Matobo National Park is in Matabeleland of Zimbabwe.

Understand

Sunrise at Matobo National Park

Just south of Bulawayo, this is a small but important national park famous for its balancing rocks, naturally carved rocks that seems to defy gravity. Matobo is also the final resting place for several white settlers including the perhaps greatest British imperialist of them all, Cecil Rhodes. The graves are all placed at the summit of Malindidzimu, the hill of the spirits.

History

Bushmen living in the region around 2000 years ago have left a tremendous wealth of rock art and other archaeological objects.

Flora and fauna

See also: African wildlife

Matobo boasts about 200 tree species. The park is a great place for viewing black eagles and leopards, as it is the area with the densest populations in the world of these species. Impala, sable antelope, white rhinoceros, giraffes, ostriches, gnus, giraffes and zebras are also among the animals encountered in the park.

Get in

From Bulawayo, take Matopos Road southward for 30 km, then turn on the left and drive 2 km to reach the park entrance gate.

There is no regular bus or combi going there. You need to have your own vehicle or take a taxi (US$30-40).

Fees and permits

Access to the park at the entrance gate: US$15 (non-residents).

World's view (Cecil Rhode's grave) and all caves paintings: U$10 (non-residents).

Get around

Sites are pretty far from each other and it is better to have your own vehicle to reach the start of hiking trails.

See

Elephant at Matobo National Park

• 1 World's View (Malindidzimu Hill) (13 km south of the entrance gate on the main road, then a short 300 m uphill hike from the parking). On the top of the hill, a 360° view and Cecil Rhode's grave. Nearby, Charles Coghlan's and Leander Starr Jameson's graves, and the Shangari Patrol Memorial.
  In the parking, at the ticket desk, a small exhibition of Cecil Rhode's life. US$10 (non-residents): includes access to all other cave paintings. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Bambata Cave. Prehistoric site. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Pomongwe Cave. Cave and rock art site with a small museum and interpretive center. (updated Jul 2024)
• 4 Nswatugi Cave. Prehistoric friezes. (updated Jul 2024)
• 5 White Rhino Shelter. Prehistoric paintings frieze. (updated Jul 2024)

Drink

Check out Mthwakazi