It was getting late, almost dark on the safari drive, and the driver of the jeep is panicking. He picks up speed back base and almost runs into a couple of elephants mating.
Their reaction signals they’re not happy at being disturbed and he desperately tries to reverse. Suddenly, there are other elephants behind us and I realised we are surrounded. The driver has nothing more than a spanner to defend us and now I’m scared.
Then, he took a chance and snaps the vehicle forward and out to safety. It was close but we make it back to the dining room of the Stanley and Livingstone Hotel regaling other guests with my adventure. The rest of the trip was less dramatic, yet still eventful.
Most people come to Zimbabwe just to visit the Victoria Falls for a bit of shock and awe. There’s a network of viewing trails, all very natural, and of course you get soaked from the spray unless the tour is via a scenic helicopter ride to appreciate the immensity. But there’s far more to the country than this – spectacular game reserves.
Hwange National Park
After the recent economic troubles, tourism is slowly returning but, at the moment, you’ll have the game parks and the animals to yourself. Hwange National Park is the largest — almost the size of Wales, and is home to 100 mammals and 400 bird species.
On my way into the park I catch sight of giraffes, impalas, kudus, nike t90 football boots waterbucks and jackals. I’m staying at the Davison’s Camp, but when I get to my tent, I wonder why there’s no water in the shower.
First, they blame the elephants, who are wandering around just outside, and often drink the well dry. But it turns out the baboons have turned off the stop cock.
The game drives here are terrific but, after my experience in Victoria Falls, I fancy going out on foot for an early morning walk in a group. This time the guide is armed with a rifle and he warns the three of us to stay close and keep quiet. He points out animal tracks, deciphering their freshness, and reveals that baboon prints usually lead to a source of water.
There’s something slightly comical as we trudge along in single file, terrified of coming across a lion. But of course the only animals we encounter are wildebeast and antelope. It’s glorious to be out in the bush, with just the sound of the birds.
Bulawayo
Five hours to the south east lies Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, and one that still has the feel of a frontier town, mostly due to the crumbling colonial buildings. The Exchange Bar is where Cecil Rhodes made his business deals at the start of the 20th century, and it’s hasn't changed much.
Skulls of game animals and faded old photographs line the walls and it’s an atmospheric place to enjoy a beer.
Matobo National Park
At Matobo National Park, ironically the final resting place of Rhodes, I see gigantic granite boulders, perched precariously on top of each other, line the road.
This is Zimbabwe’s oldest reserve, a bequest from Rhodes. I’m here to see the rock paintings of the Bushmen, who’ve been in the area for half a million years.
There are more than 3,000 rock art sites in the area, all protected, but the public are only allowed in six of them. You need a 4WD to reach them, then it’s a scramble up the rocks, keeping an eye out for snakes, before you come face to face with art from 13,000 years ago.
The paintings are extraordinary and the depictions of animals surprisingly lifelike. On the walls, in Nswatugi Cave, I can make out ochre depictions of giraffes, elephants and kudu, full of life and movement.
Great Zimbabwe
I head east to the UNESCO site of Great Zimbabwe which occupies a huge 80 hectares. The hill ruins, a fortified rock with dry stone walls of granite, rise up to 350m and can be seen for miles.
This acropolis was the royal city believed to be continuously inhabited from the 11th to 15th centuries. These days, it’s home only to baboons and you can wander the narrow passageways and enjoy the view.
At ground level, the elliptical Great Enclosure, with its high conical tower, surrounded by a massive nike ctr360 football boots wall, is what you see on all the photographs but I prefer the hill site.
Gonarezhou National Park
My final destination is Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, in Zimbabwe’s SE corner, on the border with Mozambique. Clive Stockil, a recipient of the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, first came here to mediate with the villagers about their use of Gonarezhou National Park and stayed on to develop this project with them.
Next day, I brave the crocodiles and cross the river in a flat-bottomed boat, worried about being swept away by the current.
Gonerezhou is the second largest reserve in Zimbabwe and the wilderness is still largely pristine with elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards and cheetahs.
They don’t see many tourists here and the animals are skittish, unused to game vehicles. The elephants stand their ground and trumpet their unease whilst the nyala and zebra take flight as soon as we appear. This is like no other safari. I think it is my favourite bush experience of all time.