A First-Time Traveller's Guide to Zimbabwe

Planning your first trip to Zimbabwe can feel like a lot at first — famous waterfalls, national parks, old ruins, regions that barely resemble each other. Here's the good news: you don't have to hit all of it on one trip.

A bit of upfront planning goes a long way, mostly around figuring out where you actually want to spend your days and how much time you're okay losing to travel in between.

Decide What You Actually Want to See

Before you even open an itinerary template, figure out what you're actually chasing. Wildlife person? Give Hwange more of your days. In it for the scenery? Victoria Falls and the Eastern Highlands are the obvious calls. History buff? Great Zimbabwe or Matobo should be on your list.

Victoria Falls tends to be the default first stop — it's got the big natural attraction plus a town full of things to do around it. That said, if you've got more than a few days to work with, try not to let the whole trip get swallowed up there.

Also check the visa information for your passport before you book anything else. The Zimbabwe Visa Rules are not the same across the board, for every nationality so the Zimbabwe visa is worth confirming rather than scrambling right before you fly.

Victoria Falls Is More Than a One-Day Stop

Many people treat Victoria Falls as a stop. Take a few pictures then drive on. You can do that. Spending two or three days at Victoria Falls makes the experience feel much less rushed. Walk around the viewpoints at times of day and see how the water and mist change. Depending on the season and, on the flow of the river there is also plenty to explore along the Zambezi itself.

The town's easy enough to get around, with restaurants and places to stay that suit pretty much any kind of traveller. It's a solid bookend for a longer Zimbabwe trip — either where you start or where you finish up.

Give Yourself Time for a Safari

If wildlife's part of why you're going, Zimbabwe delivers — and Hwange National Park is usually the first name that comes up.Elephants are the headline act here, but keep your eyes open for lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wild dogs, and a solid range of birds too. The thing about safari is no two drives are alike. Some days you'll see everything; other days it's more about just soaking in the landscape.

First safari ever? Don't stress about trying to predict what's coming. Not knowing is kind of the point.

Don't Forget Zimbabwe's History

There's more to this country than parks and wide-open landscapes. Great Zimbabwe is a solid reminder of just how deep the country's history goes.

Even if ruins aren't usually your thing, these stone walls hold up. The scale of it — the walls, the land around it — is enough to fill a few hours without you even noticing the time passing.

For anyone into African history, this is one of those stops that adds a whole extra dimension to the trip. Zimbabwe starts looking like more than just a string of parks and natural sights.

Plan Around Travel Time

It's tempting to cram five or six stops into an itinerary because they all look close together on a map. They rarely are — getting between places usually eats up more time than you'd guess.

You are better off choosing two or three spots and really spending time at each one. Victoria Falls and Hwange go well together for example. Great Zimbabwe can also fit in if your timing and route are right.

Keep the season in mind as well. It affects road conditions, what wildlife you'll see, even how the falls themselves look — worth a check before you head out.

Enjoy the Trip Without Overplanning

Your first Zimbabwe trip does not have to be a complicated plan. Pick a place that the Zimbabwe trip truly wants to see. Give the trip enough time to travel from one place to the next. Also keep a window for surprises that may happen.

Zimbabwe trip will likely remember the waterfall, yes.. The Zimbabwe trip could also remember a calm night near the park, a friendly conversation, with a guide or the scenery passing Zimbabwe on a mountain road.

That's the thing about Zimbabwe. The big-name attractions are worth every bit of the hype — they're just not the whole story.