
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
- Little RuckomechiSet on the banks of the iconic Zambezi River surrounded by high concentrations of wildlife and birdlife, Little Ruckomechi, is the perfect safari option for offers seeking the ultimate in luxury and privacy when visiting the Mana Pools National Park.
- Ingwe Pan CampIngwe Pan Camp is a short 30-minute game drive away from both the Zambezi River and the famed Mana floodplain, located on the edge of a secluded pan surrounded by pristine bushveld and amazing wildlife, all within the Mana Pools National Park.
- Ilala LodgeThe perfect base for exploring all that Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River and the Zambezi National Park has to offer, 73 spacious rooms and suites all offer up the ultimate in luxury and comfort. The ideal options for honeymoons, couples and families alike.
- Little Makalolo CampLittle Makalolo is actually a pleasant 6 roomed tented camp and also one of the handful of camps situated inside of the Hwange National Park, which in turn provides solitude for visitors who appreciate small camps as well as a feeling of remoteness.
- Ruckomechi CampOn the western boundary of the Mana Pools National Park, nestled in a large grove of Acacia and Mahogany trees, Ruckomechi Camp overlooks the Zambezi River with a superb view of the mountains of Africa's Great Rift Valley Escarpment.
- Old Drift LodgeOld Drift Lodge lies 7 kilometres upstream of the iconic Victoria Falls on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, an accommodation option that offers luxury, location and the best of what the region has to offer.