ZIMBABWE is unique. Where else in the world can a visitor gaze upon hundreds of species of tropical wildlife, thrill to the experience of white water rafting, scale chilly mountain peaks and savour the history of a people that goes back tens of thousands of years? Yet these pleasures are but a few of those waiting to be discovered by the traveller who plans to visit this gem in the heart of Africa.

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Zimbabwe is blessed with such spectacular variety and beauty that it could occupy the holidays of any visitor for a lifetime. To begin with, the Victoria Falls are legendary - a ferocious curtain of water seventeen hundred metres wide that plunges deep into the gorge of the Zambezi below. Downstream is Lake Kariba, a huge inland sea adorned with submarine forests, open skies and spectacular sunsets. To the east are the Highlands, fine walking and fishing country, so cool that at certain times of the year, the grass in the morning can be trimmed with frost. In the west is the other-worldly jumble of granite rocks that make up the Matopos National Park so bewitching to Cecil Rhodes that he arranged to be buried there after his death.
Sprinkled from one end of the country to the other is the wildlife, so staggering in its profusion that it makes any safari through the game parks a voyage of discovery. Then there are the ruins of past civilisations, massive stone constructions of a culture whose roots are lost in the distant past. On top of all this, Zimbabwe enjoys some of the cleanest and most spacious cities in the whole of Africa, offering hotels and restaurants of a truly international standard.
Yet, the country has not been spoiled by mass tourism. Zimbabwe remains a quiet and spacious haven for the discerning visitor who wants an experience of the best that Africa can offer.

The People
The predominant ethnic group in Zimbabwe is the Shona, a people whose history in the region goes back many hundreds of years. Skilled in the smelting of iron, gold and copper, theirs was an advanced civilisation long before the arrival of Europeans. The Shona have also lent their name to the school of sculpture which now has a world-wide reputation. In the southern and western districts, particularly the city of Bulawayo, are found the Ndebele, famous for their military skills in pre-colonial times, now thoroughly integrated into the social fabric of the modern republic. Of pivotal importance to the history of the country is of course the white community, no longer running affairs from a position of unassailable privilege, but still vital in all aspects of economic life as well as the sporting and cultural scene. The concept of a white African may be hard for outsiders to comprehend, but Zimbabwe is unquestionably 'home' for almost all of these people. There is also a much smaller but no less vigorous Asian community.
Despite Zimbabwe's vibrant cities, the countryside retains a deep hold or the nation's consciousness. Only one in four lives in a city, and very few of these forget their rural roots.
Despite the close relationship between town and country, a new generation of purely urban Zimbabweans is now emerging, their lives plugged into the rest of the world by satellites and an international press.
But out in the countryside, it is still possible to find thousands of villages which are little more than a cluster of grass-roofed huts, symbols of a close knit community life.

The Climate
Nature has given Zimbabwe one of the finest climates in the world, which is warm without being oppressive and with a daily average sunshine ranging from four to ten hours all year round. Generally, the days are bright and sunny, the nights clear and cool.

• November to April are the Summer months (rainy season) while Winter is from May to July and it is generally dry.
• The period August to October is very hot and dry. Both temperature and rainfall are directly influenced by altitude.

Entry Formalities
If you are not staying for longer than six months, you enter Zimbabwe with a minimum of formalities. All you need is a valid passport, a return ticket to your country (or enough money to buy one), and sufficient funds to cover your stay in Zimbabwe. Citizens of certain countries will require visas.

Customs Concession
Your personal possessions which are not intended for disposal or consumption in Zimbabwe are allowed duty-free entry. In addition, other consumable goods which are not merchandise imported for trade purposes may be imported up to a value of Z$ 1000.00 per person. Alcoholic beverages may be included within this allowance by persons over the age of 18 years, subject to a limit per person of 5 litres, of which not more than 2 litres may be spirits. Members of a family travelling together may aggregate their allowances.

Currency
You may bring in up to Z$ 500.00 and any amount of foreign currency in bank-notes, but the total amount must be declared to Customs at entry, otherwise only the equivalent of US$ 200.00 will be allowed to be re-exported at the end of your holiday. Zimbabwe's unit of currency is the dollar, worth 100 cents.

Health Requirements
Travellers arriving in Zimbabwe are not required to possess valid Vaccination Certificates against Cholera. A Yellow Fever Vaccination is only required for travellers coming from infected areas as designated by World Health Organisation as of 1993.
These are:

1. In Africa: Angola, Zambia, Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cote D'Ivore, Mali, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissaeu, Senegal and Gambia.
2. In South America: Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana.

While in Zimbabwe you are advised not to use water in the country's rivers and dams for swimming and drinking as it may be infected with bilharzia. Water in towns, hotels and swimming-pools is from purified central water supplies or boreholes and is therefore perfectly safe.
If you are intending to visit the lower-lying areas such as Victoria Falls, Hwange, Kariba, Gona-re-Zhou and the Zambezi Valley, it is advisable to take a course of anti-malaria tablets as a simple precaution. These are available at any pharmacy in Zimbabwe and should be taken just before, during and after a visit.
However, as health requirements differ from country to country, it is important that travellers, before entering Zimbabwe, check the health requirements of their own country and obtain vaccination certificates, if required for their return home.

Bank Hours
Banks in Zimbabwe are open for business during the following hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays – 08h00 to 15h00
Wednesdays & Saturdays - 08h00 to 11h30

Fire-Arms
If carried, they must be declared at customs.

Transportation
Taxis - No cruising vehicles, but there are ample available at taxi-ranks in the main centres or on call from hotels and restaurants.
Car Hire - Cars, with or without chauffeurs, can be hired in most tourist areas.
Buses - In towns and cities they are few and far between, chiefly transporting people to and from work.
Trains - Comfortable daily services link most centres.
Road Tours - A selection of road tours are operated at reasonable cost to Zimbabwe's main tourist attractions. In addition, sight-seeing and game-viewing tours are offered with couriers who are fluent in the main European languages.
Air Services - The country's national airline has a convenient and frequent schedule of flights between the main centres and the major tourist resorts. At Victoria Falls and Kariba, there are also light-aircraft services offering sight-seeing and game-viewing flights.
Boat Hire - At Kariba, boats are available for hire and lake cruises and charters are offered at reasonable cost.

The Weather
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. In winter the days are generally dry and sunny with temperatures averaging 15, - 20, C.
In summer temperatures average 25, - 30, C during the day, with the hottest month being October, when temperatures often exceed 32, C.

What to Pack
Light clothing is essential and it is advisable to wear a hat out of doors. Light to medium weight clothing is generally sufficient with a warm coat or woollens to wear outdoors on overcast or windy days. In the rainy season (November to March ), a cardigan may be needed in the evenings. Dress is casual during the day, but most hotels expect men to don collar, jacket and tie in cocktail bars and restaurants after 18.30, except in the warmer parts of the country.
N.B. - When you are packing, remember to bring ample stocks of photographic films if you are bringing your camera.

Electrical Appliances
In main centres and main tourist resorts, all run on 220/230 volts. Outlets are of the 3pin, 13 amp type.

Shopping in Zimbabwe
In general, shops are open from 08h00 until 17h00 and closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, but minor requirements are obtainable over longer hours at certain small shops and cafes. Selected pharmacies have day-and-night service in all the main centres. Sales tax is charged at 15c in the dollar on everything except certain basic commodities. It also applies to meals served in hotels and restaurants.

Airport Departure Tax
All visitors will be required to pay an equivalent. The revenue stamp can be bought at the Airport or any post office.

HARARE
The attractive modern capital city of Harare was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column of Cecil Rhodes. Since independence in 1980 Harare has continued to grow with wide variety of interesting architecture.
An altitude of 1500 metres results in a very pleasant climate. You can expect hot and dry weather in September and October, cool or cold and dry weather between May and August and warm and wet weather in November to April. Flowering trees with vivid colours line many streets at different time of the year. The Jacarandas in September and Flamboyant in October are particularly spectacular.
Harare has a wide variety of shopping centres and craft markets. Shona sculptures in for sales in the galleries all over the city. Agricultural processing engineering, chemicals and tobacco sales are most important industries.
Top visitor attractions include the National Gallery with its stunning collections of pan-African art and contemporary Shona stone sculptures, the National Botanic Gardens in the prosperous northern suburbs, and downtown Kopje on the way to the famous market at Mbare. Crowded with small shops, Kopje is a distinctly Africanised quarter, alive day-long with the thrilling sound of traditional music. It lies below a green hillock (kopje) with a panoramic viewpoint in gardens at the top.
Attractions like these, plus leisure facilities galore such as championship golf, horse racing, motor racing, sailing and water-skiing out at Lake Chivero - have put Harare on the international conference circuit and are a magnet for tourists.

BULAWAYO
Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city with an estimated population of 1 million. It lies at an altitude of 1350m. It was originally known as GuBulawayo, meaning the "place of slaughter" named by King Lobengula after the battles he fought to establish himself as king. Known for it's lovely wide streets and architecture, there are many places of historic interest to visit. 30kms south of Bulawayo are the spectacular Matobo Hills.
Sunny and spacious Bulawayo is a pleasure to visit at any season because of its excellent highveld climate. Broad avenues lined with an attractive mix of architecture, gracious parks and gardens in perpetual flower, give it special appeal. Once the seat of the Ndebele kings, the city is now a major industrial centre with museums, art galleries, theatres and a new university in the making.
Steam trains are alive and well in Bulawayo, hub of the national rail network. They operate throughout the country, alongside modem locomotives, and thunder down to Victoria Falls on romantic rail safaris. The Railway Museum has an outstanding collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock.
West of the city, an easy half-hour drive, lie the ruins of Khame, stronghold of the Torwa state that flourished in the sixteenth century. The eerie wind-sculptured landscape of balancing rocks in Matobo National park, 32 km south of Bulawayo, is equally accessible. Matobo means 'bald heads' in Ndebele. Cecil Rhodes and other leaders from the colonial period chose to be buried on top of one huge whaleback rock. Other domes form gigantic caves where San cave-dwellers, Zimbabwe's prehistoric people, have left exquisite rock paintings.

LAKE KARIBA
Kariba Dam was constructed between 1955 and 1959, forming what was for may years the largest man -made made lake in the world. It has become a famous resort for boating, fishing and game viewing. Many of the animals rescued during ‘Operation Noah’ were released in the Matusadona National Park. Herds of up to 1,000 buffalo and many other wild animals come to this shoreline in the dry weather. Game viewing can be done by boat, canoe, vehicle or foot. The birdlife, especially aquatic, is excellent. Altitude at harbours 490m; at heights 800m. It can get very hot and humid at Kariba.

VICTORIA FALLS
The Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, people come from all over the world to witness the sight of this curtain of water, 1.7 km wide, plunging into a chasm which is 108 metres at it's deepest point, creating a caldron of seemingly boiling water and a cloud of spray creating its own rainbows. This is a sight to be experienced to be truly appreciated. One of the best ways to see the Victoria Falls is on a Flight of Angels over the Falls and gorges.
The Falls are about 1000km from the source of the Zambezi River in western Zambia. Towards the end of a normal rainy season the flow of water over the Falls reaches 500 000 cu m per minute. During the dry season the flow can be very minimal. It is difficult to see the Falls during the peak flow as the heavy spray obscures the Falls themselves. The Rain Forest, despite its name, is not a genuine rain forest; it is really only an unusually dense riverine forest. The fern Cheilanthes farinosa, is found only in this forest and nowhere else in the world apart from two locations in Zambia. The rare Taita Falcon and Black Eagle reed in the gorges. There are many game viewing opportunities in the area as well as a wide variety of activities.

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
The Hwange National Park is the largest in Zimbabwe and the third largest in Africa, covering an area of 14 600sq km. Famous for it's elephant population, Hwange is the only national park in Zimbabwe that has gemsbok and brown hyena. It has the highest diversity of animals - approximately 105 species; over 460 bird species have been recorded, plus more plant species than any other national park in Zimbabwe.

E&OE

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