Chirinda Forest

Chirinda is a patch of Afromontane rainforest of around nine hundred hectares on Mount Selinda near Chipinge, generally described as the southernmost tropical rainforest on the African continent. Its best-known tree is a red mahogany known as the Big Tree, around sixty-five metres tall and estimated at over a thousand years old. The forest holds species and birds found nowhere else in Zimbabwe, and paths run through it from the road.

What you actually see

• The Big Tree - a red mahogany around sixty-five metres tall and very old.
• The rainforest - the southernmost tropical forest on the continent.
• The endemic species - plants and birds found nowhere else in the country.
• The forest paths - marked routes through the reserve from the road.

When to go

April to October is the dry season and best for the paths. The forest is wet and humid year round. Mornings are best for birds.

Honest expectations

The reserve is small and encroachment on its edges is a continuing problem. Paths are muddy and poorly marked. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Chipinge is north, and Chimanimani is northeast.