Zimbabwe - Where Wilderness Meets Wonder

Sitting at Frankfurt Airport, Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, was still completely unknown to us. With an area of 390,745 square kilometers and only about 16 million inhabitants (Zimstat.co, 2021), the country is slightly larger than Germany. It borders Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, and Botswana, and impresses with its diverse landscapes: from sweeping savannas to mountain ranges and an extraordinary richness of species.

Fourteen hours of travel lay behind us—with a short stopover in Addis Ababa. Finally, we landed in Victoria Falls, in the far west of Zimbabwe. This was where our journey began—still filled with impressions from the long flight, yet already with anticipation for the stages ahead. In a small lodge, with its swimming pool and evening quiet as a contrast to the strain of travel, we gathered our strength before moving on.

Victoria Falls—on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia—is considered one of the greatest natural wonders on earth. Over a width of 1,688 meters, the waters of the Zambezi plunge up to 108 meters into the depths. The UNESCO World Heritage Site bears its indigenous name Mosi-oa-Tunya - “The Smoke that Thunders.” A constant spray rises above the gorge, visible from many kilometers away, settling like rain on the surrounding vegetation and keeping it lush and evergreen (whc.unesco.org).

On our first evening, we stood at the falls for the very first time. The thunder of the water, the mist in the air, and the vastness of the gorge made the scene overwhelming. Even here, the sheer power of this natural wonder was unmistakable.

The next morning, I returned—this time at sunrise. The sky turned golden, hardly anyone was around. Alone with the roar of the water, I stood at the edge of the falls as light and spray intertwined. This moment felt quieter, more immediate—less spectacle, more encounter with nature itself.

The first stage of our journey took us into Hwange National Park—with nearly 15,000 square kilometers, the largest protected area in the country (Africa Geographic). At Sinamatella Camp we set up our tents on a rocky plateau, about 55 meters above the plains (Birdingplaces.eu). From there, a wide view opened across the landscape. Below us, on the plain, we saw giraffes sparring and a massive herd of buffalo moving through the valley.

The nights were filled with the sounds of the wild. Hyenas roamed around the tents, searching for scraps in the dark, their characteristic calls echoing through the night. It was an experience that made tangible how close we truly were to nature here.

Days began early. Around six o’clock, the alarms rang, the first voices stirred in camp as coffee was brewed. These moments belonged to the rhythm of the place, just before the sun rose and the wildlife awakened. On game drives, we encountered elephants, kudus, and impalas—animals that are abundant in Hwange.

On our final day, even a leopard appeared. Only for a brief moment, slipping between dense thickets, before vanishing as quickly as it had come. A fleeting encounter, all the more powerful because of its brevity.

About 35 kilometers from Bulawayo lies Matobo National Park, a landscape shaped by striking granite formations (audleytravel.com). On one of the rocky plateaus rests the grave of Cecil Rhodes, who in 1896 named this place “View of the World” because of its sweeping vistas (zimfieldguide.com).

We set up our tents here for one night. Compared to Hwange, the wildlife was less abundant, yet the landscape more than made up for it. The rocks lay scattered and stacked across the land, formed over millennia by tectonic forces and erosion. Between the ridges, small streams and reservoirs sparkled in the light.

The region is not only visually stunning but also culturally significant. Around 3,000 rock paintings testify to the long history of human presence in the area (africanrockart.britishmuseum.org).

The journey to Mana Pools was delayed by a heavy transport truck. We reached the park gates only shortly before closing—grateful that the staff still allowed us through. In the darkness, it took another two hours until we arrived at our final and most impressive campsite. Its true beauty only revealed itself the next morning: tents right on the banks of the Zambezi, where elephants wandered past and vervet monkeys skillfully raided our supplies.

Just after sunrise, we witnessed a moment that surpassed everything else: a pack of wild dogs hunting a herd of impalas, only a few meters from camp. On the following drives we encountered elephants in all their facets—ancient bulls radiating a wisdom-like calm, and elephant cows with calves only a few weeks old. Added to this were lions, hyenas, and buffalo—encounters that made the park’s richness in species tangible.

Mana Pools is a place where wilderness unfolds in its full intensity: the river delta, the abundance of wildlife, the constant closeness of life and death. And yet, in the end, one sentence stayed with me, which I had read before my journey in the book 100 Highlights - Southern Africa. When I finally stood here myself, I knew it could not have been phrased more aptly: