Matobo National Park Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

This park, located 20 mi/32 km south of Bulawayo, is split into a game reserve famous for its healthy rhino population and a recreational area that encompass windswept granite hills, caves with rock paintings and the home and grave of Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes was a British businessman/explorer/robber baron who, in the late 19th century, came awfully close to making Zimbabwe his private domain (the preindependence name of the country was Rhodesia). He chose Malindidzimu (which means "view of the world"), sited atop a granite peak, as his burial place because he considered it the best vista in Africa. Rhodes may have been wrong about many things in his life, but not this—the view is definitely worth the hike to the top.

The surrounding park is noted for its outcrop of bare granite masses millions of years old—including the "balancing rocks." The game reserve has both black and white rhinos, baboons, vervet monkeys, impala, kudu, duiker, genet, civet cats and rock rabbits. It also is home to the highest concentration of leopards and bald eagles in Zimbabwe. Also in the park are a number of prehistoric cave paintings. A few of the more accessible ones have been defaced, but several stunning and untouched paintings remain. Allow an hour or two to see Rhodes' grave and a full day if you want to see the grave, rocking paintings and go on safari in the game reserve. There it is also possible to alight from your safari vehicle and walk tantalizingly close to the rhino with a ranger.