Reviews of Zambezi NP (From 9 Acclaimed Safari Experts)

Expert

Christopher Clark –

UK

Visited: September

Christopher is a British travel writer and has contributed to various Fodor's guidebooks and a range of travel magazines.

3 people found this review helpful.

A Pleasant Surprise on the Periphery of Vic Falls

Overall rating

4/5

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My only visit to this very scenic park adjoining the majestic Victoria Falls was pretty much an accident. I was due to conduct a quick site visit at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge for a Fodor’s update on the Vic Falls chapter of one of its books, before returning to the town centre. As soon as I walked out onto the main deck of the lodge and looked out over the waterhole in front and the dense bush beyond, I couldn’t believe I was just a 10-minute drive from the busy town and the tourist mecca of the falls.

I had been told previously that most of the game in this park had been poached to the point of extinction, but my experience that day suggested otherwise. While eating breakfast looking down onto the waterhole, which lies little more than 100m outside the park boundary, I saw elephants, buffaloes, kudus and warthogs all drinking together while vultures circled overhead and a few marabou storks lurked around the fringes. Later in the afternoon I went on a game drive deeper into the bush, seeing a small pride of lions en route to the park’s picturesque riverine sections.

Many visitors to the Vic Falls area head to Botswana’s Chobe National Park for a quick safari fix, but Zambezi is a cheaper and quieter alternative.

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Expert

Emma Gregg –

UK

Visited: April

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

3 people found this review helpful.

On the Doorstep of Victoria Falls

Overall rating

4/5

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Zambezi National Park (not to be confused with Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, several hundred kilometres away) lies along the Upper Zambezi, close to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and is a boon to those who fly in with minimal time on their hands. It’s such a short hop from the hotels in and around Victoria Falls that you can breeze in and out for an afternoon of hippo-watching and croc-spotting.

Given that Victoria Falls is a very busy tourism zone, I think this park is better than one might expect: it’s possible to see four of the Big Five (rhinos are the only absentee), plus a good variety of antelope including sable, eland, waterbuck and kudu.

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Expert

Sue Watt –

UK

Visited: May

Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.

2 people found this review helpful.

Vic Falls and the Mighty Zambezi

Overall rating

4/5

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Zambezi National Park is slowly recovering from years of poaching, and wildlife numbers are improving. We saw plenty of elephants, hippos and crocs along with ever-present impalas and waterbucks, but it’s fair to say the wildlife viewing isn’t on a par with Hwange or Mana. In its favor, however, is the mighty Zambezi and I’d certainly recommend canoeing down the river and sunset boat trips. The river comes into its own in the early mornings, when the mist rises amid the reeds and makes for some beautiful photography. It’s close enough for a day trip from the spectacular Vic Falls or as a place to stay while visiting the falls if you didn’t want to stay in town. Some beautiful camps and lodges can be found in the park; these include Old Drift Lodge, Tsowa Safari Island and Batoka Zambezi Sands.

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