Lake Kariba Safaris

Choose from our range of Zimbabwe safari and accommodation establishments. Zimbabwe is unique! Where else in the world can a visitor gaze upon hundreds of species of tropical wildlife, thrill to the experience of white water rafting, scale chilly mountain peaks and savour the history of a people that goes back tens of thousands of years? Although a Zimbabwe safari is a bargain, its definitely not a second rate destination. Travel and accommodation options are top quality, and their unique location affords excellent game viewing and adventure amidst some of the most breathtaking scenery in Africa.

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Zimbabwe Price Guide

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How to get there

Self drive:
Sun Safaris will arrange car rental and directions for you. The roads leading up to Zimbabwe are tarred.

Road transfer:
Sun Safaris can arrange all private road transfers for our guests.

Light aircraft transfer:
We can arrange light aircraft transfers from Johannesburg.

Suggested Itineray's

For first-time visitors planning a trip to Southern Africa can be a challenging task. For most it will be a once in a lifetime experience. We highly recommend that you have a look at our suggested itineraries below. There are various itineraries to choose from and they have been designed bearing important factors in mind like, privacy, first-class camps, a combination of activities, adventure, expert guiding as well as your budget. Guests can choose from comfortable to luxury safaris and our experienced and professional consultants will guide and assist you in tailor-making your safari to suit your requirements. We look forward to assisting you in creating your safari!

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Matusadona Water Wilderness

Matusadona National Park is a wonderful park situated along the southern shores of Lake Kariba. Guests visiting this lodge have the best of the Lake Kariba water~based activities, coupled with great wildlife experiences on dry land within the park. The area is one of the few where Black Rhino can regularly be seen in Zimbabwe's parks. Water Wilderness is divided into two identical lodges: one is an eight bedder and the other is a ten bedder.

Matusadona Water Wilderness

Lake Kariba Game Viewing and Seasons

Introduction

Lake Kariba is like an inland sea in a landlocked country. It was created by damming the mighty Zambezi and Nyaminyami - the River God - was most displeased at the harnessing of his powers. Legend has it that Nyaminyami was responsible for the devastating once-in-a-thousand-year flood in 1958, during the building of the massive Kariba dam. Many workers lost their lives but more than 45 years on, the new eco-system provides life in many forms and gives villagers and their livestock constant access to water.

Stunning sunsets are a distinctive feature of Kariba, as are the bleached skeletal trunks and bare branches of dead trees that were drowned the dam all those years ago. They make excellent perches for fish eagles, cormorants and other water birds.

Matusadona National Park lies along the southern shores of Lake Kariba and is bounded in the west by the Umi River and in the east by the dramatic Sanyati Gorge. It's a suberb game viewing park with the opportunity to take game drives, walking safaris, boat and canoe excursions, making it an excellent all-round safari location.

Game Viewing

Lake Kariba is teeming with crocodiles and you can see them sunbathing at intervals of 00 metres or so along the shore. There are so many crocs that the National Parks Board allow crocodile farms to collect eggs every October, as long as they return 2% of hatchlings back to the lake.

This is probably more than would naturally survive in the wild, so the crocodile population is extremely healthy. Villagers have to be very careful when collecting water or when fishing from the shore, as people and cows have often been taken by crocodiles. Swimming is not advised except in a swimming cage on the back of some of the larger houseboats.

Matusadona National Park is the finest safari location along the lake with the best of Lake Kariba's water wildlife coupled with great inland wildlife viewing. Game viewing by boat near the shore is a wonderful experience and you will see large herds of elephant, buffalo and plenty of hippos and waterbuck. Further into the park roan and sable antelope, kudu, impala, lions and black rhino are often seen, but leopards are elusive. Walking safaris are very rewarding and fishing for tiger and bream is excellent.

Baboons are frequently seen on the paths leading to the falls and small antelopes and warthogs inhabit the rainforests that hug the edge of the falls. In the wildlife reserve, the pastures and tall riverine forests contain plenty of birds and a scattering of animals including some white rhino, elephants, giraffe, zebra, sable, eland, buffalo and impala.

Seasons

Dry Season: it is dry from June to October and animals come to the lake to drink and graze along the banks. As the rain clouds build, October's heat is oppressive and temperatures exceed 86°F (30°C). The dry season is the best time to visit.

Rainy Season: it rains intermittently from early November to the end of April and animals have no need to stay so close to the lake. The rainy season summer months are very hot and humid.