While most South African tourists make a beeline for Zimbabwe’s greatest hits – Matopos, Victoria Falls, Hwange – they’re missing out on Zimbabwe’s best-kept secret: the utterly captivating eastern region. Think of it as the country’s hidden treasure chest, packed with the wild beauty of Gonarezhou National Park and the lush, mountainous delights of the Eastern Highlands, including my favourite spot – Chimanimani, but also Bvumba, Mutare, the Honde Valley, and Nyanga.

South Gonarezhou: Where Elephants Rule the Roads

We kicked off our adventure with two blissful days at Bosman Community Camp in southern Gonarezhou. We entered via Malipati Gate instead of the main Mabalauta gate. 

Note: if you were coming from Beitbridge you take the A4 to Harare via Mazvingo. After 90 mins / 122 KM turn right at Mwenezi onto graded road towards Matibis (80mins/70kms) and onwards for another 50 mins/36ms to Mabalauta. 

Within minutes, we saw our first magic moment  – elephants casually munching on the banks by the low bridge on Mwenezi River at Makonde, and African Fish Eagles overseeing all.

Bosman Community Camp turned out to be our kind of luxury – a spacious tent with a separate kitchen loaded with everything you could want (including large freezers), solar lighting, and a fire pit with river views that made evening sundowners mandatory. After a very cold beer, we slept like babies and woke up fashionably late. You could say Bosmans is a relaxing place.

Navigation, or lack of …

Armed with the Parks map, we set off on afternoon game drives. Fair warning: while all junctions are numbered on the map, the actual signposts have either been swallowed by grass or kicked over by elephants. The further inland we ventured, the more creative our navigation became.

We managed with both the new and old parks maps, using kilometer markers between waypoints like breadcrumbs. But honestly? Get yourself a proper GPS app like Gaia GPS – we discovered it later and it worked well, even in the middle of nowhere with most tracks already mapped.

The wildlife didn’t disappoint – we spotted

• Lions
• Impala herds
• Bushbuck
• Elephants
• Eland
• Kudu
• one magnificently solitary Giraffe
• Hippos
• Warthogs
• two types of Zebra
• Wildebeest
• As well as many different types of Sunbird, Hoopoe and a Kori Bustard.

The fastest route to the north of the park runs outside the park via Boli and Machendu to Chipinda Pools, but where’s the fun in that? We chose the scenic centre route, which turned out to be gorgeously green (end of rainy season) but frustratingly dense for game viewing. Our highlight was a David Attenborough moment when a large Kori Bustard slowly took off as we approached – we actually drove under it with about a meter to spare!

The drive was mostly peaceful, though we did play detective at several junctions, occasionally backtracking when our navigation skills proved… creative. The closer we got to the north, the better the roads became. The only other vehicle we encountered all day was a Parks Land Cruiser halfway across the Runde River crossing near Chipinda Pools. Naturally, we assumed this meant “all clear” and followed suit. Our vehicle handled it beautifully, though I’ll admit one moment felt a bit deep. Only later did we learn the crossing was officially off-limits. Oops! 

Northern Comforts: more working Hot Showers

We split our northern stay between Chipinda Pools and Chipale Camp. Chipinda has clearly been upgraded since my last visit – the freezers, lights, and showers all actually work now. 

But Chipale Camp was the best. This tented accommodation is eco-luxury done right: solar lighting, proper bathroom facilities, self-catering setup with working freezers, firm comfortable mattresses, and beautifully soft linen. 

It’s the kind of place that makes you wish more accommodation was designed, built and presented this thoughtfully.

The Lion King Moment

Our best big-five encounter happened right at the turning to Chipale Camp – nine lions sprawled across the road like they owned the place (they sort of do). They gave us a cursory glance before settling back down for another ten-minute power nap, just 400 meters from our tent. We visited in mid-to-late April, but if you’re serious about game viewing, October might be your best bet.

Getting there: Fuel and Other Essentials

• Diesel. If you need fuel, you’ve got options. In the south, you can get diesel at Makonde, but you’ll need to buy it first at Mabalauta Reception (about 20km away – bit of a system they’ve got going). In the north, Chipinda Pools offers the same arrangement, but thankfully the fuel is only a kilometer or two away.
• Food and Drink – bring everything you need. 
• Booking your stay – reservations@gonarezhou.org – https://gonarezhou.org/
• How Much – We paid $612 for two people for four nights – $75 pppn which is reasonable. 

The Road to Chimanimani: Coffee and Colonial Charm

After exiting at Chipinda Pools, we drove 40/50kms to reach the A10, we diverted off-route by 10kms and went left to Chiredzi to get: diesel (the best price we found in Zimbabwe),  a proper coffee and maybe an omelette. 

Enter Clevers Hotel – a beautifully maintained colonial relic that’s been perfectly preserved in aspic. They couldn’t deliver the americano of our dreams but served up instant coffee with such ceremony that we almost felt sophisticated. We ordered “egg-scotch” and chips, which turned out to be absolutely delicious – warm, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The only catch? It took an hour and ten minutes to arrive. We were in a bit of a hurry, but even so Clevers is definitely worth the visit for the sheer charm of it all.

It take about 4-5 hours from Chipinda Pools to Chimanimani. The route is straightforward from Chipinda Pools. Turn right when you arrive at the A10 and stay on as it skirts around Birchenough Bridge towards and past Chipinge, climbing through avocado, macadamia and forestry plantations until you arrive at the locally known Skyline Junction. Here you turn right and for 10 kms wind down some luxuriant bends until coming to Charter Timber (the always burning smoke stack is the clue) and then another 10kms to Chimanimani – where we welcome you to come and stay with us. 

As for Chimanimani, there is a wealth of information on our website Heaven Lodge, on Chimanimani.com and the CTA (Chimanimani Tourist Association) Facebook page. We encourage you to email us at enquiries@heavenlodge.com or WhatsApp Emmanuel on +263 77 586 1228 

Here are some Chimanimani highlights …. 

Bridal Veil Falls – just 3kms from the village.You’ll need a ticket from the National ParksOffice before you go.	Birdwatching, Flora and Fauna – there areover 230 bird species in the Chimani’s.Heaven Lodge wakes up to a raucous dawnchorus of birdsong. We know the best guides.
Tessa Pools– T ssa Pools is harder to get to, but is free – just outside the national park close to Outward Bound. Great for swimming and larking about.	Local Culture Walks – knowledgeable localguides will show you through the nearby ruralareas, the local township, where the locals eat,and tell stories about the area.
Pork Pie Hill faces the lodge. It’s a strenuoustwo hour walk to the top or 45 minute drive in a4WD. The views extend beyond Mozambiqueto the Indian Ocean.	The Cashel Route – stupendous views of themountain range. It’s a long tough drive thatneeds a 4WD vehicle and could take threehours.
Hiking in the Mountains– 1-5 day hikes onancient paths through stunning wilderness withviews of the Indian ocean. Inside and outsidethe National Park.	The nautical bar at the Hotel– set out as thecabin of an ocean sail ship from times past. Inthis land bound country. They have ice!!
Hot Springs– these natural hot springs areknown for their warm, mineral-rich waters. Thisplace is not what it used to be but the watersare the same.	The Corner– drive and camp and walk. Just21kms along the Cashel Scenic View.Easywalks, a swimming waterfall with 15 minutes ofwhere you park.

After Chimanimani we spent time travelling north. You can read about the rest of the trip here when we write it!

Author – Andy Woodruff – June 2025

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