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Zimbabwe
covers an area of nearly 400 000 square kilometres, about three times the size
of England.
This land-locked country has a population in excess of nine million, made up
of many races, each of which has its own language, culture, custom and belief.
It is a country of great contrasts and diversity, and among the many attractions
are the variety of wildlife sanctuaries. Zimbabwe
has been tremendously concerned with the conservation of wildlife – more than
13% of the land has been allocated for National Parks. Harare,
the capital of Zimbabwe,
a convenient starting point for visiting the many tourist attractions of Zimbabwe, has a number of
interesting buildings. These include the Zimbabwe Parliament, the National
Art Gallery, the Queen
Victoria Museum and the National Archives.
On the outskirts of the city are the Ewanrigg Botanical
Gardens, 40 km away, and the balancing rocks 12 km to the east of Harare.
The Larvon Bird Gardens,
the Lion and Cheetah Park and the Robert McIlwaine Recreational
Park are situated on the western outskirts. Lake McIlwaine, 35
km out of town, is the city's main recreational area. A Game Reserve on the
southern shore contains zebra, giraffe, antelope and a variety of birdlife.
The Chinhoyi Caves, 120 km
from Harare on the main road to Lake
Kariba, were created many years ago when the level ground at the foot of
a long ridge of tree-covered hills collapsed into an enormous circular sink-hole.
The clarity of the water enables fish and rock-formations many metres beneath
the surface to be clearly seen.
Lake Kariba, a vast
wilderness area, previously inhabited by thousands of animals, is today an inland
sea covering nearly 6 000 square km. It was created by the building of Kariba
Dam for the production of hydro-electric power. Animals under threat from the
rising waters of the dam were not left to fend for themselves; “Operation Noah”
ensured that over 5 000 animals, including more than 44 black rhino, were rescued.
This vast stretch of water, studded with islands and surrounded by mountains
and forests, today supports a large animal population on its shoreline. The
Matusadona National Park on
the southern shore of Lake Kariba can be reached by boat
or light aircraft from the town of Kariba. The Sanyati River on the border of the park flows
through a gorge which is navigable for several kilometres inland. The annual
international tigerfishing tournament is held here. The village of Kariba has a number of hotels and
there are a variety of safari lodges on the shores of the lake. Over 40 houseboats,
each accommodating from four to 12 passengers, are available for charter.
The Mana Pools National Park, 400 km north of Harare,
a million hectares in extent, has a river frontage of 80 km stretching from
Ruckomechi Camp to Chikwenya Camp. The whole length of the Zambezi River stretching
over 300 km has in fact been set aside as a protected wilderness area. Over
many years the Zambezi River has slowly moved northwards towards Zambia, leaving
a series of old channels and river terraces on the Zimbabwe side of the river,
where there are now countless pools and small ponds. During September and October
– the dry season – this area has the highest concentration of wildlife in Zimbabwe. The large herds
of elephant, buffalo and a wide variety of buck inevitably attract the predators:
lions, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dog. The middle Zambezi Valley is also one of the last remaining strongholds of the black rhino.
The national park has two lodges and four camp-sites, while on either side of
the reserve are the two independent safari camps of Ruckomechi and Mana Pools.
These offer highly personalised safaris. The Zambezi with
its waterfalls, rapids and tranquil flowing waters is ideal for canoeing and
rafting. The quietness of the canoe enables visitors to view game at very close
range.
Plunging more than 100 m into a sheer-sided chasm, the Victoria Falls is the largest
and most spectacular waterfall in the world. Five separate falls make up this
incredible spectacle. The high spray clouds give rise to the local name – Mosioa-Tunya
– The Smoke that Thunders. The Falls, named after Queen Victoria, were discovered in 1855 by Dr David Livingstone,
the explorer and missionary. The Zambezi National Park north of the Falls is
known for its herds of sable antelope. There is a craft village in the town
itself. Other items of interest include the Big Tree, a giant Baobab 16 m in
circumference, 20 m high and over 1 000 years old. Activities include white-water-rafting
on the Zambezi River below the Falls, and kayaking above them. A bridge passing over
the falls links the two countries.
Hwange
National Park, Zimbabwe's
largest national park covering over 14 000 square km, lies between Victoria
Falls and Bulawayo. Known for its
large herds, it has more than 100 animal and 400 bird species. At times, herds
of over 100 elephants may be seen at the waterholes. Accommodation in the park
is available at three camps. A 500 km network of game-viewing roads covers
the area. There are game-viewing platforms at some of the waterholes. Species
likely to be seen are elephant, zebra, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, kudu, impala,
steenbok, wildebeest, lion, warthog, black-backed jackal, sable, hyena, bat-eared
fox, hippo, klipspringer, cheetah, reedbuck and roan. Outside the park are
a number of private lodges, offering very personalised attention.
Today the second largest city in Zimbabwe,
Bulawayo was originally the royal kraal
of the legendary Ndebele kings. The very wide streets were originally designed
to allow a full span of oxen to turn. The City Hall houses many items of historic
value. The National Museum in Centenary park has a mammal
collection of over 75 000 specimens; alongside is an open-air display of mining
antiques. The Railway Museum
has engines and rolling-stock exhibits. The Chipangali Wildlife Trust, 23 km
south of Bulawayo, is an orphanage for abandoned young wild
animals. The Tshabalala Wildlife Sanctuary near the Khami Ruins is 8 km from
the city. The Matopos, a gigantic wind-sculptured rock formation thought to
be over 3 000 million years old, are at the Rhodes Matopos National Park 30
km south of Bulawayo. Cecil John Rhodes,
after whom ‘Rhodesia' was named, was so
impressed with ‘the view of the world' from this area that he arranged to be
buried there. The Khami Ruins, on the banks of the Khami River 22 km west of
Bulawayo, are believed to have been constructed between 1450 and 1650.
The Dhlo Dhlo Ruins are on the road from Bulawayo
to Gweru. The Naletale Ruins north of Dhlo Dhlo are 50 m in diameter, and have
a stone wall decorated in contrasting colours.
The Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the largest and most intact of more
than 150 examples of walled remains in Zimbabwe, are to be found 28 km from Masvingo, Zimbabwe's
oldest town. By far the largest man-made structures in Africa south of the
Sahara, they are the remains of an African city thought
to have been inhabited by over 10 000 people between the 13th and 15th centuries
AD. Artefacts housed in the site museum include birds, pieces of worked gold,
bronze spears, Persian glass and Arab and Chinese porcelain. There are guides
to escort visitors around the ruins. Lake Kyle, the second largest expanse of water
in Zimbabwe, offers boating and fishing. Pony-riding
and game-viewing can be enjoyed in the surrounding National Park.
Extending for over 350 km from the north to the south on Zimbabwe's eastern border with Mozambique, the Eastern
Highlands are dominated by a series of scenic mountain ranges, Chimanimani,
Vumba and Nyanga. A drive through this area provides an enormous variety of
scenery. Vumba, meaning ‘mist', has a Botanical Garden where flowering plants
from all parts of the world flourish. From here there is an extensive view
of the Mozambique
plain 1 000 m below. The Bridal Veil Falls, the Eland Sanctuary and the Hot
Springs are in the Chimanimani area, where the nation's tallest indigenous trees
are to be found. Ancient ruins are scattered in the countryside in the Nyanga
area. Evidence of human activity from stone-age days can be seen at the Nyahokwe Field Museum. Highlights of the area include
Mt Nyanga – the country's highest mountain, Nyangombe Falls, the Pungwe
Falls and Gorge and Mtarazi
Falls, which are Zimbabwe's highest. Nyanga is known for its trout-fishing.
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