As Zimbabwe returns to more stable political situation so the country opens up as a fantastic 4×4 and wilderness destination.

General Notes:
Access & Flights: We have suggested JHB to start and finish because of direct and lower cost flights. This is also more feasible due to huge improvements in crossing Beitbridge border into Zimbabwe.

Lake Kariba Ferry: On day 9, it would be a viable option to include the Kariba ferry which now runs twice a week. It saves a long drive from VF (Binga) to Kariba. If you choose to drive you can visit Matusadona National Park on the way. The drive is definitely far off the beaten track an 4×4 is required.

Itinerary: 

Day 1: Johannesburg to Blouberg Nature Reserve
Approx. 425km (4.5 hours drive)
This provincial government nature reserve is situated in the arid bushveld region of Limpopo province with an annual rainfall of 400 mm. It covers an area of 9320ha of which approximately 2000ha is mountainous terrain. The reserve was proclaimed in 1983 after the land was bought from farmers.

The varying topography, from mountain down to the plains and the Brak River in the south lends itself to a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Veld type ranges from Kalahari-sandveld in the north to sweet bushveld in the east and west. Mixed bushveld on the mountain slopes with qrassveld arid fynbos on the plateau and riverine bush in the south. Unique features are the tamboti woodland, fig forest, baobabs and the Brak River floodplain.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 2: Mapungubwe National Park – Mazhou Camp Site
Approx. 142km (3 hour’s drive)
The Tuli Block is a narrow fringe of land at Botswana’s eastern border wedged between Zimbabwe in the north and east and South Africa in the south. It consists mainly of privately owned game farms offering safari tourism. The eastern section up to and including Redshield has been declared a game reserve, known as the Northern Tuli Game Reserve.
Tuli is renowned for its geographical features — Solomon’s Wall by the Motloutse River at the southwestern corner of the Tuli Block, as well as for its location near the Tswapong and Lepokole Hills where the ancestors of the San people left traces of their rock paintings. The Tuli is readily accessible by road from South Africa and all the major cities in Botswana.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 3 : Matopo Rest Camp – Cross through Beitbridge border and head for Matobo National Park – Zimbabwe
Approx. 355km (4.5 hours drive)
Matobo National Park occupies a total area of 44 500 hectares. Established in 1953, the Park was awarded Unesco World Heritage Status in June 2003.
The Park includes an Intensive Protection Zone where a large population of Black and White Rhinoceros are successfully breeding. The Park offers a diverse package of tourist attractions and activities.
The park is situated in the magnificent Matobo Hills, a range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion and weathering. The majestic and rugged terrain of the park is a hiker’s paradise and the diversity of the vegetation supports a wide range of wildlife.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 4 – Hwange National Park – Main Camp
Approx. 375km (6.5 hours drive)
Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange National Park is the largest Park in Zimbabwe occupying roughly 14 650 square kilometers. It is located in the northwest corner of the country about one hour south of the Mighty Victoria Falls.
It became the royal hunting grounds to the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century and was set aside as a National Park in 1929. The Park has three distinctive Camps and administrative offices at Robins, Sinamatella and the largest one at Main Camp.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 5 – Hwange National Park- Sinamatella Camp
Hwange boasts a tremendous selection of wildlife with over 100 species of mammals and nearly 400 bird species recorded.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 6 – Hwange National Park – Robin’s Camp
The elephants of Hwange are world famous and the Park’s elephant population is one of the largest in the world. The Park has three distinctive Camps and administrative offices at Robins, Sinamatella and the largest one at Main Camp.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 7 – 8 Victoria Falls – Ilala Lodge
Approx. 230km (4 hours drive)
Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world.
Accommodation – Room – B&B

There are many different activities to do in Victoria Falls too:
Abseiling
Kayaking
Bungee Jumping
River Rafting
Flights over the Falls
Horse Trails
Gorge Swing
River Boarding

Day 9 – Head towards Mana Pools – a good option would be to catch the Ferry from Binga to Kariba.

Day 9 – Matusadona National Park – Tashinga Camp
This is certainly a 4×4 drive and far off the beaten track. The road passes some very scenic areas and real Africa before you reach Matusadona National Park, it is situated on the shores of Lake Kariba but was proclaimed a non-hunting area on 7 November 1958 before the dam was built.
It became a Game Reserve in 1963, and in 1975, in terms of the Parks & Wildlife Act, it became a National Park. The Park comprises some 1 400 square kilometers of diverse flora and fauna. Before the lake was built, Matusadona was a vast, rugged wilderness with limited access.
With the lake came ecological changes. One in particular, the lakeshore contributed greatly to the increase of large mammal populations in the area, especially elephant and buffalo. The grass found on the shoreline is Panicum repens and is a rejuvenative grass – needing only fluctuating lake levels to replenish its nutrients. With this ready food source, buffalo, waterbuck, zebra, and even impala have thrived and with them the predators. Matusadona is an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) and home to several relocated rhinoceros.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 10 – 11 Mana Pools – Mucheni Camp
Mana Pools National Park is synonymous with the Zambezi River, elephants, lions, remoteness and wilderness.
This unique park is a WORLD HERITAGE SITE, based on its wildness and beauty, together with the wide range of large mammals, over 350 bird species and aquatic wildlife. Mana Pools is one of Zimbabwe’s most popular parks, and it is easy to see why it falls into this profile.

Day 12 – Mana Pools – Chitake Camp 1
Approx. 330km (6 hours drive)
The name “Mana” means “four” in the local Shona language. This applies to the four large pools inland from the Zambezi River. These pools are the remnant ox-bow lakes that the Zambezi River carved out thousands of years ago as it changed its course northwards. Hippopotamus, crocodiles and a wide variety of aquatic birds are associated with the pools. ”Long Pool”, is the largest of the four pools, extending some six kilometers in a west-east direction. This pool has a large population of hippo and crocodiles and is a favourite for the large herds of elephant that come out of the thickly vegetated areas in the south to drink.
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 13 – Antelope Park
Approx. 515km (6.5 hour’s drive)
Set in over 3000 acres of open savannah grassland, Antelope Park is a unique game reserve and a haven of tranquillity set in the African bush, welcoming guests and volunteer eco-tourists alike to the charming and remarkable camp site. Walk with lions, ride through the wilderness on elephant or horseback, view the abundance of wildlife in the Park or canoe on the scenic lake. During the evening, our exclusive Night Encounters offer a truly amazing, close up experience of lions hunting in their natural environment
Accommodation – Campsite

Day 14 – Masvingo – Great Zimbabwe Ruins – Hippo Creek Lodge
Approx. 318km (4 hours drive)
A little less than 30 kilometers beyond the south-eastern town of Masvingo are to be found some of the most extraordinary manmade remains in Africa.
Formed of regular, rectangular granite stones, carefully placed one upon the other, they are the ruins of an amazing complex. The structures were built by indigenous African people between AD 1250 and AD 1450 believed to be the ancestors of modern Zimbabweans.
The ruins at Great Zimbabwe are remarkable; lofty, majestic, awe-inspiring, timeless. The quality of the building in places is outstanding. It was built by craftsmen who took a pride in their work. There is nothing to compare with it in southern Africa.
Accommodation – Rooms – Self catering

Day 15 – 16 – Gonarezhou National Park – Chipinda Pools Camp
Approx. 330km (4.5 hours drive)
Gonarezhou National Park is situated in the south eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe and covers an area in excess of 5 000 square kilometers. “Gonarezhou” meaning “Place of many Elephants” is an extremely scenic Park full of rugged and beautiful landscapes.
Alternative folklore suggests the area was named for the herbalists who would stock their medicines in tusks (known as gone in the Shona language).

Day 17 – Head back to Johannesburg through Beitbridge border (this border should take between 1 – 2 hours)
Approx. 798 km (8 hour drive)
OR – take the road back through the Limpopo Transfrontier Park and into Kruger National Park before heading to Johannesburg.