Welcome to Great Zimbabwe Guide
What’s Great Zimbabwe Guide about?
Great Zimbabwe Guide gives honest & independent travel tips, information and inspiration about Zimbabwe, Africa. It was founded by Beth, a Zimbabwean living in the UK.
We share stories of Zimbabwe’s people, wildernesses, wildlife, safari, adventures, cities, photography and culture.
Great Zimbabwe Guide travel blog in 5 points:
- It is Zimbabwe’s first and longest-running independent online travel guide, created in 2010
- It is focused on practical, actionable travel information
- It is for anyone interested in Zimbabwe travel, both locals and internationals
- It places an emphasis on honest, personal travel experiences
- It is run by an individual, not a group of companies
Purposes of Great Zimbabwe Guide travel blog:
- To bring attention to the great things about Zimbabwe, mainly: its people, wilderness, wildlife, history, and one of the best climates on earth
- To promote discussions and projects that respectfully support Zimbabwean livelihoods, education, history and culture
- To encourage conservation-focused, life-affirming travel experiences
- To equip both locals and internationals with practical, actionable tools to experience Zimbabwe’s wonders
- To promote the universal, incalculable value of Africa’s wild animals and ecosystems
- To write with financial & editorial independence
Who is Great Zimbabwe Guide for?
This site is for anyone interested in Zimbabwe travel; both for locals and international visitors. You might have questions about visiting Zimbabwe, or are wondering how to plan a safari or city visit, or you’re looking for inspiration to visit somewhere in Zimbabwe that you haven’t been before. Our articles can help.
Here are are just some articles on the site that might help you: (1) Quick-reference list of travel advice articles, (2) Zimbabwe FAQs, (3) City guides, (4) Travel tips, (5) Itineraries, (6) Advice on where to stay, (7) Things to do in Zimbabwe, and (8) Real-life travel journals to get inspiration – or reassurance – for your next visit.
Here’s a short video about Great Zimbabwe Travel Blog:
Why the blog was created
Beth (Founder) writes: My aim for the blog is to showcase the positive aspects of Zimbabwe to the world, in balance with useful and honest information for anyone interested in travelling here.
Zimbabwe’s woeful politics and economy have been covered in the media for a number of years but there is so much MORE to this country.
Zimbabwe has an abundance of life-affirming travel opportunities for those who take a closer look: world-class wildlife, vast wildernesses, and friendly people who are proud of Zimbabwe’s treasures. At certain lodges in other parts of Africa, safaris can be overcrowded and overcommercialized. To me, a crowded minibus with a ‘Big Five’ checklist just isn’t an authentically wild African safari experience.
Zimbabwe offers fantastic wildlife viewing. It has 11 National Parks, is home to the Big Five, the second-largest elephant population in Africa, over 350 mammal species and over 700 bird species. The safari guides in Zimbabwe are arguably the most rigorously trained in the world. There are hundreds of accommodation options, suitable for a range of budgets.
And yet, mainly because of its poor political image, Zimbabwe isn’t always part of the mainstream tourism conversation. For example, I’ve seen tour company itineraries that include stopovers in Victoria Falls without mentioning that it’s in Zimbabwe. Visitors often think Victoria Falls is in South Africa as a result, when really it’s shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, tourism is Zimbabwe’s third largest contributor to the economy’s Gross Domestic Product (2022). Much revenue from Zimbabwe tourism supports thousands of ordinary people working within the industry, not just the government. Great Zimbabwe Guide supports the positive aspects of the tourism industry, and hopes the sector can grow to support Zimbabwean livelihoods, education, history and culture. See the page Is it ethical to visit Zimbabwe? for more of my thoughts on tourism in Zimbabwe.
Great Zimbabwe Guide is forward-facing and Zimbabwe-focused. You can read more about my aims for the blog, and its history, in my seven-year anniversary post.
Why is it called ‘Great Zimbabwe Guide’?
The word ‘Guide‘ is used because this site is an online guidebook, or travel guide. We want to be your guide to the best things about Zimbabwe.
The phrase ‘Great Zimbabwe‘ is a wordplay on the physical place known as Great Zimbabwe Monument and Ruins, which is arguably sub-Saharan Africa’s greatest archaeological site. The stone city of Great Zimbabwe, which gave its name to modern-day Zimbabwe, was the centre of a huge Iron Age trading kingdom. Much of it is still standing, which is a testament to those who built it. To me, it’s a symbol of what Zimbabwe can withstand. You can read more about Great Zimbabwe Ruins here.
••••••••••••
Related information
- Find out more about Beth, the founder and main writer.
- You can contact me via the info here, or on social media.
- Follow us on social media for even more content: Facebook (GreatZimbabweGuide) and Instagram(@GreatZimGuide). Links to social media are also at the top of this page.
- Also see the pages about Contributing to the site, and collaborating in Brand partnerships.
- The fees for hosting and upkeep of this website are paid for by Beth, supplemented by carefully selected paid partnerships.
- The majority of readers of Great Zimbabwe Guide are located in Zimbabwe, followed by the UK, USA, South Africa and Australia.
••••••••••••
Reader comments on Great Zimbabwe Guide
“My husband and I went on our first trip to Zimbabwe in January, and had an amazing time in both Victoria Falls and Harare. Great Zimbabwe Guide was a fantastic resource for planning our travels – so thank you very much for sharing all your insider knowledge and contagious love for the country!”
“Just to let you know that your website has been extremely valuable in helping me plan a trip to Zim on October. This will be my first visit in 20 years, so my memory of the country is rather fondly outdated… Can’t wait, and your site has made planning easier with your up-to-date info.”
I just came across your website while looking for info on how to renew my passport. Thanks for the well detailed step by step, and your site has lots of useful information about Zim. Thank you very much!
“It is possibly the best guide on all things Zimbabwe on the internet.”
“Well-written with excellent photographs, loads of practical details and interesting ideas.”
