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Eastern Highlands
About Eastern Highlands
The Eastern Highlands, otherwise known as the Manica Highlands are a group the mountain ranges from Zimbabwe and Mozambique border.
They extend to the northern and southern parts for approximately 300 kilometres from Zimbabwe to Mozambique Manicaland. They consist of areas such as Vumba, Mutare, Chimanimani, Nyanga, and Honde valley. This is one of the best Places To Visit In Zimbabwe that you can discover on a Zimbabwe Safari.
Eastern Highlands TOURS AND SAFARIS
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Best time to visit
The Best Time To Visit Eastern Highlands is April to July, although in these winter months there are plantation fires that can make the sky hazy. Note that some roads are inaccessible during the rainy summer months from November to March. The best months for birding are November to April. Get more about Best Time To Visit Zimbabwe.
Wildlife
Eastern Highlands Widlife, Large mammals include the predator's Indian tiger, wolf, dhole, and sloth bear, and the herbivores gaur, chousingha, blackbuck, and chinkara. The Asian elephants that once lived were extirpated long ago. The only endemic species found in the ecoregion is the cave-dwelling Khajuria's leaf-nosed bat. Get more about Zimbabwe Wildlife.
What To Experience
Mtazari Falls
Nyanga National Park
Mount Nyangani
Vumba Mountains
Troutbeck Inn Golf Course
World’s View
Fishing
Hiking
Travel Guide For Eastern Highlands
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Facts of Eastern Highlands
The Eastern Highlands is a mountainous region located in eastern Zimbabwe, known for its stunning landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and pleasant climate. Here are some Eastern Highlands Facts:
- They stretch from Zimbabwe to Mozambique.
- The highest waterfall in Zimbabwe is found in the eastern highlands
- The eastern highlands are home to Zimbabwe’s oldest national park.
- Has over a hundred bird species.
Climate and Weather
The Highlands experience a different climate than the central part of Zimbabwe. The highlands receive more rainfall, low clouds, and heavy mist and dew. This is because the moisture moves inland from the Indian Ocean.
When to go to the Eastern Highlands
The hot wet season lasts from the end of October to the end of April. This is where Zimbabwe experiences rains and when there is a lot of green. It is the perfect time to visit the eastern highlands as there will be perfect green views. And, it is the Best Time To Visit Zimbabwe if you want to get a scenic view of the Eastern Highlands.
Visitor numbers are low during this season and there are massive discounts offered. Zimbabwe Safari Cost is based upon this, so one need to consder. For people that would want to travel on a budget, this is the perfect season to travel.
How to reach the Eastern Highlands
Generally, there are two options to reach the Eastern Highlands.
- One is from Harare, the capital town of Zimbabwe. The distance between these two destinations is 295 k (approx. 4 hours’ drive). On this route, you will be driving through the beautiful Birchenough Bridge.
- The second one is you can travel from Bvumba via Melsetter directly to the Gonarezhou National Park. This route is a little longer compared to the first one. It is 362 km and will take you more than 6 to 7 hours to drive.
If you have enough time on your hand you can take this route otherwise the first option is highly recommended.
Holidays to the Eastern Highlands
Nyanga National Park 7-day tour
Nyanga National is in the north of the eastern highlands in Zimbabwe. The park contains beautiful hills and rivers.
People can go hiking and for nature photography. The views are just majestic. There are beautiful waterfalls in Nyanga.
Mutare 14-day holiday
This is the most populated city in the Manicaland province. This city is surrounded by beautiful valleys and mountains. It is also known as (Kumakomoyo) in Shona meaning where mountains are.
Eastern Highlands Highlights
Tea plantations of the Nyanga range
The Nyanga range is popular for having tea plantations. This is where the local tea such as Tanganda is grown in Zimbabwe. These rich plantations bring out one of the best tea in Zimbabwe that is also exported to other countries. This has helped in improving the economy of Zimbabwe.
Coffee plantations of the Bvumba range
The Bvumba range is popular for coffee plantations. This is where our local coffee such as breakfast coffee is grown in Zimbabwe. These rich plantations bring out one of the best coffees in Zimbabwe that are also exported to other countries. This has helped in improving the economy of Zimbabwe.
Chimanimani Mountains
Chimanimani is popular for hiking and site seeing. This place is part of the eastern highlands. It has beautiful terrains and views. The mountains are dressed in colourful vegetation that is breathtaking.
Take a Zimbabwe Safari Tours of the eastern highlands and enjoy these majestic views. Hiking is very popular in Chimanimani and is worth trying.
Places to visit in the Eastern Highlands
Nyanga National Park
Nyanga National is in the north of the eastern highlands in Zimbabwe. The park contains beautiful hills and rivers.
People can go hiking and for nature photography. The views are just majestic. There are beautiful waterfalls in Nyanga.
Mutare
This is the most populated city in the Manicaland province. This city is surrounded by beautiful valleys and mountains. It is also known as (Kumakomoyo) in Shona meaning where mountains are.
Vumba Mountains
Visit the Vumba botanical gardens where people can have perfect scenic views.
Leopard rock
Visit the Leopard Rock Golf and country club where they can recreate playing golf, sightseeing, and picnics.
The Honde Valley
The honed valley is a beautiful destination found in the eastern highlands. It is home to several bird species and has beautiful views.
Wildlife at Eastern Highlands
The Eastern Highlands is famous for being home to two rare animals that are very hard to find outside these highlands. One of them is the blue duiker and samango monkeys. Some diverse species of squirrels such as sun squirrels and red squirrels can be seen here.
Leopards are spotted throughout the region. But if you are lucky enough you can also spot buffalo, hyenas, and lions.
In all over Zimbabwe, more than 400 species of bird are found. And most of them migrate here in the months of October to April.
Best places to stay in the Eastern Highlands
Forest hills resorts
Forest hills resort is located among the Vumba Mountains. These mountains are known as mountains of mist (bvumba) in Shona. It is one of the most affordable Zimbabwe Accommodations .
Trout beck Resort Nyanga
It is located 34 km from Rhodes Nyanga National Park. Trout beck Resort offers accommodation with a cafeteria, free reserved parking, an outdoor swimming pool and a tavern. It also has a kitchen and playground for kids.
Christmas pass hotel
This is a hotel located soon after the Christmas pass in mutare.it allows guest to have perfect views of the mountains and hills.it has self-catering facilities as well as Wi-Fi and a swimming pool.
Activities in Eastern Highlights
Trout Fishing
This is one of the activities one can do in Nyanga. You get to relax and learn how to fish in the beautiful rivers. Trout fish is the most popular fish in Nyanga.
Golf
This is a recreational Things To Do In Zimbabwe popular in the eastern highlands because of the terrains and is usually done at lodges and other golf clubs such as leopard rock.
Bowling
Just like Golf, Bowling is also a recreational activity that is very popular in the eastern highlands. It can be done by all age groups.
Horse riding
This is a safari activity done in Nyanga national park. It is mostly done by adventurous people. Horse riding can be done as you go for game viewing and get to enjoy both activities at once.
The Zimbabwe Safari Tours cannot be completed with all the above adventure activities.
Conclusion
The endless mountain ranges, rolling mists, beautiful forest areas, and stunning waterfalls make the Eastern Highlands the best-kept secret of Zimbabwe Safaris. No matter whether you love birding or fishing or love participating in outdoor activities like hiking, camping, or abseiling this place kept something for everyone.
best month to Visit Eastern Highlands
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Peak
Low
Mixed
Eastern Highlands in January
January is a rainy month and some camps and lodges are closed. The landscape is green and lush and with abundant water around, making animals hard to spot as they are dispersed in the bush. Birding is excellent during January, as well as the other rainy months, with all of the migratory species present.
Eastern Highlands in February
February is low season in Zimbabwe – it’s rainy and wet, and it’s difficult to see wildlife because of the thick bush and abundance of natural water sources, but it is a perfect time for birdwatching. Some camps, lodges and park roads are closed. The water level in Zambezi is high, and so while Victoria Falls are in full dramatic flow, the amount of mist and spray can obscure the view.
Eastern Highlands in March
March is hot, humid and rainy in Zimbabwe, with frequent afternoon thundershowers. It’s not an ideal time to see Zimbabwe Wildlife because of the thick foliage and abundant water for animals to drink, but it is a good month for birdwatching, as many migratory species are present in the country. The Zambezi River is in full flow, so Victoria Falls is at its most dramatic, although there’s a lot of spray which can make visibility difficult.
Eastern Highlands in April
The rains are coming to an end and skies turn blue in April, a month when the lodges and camps that have been closed for the rainy season usually re-open. Mana Pools National Park also re-opens after closure since the end of November. This is the last month of summer for excellent birdwatching.
Eastern Highlands in May
Mild weathered May is the first of Zimbabwe’s dry winter months and by the middle of the month, the visibility in the bush starts to improve as the grass begins to thin. Natural pans have not yet dried up which means animals can still be hard to spot.
Eastern Highlands in June
Temperatures drop in June, so pack warm clothes for early mornings and night game drives as the evenings can be very chilly. As the landscape dries, animals start to move to waterholes to drink, which makes wildlife viewing easier.
Eastern Highlands in July
July is the first month of Zimbabwe’s peak season. Daytime temperatures are mild (although nights in some places can be freezing), wildlife viewing is excellent, and it’s a great time to do white-water rafting and canoe safaris.
Eastern Highlands in August
August is an excellent time to travel to Zimbabwe, as days are sunny, daytime temperatures are mild (dropping down to below 10C at night), and wildlife viewing is at its prime. It’s one of the busiest months of the year so be sure to book all your Zimbabwe Accommodations in advance.
Eastern Highlands in September
Temperatures start to warm up in September, another dry month and an excellent time to go on a wildlife safari. This month the annual game count in Hwange National Park takes place, and for a totally different wildlife experience you can volunteer to take part in the census, helping the park rangers to count animals in the reserve.
Eastern Highlands in October
Nicknamed “Suicide Month” for its brutally hot temperatures, October is the hottest month of the year, with day time temperatures sometimes peaking above 40C. It’s the last month of the dry season, so wildlife viewing is at its best, and it’s the ideal time to see huge herds of elephant in Hwange National Park.
Eastern Highlands in November
This month usually sees the start of the rains, which come as sudden thundershowers in the afternoons – a welcome relief from the intense heat. It’s a good month for birdwatching as the migratory species arrive with the rains.
Eastern Highlands in December
December means summer rain in Zimbabwe. It’s not an ideal time to visit for wildlife viewing, and Mana Pools National Park as well as roads in some other parks are closed. However, if you’re a birdwatcher, it’s a fantastic time to visit to see hundreds of migratory species.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Eastern Highlands are also known as the Manica Highlands. These are mountain ranges on the Zimbabwe and Mozambique border.
They extend to the northern and southern parts for approximately 300 kilometres from Zimbabwe to Mozambique Manicaland. They consist of areas such as Vumba, Mutare, Chimanimani, Nyanga and Honde valley.
The eastern highlands are made up of three parts which are the Nyanga highlands situated in the north, the Vumba mountains that lie in the centre and lastly the Chimanimani highlands that are on the south.
It is home to the highest mountain in Zimbabwe; mount Nyangani. They are also home to the longest waterfall in Zimbabwe the Mtarazi falls which is 762m long. Furthermore, they own the oldest national park in Zimbabwe which was established 96 years back. This park owns more than 300 bird species.
The eastern highlands are made up of three parts which are the Nyanga highlands situated in the north, the Vumba Mountains that lie in the center, and lastly the Chimanimani highlands that are in the south.
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We travelled with Falcon Safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana for 16 days. Falcon designed a wonderful trip with private guide to the most interesting sites in both countries. The organization of the whole trip was excellent, flights within the country, accommodation and activites. The guides were very knowledgable and told us a lot about the countries, their history, people, economy and much more. Wevisited the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the Victoria Falls and a number of national parks in both countries.
Rhino tracking was a real adventure! We had tremendous further game drives and saw very many animals - we did the Big Five. We had much more activities than planned and enjoyed very much.We strongly recommend Falcon Safaris to everyone planning a trip to Southern Africa and East Africa.
Wonderful trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana with excellent organization and very competent guides
Our Consultant Vimbai was very helpful and accommodating. We stayed at the Elephant hills hotel which was nothing short of amazing.Our activities included a helicopter flight, dinner cruise as well as a morning game drive. All the activities were absolutely amazing.
Exceptional!
We worked with Gertrude to schedule and organize everything and she did an excellent job. I asked a lot of questions via e-mail and she answered everyone in a timely helpful manner. Our guide at Victoria Falls was also great. He met us at the airport, provided a thoughtful tour of the Falls and got us to our next guide in Botswana. Our lodgings at River View Lodge were just as described- very comfortable and excellent food. All the staff were so pleasant and helpful. If I had to do it again I would arrange a morning boat ride as well. We only did the sunset boat rides and they were the high point of our entire trip- we saw so many animals and our guide was very knowledgeable. Just a great experience. Our lodgings at Oddball's Enclave was rustic and we loved it. So great to disconnect from the world for a bit. Leo, our guide, was the best - got us out and about, saw fantastic wildlife and got back to camp safely each time. Doc manages the camp so well. This whole trip was planned and organized by Falcon Safaris and we could not have been happier.
Fabulous, well planned trip
Falcon safaris have given my the correct advice with excellent service. The only suggestion will be to work closer with the lodges to confirm bookings as soon as possible. We have booked and pay our deposit a year in advance. We have only receive our final convermation from Chobe Safari lodge a week before departure. I do realize its not within your controle but with limit alternatives and a group of 14 people it becomes an issue to find alternative accomodation if the booking was cancelled.
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