Despite its recent political unrest, Zimbabwe is still one of Africa’s nicest, safest, and most economical tourism destinations. It also has some breathtaking highlights, such the famous Victoria Falls, the enigmatic Great Zimbabwe ruin, and top safari spots like Hwange and Gonarezhou National Parks.

Here are some of the top, reasonably priced lodges, camps, and hotels that our Zimbabwe expert Philip Briggs stayed at on his last six-week trip back to this amazing country.

There is no set order of quality for the hotels listed below.

1. Hwange National Park’s Hwange Safari Lodge

Hwange Safari Lodge has a fairly run-down façade that gives the wrong impression, much like the saying that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Constructed in 1971, this imposing 99-room structure is the largest and most established lodge in Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, and one of the few that is reasonably priced for tourists on a tight budget.

The rooms, which were refurbished in 2022 and 2023, are surprisingly modern and spacious despite their worn exterior. They have air conditioning, a TV, large walk-in mosquito nets, subdued African décor, and full-length windows that overlook the expansive grounds with acacia trees and a swimming pool. The abundance of wildlife drawn to the twin waterholes in front of Hwange Safari Lodge is its most notable feature. This might include literally hundreds of elephants, as well as lions or leopards, all within camera range on a busy evening.

2. Hotel PheZulu, Victoria Falls

PheZulu, our favorite retreat in the lush suburbs of Victoria Falls town, blends the laid-back, social ambiance of an upscale backpackers’ club with the quirky décor and cozy feel of a boutique hotel. King-size beds, walk-in mosquito nets, and private balconies are features of these cozy accommodations. In addition to a refreshing bar and terrace café adorned with evocative Tami Walker prints, the well-kept garden features a swimming pool and thick tropical trees that shade the free-form flower gardens.

The breakfast, which consists of exquisite fresh croissants and scones, is among the best we’ve had in Zimbabwe. The kitchen also prepares delicious dinners that are amply portioned. Don’t be shocked if, like us, you wake up to discover that the pavement outside the lodge has been covered in fresh elephant excrement overnight, even though it’s in a residential area.

3. The Nyanga National Park’s Troutbeck Resort

Major Herbert MacIlwaine founded Troutbeck Resort in 1947, and it feels less like an African lodge and more like a transplant from the Scottish Highlands. Its location at 2,200m/7,200ft on verdant green grounds bordered by the pine-swathed slopes of Zimbabwe’s stunning Eastern Highlands makes this not all that surprising.

Troutbeck has a highly regarded 18-hole golf course and is an excellent area for outdoor enthusiasts to go hiking, horseback riding, and rambling. Inside, the restaurant and bar have a wood-paneled historical character, lit by a log fire that has reportedly burned nonstop since the hotel opened more than 75 years ago, even though the rooms have a pleasantly modern vibe.

4. Matobo National Park’s Farmhouse Lodge

This charming family-friendly lodge, which is located on a picturesque 400-hectare private reserve that borders Matobo National Park, offers twelve thatched Cape Dutch-style cottages for visitors. A stunning campsite with an observation tower and breathtaking views of the Matopos Hills is also available. The Farmhouse is an excellent starting point for exploring the local national park’s historic rock-art sites and tracking rhinos.

The vast network of self-guided pathways through their private reserve’s pristine African bush is almost as popular. These color-coded pathways, which are ideal for walking, running, or cycling, pass some of the enormous granite outcrops that are characteristic of Matopos. You should be able to spot a variety of species, including as giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other antelope.

5. Bulawayo, Bulawayo Club

The Bulawayo Club, which is situated in the second-largest city in Zimbabwe, combines an incredibly central location with an intriguingly twisted personality that reflects its beginnings as a male-only stronghold of the European settler community. The club was founded in 1895 and has been housed in the same three-story building since the 1930s, when future King George VI placed the foundation stone.

Even though women and indigenous Zimbabweans now make up the majority of club members, the striking Edwardian architecture and outdated décor are firmly rooted in a more chauvinistic era, when trophy antelope heads looking down from the walls, trash cans made from hollowed-out elephant feet, and ashtrays in the toilet cubicles were all the rage. Notwithstanding these peculiar and antiquated features, the restaurant and lodging offer excellent value, and it’s the ideal starting point for seeing the streets of central Bulawayo, which are lined with jacarandas.

6. Kariba’s Cutty Sark Lodge

Under the active direction of Mark and Jackie Lawrence, Cutty Sark, a cozy, family-friendly restaurant situated amid expansive, well-wooded gardens that stretch down to Lake Kariba, has been revitalized. Elephants and baboons frequently visit, especially during the fruit-bearing season of the marula trees, and it overlooks a portion of the lake where hippos stay.

The units are well-equipped, with open-plan kitchens that have a refrigerator, freezer, gas oven, and pretty much every cooking tool in the world. The majority of the lodgings here are self-catering. Another option is to dine at the terrace café, which has a view of the pool and specializes in spicy grilled chicken in the Mozambican manner. Additionally, the site is home to the best grocery in Kariba, operated by Crispy Fresh, which has been the primary supplier of produce to the majority of lodges in the Kariba area since the 1990s.

7. Standing tents at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel, Great Zimbabwe

There are few more handy locations than the Great Zimbabwe Hotel, which is only a five-minute walk from the Unesco World Heritage Site that it is named for. This is the abandoned metropolis of Great Zimbabwe, which was built entirely of stone without the use of mortar in the Middle Ages. It is undoubtedly the most impressive ruin in sub-Equatorial Africa and should be included in any tour of the nation.

The Great Zimbabwe Hotel’s standing tents are an excellent starting point for low-budget tourists because they are reasonably priced and equally practical. In addition, you may enjoy the hotel’s cozy thatched restaurant, relax by the pool, observe the antics of the local troop of vervet monkeys, and take in the enormous palms and jacarandas in the lush grounds.

8. The Gonarezhou National Park’s Chipale Tented Camp

Located on a bend in the Runde River flanked with baobabs, this new addition to Gonarezhou National Park’s great network of affordable campsites and self-catering camps opened in July 2023. It is also near the Chilojo Cliffs, one of Zimbabwe’s most breathtaking natural features. The Chilojo Cliffs are a 200-meter (650-foot) high escarpment of golden sandstone that is 14 kilometers (9 miles) long. The lodgings are cozy standing tents with complete self-catering facilities that are elevated on wooden decks.