Travel Zimbabwe, Africa

The Khami Ruins just outside of the second largest city of Bulawayo, in UNESCO site preserved to hold the history for the Kingdom of Butua dating back to the early 1400’s. Butua was the main provider of Arabic Gold. The Khami Ruins has walking paths around several of the buildings and platforms for tourists to explore at their leisure. 

Lakes such as Lake Kariba are a short flight from Vic Falls or Zimbabwe’s capital of Harare. It is popular for visitors to spend time at a game camp lodge and take both four wheel drive safaris and boat safaris. The wildlife is prolific on land and the water. Traditional African Village visits are possible in these remote locations.  A snap shot of real rural life in Zimbabwe today.

Zimbabwe has many National Parks for visitors to enjoy game viewing at it’s very best.  Perhaps the most famous being Hwange National Park. Just a 3.5 hour drive from Victoria Falls, Hwange can make an excellent option  for coupling with a Victoria Falls visit. Hwange National Park is famous for it’s massive Elephant Population, but there is so much more than just elephants.

Victoria Falls has been the heart beat of Zimbabwe tourism for as long as tourists have been visiting Zimbabwe.  Even during the political unrest years, the town of Victoria Falls has been a major attraction for visitors from all over the world.  People have flocked from far and wide to view the spectacle that only millions of tonnes of rushing water can provide, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Visiting Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side is definitely the best viewing possibilities, not much different to visiting Niagra Falls from the Canadian Side over the USA side. 

Quite possibly one of the best kept secrets of Zimbabwe is the people.  Largely poverty stricken, the people of Zimbabwe are always ready to offer a lovely smile and welcome visitors to their beautiful country. A little on the shy side, however, they will always be happy to engage in conversation in a genuine fashion. 

Population of Zimbabwe is around 16 million for which they have 16 official languages.  English is one of these official languages and spoken widely across the country.  Being a tropical climate, Zimbabwe does have a rainy season which is the hottest time of the year, this is between late October and May. It is always best to travel to Zimbabwe outside this period, however, the hot and rainy season does not generally hamper travel plans for the Victoria Falls area, which is the most visited area by North Americans. 

Due to the hyperinflation between 1998 and 2008 the Zimbabwean Dollar has been discontinued indefinitely.  Zimbabwe now accepts other stable currencies such as the South African Rand, UK Pound, Euro and US$.