Zambezi Valley

The Zambezi Valley is the crown jewel of Zimbabwean hunting and, by many accounts, the finest remaining Big 5 hunting destination in all of Africa. Stretching across the entire northern border of Zimbabwe along the mighty Zambezi River, this vast and largely roadless wilderness encompasses some of the most productive, diverse, and remote hunting concessions left on the continent. For the serious trophy hunter, the Zambezi Valley represents the pinnacle of the African hunting experience.

From the Dande communal lands and Chapoto Safari Area in the east to the Chewore Safari Area, Sapi, and the Mana Pools buffer zones in the west, the Zambezi Valley offers a complete Big 5 experience in a landscape that has changed very little since the first European hunters explored it in the 19th century. The valley floor sits at approximately 1,200 feet above sea level, creating a hot, dry environment dominated by jesse bush, mopane woodland, acacia scrub, and ribbons of riverine forest along the countless streams and tributaries that drain the escarpment into the Zambezi.

This harsh and demanding landscape produces some of Africa's finest trophies. Massive Cape Buffalo herds numbering 200 to 500 animals roam the valley floor, with old dugga boys carrying some of the widest and hardest bosses in Africa. Elephant bulls with 50 lb or heavier ivory feed through the mopane woodland and along the river, growing old and wise in concessions where human pressure is minimal. Leopard populations thrive along the escarpment drainage lines, feeding on the abundant impala and baboon. And prides of maned lions patrol the river systems, preying on the buffalo herds.

The Zambezi Valley is not for the faint of heart. Temperatures routinely exceed 40°C from September to November, the terrain is punishing, and the remoteness means that medical evacuation, while available, requires helicopter or light aircraft. But for those who embrace the challenge, the Zambezi Valley offers the most authentic, wild, and rewarding hunting experience available in modern Africa. Walking out of camp at dawn into the cool Zambezi air, picking up fresh elephant spoor, and following it through thick jesse bush until you stand face to face with a 50 lb tusker at 20 yards is an experience that no other hunting destination can match.