
Gonarezhou National Park
Zimbabwe's second-largest national park (over 5 000 km²), Gonarezhou, offers spectacular scenery, including the famous Chilojo Cliffs, wide meandering rivers and extensive woodlands.
Home to over 11 000 elephants, 89 species of mammal and over 500 species of bird, Gonarezhou and surrounding private game reserves should be high on the list of attractions to visit when in Zimbabwe.
Gonarezhou National Park Facts
- Size: +5 000km²
- Location: South-eastern Zimbabwe
- Altitude: 165m to 575m above sea level
- Accommodation: Gonarezhou Lodges
Where is Gonarezhou National Park located?
Located in the remote and wild south-eastern corner of Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique. The closest recognisable town would be Masvingo (home of the Great Zimbabwean ruins), and that is in the region of 300 kilometres away depending on what road is taken.
Click here to see the exact location of the Gonarezhou National Park on Google maps; Google Maps - Gonarezhou National Park
Best Time to Visit Gonarezhou National Park?
The dry season (winter) in Zimbabwe is the best time to visit the park for wildlife and mild to warm temperatures, May to October are the months one should be looking at when planning a safari here.
Summer is the wet season, and when the rain falls, access to parts of the park are restricted or cut off due to rising water and bad tracks. November to April are the summer months; temperatures can and do exceed 40° Celcius.
Information On Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou, 'abode of the elephant' in the local language of Shona, offers visitors the chance to spot 4 of Africa's 'Big 5" (unfortunately, all rhino have been poached out of the park) hippo, crocodile and a whole host of other mammals.
The flat, undulating country is broken by the valleys of three rivers (Mwenezi, Rundi and Save) and by isolated hills here and there. The Chilojo Cliffs border the Runde River, and the Park includes the Grieve Pans, which fill with water in the rainy season.
A remote and wild corner of Zimbabwe that sees very few international or local tourists resulting in a safari here where one basically has the entire park to one's self.
A little interesting aspect of Gonarezhou is that the National Park officially forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (the Kruger National Park (South Africa) and Limpopo National Park (Mozambique) in which wildlife can move freely between the three sanctuaries.
Main Attractions Of Gonarezhou National Park
- Wildlife
- Birdlife
- Remote and wild
- Chilojo Cliffs
- 11 000 plus elephants
- Incredible wildlife
- Save River
- Deteema Springs Camp
If you're looking for an amazing Zimbabwe safari experience, look no further than Deteema Springs Camp! Situated close to the Deteema dam in the Hwange National Park, this camp offers beautiful views of elephants and other wildlife.
Guests will love the chance to go on a walking safari in Hwange and see everything up close!
- Singita Malilangwe House
Singita Malilangwe House, with five luxuriously appointed bedrooms, is the ideal destination for a small group of friends or family seeking the ultimate privacy.
Malilangwe House is perched on a sandstone ridge with views of the surrounding landscape and Malilangwe Dam below.
- Camelthorn Lodge
Camelthorn Lodge is located in a pristine acacia forest near the southern edge of the famed Ngamo Plains just outside the Hwange National Park.
Safari activities in which one can partake, including day and night drives, Hwange horseback safaris and the exciting "pump run" all-day game drive.
- Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge
Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge is set high on the cliffs overlooking the Save River and the fabled Gonarezhou National Park.
Gonarezhou is 'big game country' in a region of Zimbabwe that is as wild as one can get. Wildlife here includes all the cats, rhinos, buffalos and elephants to mention but a few.
- Somalisa Expeditions Camp
Somalisa Expeditions Camp is the perfect destination for those who are purely interested in nothing else other than the surrounding wildlife and birdlife, photography and that authentic traditional safari experience that only Hwange can offer.
One of the best safari camps and lodge options for those looking for a wild safari experience when in the Hwange.
- Sapi Explorers Camp
Sapi Explorers Camp is located within 1180 square kilometres of private Sapi Concession that borders Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Sapi Explorers in Mana Pools is located in one of the most remote and wild safari destinations found anywhere in Africa today.