Zimbabwe Safaris - Questions and Answers

Have the animals been heavily poached in the National Parks?
There are areas within Zimbabwe where there has been poaching, i.e. Chizarira and parts of Gona Re Zhou but these are areas not frequented by tourists.  Camps in Hwange and Mana Pools report that game numbers have increased over the last ten years, not declined.

By going to Zimbabwe I will be supporting the Mugabe regime - I don't want to do this.
Without tourists to Zimbabwe it is the man on the street and the animals that will suffer the most.  Tourism provides jobs for the local people who are then in a position to feed and educate their children. The majority of your money is spent on staff salaries, fuel, maintenance, and camp supplies. About 10% goes on government fees but even this is for park fees which are used to pay salaries for maintaining the National Parks.   So in essence, very few tourist dollars are actually going to the Government Treasury.

Is it safe to go to Mana Pools and Hwange? Completely safe, we have never had any incidents of any kind in the camps we use in Zimbabwe.

Is there any danger from mugging or robbery either on transfers or in the National Parks? Zimbabwe has an amazing safety record despite its bad publicity and whilst there is always a chance of mugging/robbery in the towns and cities, as there is in any part of the world, the likelihood of that in Zimbabwe is way less than it is in some of its neighbouring countries. We have had no recorded mugging incidents on transfers in and out of the National Parks.

What is the road like between Victoria Falls & Hwange?
It is a perfectly good road tarred road – there are sometimes police check points en route but we have never had any negative incidents

How can I be sure that the money I pay on a Zimbabwe trip will get to the people who really need it?
Most of the cost of a Zimbabwe trip pays for staff salaries, supplies and maintaining wilderness areas for the future generations.  Many camps on the ground will also contribute to conservation and community projects such as HIV programmes, resource protection etc. etc. Employment is the best way to get money directly to those who need it.  

Is there a chance that as a British person I will be disliked by the Zimbabweans?
This is very unlikely. The overwhelming majority of Zimbabweans have just come out of a very tough 10 years and are in full support of tourism and the jobs it is capable of creating. Nobody dislikes tourism revenue