Zimbabwe: History, Landscape and Wildlife

If you’re looking for hotels in Zimbabwe, it’s worth first asking which travel theme you’d like to focus on: history, landscape or wildlife. Great Zimbabwe and Khami represent different historical connections. In Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore, distinctive landscape features and seasonal wildlife movements also come into play. The differences below give you a concrete starting point for your selection and help you identify the focus you want for your stay.

History and Cultural Heritage

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe bear witness to the Shona civilization between the 11th and 15th centuries. Among the finds in the ruins are the soapstone Zimbabwe Birds. Their religious significance points to the site’s use as a place of worship from ancient times to the present day. Great Zimbabwe thus connects the history of a past civilization with spiritual practices that continue to this day.

Khami offers a different historical perspective. The site was the capital of the Torwa dynasty, which emerged between 1450 and 1650 from the disintegration of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe. Khami also has the longest decorated wall in the entire subregion. In terms of chronology, the Shona civilization at Great Zimbabwe dates from the 11th to the 15th century, while the Torwa dynasty emerged between 1450 and 1650. The periods overlap in the 15th century. This makes it possible to distinguish the two sites by their historical connections, while Khami’s decorated wall is a distinctive architectural feature.

Landscape and Wildlife

The Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore World Heritage area is bounded to the north by the Zambezi and to the south by a steep escarpment rising more than 1,000 meters above the valley floor. This clearly defines the landscape through its river and change in elevation. There is also a seasonal aspect to its wildlife: elephants, buffalo, zebras, waterbuck, other antelope, lions and hyenas migrate into the area every year during the dry winter months. Here, a geographic and a seasonal connection with nature come together.

More than 450 resident and migratory bird species have been recorded in the Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore area. Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe provides habitat for numerous mammals, more than 350 bird species and aquatic wildlife. When choosing your nature-focused trip, you can therefore consider seasonal patterns, bird diversity and aquatic wildlife separately.

The national tourism authority describes Hwange National Park as Zimbabwe’s largest and most popular national park. At Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore, by contrast, landscape boundaries, species and seasonal movements provide concrete points of reference. Zambezi National Park lies next to Victoria Falls and is described as a day-trip destination from there.

Explore more destinations: Harare, Bulawayo, Chegutu, Victoria Falls, Gweru, Chiredzi, Hwange, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Mutare, Marondera, Mashava, Masvingo, Mvurwi, Redcliff, Nyanga, Zvishavane, North Matabeleland, Manicaland, Mashonaland West.

For the broader travel overview: Africa.