Travel to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is an irresistibly beautiful country that seduces its visitors to return time and time again. In the game-rich country, there are mainly two nature experiences that stand out: Victoria Falls and the Mana Pools National Park. Visit campingship for Zimbabwe Geography.

See Zimbabwe Travel

Population: 15.2 million

Capital: Harare

Language: English and various Bantu languages

• Although most of Zimbabwe consists of savannah, there are actually a surprising amount of mahogany, teak and baobab trees in the eastern part of the country.
• does the scout movement originate in Zimbabwe? The two friends RSS Baden-Powell and FR Burnham met during the Chimurenga uprising, where the first steps towards the modern scout movement were taken.

History of Zimbabwe

The name Zimbabwe, or Rhodesia, as the country was called until 1964 when the country liberated itself from Britain, comes from the huge ruins of Great Zimbabwe, which are located inside the country. They consist of the remains of a city that was once the center of a great empire, known as the Munhumutapa Empire. This empire ruled over an area that largely covered all of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The prosperity of the empire was founded through trade with the outside world in the ports south of the delta of the Zambezi River. Today, a large part of Zimbabwe’s 12 million people live in severe poverty, in a country whose economy has been totally undermined by the infamous President Mugabe.

Mana Pools National Park

Mana Pools National Park, which runs along Zimbabwe’s northern border, is home to the highest concentration of wildlife on the entire African continent during the winter months. The place is chosen with great care. The 2,000 km2 UNESCO World Heritage Site is blessed with rich and varied vegetation, which includes large mahogany and acacia trees on the Zambezi River, dense forest along the slopes, ebony and broad-stemmed baobab trees. The rich wildlife consists of large herds of elephants and buffaloes greedily drinking from the waters of the Zambezi River, accompanied by lions, hyenas, nyalas, impalas, leopards and a wide range of other, typically African species. This is also where you will find the largest number of hippos and crocodiles in Zimbabwe,

Other national parks in Zimbabwe

It is excellent to continue the journey at sea, on the beautiful lake Kariba, which is one of the world’s largest artificial lakes. The beaches are visited by buffalo, impalas, zebras and elephants, which are always visible above the water surface. The area also has a very rich and varied bird life. To further spice up your holiday in Zimbabwe, you can visit Hwange National Park, which with its 14,000 km2 is Zimbabwe’s largest. The park houses over 100 different mammals and 400 different bird species, and is located in the northwestern corner of the country, near the road that connects Bulawayo with Zimbabwe’s (and Zambia’s) biggest attraction, Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls

The 100-meter-high waterfalls are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and on the Zimbabwe side, the falls are surrounded by Victoria Falls National Park, where you can encounter baboons, among other things. On the over one and a half kilometer wide edge that the water overflows over, are a couple of islands that separate the water masses. The largest of the islands is called Livingstone Island and, together with the other islands, divides the water masses into four main cases, or cataracts. Closest to Zimbabwe, is “Devil’s Cataract” where Dr. Livingstone looks out over his find, which he named in 1855 after the British Queen Victoria.

Facts Zimbabwe

Here you will find practical information in connection with travel to Zimbabwe.

• Language: English and various Bantu languages

• Capital: Harare

• Population: 14, 5 million

• Religion: Christianity and Islam

• Currency: US dollar

• Surface: 390 759 km2

Worth knowing

Time difference

The time difference between Sweden and Zimbabwe varies depending on whether Sweden has summer or winter time:

Summer time: 0 hours

Winter time: +1 hour

Tip

On our travels you come into contact with everyday life and local customs. There may be situations you do not like or are not used to, such as custom with tips. In many countries, the tips system is more organized than we as Swedes are used to and there is an expectation that local guides and drivers will receive a certain amount in tips during the journey, as the service industry’s salaries are often adjusted accordingly. We enter an amount in our travel program, so that you can take this into account when planning your trip. The price of the trip does not include the cost of tips as you decide how much you want to give during the trip. The system of tips can be said to be part of the culture you visit and which you should therefore follow and respect. We want to emphasize that it is of course voluntary to tip.

For cruises, other rules apply, see the special program for your trip.

Currency and credit cards

Zimbabwe has a multi-currency system and as a traveler you can use US dollars and South African rand. Most currencies can be exchanged anywhere in Zimbabwe, but often the exchange rate for Swedish kronor is not very favorable. It is therefore better to exchange money from home.

Keep in mind that in Zimbabwe you can probably neither withdraw cash nor pay with international credit cards. We therefore recommend that you bring cash in the form of US dollars (USD), preferably also in smaller denominations (1- and 5 dollar bills, so that you can buy drinks, small souvenirs or meals that are not included in the price of the trip.

In our experience, it can sometimes be difficult to withdraw cash with your credit card, but this is constantly changing and credit cards are becoming increasingly accepted. Credit cards are accepted at most major lodges and souvenir shops.

Electricity

In Zimbabwe, 220 volts are used. Flat connectors with three “spikes” are often used and you should therefore bring an adapter set with many options.

At safari lodges and safari camps, there is often only electricity between 5 and 10 in the morning and between 18 and 23 in the evening.

Telephone and internet

Zimbabwe’s international country code is +263. In Zimbabwe, it is expensive to use a mobile phone for incoming and outgoing calls, send text messages and use data traffic – so feel free to check with your mobile operator about coverage and prices in Zimbabwe.

Most hotels in major cities have internet as well as some larger safari lodges / safaricamps. At lodges and camps, the connection is not always so reliable and can also cost a lot.

Hygiene

In hotels and larger restaurants, the toilets are modern / western class. Out in the city, however, you can count on going to so-called pedal toilets, and that there is a lack of toilet paper. The standard of public toilets or in the countryside can thus be relatively primitive. Bring your own toilet paper or a package of intimate napkins and perhaps hand sanitizer (available at Swedish pharmacies, for example), so you will not be as dependent on access to water.

Smoking

During flight and transport, there is an absolute ban on smoking. Smoking is also prohibited in most public places.

Climate Zimbabwe

This page gives you an overview of the climate and weather in Zimbabwe. See for example the weather in Harare and the city of Victoria Falls.

	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	CHRISTMAS	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Victoria Falls
Daytime temperature	30	29	30	29	27	25	25	28	32	33	32	30
Night temperature	18	18	17	14	10	6	6	8	13	17	18	18
Precipitation (mm)	166	126	70	24	3	1	0	0	2	27	64	174
Hwange
Daytime temperature	29	29	29	28	26	24	24	27	31	32	32	30
Night temperature	18	17	17	13	9	5	5	7	12	16	18	18
Precipitation (mm)	145	129	57	20	3	0	0	1	2	21	56	127
Harare
Daytime temperature	26	26	26	26	24	22	22	24	28	29	28	26
Night temperature	16	16	15	13	9	7	7	9	12	15	16	16
Precipitation (mm)	191	176	99	37	7	2	2	3	7	40	93	183
Masvingo
Daytime temperature	28	28	27	26	24	22	22	24	28	30	29	28
Night temperature	17	17	15	13	9	6	5	8	11	15	17	17
Precipitation (mm)	140	109	75	21	7	9	1	3	5	22	77	153

Source: World Weather Information Service & DMI

The tropical climate in Zimbabwe is tempered by its high location and is therefore mostly subtropical. The central parts of the country are located on a high plateau 1000 m above sea level. The rainy season occurs during the summer months (November – March) but varies greatly from area to area. In some parts of the south, for example at the Limpopo Basin, very little rain falls.