A Zimbabwean safari is the kind of well-known destination that still manages to be underestimated. The first time I visited Zimbabwe, I thought I knew what to expect. But I left with my expectations well and truly exceeded. So if you’re asking, “Is a Zimbabwe safari worth it?” or “Why travel to Zimbabwe?”, here’s my honest answer: it sets a new benchmark for what a safari can feel like. And you don't have to take my word for it. I compared notes with a few of our Travel Experts who’ve been there too – and here’s why Zimbabwe has all of us completely hooked.
Zimbabwe's setting makes for an unforgettable safari, Image Credit: Changa Safari Lodge
1. Victoria Falls Is Only One of Many Highlights
Let’s address the obvious: seeing Victoria Falls is, of course, an outrageously special experience – mist on your skin, thunder in your chest, and that weird little laugh you do when your brain can’t file what it’s seeing. But Zimbabwe isn’t merely “the waterfall destination” with a safari tacked on. It’s a full safari country with real range.
Zimbabwe plays like a film that refuses to stick to one genre, and that's a beautiful thing. One chapter is wide skies, dust, and waterholes that turn the bush into a theatre. Another is river-light and close encounters where the line between “you” and “wild” feels pleasantly thin. Then it shifts again with granite hills and some of Africa's most ancient rock art.
My advice? Do the bush first. Let the wild silence sink in, then arrive at the Falls for the grandest finale. But don't take just my word for it. Rhino Africa Travel Expert Samantha Myburgh has many wonderful words on her experience and why she loves recommending it to clients, too.
“Every time I've been to Zimbabwe, regardless of the hotel, camp, or destination I stayed at, it has always delivered something amazing.” – Sam Myburgh.
Why It Surprises
People come to see the famous Victoria Falls and end up discovering one of Africa’s greatest safari experiences (with far more variety than they expected).
Enjoy a drink at The Lookout Café as you admire the views, Image Credit: Old Drift Lodge
2. Zimbabwe Is Elephant Country
If you’ve mentally assigned “elephant country” to somewhere else, Zimbabwe has a polite but firm correction for you. In places like Hwange National Park, elephants are the main cast. They move through camps, gather at waterholes, and turn even the most mundane moments into a mystical memory.
Case in point: one of the most memorable Hwange elephant sightings I’ve heard came from our Sam – and it didn’t happen on a game drive. It happened at Somalisa Camp, while Sam was in the pool.
"The elephants would come every day just to drink out of the swimming pool. Young, old, big, small, all the ellies would drink out of this pool. There were like six of us just sitting there watching, taking photos, hearing the slurping. It was insane, absolutely insane." – Sam Myburgh.
And it wasn’t a once-off. Thirsty elephants became such regular visitors to Somalisa’s outdoor pool that a second pool had to be built – reserved solely for humans. That’s Zimbabwe in a nutshell: elephants just wander straight into the middle of your day and steal the scene.
Why It Surprises
Most guests associate “elephant country” with a couple of headline destinations, so Zimbabwe often gets underestimated until you’re there and see the abundance with your own eyes.
Watch herds of elephants pass by as you sit relaxing on the deck at Somalisa Camp, Image Credit: Janine Gous
3. The Bush Gets Weird (In The Best Way)
Zimbabwe is where you start seeing the unusual stuff. Elephants are majestic, yes. But in Mana Pools, they’re also unexpectedly acrobatic, rising onto their hind legs to reach high branches. They do it for a simple reason: food. In the dry months, when the lower browse is picked clean, they lift themselves up to reach fresh leaves and seed pods in the trees, steadying their weight with their trunks as they feed.
And then there are the elusive creatures – the ones safari-goers quietly dream about and rarely expect to see properly. Like African wild dogs. Sam had one of those once-in-a-lifetime encounters in Mana Pools, and it wasn’t from a vehicle surrounded by engines and camera shutters. It was on foot, in total silence.
“We were doing a safari walk, and we happened to see some African wild dogs. We crouched down, sat there, and watched them for almost an hour, just interacting. And because they were so close (they were literally on the other side of a dry riverbed), we didn’t bother them, and they didn’t bother us. There was no one around us. No vehicles, no noise, no anything, just us on foot and these animals, and it was the most incredible sighting.” – Sam Myburgh.
Why It Surprises
Zimbabwe delivers the kind of sightings that feel, and really are, raw and unscripted: unusual behaviour, intimate moments, and wildlife most people assume they’ll only ever see on National Geographic.
Expect the unexpected when on a Zimbabwean safari, Image Credit: Wilderness Ruckomechi
4. The Guiding Is Ridiculously Good
I could tell within the first day in Zimbabwe that the guiding is properly professional. Part of the reason is structural, as many Zimbabwean guides go through a notoriously rigorous, multi-year qualification route, built around tough theory exams and long, hands-on apprenticeships.
What that looks like in the real world is that your guide builds the sighting. They’ll read a timeline in the sand and track with purpose – sometimes starting at a waterhole and following signs until you’ve uncovered the crux of the coded narrative. This is also why Zimbabwe shines for walking safaris. Guides are trained to interpret terrain, bird calls, and wildlife behaviour with a calm confidence that makes heading out on foot both thrilling and safe.
And because many wilderness areas still feel refreshingly uncrowded, you get plenty of time for the guide to explain the story behind the scene and let the moment unfold.
“You can get out of the vehicle, do some proper walking, and get up close to nature” – Sam Myburgh.
Why It Surprises
Many guests assume guiding is broadly similar across Africa. Zimbabwe is where you realise it’s a craft that makes all the difference to your safari experience.
A country renowned for its expert guiding and walking safaris, Image Credit: Wilderness Ruckomechi
5. The Rare Luxury of Space
I’ve done the safari traffic jam. Sitting behind a convoy of game drive vehicles, cameras snapping furiously, faces stacked, everyone craning for the same angle. It takes the natural out of nature, and you feel like you're in a predetermined setting instead of a wild one.
Zimbabwe is where that script fell apart. I remember driving a rugged, empty road with no other vehicles in sight – just us and the feeling that anything could happen. When we stopped, it wasn’t because a line had formed. It was because the bush gave us a reason to.
“You don't tend to fight for sightings with other guests. You can go a whole game drive without seeing another vehicle." – Sam Myburgh.
That’s the luxury here: space. Sightings feel unfiltered and unhurried, so you can actually watch the scene breathe – animals settling, and the story revealing itself in real time.
Why It Surprises
People associate top safari countries with crowds and intensity. Zimbabwe counters this with a calm setting.
Soak in the wonderful luxury of space, Image Credit: Changa Safari Lodge
6. Culture And History Add Serious Depth
The biggest surprise for me was that, despite it being my first time in Zimbabwe, it somehow felt like a homecoming. And this was entirely because of the people. There’s an ease to the warmth here that doesn’t feel performative, but one that shows up naturally and stays with you.
Then there’s the history, running quietly beneath the safari. In Matobo, the granite hills feel ancient, and the rock art shifts your sense of time; a reminder that this landscape has been witnessed, lived in, and revered for far longer than any modern itinerary.
That’s what makes Zimbabwe more than a holiday. The safari lands differently because it’s held by something deeper – the feeling that you’ve stepped into a place with real meaning, leaving you with more than photographs.
“It's not inauthentic, it's not overhyped – it's real. It's calming, and it speaks to you." – Sam Myburgh.
Why It Surprises
You might assume Zimbabwe is purely a nature destination. It’s not – it’s a country with a story, and you feel it everywhere.
Magic is palpable at every turn, Image Credit Wilderness Ruckomechi
A Simple Way To Choose Your Zimbabwe Safari
If you’re trying to shape the trip, here’s the easiest approach (and the one we use when we’re building itineraries):
- Classic big-game feel and waterhole action: start with Hwange National Park
- River immersion and iconic elephant behaviour: add Mana Pools National Park
- Landscapes, heritage, and rhino tracking energy: weave in Matobo National Park
- A show-stopping finale: finish at Victoria Falls
Once you’ve got a few Zimbabwe travel essentials under your belt, you can relax into the fun part, and the country really shines.
Experience Zimbabwe on wheels, on foot, or on water, Image Credit: Wilderness Ruckomechi
Let Zimbabwe Steal Your Heart
If Zimbabwe is competing with a more “popular” safari country in your mind, I get it – I had that same mental shortlist. Then I went. And now Zimbabwe is one of the first destinations I recommend when someone says “safari”.
Keen to experience it yourself? There’s no time like the present. Get in touch with us, and we’ll map out a Zimbabwe safari tailored to your timing, budget, and travel style.
