The Park's name means "sacred place of the elephants" or the “horn of the elephant” as local herbalists stored their dried plants inside tusks, gona in Shona. With a little over 5,000 square kilometres Gonarezhou is Zimbabwe's second largest National Park after Hwange and was proclaimed in 1967, largely as a result of the efforts of Allan Wright, once District Commissioner. Situated in the south-eastern corner of the country, the Park borders on Mozambique and South Africa and is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area that includes the Kruger National Park and Parque Nacional do Limpopo. Extensive poaching in Zimbabwe, plus lack of funding has meant that the reality has not yet matched the dream of a huge area in which there are no fences and the animals move freely between three countries, but the plan is in place for the future.

Three great rivers flow through Gonarezhou; The Save River forms the northern boundary of the Park with the Runde River intersecting the Save River just outside its boundary and in the south of the Park flows the Mwenezi River before it intersects the Limpopo River in Mozambique.        

The scenery is extremely varied ranging from broad sandy riverbeds; extensive systems of seasonally water-filled pans; rocky ridges; towering Baobab trees, the Chiviriga falls, Bengi spring,  each with its own distinctive "character"; and of course the famous Chilojo Cliffs; the magnificent red sandstone cliffs that have been formed through millennia of erosion and overlook the scenic Runde River valley.

The wildlife includes Lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah (including the rare king cheetah), buffalo, giraffe, zebra and many species of antelope, including the rare nyala and smaller suni and of course predators, including the very rare and endangered wild dogs. In addition, over 400 species of birds may be spotted in the Park. Unique species of aquatic wildlife such as the Zambezi shark, freshwater goby, black bream and the unique turquoise killifish can be seen within the Park's rivers and pools. Black rhinos were reintroduced in the late 1960’s with some success, but they have all since been poached. 

Gonarezhou experiences mild, dry winters and warm, wet summers when temperatures in excess of 40⁰ C can occasionally be expected. Mabalauta and Chipinda areas are open throughout the year. During the rainy season (November - April), access to certain parts of the Park is restricted and the visitor should consult with the Park's offices before undertaking game drives.

Bilharzia is endemic to all lowveld rivers and visitors should take appropriate precaution. In addition, malaria can be present within the region so visitors are advised to take prophylactics before, during and after their stay in the Park.

Chipinda Pools Facilities

The name Chipinda is derived from the Ndau dialect meaning "enter". There are camping facilities in this section, but no self-catering accommodation facilities. 

There are nine camp sites at the Chipinda Pools Camp, each with basic shelter, braai and ablution facilities.

Chinguli facilities

There are five camping sites in the Runde sub-region at Chinguli which also have similar facilities to those at Chipinda.

Camps with minimum facilities are located at Nyahungwe, Madumbini, Bopomela, Lisoda, Gota, Chitove, Chamaluvati and Chilojo. These exclusive sites may be booked by a single party of up to ten people, but there are no attendants available. Visitors need to bring their own water and dead wood in the vicinity may be collected for firewood. There are also several picnic and braai points in this section of the Park that include Massasanya and Machaniwa.

Malapati Game Reserve is on the extreme south-western edge of Gonarezhou and is part National Park, part Safari Area under the auspices of CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) where trophy hunting is permitted with the proceeds helping local communities. 

Local Lodge and Safari operators include:

Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge (www.chilogorge.com) is perched on a cliff-edge with fantastic views over the Save River and Gonarezhou National Park. Re-opened in 2012; the lodge is just outside the Park and Clive Stockil, an integral part of the original Chilo Gorge Lodge, remains a vital part of the operation. The main area is made from stone, timber and thatch with a bar, a small library, lounges and dining areas in a double-storey structure overlooking a large outdoor pool. Accommodation consists of 15 chalets across two different locations: ten king-size, or twin chalets decorated in the local Shangaan style are located at the main camp, each overlooking the river gorge with a private balcony and have en-suite showers and a toilet. In addition, four self-catering double chalets and a family chalet (sleeping up to six) are set in Nhambo self-catering Camp, a little way from the main area with its own plunge pool, barbecue area and kitchen, and is a good option for a family or group of friends looking for a more self-contained option.

Gonarezhou Bush Camp (www.gonarezhou-bushcamps.com) is a mobile tented camp, which can be set up at several locations within Gonarezhou National Park depending on the time of year and wildlife movements. Their aim is not to provide a luxury hotel in the bush, but a comfortable base from which to appreciate the wild character of Gonarezhou. The camp can sleep a maximum of ten guests, in five 3 x 3 metre canvas dome tents. Each tent has two comfortable beds, a bedside table and outside a little veranda with two chairs and a hand washbasin with a separate hot or cold shower and short-drop loo tent. LED lights are in the tents and at night hurricane lamps illuminate the pathways between the tents and the main mess area which is a large open sided tent where most meals are served unless we are having a bush-breakfast or picnic. In the early evening, after drinks and snacks have been enjoyed around the fire, dinner is taken by candlelight in the mess or out under the stars.