Matobo National Park
Matobo National Park
About 30 kilometres south of Bulawayo, Matobo National Park is visited for its other-worldly rocky landscapes, historical and cultural significance, wildlife sightings, bushman paintings and walking excursions.
Combining well with Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls in the north, and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins to the east, Matobo National Park offers something a bit different from the usual safari and wildlife areas.
Historically, Matobo plays a big part in Zimbabwe, with the name Matobo meaning 'bald heads' being chosen for the area by the great Ndebele King, Mzilikazi. He is buried in the Matobo Hills just a short distance from the park.
Cecil John Rhodes having chosen his grave site to be on Malindidzimu Hill, or World's View, and which is now a draw card for numerous visitors each year.
Beautiful Rock Formations
The magnificent Matobo Hills is a range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion and weathering.
Game Viewing and Rhino Tracking
Matobo Hills has the last significant population of rhino in Zimbabwe, and the best way to view and photograph these rare creatures is on foot, with a professional guide. Lodges offer drives into the Whovi Park, with a professional guide-to view not only rhino, but also leopard and a selection of plains game. Guests can enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to creep up on these wonderful animals on foot once the correct area has been located by the professional guide.
Rock art
Within the park are numerous sites which were once occupied by the San hunter-gatherers. The paintings at Nswatugi Cave are perhaps some of the finest in the country and contain beautiful renditions of giraffe, eland and kudu. There are other areas of note such as Bambata Cave, Inanke Cave and Silozwane Cave - just outside the park - that display fine animal paintings. The feint but distinct outline of a rhinoceros at the White Rhino Shelter was the impetus for the reintroduction of the species to the park in the 1960's.
