Best hotels in Zimbabwe

Ingwe Pan is situated at a secluded pan in the wilderness area of Mana Pools National Park, just a few kilometres inland of the Zambezi River and within walking distance of the Chiruwe river bed. The pan is one of the biggest in the park and is surrounded by a grove of large ebony trees. A magnificent fig and ancient ebony form the canopy of the main lounge and dining area of the camp. An ancient baobab is a few minutes walk from the camp and the perfect spot for picnics and sundowners in the evening. The camp comprises eight spacious and elegantly furnished tents tucked in amongst the trees on the edge of the pan, all with an uninterrupted view of the water.

While most visitors to Mana Pools head for the famous Zambezi floodplains, those in the know make a beeline inland to the Chitake River system – and it's here you'll find this raw, unfiltered gem. Perched on a bluff 50 metres above the dry riverbed, Mhara occupies a private concession that was untouched for centuries before the camp opened in 2022. The wildlife action is nothing short of extraordinary: lion prides patrol the sands below, enormous buffalo herds kick up dust clouds as they thunder to the springs, and elephants dig for water mere metres from your tent. It's walking safari country at its finest, with the legendary Chitake Gorge on your doorstep and guides who grew up in this wilderness. Come here for proper bush immersion – the kind that leaves fresh lion tracks outside your tent each morning.

The Zambezi Trader houseboat, 160ft long, 48ft wide and weighing 220 tons, is the largest luxury cruise boat on Lake Kariba. This ship is big enough to take large parties of up to 200 PAX on day trips for an unforgettable magic holiday cruise. Explore the entire 270 km length of this magnificent inland sea onboard this iconic ship offering bespoke Lake Kariba cruises.

The “Trader” as she is affectionately known, has 29 air-conditioned cabins on 3 decks. The top deck also comes with a large, covered area and a privatecocktail bar; a spectacular venue for hosting immersive functions such as weddings, parties and conferences. All rooms on the upper deck have private verandas with lake vistas and unparalleled comfort.

Gonarezhou National Park is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), a massive Pan-African Park that includes South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park and Mozambique’s Gaza. It lies in the southeastern corner of Zimbabwe bordering Mozambique. Around 5000 Square km, it is possibly the wildest and least visited park perhaps the most untamed safari escape in Zimbabwe. Gonarezhou’s dramatic landscape features magnificent red sandstone cliffs – the Chilojo Cliffs – that overlook the Runde River valley. A spectacular backdrop to the bushveld with its broad, sandy riverbeds and baobab trees, this stunning scenery lends the Park a remote and rugged allure. Relatively inaccessible with only a few roads this is not a place for the faint of heart for the best way to see it is on foot along the way of many ancient elephant tracks. Fortunately few operators have risked setting up here as yet and the best way to visit this ‘forgotten corner’ of Africa is on a mobile safari, free to roam to far-flung corners and enjoy untouched parts of the Park.