10 Great
Natural Attractions off the Usual Tourist Track
Want to go on holiday
somewhere quiet, away from the well-trodden tourist traps, but which still
offers a great African experience? In every African country you will find
several such places, allowing you to spend your entire holiday in one country,
but with a variety of scenery and activities. Zimbabwe is most widely
identified with Victoria Falls, but Lake Kariba and Hwange, Matusadona, Mana
Pools and Matobo Hills National Parks are also on many visitors’
itineraries. We decided to ignore all these places — and a few other
better-known attractions — to see what else the country has to offer. Here
are ten ideas for off-the-beaten-track places to visit on your next holiday to
Zimbabwe. Some are day-trips from a major town; others are more remote.
1. Save
Conservancy The Save and Chiredzi River
conservation areas comprise 340,000ha of lowveld scrubland adjoining the
Gonarezhou National Park in southeastern Zimbabwe. The conservancy was formed
in the early 1990s, when 23 cattle ranches were merged and restocked with
wildlife. It is now part of the largest game area in the world. This includes
Gonarezhou, Kruger Park in South Africa and the Banhine and Zinave National
Parks in Mozambique.
The Save Conservancy is rich in wildlife. It
carries a very wide range of antelope, many different predators and a variety
of bushveld birds. However the reserve is best known for its projects in
elephant translocation, black rhino breeding and the preservation of wild dogs
and other predators. A stringent wildlife management policy is maintained and
the conservancy works to enhance the standard of living of neighbouring
communities.
There are three upmarket lodges in the conservancy:
Makwekwete, in the Chiredzi river area; the Turgwe River Lodge on Humani ranch
in the Save sector; and Senuko Safari Lodge, run by renowned conservationist
Clive Stockil. All three are set amidst granite kopjes in classic lowveld
scenery — baobab-dotted savannah grasslands, mopane woodlands and ilala
palm scrub.
2.
Nyazengu Nature Reserve This unique, privately-owned nature reserve of some
1200ha, in the middle of Nyanga National Park, is a walker’s paradise.
There are stunning views. To the west you look over the Honde valley far into
Mozambique. The southern and eastern aspects encompass panoramic vistas of the
Matenderere and Pungwe river valleys, while the craggy face of Mount Nyangani,
the highest point in Zimbabwe, dominates the north. In the south the property
drops down into the Byazengu river gorge, only 1400ft above sea level.
Two-thirds of the property is open rolling grassland, cut by crystal clear
streams, with numerous cascades, waterfalls and pools for swimming. The
remainder is covered with natural montane rainforest.
The forests and
grasslands nurture all four species of tree fern, as well as a multitude of
smaller ferns, orchids, moss, bracken, wild flowers and heather. About 12km of
walking trails meander through this unspoiled environment, giving easy access
to the most interesting points of the property. The property is unfenced and
completely surrounded by the National Park. Thus it is possible to access
otherwise inaccessible areas that are remote and these can be enjoyed in
complete solitude, even on public holidays.
Game is not abundant, but
a variety of antelope graze the grasslands and caracal, serval and baboon can
be spotted. Leopard are resident but seldom seen. Birdlife includes rarities
such as Lanner and Peregrine falcons, Black eagle, Flufftail, Blue mantled
flycatcher, Blue swallow, Livingstone’s lourie, Rameron pigeon and the
Cinnamon dove. From October through to May fly-fishing is available in the
miles of wild streams. The rainbow trout are not large but are plentiful and
great eating fresh out of the river. Salmon trout can be bought smoked or fresh
from the trout hatchery. There are two fully-equipped self-catering serviced
cottages and two campsites are available.
3. Kazuma Pan This little known unfenced,
30,300ha reserve lies northwest of Hwange National Park on the Botswana border.
It’s not easy to get to, requires 4WD to negotiate the deep sand and only
has basic camping facilities. However it’s very remote and is an unusual
enclave of vast tracts of treeless savannah grassland surrounded by dense teak
forests and mopane woodlands. During the rains these are well watered by
streams and rock pools.
The heart of the park is a large
seasonally-flooded pan, typical of those in the Kalahari sands of Botswana.
This depression is home to Zimbabwe’s only gemsbok and oribi, as well as
such rare antelope species as roan, tsessebe and eland. Wild dog may be seen,
cheetah occur in relatively good numbers, lion are fairly common and buffalo
and elephant inhabit the pan area. About the only animals not found here are
hippo and black rhino.
When the pan is full, which happens
periodically (as it is right now), an extraordinary variety of waterbirds can
be seen. Montagu’s harriers are frequent visitors and the rare wattled
crane actually breeds in the area. One of the park’s great curiosities is
a small variety of fish — as yet unidentified — that hibernates
during the dry years and comes alive when the pans fill. Its ability to survive
long periods of drought is one of nature’s wonders.
Some tour
operators may be prepared to mount two- to four-day trips to Kazuma from
Victoria Falls. The upmarket Matetsi Game Reserve provides the nearest
accommodation. Nsiza and Katsetsheti campsites in Kazuma must be pre-booked
through the Department of National Parks. Kazuma Pan is only open between March
and December.
4.
Iwaba Wildlife Estate Iwaba is a private wildlife estate situated in the
Munyati Valley in the centre of Zimbabwe. It is one of a few places in Africa
where both black and white rhino can be seen. The white rhino have been in the
sanctuary for 27 years and the black rhino for 14 years. Both herds are
breeding. Providing the necessary security for these endangered animals has
required a non-stop personal commitment. The expenses of this self-sustaining
wildlife enterprise are recovered from paying visitors.
The 100km2
wilderness of heavily-wooded bushveld country, grassy valleys and granite
outcrops is also home to elephant, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, sable,
eland, kudu, wildebeest, klipspringer and crocodile. Over 300 bird species,
from ostriches to tiny tits, inhabit the bush. Waterfowls and waders are
attracted to the dams and rivers, where bream, barbel and bottlenose may be
caught.
Day and night game drives in Land Rovers, bush walks with
rangers and photography hides are offered. Single groups of between four and
eight people are accommodated in en suite, twin-bedded, thatched rondavels or
chalets. Meals are taken in a central dining area or round the campfire in the
evenings. A tented bush camp and self-catering facilities are also offered.
The estate is a three- to four-hour drive from Harare, all but the last
40km of which are on good tarmac. The location is crossed by deep tracks cut by
iron-rimmed wagon wheels travelling the old “Hunters Road” to
Mashonaland. These ruts are still visible over a century later.
5. Chizarira National
Park Chizarira is one of the least known, most isolated, undeveloped
and scenically spectacular National Parks anywhere. Its name is derived from
the Batonka word Chijalila, meaning “closed off” or
“barrier”. This aptly describes the craggy-edged mountains that form
the northwestern backbone of the park and guard the baobab-wooded Gwembe
Valley.
Topographically there are three distinct areas: the Zambezi
escarpment, the upland plateau and the Busi Valley. Near-sheer river gorges and
elephant paths down to the lake cut the escarpment some 600m above the Zambezi
Valley. South of here the plateau, dotted with msasa and mafuti (Prince of
Wales) trees is prime wildlife country. The emerald-coloured pools of Chimbovo
river gorge are an attractive feature. The Busi valley to the south is wild and
remote, whilst the Busi River area is reminiscent of Mana Pools terrain.
The Park has a large, mobile elephant population, big herds of buffalo,
and antelope ranging from the tiny grysbok up to eland. There are two exclusive
lodges just outside the park and four basic Department of National Parks’
bush camps within. This is THE park for walking safaris (see Ed. 2 p73).
6. Chimanimani National
Park Lying
at the southern end of the Eastern Highlands, this range of sandstone ridges,
with Mt Binga at 2440m the highest point, border Mozambique. The folded and
faulted slivery schist and quartz peaks overlook rivers, tree-lined lakes and a
profusion of waterfalls, including Bridal Veil (See Ed. 7 p12). Orchids and
hibiscus grow on tangled slopes above lowland forests. Below are savannah
plains carpeted with lobelia, heather, aloes and a variety of wild flowers.
Chirundu forest, Africa’s southernmost tropical rainforest, harbours
strelizias, wild orchids, tree ferns, cycads and rare trees, most famous of
which is the 1000-year-old, nearly 70m high and 16m around Big Tree — a
red Mahogany (Khaya Nyasica).
The area is a hiker’s paradise,
with two- to four-hour walks and one- to five-day trails over the storm-lashed
mountains being popular. These begin from Mutekeswane Base Camp, about 16km
from Chimanimani village. Eland Reserve and the park are home to several
species of retiring antelope (including the blue duiker), common but rarely
observed leopard, baboon and the Samango monkey. Lion and buffalo visit
occasionally and the unique and spectacular birdlife is captivating.
Chimanimani village is the service centre for the district. There is a tourist
office, a bank, grocery and curio shops, the faded colonial Chimanimani Arms
Hotel, two budget lodges and a camping/caravan site. The most popular budget
accommodation is the quirky Heaven Lodge. Three self-catering establishments
and the more upmarket Mawenje Mountain Lodge and Kaledo Lodge are near the
National Park. Mahobahoba Tours run transfers to Mutekeswane Base Camp, where
camping facilities are available.
7. Kame Ruins Kame was the capital of the Torwa
State that emerged as a strong power in southwestern Zimbabwe after the decline
of Great Zimbabwe in the 15th Century. In the late 17th Century the site was
burned and levelled by the Rozwi. In the 1830s Ndebele raiders displaced them
from Kame and many of the other sites they had established.
The Kame
complex comprises circular, sometimes terraced, artificial platforms encased by
dry stone walls. The beautifully decorated 6m-high by 68m-long retaining wall
of the precipice platform bears a checkerboard design along its entire length.
The platforms, rising 2–7m above the ground, carried dhaka (clay) huts and
courtyards where those of status lived. The remnants of cattle kraals and huts
for ordinary people can be seen below the Hill complex. Nearby is a Mujejeje
(ringing stone) and tsoro game boards (see Ed. 4, p48) carved into flat-topped
stones. A variety of artefacts discovered at Kame are to be seen in the museum
on site or in Bulawayo 22km to the east.
Although only a 20-minute
drive from Bulawayo, a good Kame experience can be achieved by staying at Khami
Game Lodge, a new four-roomed safari lodge on a private ranch just 5km from
Kame Ruins. Here they have recreated the royal residence of Kame’s Mambo
or Great Chieftain.
8. Chinhoyi Caves National Park The rolling plains about one
hour’s drive northwest of Harare along the road to Kariba give no
suggestion of the presence of this largely unexplored maze. Suddenly on
approach from the car park entrance there is a 50m sheer drop to the seemingly
bottomless Sleeping Pool.
Its vivid aquamarine contrasts starkly with
the creamy ochres of the surrounding limestone and dolomite. A steep flight of
steps takes you down to a viewing platform before the electrically-lit Dark
Cave. From here there is a stunning view of Chirodziva — “the fallen
pool”, so named because victims of rampaging Nguni invaders were tossed
into its waters. The startling view reveals an ever-changing mosaic of
breathtaking reflections that dance on the surface below overhanging
stalactites, whilst goldfish swirl below. Light penetrates deeply into the 91m
crystal clear pool that is believed to be part of a larger body of water. An
underwater passage leads from Bat Cave, a sub-chamber of Dark Cave, to another
cavity known as Blind Cave.
Chinhoyi Caves, named after a local chief
who used them as refuge from Ndebele raiders, are open from dawn to dusk. Above
them is a pleasant recreational park with camping and picnicking facilities
beneath msasa, mukwa and fig trees. There is a motel at the turn off and
another hotel in Chinhoyi 8km away.
9. Mavuradona Wilderness Area
This wilderness area, lying north of
Centenary on the Zambezi Escarpment, is relatively unknown. Characterised by
rugged mountainous hills and miombo woodland, the wild landscape was a main
theatre of conflict during the bush war. Declared a game reserve in 1988, its
protected status has lured wildlife back. Antelope include sable, eland, kudu,
waterbuck and impala. Elephant roam the area, baboon, warthog, zebra and
leopard are common and lion are occasionally seen. The 290 species of birds
include several types of eagles that inhabit the water-berry, mhobohobo, msasa
and other brachystegia trees.
The freedom to hike the park’s
designated 3-7km trails is a big drawcard. Carew Safaris run horseback trips
through remote acacia-dotted valleys (see Ed. 11, p32). The CAMPFIRE project
campsite is maintained by the local community. Lodges are under construction at
the main camp and a weekend at Murota Village can be booked through the
Zimbabwe Travel Bureau.
In the adjacent Tingwa state land is a grove
of Raffia palms. These plants have the longest leaves in the world and produce
exquisite waxy amber cones.
10. Sentinel Reserve
The 32,000ha Sentinel Reserve lies west of Beitbridge,
near the point where South Africa and Botswana meet with Zimbabwe. Once a
cattle ranch, it is now divided between a 12,000ha “ecotourism”
reserve that borders the Limpopo and a hunting area over the escarpment behind
it. The area teems with wildlife — antelope and the carnivores which prey
on them, zebra, warthog, ostrich, elephant and their tiny cousins the dassie or
rock hyrax (see Ed. 2, p84).
Fossil deposits are amongst the
world’s best. To date the remains of 28 dinosaurs, from huge vegetarians
to comparatively smaller carnivores, have been unearthed, some completely
intact. (see Ed. 2, pp76–78). The many bushman paintings include a unique
bottlenose fish rendered in a green, copper-based dye. An inclusive adventure
camp offers the opportunity to explore and experience this wild and remote
lowveld park.
