Travel in Zimbabwe

Use Oprah’s Favorite Things list as a cheat sheet so you can be done with your “nice list” holiday shopping in a flash. Items suggested by the beloved icon are sure to sell out, so be sure to buy goods before all that’s left to give is coal.

Indian hotel chain Sarovar Hotels and Resorts managing director Ajay Bakaya has a big hurdle to cross: maintaining the quality that his hotels have historically offered. Sarovar is one of the fastest-growing hotel chains in India. The company has opened seven hotels so far this year and is looking at opening another eight to 12.

The African elephant is perhaps the most enduring symbol of nature’s grace and fragility.

It’s inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of traveling the globe—to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech, or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage—it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office, but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.

On a wet January morning at Somalisa Camp, in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, a tall, rangy paramedic named Elvis Tavengwa is instructing about three dozen bush guides on the finer points of first aid. “Come on,” he shouts at them, so animated he's almost hovering above the floor. “Your guest is in cardiac arrest. What are you going to do?” The guides, dressed in every imaginable shade of khaki and olive, look at one another, uncertain. “He's dying!” Elvis screams. “Chest compressions! I need chest compressions!” Several guides lurch forward to demonstrate on a dummy.

The world is a big place, and there are oodles of countries to explore and wild experiences to relish. Many folks have saved up vacation days and squirreled away funds for a journey of a lifetime. The questions are: Where should you go and how should you start the planning process? The advantages of small group travel abound. You’ll meet new people from different places around the globe, logistics and safety protocols will be expertly considered, and a professional tour guide will lead the way so that all you have to do is show up and enjoy the ride.

For Andrea Kleinloog, an interiors whiz and the cofounder of Hesse Kleinloog Studio in South Africa, designing a sustainable hotel starts with the site. At the new Molori Mashuma in Zimbabwe, the walls are made with thatch and textile cladding; the decks are built of local wood; and the couch cushions are fashioned from waste fabric and embroidered as part of a community initiative in South Africa. Sustainability, Kleinloog says, requires a holistic approach that varies by location. “There is no blanket solution.”

If you have a particular outdoor or travel passion, be it hiking, biking, golf or skiing, there’s a Bucket List trip for you to experience this year. These are all topics I have specialized in for three decades, and I continuously try new outfitters and new destinations to find the best trips on earth, so I figured I’d kick off the New Year by sharing some of that expertise.

African countries are seeing a surge in international travel, fueled by luxury safari experiences with repeat visitors. Returning travelers remain excited by the continent’s iconic wildlife. However, they want to mix up their experiences beyond spotting game from the back of a Jeep.

A European country has taken over the top spot as the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index by VisaGuide.World. As of December, the Spanish passport has claimed first place from Singapore, a new study by the visa advice website has found.

Spain now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index.

In the chilly predawn hour of late July, the peak time for a winter safari in Botswana, I sink deeper into the seat of our electric Land Cruiser, bundled in layers of scarves, blankets, and jackets. We’re on the move. A predator, the elusive African leopard, was spotted near our lodge the night before. While tracking this large nocturnal cat will ultimately prove difficult, I have already witnessed a different rare sight on this trip: a crew of all-woman guides known as the Chobe Angels, the first in Africa and the only such team in Botswana, where women still represent less than 5% of all safari guides.

In this series, Lonely Planet’s team of writers and editors answer your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. When it came to a question about a 4WD self-drive safari in Africa, we knew Namibia-based guidebook writer Mary Fitzpatrick would have the answer.

Panama is the perfect vacation destination for adventure lovers, culture and history buffs, and, naturally, beach bums – its biodiversity, rich coastlines and unfathomable islands have to be seen to be believed.

Flights on the new route will commence from 04 April 2024.

There’s no shortage of towering waterfalls to visit across the globe, but when it comes to true splendor, it’s tough to beat Victoria Falls. Perched on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, this colossal water feature is considered one of the largest waterfalls on all the planet, with a width of roughly 1,708 meters—a quality that draws tourists in droves from all across the globe with each passing year. This world-class attraction has given rise to a wealth of high-end accommodations across the region, and for those seeking the perfect blend of outdoor adventure paired with lavish amenities, Mpala Jena is the perfect spot.

The hotel is IHG’s fifth Vignette Collection signing in the MEA region, adding to the company’s growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the region

Africa’s long-term travel prospects hinged on its domestic demand, a trend accelerated by the pandemic and an opportunity for the continent’s tourism-rich countries. 

Which natural wonders are most sought after by travelers? The experts at Titan Travel have noted the popularity of world-famous natural wonders on Instagram and TikTok, as well as Google search volumes and Tripadvisor, to reveal the world’s natural wonders perceived as most worthy of a visit.

I was in the back of a Pretoria junk shop, when I came across a zoetrope under a dusty canvas cover. A predecessor of film, the instrument consists of a metal cylinder that, when sent spinning, sets a series of images pasted in its interior in motion. Inside of that particular model was a sequence of identical chestnut horses, each in a slightly different running position. I turned the cylinder, put my eye to a slot, and the horse began its staccato canter.

Rivers have long been the lifeblood of civilizations’ past and present, and today, travelers can visit some of the bastions of history and local heritage on a river cruise with AmaWaterways. 

The Botswana Tourism Investment Summit aims to spotlight the country as an economic tiger in the making for its untapped tourism and investment opportunities.