Safari to Matobo

an striking rocky landscape of characteristic kopjes

The Matopos Hills is a small but beautiful area of granite outcrops and wooded valleys, renowned for Bushman rock-art sites and wildlife, notably including white rhinos.

The hills cover an area of around 3000 square kilometres to the south of Bulawayo, of which around 400 square kilometres is contained within the Matobo National Park.

Originally established in 1926 as Rhodes Matopos National Park, a bequest from British pioneer Cecil Rhodes, this is one of the oldest conservation areas in Africa.

The park forms the core of the Matopos Hills and is an area of characteristic granite kopjes and wooded valleys. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 and exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the subsurface granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe.

Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 square kilometre wildlife reserve, which has been restocked with animals including sables, giraffes, zebras, impalas, wildebeest and ostriches. The area is particularly well known for leopards, black rhinos and white rhinos.

The area is also renowned for various cultural aspects, not least the extensive and very impressive Bushman rock-art.

Matobo is a relatively little-visited area, but it does offer a new set of landscapes and a different range of activities from the main safari areas in Zimbabwe.

The area is most commonly combined with Hwange, with the two areas being connected by road. The usual stay duration is 3 nights.

Seasonality

It is important to note that Matobo is less seasonal than other safari areas, since the reserve is fenced and the animals do not migrate in and out of water through the year.

The best time to visit Matobo is during the May-Oct dry season, when the weather is dry and sunny.

During that period, May-Jul is pleasantly cool at night. Into Oct-Nov the weather is likely to be uncomfortably hot, especially at night.

Getting there

Matobo is usually accessed by road from Hwange, the two areas adding up to a really nice and varied safari experience.

Departure is usually via the airport at nearby Bulawayo, which has regular connections to Johannesburg and on to Cape Town.

An alternative departure is to continue overland to the fabulous archaeological site of Great Zimbabwe and another great safari area in Gonarezhou.

Where to stay

The Matobo area contains only a couple of accommodation options, with Amalinda Lodge being the usual standout.

usually combined with safari in Hwange