Boutique hotels in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a long safari tradition and some of Africa's best guides, and its small camps and boutique lodges are intimate, personal and usually run by people who know the land. Beyond wildlife, the country offers granite hills, highland forests and the thunderous Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls and Hwange

Victoria Falls is the country's headline attraction, and the town offers colonial-style boutique hotels and riverside lodges above the falls. Hwange, the largest national park, has private concessions with camps built around permanent waterholes, where elephants gather in the dry season.

The Zambezi valley

Mana Pools, a UNESCO World Heritage site, allows walking among elephants and lions on the Zambezi floodplain, and a few small camps stand on its edge. Lake Kariba, to the north, is one of the world's largest reservoirs, with small lodges on its shores.

Hills and highlands

The Matobo Hills, with their balancing granite boulders and rock art, are a UNESCO site close to Bulawayo. The Eastern Highlands of Nyanga, Vumba and Chimanimani are cool, green and quiet, with hiking, trout streams and old colonial hotels. The medieval stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe lie to the south.

When to go

The dry season, from May to October, is best for wildlife, and Victoria Falls is at its fullest from March to May. Summers are hot and wet, with lush scenery but some camp closures.