De maanden juli tot en met oktober zijn het beste voor een uitstekend wild waarneming in de nationale parken van Zimbabwe. Vooral Hwange en Mana Pools bieden erg veel wild en is het grootste wildreservaat van het land.White water rafting op de Zambezi is het beste van augustus tot december, wanneer het water laag staat en de stroomversnellingen snel. De Victoria Falls zijn het meest indrukwekkend in maart en april, na het regenseizoen. De Zambezi rivier staat dan het hoogst, de waterval dondert het hardst en de nevel is dan zo erg dat je doorweekt terugkomt van een bezoek aan de waterval.
24 Natuurreservaten
Zimbabwe heeft maar liefst 24 natuurreservaten die samen 12% van het totale landoppervlakte in beslag nemen. Een aantal kleine parken is in particuliere handen, maar het grootste deel staat onder beheer van het Departement of National Parks and Wildlife Management. De meeste parken liggen in het droge westen en langs de Zambezi en Lake Kariba in het noorden. Vergeleken met Botswana en Namibië zijn de natuurreservaten zeer goed bereikbaar en ook binnen de parken is de infrastructuur goed ontwikkeld, zodat een bezoek met de gewone auto doorgaans geen problemen oplevert.
It is always African Travels aim to:
- Supply all non-‐alcoholic beverages inclusive in your tour price (soft drink, water or juices) during periods outside of your hotel stay.
- Wherever possible make all hotel/lodge bookings inclusive of meals and included in your tour price. Also referred to as Full Board. It will be noted on your itinerary where this is included or not.
- We will supply inclusive of tour price any lunches (usually packed/picnic style) on activities outside your hotel/lodge that are not supplied in the activity you are doing.
What you should allow for is:
- Purchases of any snack food -‐ $5 a day.
- Hotel/lodge alcoholic beverages – see your lodgings beverage menu list.
- Room service surcharges – see your lodgings compendium or information desk.
- Laundry costs -‐ $1-‐$3 USD per item is a guide.
CARRYING & STORING CASH
It’s a good idea to carry both USD’s (or other local currency) on your travels. A good guide is USD$50 per day. Most travellers find it prudent to keep cash on them (neck and waste belts are great). At the least keep your luggage/back packs locked if keeping valuables in them.
If using hotel safes ensure they are bolted in and don’t share the code or key with anyone. If the safe is not bolted most hotels will allow you to use their safes. Take a photo or sign an agreed register for valuables kept at hotel receptions.
If you are heading away from major towns for more than a day talk to your guide about how much currency you should carry or about availability of International ATM’s. International ATM’s are available in major towns and cities.
TIPPING
Tipping is a part of Zimbabean culture & surrounding countries. Bear in mind that most people are on very low wages, but the Zimbabweans are not demanding or rude about tipping and have no expectation other than tipping what you feel is appropriate and within your means. Quite often if you ask or seek guidance on how much to tip you will get the answer “Whatever you feel is right”. The below guide will help.
Tipping can be done in USD, however if in USD please ensure the notes are in excellent condition and post 2009. Rwandans can find it difficult to exchange USD’s outside of these parameters.
Also note that for more regional or rural trips tipping it’s preferred in the local currency as money exchanges may not be nearby. So it’s best to carry a bit of USD. That leaves a lot of leeway, anything from $0 to large amounts and can at times be confusing especially for visitors from non-‐tipping nations.
Therefore to help assist our visitors below is a guide, but please bear in mind that you are entitled to tip however little or much you desire or budget for.
Activity
Safari Guides: (Normally given at the end of the tour)
- 1 traveller: $15 to $30 per person per day
- 2 travellers $12 to $22 per person per day
- 3 travellers $11 to $18 per person per day
- 4 travellers $10 to $16 per person per day
- 5 travellers $9 to $14 per person per day
- 6 travellers $8 to $12 per person per day
Cook on camping safari
Some people feel that it is appropriate to tip a camping cook a little less than the safari guide and some may prefer to tip roughly the same.
Service Tips at lodges
Best to put in a central tip box. That way unseen staff get a share. $2-‐$5 a day
