Balancing act: the Matobo National Park

Towering stacks of balanced boulders amid great domes of granite; it’s easy to see why Matobo has a reputation as one of Zimbabwe’s most scenic destinations. But this small national park is somewhat hard to define when compared to the country’s other safari destinations such as Hwange and Mana Pools. Matobo National Park is not known for big game viewing yet it has one of the biggest rhino populations in Africa. And although there are giraffe and zebra in Matobo, you won’t find lions or elephants which means this is a reserve where you can hike and bike in safety.

Rocks? Rhinos? Hiking and biking? Let’s have a closer look at Matobo National Park.

Lying less than an hour’s flight from Victoria Falls, Matobo National Park is an ancient landscape. Two billion years ago, the cold smooth domes of granite (Matobo means ‘bald head’) were roiling oceans of molten rock. Time and the elements have carved the granite into extraordinary shapes – the ‘Mother and Child” for example, as well as deep wooded valleys and great rearing rock faces, all of which provide good habitat for animals such as baboons, leopard and black eagle. Open areas of grassland offer grazing for wildebeest, warthogs and the regal sable antelope.

The stars of Matobo National Park however are the rhinos, and this is a place where both African species occur: the white rhino, and the smaller and super-rare black rhino (down to around 5 000 individuals). Given their precarious conservation status, the rhino are located in a protected area of the park and access to them is organised with rangers and armed guards. The black rhinos are elusive but white rhinos are quite easy to find and their placid temperament means you can often approach them on foot. Turns out that Matobo is one of the best places in Africa for a rhino encounter.

There are a handful of safari lodges in and around the Matobo area: we especially like the comfort and expertise of Amalinda Lodge and its private manor house – the Homestead (ideal for families and groups). And if exclusivity is the aim of the game, then book Khayelitshe House, a four-suite villa in a magnificent setting. Fully-staffed and complete with pool, bar and catering for all ages, Khayelitshe can be exclusively booked, even as a couple.

Rhino encounters will be worked into your itinerary along with game drives, guided walks and visits to rock art sites. And these are no ordinary walks: Zimbabwe has some of the best-trained and knowledgeable guides in Africa, and Matobo’s guides make the local history come alive through their stories.

So Matobo is a must for history buffs, and the presence of prehistoric paintings balances nicely with evidence of a more recent past: it is among the boulders of Matobo that Cecil Rhodes (the man behind Rhodesia and the Rhodes Scholarship) is buried and his grave is worth a visit, for the view if nothing else. Balance a bit of colonial history with a mountain bike ride to a friendly local community and now you have both sides of the story.

Best visited in Zimbabwe’s long dry season between May and the end of October, Matobo National Park is not a destination booked in isolation: it combines easily with Zimbabwe’s top-spots such as Victoria Falls and the Hwange National Park, destinations that can be reached by air or – with a three of four hour drive – by road. Now you have a combination of natural wonders, great wildlife and a diverse set of activities to enjoy. And given that Botswana is just across the border from Victoria Falls, why not add a night or two in the elephant capital of Africa? Botswana is home to a third of all African elephants and we recommend combining Matobo with Hwange and Botswana’s Chobe River for a jumbo-sized safari experience.