The home of Zimbabwe's largest free-roaming population of rhino

An understated yet dramatic park, offering nature drives, the chance to spot rhino on foot, and hikes to bushman rock art hidden in the granite cliffs.

The other-worldly Matobo National Park is found in the south of Zimbabwe, close to the historical town of Bulawayo, and is in many ways a departure from what you expect Zimbabwe to offer. A tailor-made Matobo safari combines well with Victoria Falls and Hwange, as well as Gonarezhou, the Eastern Highlands and the ruins of Great Zimbabwe.

The open game-rich grasslands and thick mopane forests that characterise most parks are gone, replaced instead by towering rounded granite kopjes and lush valley floors. Except for a handful of secretive leopards this isn’t the place for predators, but you will see impala, stately sable antelope and, crucially, Zimbabwe’s largest free-roaming population of black and white rhino. On a luxury Matobo holiday, days usually spent on game viewing vehicles are replaced by shorter nature drives, the chance to spot rhino on foot, hike to bushman rock art sites hidden in the granite cliffs and biking trails that take visitors to local villages. One site, known as The View of the World, is also home to the grave of the great colonialist, Cecil John Rhodes.

In keeping with the small, understated yet dramatic nature of the landscape here, accommodation in Matobo National Park is limited to a handful of small lodges which have been hidden away amongst the kopjes to give them a wonderfully natural feel. With traditional Zimbabwean hospitality and stunning views, the lodges in Matobos are amongst our favourite places to stay in Zimbabwe. This is a truly special park, not somewhere that immediately comes up on people’s radars when planning a Zimbabwe safari holiday, but a place that captures your imagination and always features at the top of visitor’s highlights list once they return.