Matobo National Park

Matobo National Park, about 30 km south of Bulawayo, protects one of the most dramatic landscapes in southern Africa — a vast wilderness of granite kopjes (rounded boulders and outcrops), deep valleys, and ancient rock art. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised both for its geology and for the thousands of San (Bushman) rock paintings scattered across its caves and overhangs. These paintings are among the finest and most accessible in Africa.

The wildlife is exceptional for a relatively compact park. Matobo has one of the highest densities of leopard on the continent, though you will need luck and a guide to see them. The black and white rhinoceros populations are significant — rhino tracking on foot with a guide is offered and is one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences available in Zimbabwe. The viewpoints across the kopje landscape at dawn or dusk are stunning. Rhodes's grave at World's View is a popular stop: whatever your view of the man, the setting is remarkable.

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A story
Cecil Rhodes chose his burial site here himself, calling the view from the granite dome of Malindidzimu "one of the world's views." He was buried there in 1902, a request that required blasting a hole in the solid rock. The site is called World's View. Robert Mugabe later considered removing Rhodes's remains but ultimately decided against it, a rare instance of historical pragmatism overcoming ideological impulse.

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