the sun, one of the staff ran over to tell me to move back as an elephant was making its way across the property. Seeing this huge animal pass was a beautiful and magical experience, but just the beginning of my Zimbabwe wildlife adventure. 

Evening

In the evening, I headed to the dock on the river at the hotel for a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River, accompanied by cocktails and light bites. I got my first glimpse of hippos and crocodiles and enjoyed a truly stunning sunset. 

After the cruise, we headed back to the hotel for an outdoor barbecue on the riverside deck. Dining under the stars was lovely, especially for someone from the big city like me. The unpolluted night sky would continue to be a highlight for me throughout the trip. 

Fitting the setting, we dined on grilled crocodile meat (farm-sourced, and even better than alligator if you ask me), alongside more familiar BBQ classics, ending the evening with some panna cotta. 

Day 2

Morning

The day began early, with a trip to the hotel restaurant before the sun had fully risen. I had a fabulous omelet alongside a continental breakfast spread of croissants, homemade jam and freshly squeezed juice.

Afterward, we headed out to the star of the town, Victoria Falls. Famed for being the largest falling sheet of water in the world, the waterfall is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, alongside the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef. 

Referred to locally as "the smoke that thunders," the falls were swollen by a very heavy rainy season, so at times it could be difficult to see the falls clearly. But there were moments when the mist settled, and the curtain of water came into view, and it was really spectacular. As we walked along the length of the falls, we could see rainbows popping up around every corner. 

How I spent the day

After admiring the falls, we returned to the hotel to change quickly, before heading off to visit the Jafuta Foundation, a local community organization that partners with Wilderness. We learned about Jafuta's initiatives providing access to clean water, jobs, education for local families, and providing resources for women and children in unsafe environments. 

After our visit to the foundation, we had lunch at Dusty Road, a local restaurant specializing in classic Zimbabwean cooking. This was a great opportunity to try the local cuisine and learn about the various foods that were staples in the community, like the leafy green vegetable chomolia (also known as African kale).

Evening 

After our time at Dusty Road, we returned to the hotel to relax before heading out for sundowner drinks at another hotel, the Victoria Falls Safari Club. This gave us a chance to speak to a member of the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, which works tirelessly to protect the animals that live in the area. 

After drinks, we popped over to Baines Restaurant for dinner. Like many of the best spots at Victoria Falls, it was located right by the Zambezi River – so close to the falls that I could hear the roar of the water while we dined. 

Day 3

Morning

It was time to leave Victoria Falls behind and venture into the bush. We headed back to Victoria Falls Airport to board our Wilderness Air flight for the 100km trip to Hwange National Park. The small plane was an 11-seater, and the 45-minute flight provided a stunning chance to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the landscape.

Upon landing in Hwange, we were greeted by our guides, Peter and Josh, who immediately offered us coffee and cookies while our luggage was loaded onto safari trucks, and gave us an introductory talk on how to enjoy the park safely.

Next, we boarded our safari trucks and started the trip to Wilderness Linkwasha Camp, our base for the next 2 nights. The journey took roughly an hour, but when you are in the bush, trip times are hard to pin down. When I asked our guides, the response was “it depends on what we see.” 

How I spent the day

On the way to camp, we saw an elephant and a few baboons, which at the time felt pretty exciting, but there would be so much more to come. 

As we approached Linkwasha, we were greeted by a whole family of elephants enjoying the watering hole at the front of the camp. We immediately dropped our bags and our guide, Peter, rushed us over to the viewing port, where we were safe from the animals but could enjoy a wildly close view of them.

Watching one of the baby elephants playing in the mud beside the watering hole was a high point of the trip for me. Afterward, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch featuring grilled, lemony bream, a cabbage salad, sausage, fruit and freshly made naan bread.

We were given a few hours of downtime in the afternoon, during which I took a swim in the pool and freshened up for the evening before heading back for high tea – a daily occurrence at the camps I stayed at. Each day, at around 3:30pm, light bites and a refreshing drink were provided for us to snack on before our evening drive. 

Evening

For our first evening safari at Hwange, we headed out to the Ngamo Plains, where we were greeted by zebras, wildebeest, elephants and hippos. We followed a pack of vultures to a lion kill, and we marveled at the unobstructed views of sweeping plains overrun with wildlife.  

As the sun began to set and the sky turned a stunning pink, we hopped out of our vehicle to enjoy sundowners (enjoying happy hour is a popular activity in the bush) next to a watering hole filled with lolling hippos. 

After sunset, we headed back to camp, using a special light with a red filter to look for nocturnal wildlife species, before enjoying a lovely steak dinner. 

Day 4

Morning

As I quickly discovered, days start early in the bush. When you stay at a safari camp, someone will wake you up at around 5:30am, which feels rather sweet and nostalgic. I got ready for our morning safari drive before calling on the walkie-talkie for someone to come and walk me from my tent to the dining area for a light breakfast of meat and cheese, coffee and fruit as the sun rose.

Then it was back into the safari truck for another morning expedition out into the wilderness. This immediately became my favorite time of day in Hwange. The morning sun over the golden plains was so serene. And if you can believe it, the elephants looked even more beautiful at dawn. 

On this drive, we came across some of the park's elusive cheetahs, which was an amazing experience. Watching these graceful cats weave through the long grass before napping under a towering tree was the perfect way to spend a morning. Afterward, we hopped out of the truck for coffee and snacks and a sip of Amarula liqueur (a bit like an African Baileys). 

How I spent the day

Following our morning coffee in the bush, we drove beyond the national park to a local village to visit the Ngamo Livestock Farm & Vocational Centre, established in partnership with Wilderness. Here, we learned about the various farming practices used to help prevent deforestation, avoid polluting chemicals, and grow nutritious vegetables for the community.

The education-focused project provides training for local youths aged from 17 to 25. On a year-long program, trainees learn the long-term skills needed to find jobs in agriculture and take care of their own farms and livestock. 

After our time at the farm, we began our journey back to camp to tuck into a beautiful lunch spread out on the plains. There's nothing quite like eating a beef stir-fry while giraffes roam nonchalantly in the distance. 

Evening 

We had a little downtime before our evening drive, and I decided to take a nice little nap, only to be awoken by a ruckus of elephants and baboons outside my tent. Surprises like this are all part of a stay in the bush! 

For our final drive in Hwange, we went in search of lions but ended up encountering countless elephants instead, and spent some time looking for a leopard we heard was out hunting. When the time came for sundowners, we pulled up beside a very active watering hole filled with hippos and surrounded by elephants and baboons. 

My wildlife-filled day was finished off nicely with a glass of whiskey, watching the blazing orange sun sink into the horizon as baboons scurried up the palm trees to bed.

Day 5

Morning

The day began with another early morning start, for one last game ride before we headed off to Mana Pools National Park, by the Zambezi in the north of Zimbabwe, for the final leg of the trip. After our drive, we enjoyed a filling brunch before checking out of the camp and waving goodbye to Hwange.

How I spent the day

On the drive to the landing strip, there was time to marvel at some more wildlife along the way, before we climbed into a bush plane and headed to Mana Pools, aroundwe 400km northeast. When the weather is dry, you can fly directly to the national park, but due to the unusual amount of rain, the landing strip was still wet, so we flew to nearby Chirundu before taking an hour-long boat ride along the Zambezi River. 

It was a lovely ride, filled with crocodile and hippo encounters. Upon arrival at the park's Ruckomechi Camp, there was an option for another evening drive, but I declined in favor of a long shower with views of the river, and some time reading my book with a glass of wine while the sun set over the Zambezi. It was the perfect end to a busy travel day. 

Evening 

We had a beautiful meal of barbecue meats before sipping a nightcap around the fire. But with another early start ahead, we all turned in early. 

Day 6

Morning

My last full morning began – again – at 5:30am, as one of the camp staff arrived with some hot water. I made myself a beautiful cup of French press coffee in my room while I got ready, before walking towards the dining area. Breakfast consisted of light bites, but the real star was bread freshly cooked over the fire. I could have that every morning!

Today, I opted for a walking safari at Mana Pools, which provided a unique opportunity to get some insights into the smaller creatures that live in the park, from termites and ants to leopard tortoises and lizards. During our walk, we also came across elephants – Zimbabwe is home to around 100,000 of them – and warthogs. 

After a few hours of walking, we enjoyed the mid-morning ritual of coffee, Amurula and cookies next to a watering hole, before heading back to camp for brunch, which consisted of grilled steak and halloumi kebabs that I could not stop talking about. Then it was time for some rest, which I chose to do poolside with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. 

Evening

Rather than taking a drive, I took advantage of the opportunity to head out on the Zambezi River for some fishing. And while the fishing was fruitless, I did learn how to cast, which is always a beneficial skill to have in your back pocket. 

Being out on the water at sunset was mesmerizing, and I also got to watch elephants swim across the river to a nearby island. Seeing them use their trunks as snorkels was another highly memorable moment from the trip. 

We then got a radio call that a lion had been spotted, which is something we had all been hoping to see. We rushed back to shore, zoomed out into the bush and were lucky enough to see a magnificent female lion hunting. 

On our return to camp, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner by a campfire, with tables spread out along the river away from camp. We even got a quick astronomy lesson from one of the guides under the crystal clear African sky. 

It was the perfect ending to a truly life-changing trip. The next day, I began the roughly 30 hours of travel that would take me back to New York – in light of my experiences in Zimbabwe, the journey was worth every minute!

Chamidae traveled to Zimbabwe at the invitation of Wilderness. Lonely Planet does not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.