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Zimbabwe is a country with a rich heritage of botanical splendor and magnificent wildlife. Besides the national parks and game reserves, there are hundreds of privately owned game lodges.
A word of warning: before touring Zimbabwe, find out about the political situation, as it can be volatile at times.
CHETE GAME RESERVE
This reserve is situated in northern Zimbabwe on the Zambezi river. To the south of this reserve is the Chizarira National Park.
It is a research center for the University of Harare and is not open to the public. Wildlife includes elephant, rhino, buck, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and buffalo.
CHIMANIMANI NATIONAL PARK
This park is found in a section of the Chimanimani Mountain range in eastern Zimbabwe on the Mozambican border. This park is a botanical wonderland and buck roam freely through the park.
CHIZARIRA NATIONAL PARK
This small national park is situated in the northern area of Zimbabwe, south of Kariba Lake.
This park is open seasonally for tourists (closed sometimes during excessive rains). Some rougher areas require 4-wheel drive.
GONAREZHOU NATIONAL PARK
Gonarezhou National Park is situated in southeast Zimbabwe on the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It lies close to the biggest wildlife national park in the world, the Kruger National Park of South Africa.
Gonarezhou is known for elephant and the name in fact means "place of many elephants". Other wildlife such as lion, leopard, giraffe, wild dogs, zebra, hippopotamus, crocodile and buffalo can be viewed.
HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
The Hwange National Park is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in Africa and is reported to have the largest number of game in Africa. Roads have been built to accommodate tourists and there are resting camps for the those who want to stay over.
A wide range of wildlife roams free in the reserve. Summer heralds in the rainy season in this area and the park is then at its most glorious - botanically speaking. The best time to view animals is during the dry, winter months. There are vast numbers of buffalo and especially elephants. Other wildlife on view are giraffe, various types of buck, warthog, baboon, monkeys, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, jackal and a number of smaller animals.
KAZUMA PAN NATIONAL PARK
This is one of the smaller national parks and is situated just north of the magnificent Hwange National Park. Further north of this national park is the Victoria Falls National Park.
LAKE KYLE GAME RESERVE
A number of game animals can be viewed on horseback and it also boasts a fish research center, an aquarium and a crocodile information center.
LAKE MCILWAINE GAME RESERVE
This reserve is situated on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital and was named after Sir Robert McIlwaine. The reserve is small, but game such as rhinoceros, buck and zebra can be seen. There are a number of Bushmen paintings in the caves as well.
MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK
This game reserve on the Zambezi River is only open from beginning May to end October of each year.
The Mana Pools National Park comprises of a cluster of small lakes and is a sanctuary for large numbers of birds and fish. Wildlife is plentiful - elephant, lion, leopard, hippopotamus, rhinoceros buffalo, buck and wild dog.
MATOBO NATIONAL PARK
This park is situated on the southwestern plateau of Zimbabwe. The most remarkable feature of this park is the presence of rock, granite and boulders which is spread over 80 kilometers. The great Cecil John Rhodes is buried in the park, on the Matoba Hills at the summit of a granite dome known as World's View.
MATAPOS NATIONAL PARK
This national park is situated to the east of Hwange national park and in the north central areas of Zimbabwe.
MUSHANDIKE NATIONAL PARK
This park's most outstanding feature is the Mushandike Lake, which is popular with fishermen. Large numbers of buck can be seen, as well as bird life and leopard.
MATUSADONA NATIONAL PARK
This park is situated on the Zambezi River on the northern border of Zimbabwe. Further to the west of this park lies the Victoria Falls National Park.
This park is not easily accessible during its rainy season, which runs from November to February. There are three camps to choose from with a maximum of 12 guests per camp.
The park measures 1500 square kilometers and is a known for a vast range of wildlife: elephant, buffalo, zebra, buck, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, hippopotamus, and crocodiles.
NYANGA NATIONAL PARK
A mountainous region in eastern Zimbabwe. Cecil John Rhodes bequeathed the area to Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia.
VICTORIA FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Situated on the mighty Zambezi River on the northwestern border of Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls are one of the most spectacular sights in the world. To the south of this national park are the Kazuma Pan and Hwange national parks.
On sunny days, the spray from these magnificent waterfalls can be seen 80 kilometers away. Over 540 million liters of water flow over the falls each minute. A rain forest is part and parcel of this park and adds to the magical air surrounding the Victoria Falls. It is also called the place of "smoke that thunders" by the local people.
The best months to view the falls are between February and May, the rainy season of the area.
VUMBA NATIONAL PARK
This park is situated in eastern Zimbabwe and is a spectacle of trees and plants. A small lake adds the finishing touch to this charming park. Vumba National Park is regarded as one of Zimbabwe's best botanical parks.
ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK
This national park comprises 56 000 hectare and is west of the Victoria Falls national park. It is rich in wildlife such as buck, lion, leopard and cheetah. Fishing and camping sites are available.
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