Great Zimbabwe Guide - Travel Blog

Home
Zimbabwe
Harare
Great Zimbabwe Guide - Travel Blog

Beth - Zimbabwe travel blogger. Zimbo living in the UK. Celebrating the great things about Zimbabwe travel. Independent & honest travel blog since 2010.

Great Zimbabwe Guide gives honest travel tips and inspiration about Zimbabwe & southern Africa. It's a community for stories about the great things about Zimbabwe travel: talented people, world-class wildernesses & wildlife, all wrapped up in an unmatchable climate. A place for real advice on adventure travel, city guides, wildlife reserves, safaris and culture. Founded by Beth: a Zimbabwean living in the UK.

21/10/2026

If you could pack your bags and go to one of these places tomorrow, which of these four vibes are you choosing? ✈️🌴

1️⃣ Houseboat on Lake Kariba

2️⃣ Helicopter flight over Victoria Falls

3️⃣ Walking safari in Mana Pools

4️⃣ Luxury lodge in Hwange

5️⃣ Cosy cottage in Vumba

6️⃣ Hike in the Matobo Hills

Write your number in the comments! 👇

20/10/2026

Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens, Harare
Located 38 km from Harare, the Gardens are run by ZimParks.
Entry fees: US$3 for locals, $10 for SADC, $12 for international visitors, less for kids.
The ‘habitats’ range from water gardens and ferns, to aloes and woodlands. There are small hills and a dam, so there are many different things to see.Staff are still watering plants and doing maintenance in the gardens.
There are multiple picnic sites in varying styles for visitors to enjoy.
Toilets available and shelters to use if it rains.
History of Ewanrigg: Harold Basil Christian started a collection of plants around 1914. He donated the gardens to the nation upon his death in 1950.
Ewanrigg is particularly famous for its aloe and cycad collection.
Aloes are considered one of the most evolutionary successful and unique groups in the plant kingdom.
The countries of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Mozambique are the biodiversity epicenter for aloe species.
We saw an amazing Lucky Bean Tree (Erythrina lysistemon). The seeds (top right) are called lucky beans. They are traditionally collected as good luck charms, or threaded together to make necklaces and crafts.
One of my favourites is the Sabi star (Adenium multiflorum), also called the Impala lily or Desert rose. In Zimbabwe it is a Specially Protected Plant, meaning it is strictly illegal to harvest, damage, or remove from its natural habitat without a government permit.
And you can’t miss the Msasa trees (Brachystegia spiciformis): the queen of Zimbabwean trees (very rare in neighbouring South Africa).
Best time to see the aloes in flower: May to August. However, there are amazing things to see year-round.
You don’t need to book ahead to visit Ewanrigg.
Activities include wilderness trails, bird spotting, cycling, picnics, plant nursery, event hire & camping.
The location is on Google Maps and it is signposted.
It is family friendly and children can walk around freely (there is no predatory wildlife here).
Save this post for your bucket list.
Beth | Zimbabwe Travel Blogger

16/10/2026

Got plans this weekend? Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens, just outside Harare, is a peaceful spot for a walk, picnic or cycle.
I’m putting together some photos with some practical info about Ewanrigg, but for now here’s a little video of our family cycle there.

13/10/2026

Curious about Matopos? Here’s where we stayed as a family who visited from the UK.
Background:
We self-drove to Matobo National Park from Hwange National Park, on the way to Harare.
We were a family with young kids, looking for affordable accommodation.
We booked directly with the accommodation from the UK in advance.
Self-catering
Semi-permanent, ensuite tents
Hot water boilers
Linen provided
Solar lights & fans
Parking right next to the tents

We had a family safari tent with kingsize bed and ensuite bathroom. The family safari unit also has a separate kids’ tent with two single beds and a bunk bed - and its own bathroom.
At the shared braai area: our kids loved watching the monkeys (AKA food snatchers) play in the trees.
We bought our food from Zonkizizwe Shopping Centre in Bulawayo. Boerewors was a must for the braai!
Top tip: Firewood was an extra US$5 per day.
In the shared kitchen, you can store your food safely away from the monkeys, and make tea/coffee. It’s simple but practical, with lots of prep space.
The viewing deck makes the perfect spot for a sundowner on the rocks.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can also climb up nearby Sunset Rock for an even better view of the hills.
Rowallan Camp is located inside the Matobo National Park boundary, so you need to pay entry fees separately at the gate.
Prices for accommodation - see slide 13.
There are 6 ensuite tents at Umkhombo Tented Camp, with a shared kitchen and braai area.
I loved how thoughtfully designed this place is. The recent rebuild and renovations make it a peaceful and easy base for exploring the Matobo Hills.
This was a 100% self-funded stay. Just sharing a hidden gem I loved.
Thinking of visiting Matobo?
Save this post for your bucket list.

If you contact Rowallan Camp after reading this, I’d be thrilled if you mention that you saw it on GreatZimGuide.
Rowallan Camp Beth | Zimbabwe Travel Blogger

12/10/2026

The elephant that showed us the power of family.
Nzou, 1970-2026: Photographed here during my visit in August 2026.
Nzou the elephant was orphaned at the age of two in the 1970s.
Her parents had been poached & killed for their tusks. Unable to survive on her own, she was taken to Imire Conservancy in Zimbabwe.
With no other elephants around at the time, she lived with a herd of Cape buffalo. They became her family - and she never looked back.
The conservancy made several attempts to unite Nzou with other elephants. But every time, she was severely distressed when taken away from her buffalo family.
Nzou became the leader of the buffalo herd, fighting any young males who challenged her authority. She communicated better with buffalo than with other elephants.
She gave humans an insight into the devastating emotional fallout that poaching and hunting can have on orphaned animals.

But she also showed the redeeming power of family, even across species.
She defended her human handler, too. In National Geographic’s ‘Secrets of the Elephants’, the 20-year bond between Peter Wilson and Nzou was shared with the world.
Nzou the elephant died in October 2026, at roughly 56 years of age.
She will be remembered as the orphan who became a Matriarch.
I visited Imire Conservancy in August 2026, just months before her death. I also visited as a child in the 1990s.
Nzou’s story has touched people all over the world - and more importantly, she lived a life of dignity and relative freedom.

Follow me, Beth, at Great Zimbabwe Guide.

I connect people with inspiring Zimbabwe travel stories.

09/10/2026

One night in Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe: This was part of a larger Cape Town & Zimbabwe holiday we did (if you haven't seen that blog post, head over to the website now).
On our way back from Hwange we stopped in Matobo for a night enroute to Harare.
We booked this accommodation from the UK direct with the provider.
I haven't been paid for this, we paid for it ourselves, but I just want to share the info with the wider world, as sometimes Zimbabwe travel can seem like an enigma to those who haven't done it before.
We stayed at Rowallan Tented Camp, specifically their area called Umkhombo Tented Camp. Rowallan Camp
We were in Tent 4 which is a family unit with two enourmous semi-permanent tents.
It is self catering. We bought food in Bulawayo (Zonkizizwe Shopping Centre) as we drove through en route from Hwange National Park.
Rowallan Umkhombo has a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge, 2 plate gas stove and braai area.
Other features:
- Solar Lights, Fan and Fridge
- Dining Tent, Lounge, Boma and unique Bar
- Linen/Towels provided
- National park entrance fees need to be paid separately upon arrival
Let me know if you have any questions!
Follow Great Zimbabwe Guide - Travel Blog for more.

06/10/2026

I love this basket mosaic of Africa in Joburg Airport (OR Tambo).
Zimbabwe once had the nickname of being the breadbasket of Africa. Let’s hope it regains that title again. 🇿🇼

02/10/2026

Somewhere beneath a Zimbabwe sky, a baobab stands quietly as it has for generations. I took this photo on my most recent trip home, and it’s a reminder of something simple: You don’t always realise how much a place is a part of you until you return.
For those at home, or abroad, or yet to discover Zimbabwe … happy weekend.
🪾

01/10/2026

Post office boxes … seeing these was a throwback. 📍Chisipite Shopping Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe. Not sure how much longer they will stay here.

Address

Harare

Website

http://www.greatzimbabweguide.com/, https://www.greatzimbabweguide.com/classic-sadza-recipe/, https://www.greatzimbabweg

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Great Zimbabwe Guide - Travel Blog posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Great Zimbabwe Guide - Travel Blog:

Want your business to be the top-listed travel agency in Harare?