Over the past ten years tourism to Zimbabwe
has been limited to the Victoria
Falls, which has had to market itself as
a tourism oasis within a desert. The
word Zimbabwe has been demonised
by the international media – mention
the name of the country in Europe and
images of farm invasions, hyperinfl ation,
cholera, and political violence
spring to mind. That such a beautiful
country’s reputation is so tarnished
makes the job for us Zimbabwe afi cionados
extremely diffi cult, even if we
know that the reality is a far cry from
the image presented in the media.
Ah, but green shoots are sprouting indeed.
Since the power-sharing deal with Morgan
Tsvangirai, and the discontinuation of the
Zimbabwe Dollar, a new wave of optimism is
sweeping the country: Zimbabwe is returning
to the international fold, Zimbabwe is
becoming a normal country again. In tourism
terms this is also showing: a new buzz has descended
on the Zimbabwean stand at international
tourism exhibitions; South Africans are
beginning to come across the border in numbers;
major wholesalers such as Thompsons
and Private Safaris have begun to promote
tours in the Zimbabwean hinterland to their
overseas clients.
Travel professionals who operated in the
1980s and early 1990s recall with great nostalgia
how tourism then fl ourished. Those of
us who joined the travel industry after 2000
can be forgiven for not appreciating how sophisticated
Zimbabwe – which means House
of Stone – actually is. The country has the
highest rate of literacy, the most educated
workforce and one of the most developed infrastructures
in the continent. In its heyday it
was sold primarily as a self-drive destination.
The roads were excellent, the scenery diverse,
and, and the major areas of interest are all
within three hours or so of each other.
In January 2010, I visited Zimbabwe to see for
myself if it would work as a self-drive destination
for the average European tourist today.
I could have fl own to Harare and hired a car
there, but I opted to drive from Johannesburg
and to cross the border at Beitbridge. For this
I needed special permission from Europcar,
who do not normally allow their cars into Zimbabwe,
because of the high costs of retrieval
in the event of breakdown (although please
contact me if you require special permission
for your clients). Europcar in South Africa
is not at present operationally connected to
the Europcar franchise in Zimbabwe. This will
surely change if things continue to look up.
The border experience was the most challenging
part of the trip, but not by any means
a necessity for tourists, who can pick up a car
at Harare. Beitbridge is not – and, I would
wager, never was – a pleasant place. It is lowlying,
hot, run down, and the only place in my
trip that I encountered beggars. The authorities
are not tourist-friendly, but nor are they
corrupt. Border facilitation touts will offer
their services for a fee, but the key is to be
prepared and know in advance the necessary
procedures, and then you won’t need them.
You must ask any offi cial for a gate pass which
has to be stamped by each relative authority
– the toll for the bridge across the Limpopo
river (R70); immigration (the visa costs $30
for most European nationals, $55 for British
passport holders); third party insurance for
the car (R200); a combined fee of so-called
road tax and carbon tax (R220 – depending
on the size of the car engine); and a stamp
for customs. Once the gate pass is fi lled in
with stamps you can proceed. African Sun’s
Holiday Inn Express Beitbridge can provide
a border support service for clients staying
that their hotel, and I would strongly advise
any tour operator to make use of this service.
The Holiday Inn Express at Beitbridge was
very welcome after the time spent at the border
(about two and a half hours). As with all
the hotels I experienced in Zimbabwe, the
staff are friendly and well-trained, and the
food delicious. Zimbabwe is fortunate to be
isolated from globalised farming methods,
meaning that the hotels source locally and
organically grown products. The vegetables
were consistently brimming with fl avour; and
Zimbabwean beef has long been regarded as
the best in the world, and I would not challenge
that statement.
The next day I drove on towards Masvingo,
about 300km to the north. The fi rst 150km
consisted of low-lying sparsely-populated
bush interspersed with other-worldly baobab
trees. Gradually the road rises with views of
dramatic escarpment and vast boulders scattered
on the veld, and with that the ubiquitous
beehive hut settlements pop up as the
climate becomes more hospitable. Masvingo,
formerly known as Fort Victoria, was my
fi rst impression of a Zimbabwean town. It is
bustling; the shops are full; petrol stations
abound, as they do throughout the country.
There was nothing to suggest I was in a pariah
state, no sinister police or army presence, no
undue attention from locals, no obvious sign
of poverty. I could have been in any Southern
African colonial town.
Masvingo lies 25 km from the original ‘House
of Stone’ after which the country is named.
Second the Egyptian pyramids the Great
Zimbabwe Ruins are the largest stone structure
on the African continent. They are the
remains of a city, which was the centre of
a mysterious civilisation that ruled Southern
Africa from approximately 1100-1500. The ruins
are utterly intriguing and entrancing. The
city was built with fi red stones laid on top of
each other with no mortar. Because no roof
was ever intended, there was no need to build
in straight lines, thus creating an edifi ce entirely
in harmony with nature. The ruins must
have been inhabited by an enlightened people:
no weapons were discovered except those
used for hunting. A society without the need
for violence to keep order suggests some sort
of matriarchal state. Indeed the most striking
ruin is the Great Enclosure, home to the Alpha
Queen, whose centre piece is a ten-metre
high solid conical tower, probably some sort
of celebration of female fertility. The greatest
clue to the society’s religion are the soapstone
birds – now in the museum – which were
originally discovered facing east in the ritual
chamber on the hill where the king dwelled.
These eerie, melancholy birds, which now
grace Zimbabwe’s coat of arms, are said to
be intermediaries between the heavens and
earth.
To visit the ruins takes at least half a day as
there is just so much to see and take in. I cannot
state enough how much of a thrill it is to
take in a site of such signifi cance and beauty
without the crowds, hamburger stalls, tacky
souvenirs which we are accustomed to when
we visit other extraordinary historical sites of
the world.
There are three luxury hotels in the vicinity of
the ruins. African Sun’s Great Zimbabwe Hotel
is the only place to stay within walking distance
(about 400m) from the ruins. The hotel
is architecturally inspired by the ruins themselves
and boasts pictures of its most famous
guests, including Her Royal Highness Queen
Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, and Nelson
Mandela.
The ruins, situated right in the centre of the
country, are a must-see for any itinerary to
Zimbabwe. But there are other attractions
in the area to make a 2-3 night stay here feasible. Lake Kyle, the second largest dam in
Zimbabwe after Kariba, is a few minutes’ drive
away: in high season scenic boat cruises,
and fi shing trips can be arranged (I sampled
the local bream in the hotel restaurant). The
Great Zimbabwe Hotel arranged a drive to
Lake Kyle Game Park, where we saw black and
white rhino, hippo and a healthy selection of
plain’s game. Another little known fact about
Zimbabwe is that as well as the more famous
game reserves such as Hwange and the Mana
Pools, there are many smaller game reserves
scattered across the country.
From Masvingo it was another 300km to the
capital on roads where I mainly drove at
120km/hour +. The roads began to deteriorate
within a 30km radius of Harare due to heavy
use, but there were signs of road works in process.
The police stopped me from time to time
at roadblocks, but each time with a smile and
a few friendly words I was sent on my way.
Harare – the One who Does not Sleep – is an
African city like any other with rich suburbs,
a frenetic downtown area, and poor townships.
I stayed at African Sun’s Crowne Plaza
Monomotapa – a stylish African hotel in the
centre of the city constructed in the shape
of an ox-bow lake. For most tourists Harare
is likely to be a one night stop to acclimatise
and refresh themselves after a long-haul
fl ight. But I would recommend to anyone that
they sample Harare’s nightlife. Where there
are oppressive regimes, there is a lively music
scene. Artists are the vanguard of the movement
for change.
I returned to South Africa via Matabeleland
– Bulawayo, the second city, and the Matopos.
The Matopos are a series of granite hills
interspersed with vast clusters of boulders
precariously positioned on top of each other.
This was for Cecil John Rhodesthe most special
spot in the world and he arranged to be
buried here. The Matopos are roughly half way
between Great Zimbabwe and Hwange Game
Reserve on the way to Victoria Falls, and
a natural stop off point for any tour. I stayed
at Camp Amalinda, an exquisitely appointed
upmarket lodge, the rooms being fashioned
out of the natural boulders.
So is Zimbabwe ready for tourists? Of course it
is. It is ready for tour series; it is ready for selfdrive
tourists. It is what the trendy travel professionals
call an ‘experiential’ destination
with edge, charm and colour. It is an exclusive
destination because there are so few tourists.
It is an exceptionally safe destination.
It has some of the best game experiences in
Africa in Hwange and Mana Pools, it has one
of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World in
the Victoria Falls, it has a fresh water sea in
Lake Kariba; it has mountains and fantastical
rock formations, it has in the Great Zimbabwe
Ruins one of the secrets of a lost civilisation.
It is Zimbabwe’s time again.
Article written by Paddington Tucker
