Zimbabwe: best time to visit, entry, travel facts

For game viewing in Zimbabwe, water decides, not the calendar. In the dry season from May to October practically no rain falls for 5 months, the natural pans dry out and the animals gather at the few remaining water sources. In Hwange National Park, at around 14,600 km² the largest park in the country, more than 50 waterholes are kept full by solar and diesel pumps. From August to October, herds of 200 to 300 elephants stand at a single pan during the day, joined by buffalo, zebra, giraffe and sable antelope. The grass is short and yellow, you can see a long way, and lions often lie right beside the track in the morning. Hwange's elephant population is estimated at about 45,000 animals.

Mana Pools on the lower Zambezi runs on its own rhythm: the park sits in the Zambezi valley at about 350 m, the access tracks are mostly impassable from December to April and most camps close for that period. Things start again in May; the best time is September and October, when the elephants stand on their hind legs to reach the pods of the ana trees. Mana Pools is the only park in Zimbabwe where you may walk without a guide.

The wet season from November to April is calving time: impala, wildebeest and zebra drop their young in the first weeks after the first rains, usually late November to December. The grass then stands up to 2 m high, the animals spread across the whole park, and a lion in the green 50 m from the track is almost impossible to see. In return, around 400 bird species are about in Hwange and more than 350 in Mana Pools, among them the migrants from Europe and central Africa, which stay from November to March.

Gonarezhou in the south-east, with its red Chilojo Cliffs, is most rewarding from June to October; in the wet season the fords across the Runde and Save rivers are often impassable. Matusadona on Lake Kariba is best visited by boat, and in September and October elephants and buffalo stand right on the shoreline. Zambezi National Park at Victoria Falls is open all year, and the best time for animals there is also August to October; the Falls themselves carry the most water in March and April.

Zimbabwe lies south of the equator, so the seasons are the reverse of Europe's. The year has 3 parts: the cool dry season from May to August, the hot dry season in September and October, and the wet season from November to April. The table shows Hwange Main Camp at about 1,000 m, the starting point of most safaris.

Altitude makes the difference. On the Highveld around Harare and Bulawayo (1,300 to 1,500 m) it mostly stays below 32 degrees even in October. In the Zambezi valley at Mana Pools and on Lake Kariba, 350 to 500 m above sea level, October reaches 38 to 40 degrees. Victoria Falls at 900 m sits in between, with 34 to 35 degrees normal in October.

In June and July the nights in Hwange drop to 5 to 7 degrees, and there is ground frost on the open pans. The 6 a.m. game drive in an open vehicle then calls for a hat, gloves and a windproof jacket; by midday it is 24 degrees. Rain falls almost entirely from December to February, mostly as an afternoon thunderstorm of 1 to 2 hours, rarely as steady rain.

Zimbabwe follows the classic dry-season pattern of southern Africa: from April to October, almost no rain falls, unpaved tracks around Hwange are firm and rideable, and low water levels at fords and low-level bridges along the Masvingo-Bulawayo route make it predictable. The rainy season from November to March turns loose surfaces into mud and makes them noticeably more slippery. This matters especially on the badly potholed section of the A8 between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls: rainwater fills the holes and hides their true depth, making them harder for riders to judge than in the dry season, when you can see them and ride around. October is also the hottest month before the rains set in, with daytime temperatures that can be exhausting on open, shadeless stretches. This trip deliberately schedules the ride in the dry season.

German, Austrian and Swiss nationals fall into Category B and get a Visa on Arrival right at the border post: Single Entry 30 USD, Double Entry 45 USD. Alternatively, the eVisa can be applied for online in advance - worthwhile if you want to avoid waiting at the border. Since this trip continues over the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia, the KAZA UniVisa for 50 USD is usually the better choice: it covers Zimbabwe and Zambia with multiple entry over 30 days and allows day trips into Botswana via Kazungula. Payment is exclusively in US dollar cash - bring the right notes, since change is rarely given at border posts. Your passport must be valid for the whole length of your stay; a remaining validity of at least 6 months is the standard in southern Africa and is often asked for at borders, even though Zimbabwe itself does not prescribe an exact number of months. Keep at least one blank double page ready for stamps.

You do not need a Carnet de Passages for Zimbabwe - instead, the motorcycle is imported using a Temporary Import Permit (TIP), issued free of charge right at the border post. Anyone wanting to save time can apply for the TIP in advance online through the ZIMRA eTIP portal. You need to carry your passport, the vehicle registration document (registration book) and - if you are not riding your own motorcycle - a power of attorney from the owner, which is regularly asked for at the border. In addition to the TIP, a Road Access Fee of 10 USD applies per entry. Third-party insurance is mandatory: either buy it for 30 USD per month directly at the border post, or already travel with a valid COMESA Yellow Card, which is recognised in Zimbabwe. If the motorcycle stays in the country for more than a month, a Carbon Tax of 10 USD per month is added on top. The Beitbridge crossing from South Africa is considered one of the busiest in the region - expect a wait and paperwork in several steps (customs, immigration, vehicle clearance); the smaller crossing over the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia is usually much quicker.

Officially, a national motorcycle licence alone is enough for short stays, but in practice police checkpoints regularly also want to see an international driving permit (IDP) - carry it within reach, along with the registration document and TIP. On the route from Beitbridge via Masvingo and Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, police and occasionally military checkpoints are common; they generally check driving licence, vehicle papers and roadworthiness, and run routinely. Helmets are mandatory for rider and passenger.

Zimbabwe's highway network is paved throughout, but condition varies considerably by section and maintenance cycle. The two routes on this trip could not be more different: the A4 south of Masvingo is in reasonable shape, while the A8 north towards Victoria Falls carries the worst potholes on the whole route, only partly resurfaced so far. The basic rule on both: fuel up whenever a station appears, and ride during the day - at night, potholes, broken-down vehicles with no warning triangle and wildlife on the road are a real hazard, and the consequences of hitting an animal or a pothole at speed are considerably worse on two wheels than in a car. Police and occasionally military checkpoints are common on all main routes and are generally routine, rarely taking more than a couple of minutes if your papers are in order.

Zimbabwe's years-long fuel shortages are now a thing of the past: since fuel stations sell almost exclusively in US dollars, supply has been reliable. Payment is in cash, in USD - small notes are useful, since fuel stations rarely give change. On the main route Beitbridge-Masvingo-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls, fuel stations are spaced at manageable distances in every larger town; on the Bulawayo-Hwange-Victoria Falls section, it is still worth using every opportunity to fill up, since the distances between towns grow larger. Diesel is widely available for support vehicles, and petrol for motorcycles just as much.

Police and occasional military checkpoints are part of everyday life on all main routes and generally run routinely: have your driving licence, vehicle papers and TIP ready. The nationwide toll-free emergency number 999, along with the network-dependent short numbers (112 on Econet, 114 on NetOne, 911 on Telecel), do not work reliably everywhere, especially outside the big cities and in park areas like Hwange. In practice, contacting your own lodge, safari guide or local tour operator is often the faster and more reliable option than an emergency call - save these numbers before departure. Wildlife crossing at dusk and at night is a real hazard, especially around Hwange; avoid riding after dark wherever possible.

Zimbabwe lies in a malaria area, especially in the lower, warmer regions such as the Zambezi Valley and around Victoria Falls - malaria prophylaxis should be checked with a doctor before departure. A yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required for entry from a yellow fever endemic area; it is not mandatory from Europe itself. Medical care outside Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls is limited; for more serious injuries, evacuation by air is often the practical route, which is why travel insurance with a repatriation clause should be mandatory for a motorcycle trip.

On this trip, payment is practically always in US dollar cash - lodges, fuel stations and most restaurants price in USD. The local currency, the ZiG, plays almost no role for tourists. ATMs are unreliable and mostly dispense only ZiG, occasionally USD in Harare and Victoria Falls, but without any guarantee. Credit cards work in better hotels and larger supermarkets; smaller shops and fuel stations on the road are cash-only businesses. Bring clean, undamaged USD notes, ideally from series after 2013 - older or damaged notes are frequently refused.

Econet is the market leader with the best area coverage; along the main route Beitbridge-Masvingo-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls, reception is reliable in the towns, but the network drops out at times on the long stretches in between and in parts of Hwange National Park. A local SIM card is easy to buy at the airport or in larger towns; for short stays, international roaming is often enough. For the park areas, it is worth saving important contacts and map material offline in advance.

Zimbabwe drives on the left. Police checkpoints are everyday business and generally unremarkable - friendly, patient and with the requested papers ready, you get through fastest. The Beitbridge border crossing is the busiest in the country; arriving early in the day avoids the longest queues. Photographing police, military, border facilities and government buildings is sensitive and should be avoided. Tipping is customary for guides, in Hwange National Park and at lodges, usually given in small USD notes. At the Victoria Falls Bridge itself, border traffic and bungee tourism create a busy scene - allow enough time for photos and the border crossing.