Location

Gonarezhou

"Remote and wild, with plenty of elephants"

Why we like it

Zimbabwe’s second largest national park at 5,053 km², with around 11,000 elephants and some of the largest tuskers in the country.
The Chilojo Cliffs, towering sandstone walls above the Runde River, and the most dramatic scenery in Zimbabwe.
Part of the 35,000 km² Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, linked to Kruger and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park.
Genuinely uncrowded. You will often go a whole day without seeing another vehicle.
Three major rivers, the Save, Runde and Mwenezi, plus permanent natural pans.
Excellent walking, fly camping and fishing.
One of the last great wilderness areas in Africa, and it still feels like it.

Gonarezhou is the park we send people to when they have done the classics and want somewhere that still feels genuinely undiscovered. It gets a fraction of the traffic of Hwange or Mana Pools, the landscapes are the most dramatic in Zimbabwe, and the Chilojo Cliffs are worth the trip on their own. The trade-off is access. This is a long drive or a charter flight from Harare, the park is seasonal, and the lodge options are limited. If you want easy logistics, go to Hwange. If you want to feel like you have Zimbabwe to yourself, this is the one.

What is Gonarezhou National Park?

Gonarezhou National Park is a 5,053 km² protected area in the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe, bordered by Mozambique to the east and the Save River to the north. It is Zimbabwe’s second largest national park after Hwange. The name comes from Shona and means “the place of elephants”. The park is managed in partnership with the Frankfurt Zoological Society, which has supported its conservation since 2007.

Why is Gonarezhou called the place of elephants?

Gonarezhou holds around 11,000 elephants, a population that has grown at roughly 5% a year for the past two decades. That growth has been so strong that the park is now considered to be above its carrying capacity, which is why you see the kind of habitat pressure that comes with too many elephants in a fixed area. The park is also home to some of Zimbabwe’s largest tuskers, from the same genetic line as the famous big tuskers of Kruger National Park across the border.

What are the Chilojo Cliffs?

The Chilojo Cliffs are the defining feature of Gonarezhou and the reason many photographers make the trip. They are sheer sandstone cliffs that rise above the Runde River in the centre of the park, glowing red and orange in the low sun and turning almost white at midday. The best views are from the river below, either on a game drive along the floodplain or from a boat. They are at their most photogenic in the late afternoon in the dry season.

When is the best time to visit Gonarezhou?

May to October is the best time to visit Gonarezhou. As the pans dry up, wildlife concentrates along the Runde, Save and Mwenezi rivers, and the bush thins out so sightings improve. July to October is the peak. November to April is the wet season, when the park turns green, the animals disperse and access becomes difficult.

Period	Conditions	Wildlife	Verdict
May to June	Cool and dry. Pleasant days, cold mornings	Good and improving	Comfortable, quiet, good value
July to August	Dry and clear. Best all-round conditions	Concentrating along the rivers	Prime. Best time for the cliffs
September to October	Very hot, 35°C plus in the lowveld	Peak concentrations at the rivers	Best sightings, hardest heat
November to April	Wet season. Green, humid, heavy rain	Animals disperse, birds arrive	Limited access. Some camps closed

What wildlife will I see in Gonarezhou?

Elephant dominate, with around 11,000 in the park. Buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena are all present, along with large herds of zebra, wildebeest and impala. The park is also known for nyala, which is unusual this far south, and for the birdlife along the river frontage. Across the wider Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which links Gonarezhou with Kruger and Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park, more than 500 bird species and 147 mammal species have been recorded.

How do you get to Gonarezhou?

Gonarezhou is the most remote of Zimbabwe’s major parks and access takes planning. The usual route is a charter flight from Harare or Bulawayo to Buffalo Range or Chilo Gorge, or a long self-drive from Harare via Chiredzi, which is roughly seven hours. There is no scheduled road transfer. The park is seasonal, and some roads and camps close in the wet months. Most travellers combine Gonarezhou with a few nights in the Eastern Highlands or with Victoria Falls, and we usually build it as a three to four night stay.

Is Gonarezhou right for you?

Gonarezhou suits travellers who have safaried before, are comfortable with a remote park and value solitude over convenience. It is excellent for photographers, for anyone who wants walking and fly camping, and for travellers who have already done Hwange and Mana Pools. It does not suit first-time safari travellers, anyone who needs a short transfer from Victoria Falls, or anyone travelling in the wet season expecting easy access.