Zimbabwe - Top 10 activities

Throughout history, the local people of this area have described not just the visual appearance of their falls, but the whole experience of being in its proximity: it is called “The Smoke That Thunders”. Victoria Falls is a visceral, whole body experience that can be enhanced through taste and relaxation in the most colonial English tradition of afternoon tea.

From the shaded terrace of the Victoria Falls Hotel, looking across lush deep lawns towards the famous arching bridge with the thundering cloud of the falls beyond, you can indulge. There’ll be tiered plates of cakes and scones, along with tea served in silver pots and crisp white napkins. Linen suits aren’t required, except perhaps in your imagination.

Where there is water, there is life. As any safari expert will tell you, a water hole is a magnet in the landscape: the whole spectrum of life cannot help but be drawn to it, for water is the shared common need. But what happens if there is no reliable water? This is the situation that conservationists at Hwange National Park find themselves in during the parched dry season.

The solution for more than 75 years has been to pump water into 15 waterholes, but this requires rangers to maintain each pump by living in situ. You’ll be playing a vital role when you take part in a “pump run”, delivering much needed food, diesel fuel and company to these isolated individuals. They’ll tell you about their life and show you the wildlife visiting their secluded spot.

Lake Kariba is a place of monumental proportions: at more than 280km (170 miles) in length and as wide as 40km (25 miles) in places, it is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes. The beautiful sweep of the Kariba Dam holds back 185 cubic kilometres of water that not only generates much-needed electricity but has created a store of the most vital ingredient of life for ecosystems. From the luxurious setting of a house boat, you will gaze into the clear waters to discover forty species of fish, including the famous tiger fish, and train your binoculars on the abundant wildlife on the shores.

It’s an unforgettable moment to see a regal and bold fish eagle – the national bird of Zimbabwe – silhouetted against a blazing sunset.

A balanced life is not just one of tranquillity and calmness, but also of involvement, engagement and connection with a world beyond ourselves. These are the ingredients provided to you when you visit Singita Pamushana Lodge in Zimbabwe’s private Malilangwe reserve. This is a place of huge baobab trees and mopane forests through which lion, leopard and black rhino roam, but it’s not just a landscape for animals, for it's a harmoniously-peopled place thanks to the work of the Malilangwe Trust.

A community tour will provide you with insight into local Shangaan culture and you will see first-hand the thriving development programmes that spin out from Pamushana Lodge. Local community wisdom also informs the rituals and treatments of the Wellness programme at the lodge.

On the southern banks of the Zambezi River, Mana Pools is a biodiversity hotspot that will provide you with the complete package of African wildlife experiences, but it’s the population of the endangered African Wild Dog that we consider to be more than just special. Unique amongst the canine family for having only four toes per foot, these dogs are agile, rapid and clever hunters but also display individual quirks, sociability and distinct sense of fun.

Your expert guide will often recognise particular dogs by their individual markings, and they will introduce you to important behavioural and physical adaptations which contribute to their remarkable 80% success rate when hunting.