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The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometers south of Bulawayo.
The Hills were formed over 2,000 million years ago with molten rock erupting across the landscape — this has eroded to produce smooth ‘whaleback dwalas’ and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation.
The Hills cover an area of about 3,100 sq km, of which 424 sq km is national park, the remainder being largely communal land and a small proportion of commercial farmland. Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 sq km game park, which has been stocked with game including black and white rhinoceros.
The area exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe. The large boulders provide abundant natural shelters and have been associated with human occupation from the early Stone Age right through to early historical times, and intermittently since. They also feature an outstanding collection of rock paintings.
The Matobo Hills continue to provide a strong focus for the local community, which still uses shrines and sacred places closely linked to traditional, social and economic activities.
The Matobo balancing rocks are the burial place of Cecil John Rhodes. Commanding a vista clear to the horizon, the name ‘World's View’, could not be more appropriate for this enchanting piece of Zimbabwe.
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Places near Matobo National Park
- Bulawayo 37 kilometers away
- Hwange National Park 228 kilometers away
- Great Zimbabwe 253 kilometers away
- Gonarezhou National Park 367 kilometers away
- Lake Kariba 392 kilometers away
- Harare 396 kilometers away
- Matusadona National Park 397 kilometers away
- Victoria Falls 400 kilometers away
- The Zambezi Riverfront 434 kilometers away
Accommodation choices for Matobo National Park
We've selected a range of accommodation options for when you visit Matobo National Park. Our choices usually come recommended for their character, facilities and service or location. Our specialists always aim to suggest properties that match your preferences.
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Big Cave Camp
Matobo National Park -
Camp Amalinda
Matobo National Park