This is the Zimbabwe chapter from Lonely Planet's Africa guidebook.

Yes, the international headlines are alarming and the politics dodgy, but Zimbabwe has so much more to offer. From the absolute wilderness of Mana Pools National Park to the laid-back capital, it remains one of Southern Africa's most beautiful countries...with one of the world's best climates.

• see the Big Five by horseback in the elephant-packed Hwange National Park
• maps
• dive into Africa at its most breathtaking at Victoria Falls
• transport & directory
• head to Harare for the not-to-be-missed HIFA (Harare's International Festival of the Arts), held annually in the last week of April
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Harare & around, The Bally Vaughan Sanctuary, Lion & Cheetah Park, Rock Art, Imire Safari Ranch, Lake Chivero Recreational Park, Northern Zimbabwe, Kariba, Matusadona National Park & the Islands on Lake Kariba, Mana Pools National Park, Eastern Highlands, Bvumba Mountains, Nyanga National Park, Chimanimani, Chimanimani National Park, The Midlands & Southeastern Zimbabwe, Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou National Park, Western Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Hwange, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls, Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe Directory.