The road to Matusadona National Park is one of the more challenging in Zimbabwe, as though you were crawling along the ever-decreasing branch of a tree. In this case, likely a star chestnut (Sterculia africana), iconic species of the rocky terrain along the Chizarira Escarpment. The final approach down to Matusadona (located on the southwestern shore of Lake Kariba) is more track than road, and one that travellers often have to rebuild themselves. This is why our luxury African safari tours are fly in leaving more time for game viewing.
The bucolic setting belies the wildness of this reserve, with large herds of elephants and buffaloes among the multitude of big game. The stark skeletons of long-dead mopane and leadwood trees recall Operation Noah, when conservationists and nature lovers used small boats to rescue wildlife from the rising waters of the dam – even clusters of snakes from the canopies of submerging trees.
