Matobo National Park

Surreal scenic features made up of weathered granite compliment the arresting scenery of Matobo National park, the oldest in Zimbabwe. This underrated area is easily accessible at just over 35 Kilometres south of Bulawayo.

The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills which were formed over 2 billion years ago. Granite was forced to the surface, and was eroded to produce smooth "whaleback dwalas", inspiring the founder of the Ndebele nation to give the area its name which means 'Bald Heads'.

This landscape features broken kopjes, is strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation.  The Matobo Hills is an area of high botanic diversity, with over 200 species of tree recorded in the national park, including the mountain acacia, wild pear and the paperbark tree. There are also many aloes, wild herbs and over 100 grass species.

The area has a rich human history. Bushmen lived in this area 2,000 years ago, and left a superb collection of rock art behind, much of which has been well preserved.

Game found throughout the park include white rhino, leopard and Africa's largest concentration of leopard. There are, however, no lion or elephant – meaning that you can walk freely amongst the hills and explore them on your own, making for a much more personal experience.