Ultimate Zimbabwe Self-drive Tour

For a breath of fresh air and to get you into relaxed, holiday mode, head to the hills of Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands Eastern Highlands
Eastern Highlands
More... . Collect your hired car at the airport and, if you've arrived early, point your nose east and drive toward the misty blue hills for a few hours; or you can hole up at a nice hotel in Harare and set out on day 1 of your self-drive Zimbabwe tour at first light.

Either way, the journey is a pleasant 3 or 4 hours through ever-rising rolling hills. Farm stalls along the way provide convenient rest stops.

Spend two days exploring the Nyanga National Park, unwinding in the beautiful scenery, the fresh clean air and unhurried life of the mountains.

Activities: hiking, horse riding, golf, fishing, scenic drives through the National Parks visiting waterfalls, view points, ancient ruins, craft markets and fruit stalls

Accommodation suggestions: Inn on Rupurara, Troutbeck

Head south through the  Eastern Highlands Eastern Highlands
Eastern Highlands
More...  mountain range towards Vumba for more mountain relaxation or further south to Chimanimani for the ultimate in spectacular scenery and hiking adventure.

Spend another two days exploring the mountains, valleys, rivers and soaking up the charming scenery all the while working on your hearty highlands appetite - nobody is immune.

Accommodation suggestions: Inn on Vumba, Leopard Rock Hotel

From the mountains it's a short, scenic drive to the centre of Zimbabwe and the centre of an ancient empire where 18,000 people lived, worked, traded, fought, thrived and perished over a thousand years ago.

Great Zimbabwe and Midlands Great Zimbabwe and Midlands
Great Zimbabwe
More... is a World Heritage Site that is not only an extraordinary record of this ancient country but a rather scenic place to spend a couple of days exploring.

The ruined city takes most of your day to explore and you'll be well ready for a sundowner beside the large lake nearby followed by a good meal. You can spend the next day at the ruins again or enjoying water sports, game drives and lakeside fun.

Accommodation suggestions: Norma Jeane's Guesthouse, Lodge at the Ancient City, Great Zimbabwe Hotel

The Matopos Hills are another World Heritage Site, declared as such for its magnificent collection of San Rock Art, pre-dating the ruined city of Zimbabwe by several thousand years.

Matobo National Park Matobo National Park
Matobo National Park
More... , the nature reserve protecting the petroglyphs, is also an excellent safari destination offering walking safaris and game drives with a chance to see some of Zimababwe's and indeed Africa's rarer plains game including leopard, rhino, black eagle, roan and sable. The chorus is well attended too with appearances from a variety of antelope, smaller predators as well as lion, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

Above and beyond the fascinating rock paintings and the great game viewing, your abiding memory of the Matopos Hills will be the singular beauty and tranquillity of the place. Giant granite boulders tumbled out of the sky, dotted with trees form part of the larger rolling terrain in all directions. Historically, the Matopos is place of deep spiritual significance and you'll understand why when you experience the magic yourself.

Accommodation suggestions: Nesbitt Castle, Camp Amalinda, Matobo Hills Lodge, Big Cave Camp

Another easy drive this morning takes you to Hwange National Park Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park
More... - one of the great game parks in southern Africa. With great diversity of habitats, the game viewing is exceptional and the safari guides at the lodges have incredible knowledge and love of the bush.

Spend 4 days on safari in Hwange with your guide in specially adapted safari vehicles. Hwange has many waterholes that ensure good quality game viewing and the birdlife is prolific year round.

Or you can take yourself around the park in your hired car - the main roads are well maintained - and park at a scenic waterhole watching the parade of wildlife come and go.

Accommodation suggestions: The Hide, Ivory Lodge, Sikumi Tree Lodge, Little Makalolo Safari Camp, Davisons Camp, Somalisa Camp, Makalolo Plains Camp

Victoria Falls Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls - also called Mosi-oa-Tunya which means the smoke that thunders
More... is a short drive through Hwange so it may take a while as you stop for wildlife to get out of the way. Arrive in time for lunch, a doze and a sunset boat cruise on the mile-wide Zambezi, a safe distance above Victoria Falls.

Spend the next day exploring all that Victoria Falls has to offer. A World Hertiage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls is at once a terrifying volume of water thundering down a sheer chasm and a truly awe-inspiring experience.

After exploring the falls from the rain forest it's decision time: what next? You could take a scenic flight over the falls; swim in devils pools metres from the edge; walk with lions or go on an elephant-back safari in the adjacent game reserve; hurl yourself from the bridge with a piece of rubber attached to your legs; shoot the best single-day rapids in the world; shop for Shona sculptures and African arts and crafts; paddle up the river... the list goes on.

On your last day, drive to the airport about 20 minutes away, drop off your car and fly out with one last view of the falls and this magnificent country receding into a fond memory and dreams of your next visit.