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ABOUT ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe is a beautiful country. And it's the only place where you can walk
with free roaming lions on a game reserve.
Over a million tourists a year visit Zimbabwe's renowned attractions,
like the majestic Victoria
Falls, which is probably Zimbabwe's most famous tourist spot. Then there are the medieval Zimbabwe Ruins, the Matapos National Park
with its incredible rock formations. But for the conservation-minded,
you cannot miss Hwange (Wankie) Game Reserve - it's awesome!
Bulawayo (the closest city to our projects) is the second biggest city in the
country. It has a typically friendly atmosphere with wide, tree-lined streets, pavement
cafes and a mixture of modern and old shops and buildings.
Extremely Close-Up and
Personal with Lions: Travellers offers the only project in the world (to our
knowledge) where you can take lion cubs for a walk through a Game Reserve - a
unique and unbelievable experience!
On
this page:
ABOUT ZIMBABWE:
Previously
known as Rhodesia, Zimbabwe lies between two great African rivers, the
mighty Zambezi River in the north, and the Limpopo River in the south.
Covering an area of about 375,830 square kilometres, it is best known by
tourists for the Victoria Falls, a great waterfall much larger than Niagara
Falls.
Zimbabwe as a tourist destination is once again
increasing in popularity with lots of overseas tourists as well as
thousands of African tourists flocking there each year. It's a very
popular stop-off point for 'overlanders' doing trips through Africa in
safari-type trucks. The capital, Harare, is modern, bright and bustling,
but my favourite city is Bulawayo, where the people are
particularly friendly and the atmosphere is typically laid-back African.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country at the base of the African continent. Its
neighbours are Mozambique (to the east), South Africa and Botswana (to the
south and west), and Zambia (to the north). Zimbabwe lies on a high
plateau, and its terrain consists primarily of grasslands bordered on the
east by mountains.
The mighty Zambezi River
forms the northeastern border and here is where
you'll find the incomparable spectacle of Victoria Falls and
the magnificent expanse of Lake Kariba. Both of
these are truly not to be missed - being out in the middle of the river
and watching a herd of elephants wallowing in the shallows along the banks
is one of life's great experiences.
The
Zambezi has become one of the world's best water adventure travel
destinations because of the outstanding
whitewater rafting in the Zambezi Gorges below the Falls,
as well as excellent canoeing and kayaking above them.
Zimbabwe's system of
National Parks and Reserves is extensive, well-organized, and notable for
the range of safari experiences and game viewing,
ranging from open vehicles, night game
drives; walking safaris and boat safaris in
motor launches, canoes,
kayaks, and even houseboats.
Climate:
As Zimbabwe is south of the equator, the seasons are the
reverse of those in the northern hemisphere with mid-summer at Christmas
and winter lasting from May to August. Average temperatures
in the area where Travellers projects are based are given below,
but please note that it is considerably warmer all year round in the
lower-lying areas such as Kariba, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Gonarezhou and
the Zambezi Valley.
In summer,
daytime temperatures average 25 - 30C during the day,
with October being the hottest month. Temperatures
in the lower-lying areas can be much hotter,
where temperatures can be well into the 30's. It is advisable to wear a
hat out of doors.
Winter days are generally
dry and sunny with daytime temperatures averaging 15 - 20C. Night-time
temperatures can be very cold and can sometimes drop below freezing in
the city of Gweru, as it is one of the coldest places in
Zimbabwe. The rainy season is from November to March.
To see what Support
& Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here. |
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Walking With Lions Project:
Extremely close
encounters with Lions on this Lion Breeding Project located in a
Beautiful Game Reserve. This is the only project in the world where you can take lions for a walk through a Game Reserve - a
unique and unbelievable experience!
The
Southern Africa Triangle: Combine
volunteering with organized travel for a unique 6 week experience!
Volunteer
Feedback:
Read what our volunteers have to say about their
Zimbabwe Programme
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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A BRIEF HISTORY |
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During
its heyday, the area known as Great Zimbabwe
was the capital of a Shona trading empire that
subsequently collapsed for reasons that remain unknown. By the
middle of the19th century, with European influence still slight, the
region's Shona states had been defeated by an invading Ndebele army from
the south. Ndebele power didn't last long, however.
In 1890, the fortune-hunting Cecil
Rhodes arrived at the head of a private army of settlers and commenced to
conquer what he thought might be a rich gold-producing region. By 1897 the
area had been completely subdued.
In 1923 Rhodesia became a self-governing
British colony, completely controlled by the white settlers. For much of
the last half-century Zimbabwe's history has been that of the long
struggle to end white rule. Finally, in 1979, a new constitution that
provided for democratic majority rule was established. |
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VICTORIA FALLS - WORLD FAMOUS
AND AWESOME! |
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To
begin with, the Victoria Falls are legendary - a ferocious curtain
of water 1,700 metres wide that plunges deep
into the gorge of the mighty
Zambezi River. Upstream from the
Falls the river is placid and
tranquil. Zambezi National Park preserves 56,000 acres along
the river and there are fishing camps along the
shore that take anglers
out on river to catch tiger fish. Wildlife can
be viewed in cruises along the river or on
explorations into the park's interior.
Downstream from the falls, the river offers spectacular whitewater
rafting. Adventures range from a day or two to a spectacular week of
rafting all the way to Lake Kariba. This huge inland sea
is adorned with submarine forests, open skies
and spectacular sunsets.
David Livingstone was the first European to visit the
Falls (this was in
1855) and he named them in honour
of his queen.
The exciting viewing of
Victoria Falls
"Thundering smoke"
- that's what the local people of Zimbabwe call Victoria Falls.
At the end of the rainy season, the immense amount of
water thundering over the edge of the Falls literally forms an enormous cloud of thin spraying mist. You're
absolutely drenched long before you reach the Falls themselves. The
sound of thundering water falling over the 2 km wide Falls is
overwhelming and can be heard from up to 25 miles away at times.
The walk to and from the Falls is an amazing
experience in itself. It is surrounded by jungle and you can spot wild
game such as waterbuck through the leaves. If you find a quiet spot to sit
and view the Falls and absorb the beautiful surroundings, you feel totally
at one with Nature - both dwarfed and overwhelmed and at the same time
powerfully inspired - it's a wonderful feeling!
The
walk along the Zambezi above the Falls is
excellent and is packed with wildlife. You may
see warthog, crocodile, hippo, and even elephant, buffalo and lion.
Activities around the Falls
There are all sorts of activities offered at Victoria Falls, including
bungee jumping, small plane flights over the Falls, and raft trips to the
Boiling Pot at the base of the Falls where the water cascades down into
the river. In addition, Victoria Falls is also the centre for some of the
best safari and adventure opportunities in Africa. Above the Falls,
outstanding canoe and kayaking safaris are available, offering one of the
most exciting and memorable ways to experience both the Zambezi and the
abundant game of Zambezi National Park.
Below the falls, the Zambezi becomes a whitewater rafting paradise. The
rafting trips that run through the river's gorges are internationally
known as the most exciting, and least dangerous, to be found anywhere.
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Lake
Kariba and the Kariba Dam
Further east, and further downstream from Victoria Falls, is located this
enormous (almost 2000 sq. mi./5200 sq. km) man-made lake. Formed in
1958 by the damming of the Zambezi at Kariba, the lake is now an
attraction in its own right. Its scattered islands, clear, deep waters,
and adjoining game reserve complement each other admirably. The reserve,
Matusadona National Park, was begun as a refuge for animals saved from the
rising waters of the lake itself. Today, its abundant game gathers along
the lake shore, particularly in the dry months, where it is easily viewed
from the water. Zimbabwe's fine small houseboat lodges are located here,
and the Lake also serves as the starting point for canoe safaris to Mana
Pools National Park.
Mana Pools National Park
The next major attraction along the shores of the Zambezi is Mana
Pools, a region in which the Zambezi slows and spreads out into a
multitude of small ponds and pools. During the dry season, the Mana Pools
attract a scarcely believable abundance of wildlife, including lion,
leopard, zebra, and hippo in addition to an unusually wide variety of
antelope species.
Canoe safaris to and through the Mana Pools during this time of year can
be absolutely stupendous experiences. Another attraction of this park is
that walking safaris are the only other means of touring allowed in
certain sections, ensuring not only quiet but also many fewer signs of
other visitors.
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The very impressive Kariba Dam.
Plane trips to view the Dam are very popular.
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BULAWAYO - "THE CITY
OF KINGS" |
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Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city
with over a million people. Located in the south-west,
Bulawayo is the hub of the province of
Matabeleland, which comprises the whole western
Zimbabwe from the South African border in the south to Victoria Falls in
the north.
The city has wide, tree-lined
streets and is surrounded by beautiful parks, a legacy of Cecil John
Rhodes. The exceptionally wide streets were designed to
allow a wagon and span of 16 oxen to do a U-turn in the road! They have
been laid out on a neat grid pattern, making exploration of the city very
easy - reminiscent of some cities in Australia and The United States.
Another feature of the city streets that makes Bulawayo
easily identifiable is the lovely lamp-posts There are also
many examples of early Victorian buildings which are maintained as
heritage sites. A lovely place to sit outside and watch
Bulawayo go by is the pavement cafe on Fife Street called Haefeli's -
great coffee, great cakes and pastries and a relaxed cosmopolitan
atmosphere!
Other places of interest include the country's
main museum, the natural history museum, a railway museum, the Bulawayo
Art gallery (which is housed in a most
attractive turn of the century building),
theatres, the Mzilikazi Arts
& Crafts Centre,
good hotels and one of the finest caravan and camping parks in Zimbabawe.
It is also home to the Chipangali
Wildlife Orphanage.
Since 1894
Bulawayo has grown to become the country's most attractive modern city.
But it retains
its historical characteristics, making
it a unique centre of African heritage
Consequently, the city, which is known as the
City of Kings, boasts a rich diverse cultural
background and it owes all this to the cross-section of ethnic groups
which have lived together peacefully for many years.
Bulawayo belongs to that short list of
cities that has a large city
infrastructure coupled with a small town atmosphere.
It has been likened to an oasis town on the edge of the Kalahari. Botswana
is just over the border. |
The wide, tree-lined
streets with their distinctive lamp posts are a feature of Bulawayo
Bulwayo, a mix of old and new that
lives happily side-by-side |
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GREAT ZIMBABWE (also known as the ZIMBABWE RUINS) |
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The entrance to Great Zimbabwe, seen
from the inside
The Hill Complex
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This
complex of ruins from which the country took its new
name of 'Zimbabwe', is one of the country's greatest historical and
cultural attractions. Great Zimbabwe
is the largest ruins in Africa and covers
almost 1,800 acres.
"Sited on an open wooded plain
surrounded by hills, the ruins comprise the vast Great Enclosure complex,
and on a nearby kopje the Hill Complex, a veritable castle of interlocking
walls and granite boulders, while all around in the valley lie a myriad
other walls. The ruins feature an array of chevron, herringbone and many
other intricate patterns in its walls ...
despite the dry-stone technique used in Great Zimbabwe's construction (no
mortar binds the stone blocks), the complex has endured for seven
centuries." [Zimbabwe, Globetrotters Travel
Guide,]
When the Ruins were
discovered by European explorers in 1870, they thought it was the site of
King Solomon's mines - the result was a frantic rush to search for gold
... with no success whatsoever!
To read more about
Great Zimbabwe,
click here
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Man and Nature - aloes among the
ruins
The Great Enclosure seen from the
Hill Complex
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THE MATOPOS
NATIONAL PARK |
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Less
than an hour's drive from
Bulawayo is the ancient Matopos
Hills, granite
outcrops in Matopos National Park. Cecil Rhodes was so bewitched by
the mysterious formations that he chose it as his burial place.
As you leave the city,
you begin to see outcrops of granite. These increase in number and size so
that by the time you enter the Park,
you're surrounded by a dramatic and enveloping scenery that is
unique and extraordinary.
There is a beautiful lake and many
camping areas with brick-built rooms and facilities - a lovely place to
spend a few days. |
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HOW SAFE
IS ZIMBABWE?
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Haefeli's Cafe in
Bulawayo
(they make extremely good coffee!)
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Travellers always keeps
up-to-date on the safety and stability of all our countries because many of them
are third world countries. We are in constant touch
with our staff and project leaders on the ground and with our volunteers in all
our countries, so we always know exactly what is going on. We are also
constantly kept informed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on the political
and safety situations in all the countries we work in. Please have a look at
http://www.fco.gov.uk
Safety on our Projects
Our Lion Breeding Project takes place
on a Game Reserve a few kilometres from Gweru and about 1.5 to 2
hours' drive outside Bulawayo.
It is
a huge complex with unbelievably good facilities and has historically been very
safe. The
Park/Game Reserve is completely fenced in, with a large number of staff, some of
whom live on-site and others who travel into work each day from Gweru and some
of the outlying villages. They have been working there for over 20 years and
have an average of 18 overland trucks visiting the Park every month. This means
about 250 - 300 foreign visitors, besides any other independent travellers.
The
Lion Breeding project in Victoria Falls is based in one of the tourist
capitals of the world and has historically been a safe destination.
Our
Hwange Project is based on the outskirts of the National Park and is in a
very isolated setting. A danger here is wild animals which frequent the area,
but with a 24 hour armed security, this keeps this threat at bay!
For
your peace of mind, though, we do take a couple of added precautions:
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As
we do on all our placements, we meet you at the Airport (in this case Bulawayo
or Victoria falls where applicable) and take you to the Project. We also take
you back to the airport at the end of your stay.
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As
we would prefer it if our volunteers didn't travel around Zimbabwe on their
own and unaccompanied, we have arranged for the Park to provide excursions to
different places such as Victoria Falls and Kariba Dam. These are optional
extras which will enable you to explore these sights in comfort and safety,
accompanied by an Park employee guide.
If you'd like to find out more about the country or the projects,
please telephone us on +44 (0)1903 502595 and speak to either Katie Day
or Liz Tratt - they'd be delighted to answer any questions you
may have. |
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