Clothing for birdwatching and safaris

During the winter months (May to October) early mornings and evenings are rather chilly but by midday sunny and warm. You will need something like a fleece jacket to keep warm. Bring clothing with natural fabrics as they work best in tropical climates. Sunscreen, mosquito repellent and a brimmed hat are essential all year round. For protection from mosquitoes, we recommend wearing long clothing. The colour of clothing also should be considered. Whereas dark and camouflage clothing is less disturbing to wildlife it has the disadvantage that it attracts mosquitoes slightly more (mosquitoes have learnt that they are less visible when sitting on dark colours). If you are on a boat during high water season (March to May) then a simple raincoat will protect you from lots of spray that comes from the Victoria Falls. 

Mosquito-borne diseases prevention

It is essential for all travellers to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls to take malarial prophylaxis. Please follow your medical professional’s advice before travelling. Please see the link to the World Health Organisation’s profile page for Zimbabwe: https://www.who.int/countries/zwe

Apart from maybe taking preventive drugs against malaria, you should use mosquito repellent. This helps to protect from various other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, African trypanosomiasis or chikungunya virus. The most used mosquito repellents contain DEET (minimum 20-30%, maximum 50%). Studies have shown that DEET is well tolerated by all groups of people (including infants (older than 2 months), children and pregnant women) when the product is applied according to the product instructions. Other recommended insect repellents include icaridin, eucalyptus citriodiol, and IR3535. Insect repellents vary in their effectiveness and duration of protection. Some products contain a combination of different repellents. Most travellers use a much smaller amount of mosquito repellent than is recommended for adequate protection, which decreases its effectiveness. Insect repellents must be applied regularly, especially after swimming or in hot, humid weather conditions where it is easy to sweat. If you use repellents during the day, you should apply sunscreen as early as 15 minutes before the insect repellent. It is recommended to use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) 30-50 to compensate for the reduction in SPF caused by DEET.

Medical insurace

We highly recommend purchasing full medical insurance that including evacuation for your travels through Zimbabwe.

Money in Zimbawe

Zimbabwe’s economic situation remains unpredictable. Following the collapse of the Zimbabwe Dollar, Zimbabwe currently uses the US Dollar as its currency. Cash is king in Zimbabwe. There is a shortage of physical cash so it is not always possible to make cash withdrawals using an international bank card. Additionally, some businesses, including some medical providers, may not accept payment by credit or debit card. Travellers’ cheques and credit/debit cards are not widely accepted and often incur hefty fees. Therefore, bring enough cash for your visit. You are well-advised to bring small denomination notes as small change is rarely available in Zimbabwe.

If attempting to use an international bank card for payment in supermarkets, shops and restaurants, ensure you state that you are using an international card to avoid overcharging on your account. You should check before making a transaction whether the price quoted is in Zimbabwean or US dollars as the symbol for both is $. It is recommended to check exchange rates prior to any transaction. You should check in advance what payment methods a restaurant, hotel or tour operator will accept. 

There are some Bureaux de Change which will accept and change foreign currency, particularly US dollars. The exchange rate is currently unpredictable.

It’s illegal to leave Zimbabwe with more than USD $2,000 (or equivalent) in cash, unless it is left over from funds which you have brought in yourself and declared on arrival. You should keep the proof of declaration to avoid problems with officials on exit. It’s illegal to exchange foreign currency anywhere other than at officially licensed dealers (e.g. banks or bureau de change).