This 5 night Matabo National Park safari offers a range of game viewing activities including game drives, rhino tracking on foot, visit to ancient caves adorned with bushman art, trips to the rural, historical talk and drinks at Rhodes grave as well as game viewing and birding.
The lodge is situated within a private nature reserve bordering the Matobo National Park and is surrounded by some of the most spectacular granite scenery in the world. The Matobo Hills are renowned not only for their beauty and abundant
flora and fauna but also for their unique historical, cultural and spiritual significance.
The granites of Matobo were formed over three thousand million years ago and have been carved by the erosive forces of nature into a remarkable gallery of sculptured rock covering several thousand square kilometres. The northern section of the hills is a national park and its wooded gorges and open valleys are home to a wide range of wildlife species including
black and white rhinoceros, giraffe, sable antelope, kudu, impala, zebra, wildebeest and tsessebe. The area contains the highest concentration of leopards in the world and is also one of the last places on earth you can see white and black rhinos in their natural environment. Throughout Matobo, the granite slopes and boulders are home to a dazzling range of brightly
coloured lizards and skinks as well as vervet monkeys, chacma baboons, leopards and such specialised species as klipspringer and rock hyrax. The Matobo is also renowned for its rich diversity of birds of prey including the world’s greatest concentration of black eagles.
For countless millennia Matobo has provided a sanctuary for people and the hills are alive with the history of their human occupiers. For tens of thousands of years during the stone-age the hills were home to the Bushmen (or san) and their delicate paintings adorn the walls of hundreds of rock shelters and caves throughout the hills. More than a thousand years ago the first iron age settlers arrived in Matobo and their rusted iron implements, broken chards of pottery and clay
beads are still periodically exposed by the summer rains.
This Matabo National Park safari is fully customisable to best suit your requirements with more or less nights and more or less activities available. Please contact us for a quote for your desired itinerary.
Price per person – USD
| 01 Jan to 31 Dec 2018 | Price on request | Single Supplement | Price on request |
| 01 Jan to 31 Dec 2019 | Price on request | Single Supplement | Price on request |
Number of Days: 5
Note:
1. Price is valid until 31 December 2023. If travelling after this date please contact us for revised prices.
Package Includes:
- 4 nights accommodation at the Matobo Hills Lodge in a luxury en suite chalet
- All meals
- Daily morning and evening activities (see further information below)
- Meet and greet at Victoria Falls airport by Wild Africa Travel Company representative
- Transfers from Bulawayo airport to the Matobo Hills Lodge
- Transfer from the Matobo Hills Lodge to Bulawayo airport
Activities:
Choices of
- Game drives
- Rhino tracking on foot
- Visit to ancient caves adorned with bushman art
- Trips to the rural areas
- Historical talk and drinks at Rhodes grave
- Game viewing and birding
Day 1 – Bulawayo to Matobo National Park
Arrive at Bulawayo airport to be met by your friendly driver. The road to the lodge travels through the historic town of Bulawayo. Enjoy the wide boulevards designed in pioneer times to turn a full span of oxen and wagon. Marvel at the untouched colonial and art deco architecture of this bustling city. Once in Matobo National Park, your eyes won’t know which way to look as the sculptured granite offers breath-taking views in every direction. Catch a first glimpse of a shy klipspringer or the mighty black eagle before arriving at the lodge and settling in. Enjoy a late afternoon game drive or just enjoy the magnificent 360 degree views all around you.
Overnight at Matobo Hills Lodge
Day 2 – Matobo National Park
A very special all-day drive awaits today exploring more of the granite wonderland. Clamber over rocks, track rhino, visit caves full of ancient paintings adorning the rocks. The afternoon is set aside for game viewing, and with the Matobo Hills legendary for its leopard population, who knows…?
Overnight at Matobo Hills Lodge
Day 3 – Matobo National Park
Today, follow some of the hiking trails and mountain climbs to explore more caves and sites of historical interest or enjoy the cultural experience of a local village. Take in the spectacular view points, or simply relax by the natural rock pool. This evening, a gentle stroll up to “World’s View” for sundowners and a historical talk at the grave of Cecil John Rhodes will bring your stay to a thrilling close.
Overnight at Matobo Hills Lodge
Day 4 – Matobo National Park
Your day can be as adventurous or as relaxing as you wish as you have the option of various activities. You can also relax and wile away your time in the comforts of your lodge. A perfect opportunity to have the ideal “Out of Africa’ experience.
Overnight at Matobo Hills Lodge
Day 5 – Matobo National Park to Bulawayo
This morning you will embark on your final game activity in the park before checking out of your lodge and being transferred to the Bulawayo airport your onward flight.
Matobo Hills Lodge
The lodge has 18 luxury en suite chalets with both bath and shower facilities, and boasts Wedding, Event and Conference facilities as well as WI-FI connection. Meals are served three times a day in an open-air thatched dining area with view
of the surroundings. Here the guest will enjoy our three-course lunch and dinner and a large and tasty breakfast buffet. Our bar and lounge is situated on top of a granite ridge with expansive and awe inspiring 360 degree view of the spectacular rock formations surrounding the lodge.
All Lodges have: Shower, bath, toilet and basin, wall-to-wall carpet, electrical socket – square 13 amp., 220v., extra beds on request.
A separate lounge/bar which commands spectacular 360 degree views of Mount Ififi and the Maleme Valley. A swimming pool has been built into the granite dome to resemble a natural rock pool. Laundry, gift shop, swimming pool, conference facilities for 40.
Restaurant and Bars:
Meal times are at the usually accepted times but can be dependent on game drives and will vary seasonally. All meals are Table d’hôte with a wide selection of dishes. Meals are taken in a thatched dining room or open air gazebo depending on the weather.
Amenities:
Laundry, gift shop, swimming pool, Weddings (up to 80), conference facilities for 40.
Matobo Hills Lodge is situated on a private game reserve bordering Matopos National Park, 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Bulawayo.
The Matopos is an area of great beauty and is home to the white and black rhinoceros, sable antelope, leopard and klipspringer. Bird life is prolific and includes the world’s largest concentration of black eagles. Once the home of the San (Bushman), this area contains the richest source of their rock art found anywhere.
Certain areas of the Park have religious significance for the Ndebele people, and it was here that they buried their great king, Mzilikazi. Cecil Rhodes was also laid to rest on the crest of the ‘Hill of Benevolent Spirits’.
Landscaped into the rocks on a granite ridge, Matobo Hills Lodge offers views across the wild Maleme Valley and Mount Ififi. Raised walkways and a swimming pool built into a natural cleft in the rock provide a picturesque setting. There are 17 lodges, all of which have en suite bathrooms. Meals are enjoyed in a thatched dining room or open-air gazebo. A wide range of activities are available and are designed to introduce guests to the many facets of the Matobo Hills.
Drives to areas of scenic and historical interest include visits to the famous painted caves and to the sites where the Matabele armies and the white settlers clashed during the 1896 uprising. Guests can also visit the local Ndebele and Kalanga communities where they continue to live their traditional life, mixing past beliefs with modern ideas.
The outstanding beauty of the Matobo Hills near Bulawayo, steeped in tribal history and ancient magic. get close to the White Rhino – in cave paintings and for real. Contemplate the lonely grave of Rhodes, or wander amongst the massive granite boulders, under the watchful eye of the proud Black Eagle. Visit a traditional Matebele village and meet the spiritual wardens of the sacred places, where past and present co-exist. The Matobos is an area of great beauty and the lodges are built along a granite outcrop. The Matobo Hills Lodge reflects the gentle spirit of these hills. Landscaped into the rocks of a granite ridge, the lodge offers views across the wild Maleme Valley. Raised walkways, shady gardens and a swimming pool built into the rock provide a picturesque setting. A wide range of activities are available, designed to introduce guests to the many facets of the Matobo Hills. Drives to areas of scenic and historical interest include visits to many of the famous painted caves and to the sites where Matebele armies and the white settlers clashed during the uprising of 1896. Rhodes’ “View of the World” is best seen at sunrise when the grand and isolated loneliness of the man’s life is reflected in his choice of final resting place. A full day trip to the Khami Ruins (a World Heritage Site), and the historical places and traditional markets in Bulawayo is also available. A popular choice is a visit to the communal areas where the local Ndebele and Kalanga people continue to live their traditional life, mixing past beliefs and lifestyles with modern ideas and attitudes. Beautiful ethnic handicrafts can be purchased in the villages. Game drives in open safari vehicles into the designated high-conservation areas are offered, and horseback trails are also available. The birds of the Matobo, in particular the birds of prey, make the area of special interest to the ornithologist and the amateur bird watcher.
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We have a range of Zimbabwe tours & safaris available which can be customised with more or less nights as well as activities.