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Masvingo
About Masvingo
Masvingo is a small and busy centre in the Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe. Previously it was known as Fort Victoria and briefly, Nyanda.
The town sits close to Great Zimbabwe, a national monument from which the country takes its name. The ruins at Great Zimbabwe are fascinating and timeless. The quality of the buildings in this place is astonishing and there is nothing like it in the entire continent.
The town is a commercial centre for cattle ranching and agriculture, located on the road to Harare. Also, gold and asbestos mining are seen in this area. Visiting this individually or as a combination guarantees the most outstanding Zimbabwe Safari experience.
Masvingo TOURS AND SAFARIS
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Best time to visit
The Best Time To Visit Masvingo in Zimbabwe is from January until December when you will have a pleasant or warm temperature and limited till mediocre rainfall. The highest average temperature in Masvingo is 30°C in October and the lowest is 21°C in July. Get more about Best Time To Visit Zimbabwe.
Wildlife
Masvingo Widlife, a century ago around 400,000 wild black rhinos roamed over sub-Saharan Africa; now it is estimated there are less than 2,500 due to trophy hunting, habitat loss, and poaching for horns. The Savé Conservancy is Africa’s most successful black rhino breeding program. Get more about Zimbabwe Wildlife.
What To Experience
Great Zimbabwe Ruins Day Tour from Bulawayo!
White Rhino Tracking on Foot
Bulawayo to Victoria Falls Transfers
Bulawayo Tour
Market Tour
Kyle Recreational Park
Travel Guide For Masvingo
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Geographical Area & Map of Masvingo
Masvingo is the capital of Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. It is located near great Zimbabwe and Lake Mutirikwi and lies on the Mucheke River.
Masvingo is situated around 292 kilometres south of Harare. The City is divided into 5 suburbs including:
- Mucheke
- Rujeko
- Rhodene
- Target Kopje
- Eastvale
Shagashe Game Park and an Italian memorial church which were built during the Second World War are located near Masvingo.
Best time to visit Masvingo
This is a very common question that comes to every traveller’s mind before visiting Masvingo, Zimbabwe. So, Masvingo has good weather conditions all year round.
- Overall, the warmest month between September to December is probably an ideal time.
- Masvingo has a dry season between July to October.
- The winter months are between June and July.
- And the wet season runs between January and December.
In Best Time To Visit Masvingo you can see the average weather per month, the monthly temperature, and when precipitation in Masvingo.
How to get to Masvingo
We will help you to find the closest airport to the city of Masvingo. Through this, you can figure out the easiest way to get to Masvingo.
By Air- The nearest major airport is Harare International Airport (HRE). This airport has international and domestic flights from Harare, Zimbabwe, and is 306 km from the centre of Masvingo.
Another major airport is Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ), which has international and domestic flights from Bulawayo and is 417 km from Masvingo.
By Road- After arriving at the nearest Harare airport, you will book a car or bus to transfer to Masvingo. If you have planned your Zimbabwe Safari Packages before your travel, your tour operator will take care of your transportation from the airport.
Main Attractions in Masvingo
Great Zimbabwe National Monument:
Located near the town of Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe is a cluster of stone ruins. It stretches an area of nearly 722 hectares.
A monument after which the country is named must be on the wish list to explore while on your Safari To Zimbabwe. The Great Zimbabwe national monuments are located in the northern part of the province near Masvingo City.
The monument is artistically very unique and its gigantic walls and tower still stand strong. It is an imposing structure that looks mysterious and is a silent viewer of the forgotten civilization of the Shona.
Manyuchi Dam:
Built on the Mwenezi River, Manyuchi Dam is one of the most impressive picnic spots for locales as well as tourists. Its importance however has decreased slightly among the locals because of the difficulties to reach the dam as the roads washed away.
However, tourists still visit here regularly by hiring a four-wheel drive. Apart from enjoying spectacular views of the sunset over Lake Manyuchi, tourists also engage in fishing in the lake. The Dam rises to a height of 25 m and is a major source of irrigation and power generation.
Chipinda Pools:
The campsite at Chipinda Pools has multiple sites at one spot with flowing water, a braai place. It has access to shared ablution blocks with hot water and flushing toilets.
The closer-by tented camp at Chipinda Pools is now well established. Tents are fully furnished and attached with a small en-suite bathroom. There are also secure kitchen units that have a small gas stove and a movable freezer.
South Gonarezhou National Park:
Gonarezhou National Park in south-eastern Zimbabwe, situated in a relatively remote corner of Masvingo Province. Its large size, bumpy terrain, and remote location make it an ideal tourist place.
Covering an area of 5,053 square kilometres. Gonarezhou is the country’s second-largest national park after Hwange. Basically, Gonarezhou is a Shona name meaning The Place of Elephants.
Lake Kyle Recreational Park:
Lake Kyle which is now known as Lake Mutirikwi located in south-eastern Zimbabwe, southeast of Masvingo. It’s a belief that it has been named Lake Kyle, from the Kyle farm.
The park is home to an abundance of wildlife, including the three members of the Big Five- white rhino, buffalo and leopard. Here the accommodations are clean and have scenic views over the lake.
Things to do in Masvingo
Great Zimbabwe Ruins Day Tour from Bulawayo:
Great Zimbabwe National Monument is located in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Visit this cluster of stone ruins while on your Zimbabwe Safari.
- You can learn about the ancient cultures and structures within Zimbabwe and trading mechanisms in southern Africa.
- Visit the local art and craft market, and sample some chibuku, our native opaque beer made from millet and maize.
White rhino tracking on foot:
When you are travelling in Masvingo in Zimbabwe, don’t miss the chance of tracking the endangered rhinos on foot in Lake Mutirikwi Park. This is located close to Great Zimbabwe Ruins.
It’s a great experience to walk in the African bush with an armed ranger in search of the rare member of the Big Five.
Explore Kyle Recreational Park:
Kyle Recreational Park is 16 900 hectares in extent and of the total Park area, 9 300 hectares is covered by the lake (Lake Mutirikwi) at the full supply level. The dam and the Park were established in the same year1960.
- The Park is home to more than 25 species of wild mammals that you can sight on your Zimbabwe Tour.
- Some commonly seen animals include buffalo, common duiker, eland, impala, kudu, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, and so on.
- You can also spot some of the rare species including ant bear, bushbuck, bush pig, klipspringer, sable, and steenbuck.
Bulawayo Tour:
The Bulawayo Tour gives you the first-hand experience to meet and learn about the daily life of the local Zimbabweans.
- We would suggest visiting the Bulawayo Railway Museum and learning how our old railway system started during the colonial period.
- This is a great chance to close sightings and inspect the old Colonial Buildings of Zimbabwe which are still in use.
- Major areas which you should visit are Makokoba Township, Nesbit Castle, Renkin Bus Terminus, City Hall, Natural History Museum, and Local Central Markets.
Explore the colourful city of Masvingo!
Hopefully, you have got ideas about the Masvingo Tour while going for Zimbabwe Safari. So what are you waiting for? Chat with an expert to plan your memorable Masvingo Tour!
best month to Visit Masvingo
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Peak
Low
Mixed
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo in March
March is hot, humid and rainy in Zimbabwe, with frequent afternoon thundershowers. It’s not an ideal time to see 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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 accommodation in advance.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
Masvingo 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.
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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.
Excellent and efficient service
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