The Heart of Explore Zimbabwe
Where the Zambezi thunders into legend and elephants write their stories in the dust — we craft private, conservation-led journeys through Zimbabwe's most breathtaking wild places. Every route drawn by hand. Every moment shaped entirely around you.
Fourteen Destinations · One Country
Postcards From The Road
Zimbabwe, Frame By Frame
A glimpse of what waits — the light, the dust, the water, and the eyes watching from the treeline.
Savanna light, Hwange
Elephant country
The smoke that thunders
Eyes in the grass
Long shadows, Matobo
Signature Journeys
Trips Designed Around You
Three of our most requested itineraries — each one fully private, endlessly adaptable, and built with local partners who share the land with the wildlife.
Most Loved
01 / 03
4 Days · 3 Nights
Victoria Falls · Matabeleland North
The Smoke That Thunders
Stand at the lip of Mosi-oa-Tunya, then drift the Zambezi at golden hour while hippos surface beside your boat.
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Wildlife
02 / 03
5 Days · 4 Nights
Hwange National Park · Matabeleland North
Hwange Elephant Trail
Four days tracking the world's largest elephant population across 14,600 km² of teak forest and salt pan.
Discover this journey
UNESCO
03 / 03
5 Days · 4 Nights
Mana Pools · Mashonaland West
Mana Pools On Foot
Walking safaris only. No vehicles, no crowds — just you, a guide, and a floodplain full of wild things.
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98%
Return Guests
Why Tandara
See What Sets Us Apart
We Don't Sell Trips. We Build Memories.
Every itinerary is drawn from scratch around your pace, your interests and your people — never lifted from a brochure.
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Born-here Guides
Every guide is Zimbabwean, licensed, and has spent a lifetime reading this bush.
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Conservation-First
A fixed share of every booking funds anti-poaching and community ranger programmes.
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Truly Private
Your vehicle, your guide, your schedule. No strangers, no shared game drives, ever.
Ready When You Are
Let's Build Your Zimbabwe
Tell us who's travelling, how long you have, and what you dream about. We'll send back a route within 48 hours — no obligation, no pressure.
Home / About Us
Born Here. Built For You.
We see Zimbabwe clearly — and we show it to you the way it deserves to be seen.
ManyLocal Guides
Our Story
Talk To A Specialist
A Company Built On Local Knowledge
It began when two Zimbabwean guides — who had spent years working for international operators — saw a clear gap in the market: visitors were being flown in, driven past the real Zimbabwe, and flown out again, with little benefit reaching local communities or conservation efforts.
So they started Tandara to fill that gap. A company that answers to the land first, the community second, and the guest always. We're a team of local guides, operating across fourteen destinations, and still refusing to run a trip we wouldn't take our own families on.
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Zimbabwean Owned & Operated
Headquartered in Harare with field offices in Victoria Falls and Hwange.
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Community Partnership Model
We employ locally, buy locally, and share revenue with the communities we travel through.
Leadership
Meet The Person Behind The Vision
Mrs T. Mhende · Founder
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Founder
& Curator
& Curator
Founder
Mrs T. Mhende
Founder — Tandara Getaways & Beyond
Travel is the heartbeat of connection. At Tandara Getaways, we craft journeys that don't just show you Zimbabwe — they let you feel it. Every route is a promise that the land, the community and the guest all leave richer.
Founder's Note
What Drives Us
Vision, Mission & Purpose
Three statements we return to before every decision — from the lodges we choose to the guides we train.
Our Vision
To be the architects of transformative travel experiences that prioritise personalisation, sustainability and cultural immersion — building a world where travel deeply connects people and places.
Our Mission
To empower and ensure that travel is accessible and possible for everyone, everywhere. We craft journeys that respect local communities and protect the environments we travel through.
Business Overview
Tandara Getaways and Beyond is a premium travel and tourism company dedicated to designing personalised, inclusive and experience-driven journeys across Zimbabwe and beyond.
What We Stand For
Four Things We Never Compromise
Conservation First
2% of every booking goes directly to anti-poaching units and community ranger salaries. No exceptions, no marketing theatre.
Radical Honesty
If a destination isn't right for you, we'll say so. We'd rather lose a booking than send you somewhere you'll regret.
Deep Local Roots
Every guide we employ is Zimbabwean. Every lodge we use is one we've slept in. Every route is one we've driven ourselves.
Small By Design
We cap our departures. It keeps the experience intimate and keeps our impact on fragile ecosystems low.
Our Core Values
The Four Pillars Of Every Journey
Integrity. Inclusivity. Transparency. Personalisation. They sound simple — until you have to prove them, trip after trip.
Integrity
Ethical, honest practices in every quote, every route and every relationship.
Inclusivity
Travel that is accessible and possible for everyone, everywhere — no exceptions.
Transparency
Clear, open communication — itemised pricing, published impact, no hidden fees.
Personalisation
Tailored just for you — built from a blank page around your people and your pace.
Our Approach
From First Hello To Home Again
One continuous, tightly-held process — from the moment you reach out to the moment you land back home. You'll always know exactly where your journey stands.
01
You Reach Out
A message, a call, a WhatsApp. Tell us who's travelling, roughly when, and what you've been dreaming about.
02
We Listen & Map It
One conversation with a real Zimbabwean specialist. We ask the questions that actually shape a route.
03
We Design
Within 48 hours you receive a full route — lodges, activities, transfers and itemised pricing, drawn from scratch.
04
We Refine Together
Change anything, as many times as you like. Your trip designer works with you until it's exactly right.
05
You Confirm
A 25% deposit locks everything in. No hidden fees, no surprises — the quote you signed is the price you pay.
06
We Deliver On The Ground
Airport pickup, private vehicle, dedicated guide, 24/7 in-country support — from first sighting to final sundowner.
Average first response · under 24 hours
Come See What We See
Home / Why Us
Why Travellers Choose Us
Anyone can book you a lodge. Very few can give you the Zimbabwe that locals actually know — and almost none will tell you the truth about what you're buying.
Zero Copy-Paste Itineraries
Every single trip starts with a blank page and a conversation. You will never receive a template with your name pasted at the top.
Fully Licensed & Insured
Registered with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and fully insured. Every booking is backed by our transparent pricing promise and a dedicated 24/7 in-country support team.
Multiple Local Guides
Not contractors sourced on arrival. Our guides are employed, trained, and paid year-round — which is why they stay.
Transparent Pricing
One itemised quote. You see exactly what the lodge costs, what the guide costs, what the park fees are, and what our margin is.
Impact You Can Stand In
No glossy reports, no tick-box pledges. You'll meet the guides, trackers and camp families behind every route we run — the difference is something you witness with your own eyes, not something we publish.
24/7 In-Country Support
A real Zimbabwean phone number that a real human answers — at 3am if your flight is delayed into Victoria Falls.
Our Four Pillars
What Every Guest Actually Gets
Four promises we make in every booking — no fine print, no asterisks.
Personalised Journeys
Every itinerary is crafted from scratch based on your passions, pace and budget. We don't do one-size-fits-all — your trip is as unique as you are.
Local Connections
We collaborate with community guides, family-run lodges and artisans. You'll experience authentic Zimbabwe through the eyes of locals, not tourists.
End-to-End Support
From the moment you enquire until you're back home, a dedicated travel curator is with you 24/7. We handle every detail, so you just enjoy.
Travel That Gives Back
We keep groups small, stay longer in fewer places, and book with camps run by the people who actually live there. Your money moves through Zimbabwean hands — that's the whole idea.
Our Promise
Three Guarantees, In Writing
Not fine print. Not marketing. These are contractual terms in every Tandara booking.
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Your itinerary is yours alone
Private vehicle, private guide, your own pace — always. If we ever seat you beside travellers you didn't bring, we'll move you into a private vehicle before your next drive and put a round of sundowners on us.
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No hidden fees, ever
The quote you receive is the amount you pay. Park fees, transfers and levies are shown upfront.
3
Reschedule free within 30 days
Plans change. Move your dates up to 30 days before departure at no cost, once per booking.
4.9Guest Rating
Still Comparing? Good.
Ask us anything — including the hard questions. We'll answer them straight.
Home / Services
What We Do
Six core services, one philosophy: everything private, everything local, everything built around you.
Private Safaris & Game Drives
Dedicated vehicle, dedicated guide, unlimited flexibility. Hwange, Mana Pools, Gonarezhou and the Zambezi Valley.
Victoria Falls Experiences
White-water rafting, helicopter flights, bungee, sunset cruises and guided walks along the falls' full 1,708 metres.
Cultural & Heritage Journeys
Great Zimbabwe, Matobo rock art, Shona sculpture studios and village homestays led by community hosts.
Honeymoons & Romantic Escapes
Private bush dinners, star-bed sleepouts and riverside suites. Discreet, seamless and quietly spectacular.
Corporate & Incentive Travel
Team retreats, incentive trips and conference add-ons across Zimbabwe's premier lodges and reserves.
Tailor-Made Itineraries
Multi-country routes combining Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia — designed around your dates and budget.
More Ways We Help
From Flights To Fine Dining
Beyond safaris, we handle the quiet logistics that make a trip effortless. Tap any service to start a WhatsApp quote.
Packaged Tours
Curated routes, one price
Accommodation
Lodges, camps & hotels
Special Interest Tours
Birding, photography, geology
Group Tours
Families, friends, retreats
Transfers
Airport & inter-city
Shopping Access
Craft markets & galleries
Dining Guide
Local tables worth the detour
Souvenir Outlets
Authentic Zimbabwean craft
Day Trips
Single-day excursions
Museums & Gardens
Curated heritage visits
Guiding Services
Licensed expert guides
Independent Packages
Self-guided, fully booked
Travel Insurance
Cover for every journey
Flight Bookings
Domestic & regional flights
How It Works
From First Email To First Sighting
01 · Tell Us
Share your dates, budget, group and dreams. Fifteen minutes of your time is enough to start.
02 · We Design
Within 48 hours you receive a full route with accommodation, activities and itemised pricing.
03 · We Refine
Change anything, as many times as you like. Your trip designer works with you until it's exactly right.
04 · You Arrive
We meet you at the airport and handle everything from there. All you do is look out of the window.
Ready To Start Designing?
Home / Explore Zimbabwe
Fourteen Places That Will Change You
From the thunder of Mosi-oa-Tunya to the silence of the Matobo Hills — this is the Zimbabwe we know by heart.
Water & Falls
Matabeleland North
Victoria Falls
Mosi-oa-Tunya — "the smoke that thunders". The world's largest sheet of falling water, and the adventure capital of Africa.
Wildlife
Matabeleland North
Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe's largest reserve — 14,600 km², over 100 mammal species, and one of the greatest elephant concentrations on earth.
UNESCO
Mashonaland West
Mana Pools
A UNESCO World Heritage Site where walking safaris reign supreme. Four pools, endless floodplain, and lions that watch you back.
Culture
Masvingo Province
Great Zimbabwe
The stone city that named a nation. Eleven centuries old, built without mortar, and still standing in impossible silence.
Heritage
Matabeleland South
Matobo Hills
Granite kopjes, 13,000-year-old San rock art, and one of the last places on earth where you can track rhino on foot.
Highlands
Manicaland
Nyanga & Eastern Highlands
Cool mountain air, pine forests, trout streams and Zimbabwe's highest peak. A completely different country within the country.
Water
Mashonaland West
Lake Kariba
The world's largest man-made lake by volume. Houseboats, tiger fishing, drowned forests and sunsets that stop conversation.
Water
Mashonaland West
Chinhoyi Caves
The Sleeping Pool — a cobalt-blue cavern of near-perfect visibility, sacred to the Shona people for centuries.
Wilderness
Masvingo Province
Gonarezhou
"Place of Many Elephants." Zimbabwe's wildest, least-visited park — red cliffs, Chilojo, and almost no one else for miles.
History
Bulawayo Province
Khami Ruins
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital of the Torwa dynasty — terraced stone walls, decorated platforms and centuries of silence.
Capital
Harare Province
Harare
Zimbabwe's capital — tree-lined avenues, the National Gallery, Mbare Musika market, and a growing food and art scene worth a slow day.
Safari
Mashonaland West
Matusadona
Lake-side wilderness on Kariba's southern shore — big game, boat safaris and the remote Matusadona escarpment.
Wildlife
Midlands Province
Antelope Park
Walking with lions, elephant interactions and a working conservation programme — popular with families and young travellers.
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Destinations
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National Parks
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Bird Species
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UNESCO Sites
Not Sure Where To Start?
Tell us how long you have and what you love. We'll point you at the right corner of the country.
Home / Contact
Let's Start Something
Tell us what you're imagining. A real person — probably Rudo — will reply within one working day.
Head Office
14 Josiah Chinamano Avenue
Harare, Zimbabwe
Call Us
+263 78 497 1372
Mon – Sat · 7:00 – 19:00 CAT
Response Time
Enquiries received before 16:00 CAT are usually answered the same day. Complex bespoke itineraries take up to 48 hours to design properly — we'd rather be right than fast.
Chat now on WhatsApp
Find Us
Our Door, In The Heart Of Harare
Coffee's on us if you'd rather plan in person. Ring ahead and we'll have the maps out on the table.
17°49′S · 31°03′E · Harare
Head Office
14 Josiah Chinamano Avenue
Harare, Zimbabwe
Common Questions
Before You Ask
Is Zimbabwe safe for tourists?
Yes. Zimbabwe's tourist circuits — Victoria Falls, Hwange, Mana Pools, the Eastern Highlands and the heritage sites — are well-established, well-policed and host hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. As with any destination, we advise normal precautions in urban areas and always arrange private, vetted transfers. Our 24/7 local support line is with you the entire trip.
When is the best time to visit?
It depends what you want. May to August is peak safari season — dry, cool, and the best game viewing as animals concentrate around water. September to October is hot and dramatic, with superb predator sightings. November to April is the green season: lush landscapes, incredible birdlife, lower prices, and Victoria Falls at its most powerful.
Do I need a visa?
Most nationalities can obtain a Zimbabwe visa on arrival, and many — including citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan and most SADC countries — are visa-exempt for short stays. We provide a personalised entry-requirements brief with every booking, but always confirm with your nearest Zimbabwean embassy before travel.
What about health and vaccinations?
Yellow fever certificates are required if arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for the Zambezi Valley, Hwange and Gonarezhou, but generally not for Harare, Bulawayo or the Eastern Highlands. We recommend a travel-medicine consultation 4–6 weeks before departure.
Can you handle dietary requirements and accessibility needs?
Absolutely — this is core to who we are. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free and allergy-specific menus can be arranged at almost every lodge we use. We also arrange accessible itineraries and are committed to making travel possible for everyone, everywhere. Please tell us your requirements early so we can select appropriate accommodation and vehicles.
How much deposit do I pay?
A 25% deposit confirms your booking, with the balance due 45 days before departure. For peak-season luxury camps we may require earlier payment, which will always be stated clearly in your quote. We accept bank transfer, card and selected digital payment methods.
We're Already Looking Forward
To showing you the Zimbabwe we grew up in.