The specialist - ‘Rock art and Ruins’ safari - Zimbabwe

Four artist friends from Switzerland wanted to see the famous San Bushman paintings of Zimbabwe, and the Great Zimbabwe Monument - the largest ancient ruin in the Southern Hemisphere. 

  • Stuart collected them at Bulawayo International Airport and drove them the hour to their lodge in the Matobo Hills. Unique Amalinda Lodge is built of local stone and thatch, set in and amongst the rocks that were once an ancient Bushman shelter.

  • Stuart and the party drove into the Matobo National Park. Matobo means ‘the bald ones’ after the great, bare rock ‘dwalas’ that make up this distinctive landscape. Huge rocks are piled up, one on top of the other, as if a giant has been playing with building blocks. These ancient granite hills are adorned with thousands of ancient San Bushmen paintings. They took a short hike to Nswatugi Cave to view the rock paintings there. In the afternoon, they went on to enjoy the spectacular view at Malididizimu, where British Empire builder Cecil John Rhodes requested to be buried. Stuart explained the the-precolonial history of the area.

  • The party travelled three hours by road northwards, to Norma Jeane’s Guesthouse near Great Zimbabwe. Part of the guesthouse is the former homestead of Murray MacDougal, the man responsible for the building of Lake Mutirikwe. There are spectacular mature gardens and a view over the lake. This dam, the third largest in Zimbabwe, was built to provide much-needed water for the vast agricultural developments in the area.

    From Norma Jeane’s it is easy to visit the Great Zimbabwe Monument – just ten minutes away. The group climbed the ancient path to the top of the Hill Complex, explored, and looked down at the Great Enclosure in the valley. They then made their way down to explore it and visit the the small on-site museum that houses the magnificent soapstone Zimbabwe Birds found at the site.

  • The next morning the party continued on northwards to the capital city of Harare where they overnighted at elegant Kingsmead Guesthouse before taking their international flight out.

The specialist ‘rock art and ruins’ trip to Zimbabwe

  • Before the ascent to Nswatugi cave.

  • Admiring the rock art.

  • A finely depicted zebra.

  • The rocky road back from the cave.

  • The old MacDougall homestead at Norma Jeane's.

  • The view over the gardens to the lake at Norma Jeane's.

  • Entering the King's chamber in the Hill Complex.

  • Looking down over the Great Enclosure.

  • Making the descent.

  • The mysterious conical tower within the Great Enclosure.

  • In between the great outer walls.

  • The walk up to Malididzimu.

  • The grave of Cecil John Rhodes.

  • Kingsmead - a place to rest before the flight onwards.

  • Rock Pool, Amalinda.

Take a look at some of our clients’ safaris

  • Our brief: Four artist friends from Switzerland wanted to see Zimbabwe’s famed San Bushman paintings, and the Great Zimbabwe Monument - the largest ancient ruin in the southern hemisphere. Click here to view their tour.

  • Our brief: This Swiss family of four wanted to safari – see the Great Migration - and relax by the sea. We chose Tanzania as there are less people at the crossings. We carefully selected small camps in the areas where the Great Migration would be at the time, and that provided an authentic safari experience. We organised a private vehicle that was suitable, both for travelling on the roads between parks, and for game viewing once in. They had their own knowledgeable guide to accompany them throughout - driving, organising and interpreting. For beach time we chose a remote pristine private island in Mozambique, easy to get to from Tanzania, and much quieter than Zanzibar, where the family could unwind and spend quality time together. Click here to view their tour.

  • Our brief: This well-travelled couple from Switzerland wanted to visit a children’s charity they support in Nambia and to take the opportunity to see some of the country as well. They wanted to do a road trip, but preferred not to have to do the driving themselves, and a private guide. They did not want the distances to be too long between destinations, and to spend just a night or two in each place – they like to be busy and keep on the move! Besides the dry desert landscapes of Namibia, they also wanted to experience the watery world of the Okavango Delta. Click here to view their tour.