The popular way up Kilimanjaro is the Marangu Route, on its eastern
flank. In recent years it has been dubbed the ‘Coke route’ owing to the
high volume of traffic, excessive litter, eroded path and the huts
which have developed into mini-villages. By comparison, the more
westerly Machame circuit is known as the ‘whisky route’, for it is much
less used, the path is narrow and in good condition, there is little
litter and you must sleep in a tent (the porters fill now the
ramshackle huts). It is also much longer than the Marangu Route but
people who know agree that Machame is much more beautiful. This section is eight and a half kilometres, gains 1 150 metres and
takes about five hours. The trek sets off from Machame Gate at about 1
900 metres (it’s reached from Keys hotel by bus, you’ll probably have
to walk when the bus starts to splutter up the steep inclines). Your
chief guide will have paperwork to do and business of organizing
porters with their loads which takes time. African time, sit back and
enjoy it. You’ll finally set off around midday, along a jeep track
which lead up into the Afro-montane forest. Supporting the 30 metre
high canopy are enormous giant camphor trees, yellow woods, beach and
wild figs. This western aspect is the wet side, and trees drip with
lichens and mosses while the ground is covered in a lush under-storey
dominated by ground and tree ferns. Consequently the path is also very
wet in places and no matter how hard you try not to, you will get your
feet wet and muddied. Although there is wildlife in the forest, it is
relentlessly hunted so you’re unlikely to see the elephants, buffalo,
giant forest hogs and antelope that inhabit it, but you might well see
Syke’s or Colobus monkeys. You’ll almost certainly hear the cackling of
Hartlaub’s turacos (similar to our louries), and braying of
silvercheeked hornbills. At around 2 450 metres the path is forced into
the narrowing gorge of the Kikafu Stream. Here it begins to ascend
steeply for the final three kilometres to the edge of the forest belt,
where you reach Machame Camp and the first close-up view of Kibo. Your
guides and porters will already be setting up camp, pitching tents,
heating washing water, cooking and even putting out camp chairs under
the mess awning. This is mountaineering the way the colonials did it,
and by the end of the trip you’ll be very glad it is. Eat well here,
for as you ascend you’re sure to lose your appetite. After the previous day’s shorts and T-shirt, you’ll want to set off
into the heathlands wearing something warmer. The day begins up a steep
slope, through a cordon of cedar trees heavily burnt in last year’s
rampant fire. As a result, for the next few years you should see a
profusion of redhot pokers (Kniphofia sp) and various flowering bulbs
(mainly irises and gladioluses) which are fire germinated/ This steep
section follows a spur for some three kilometres up Shira Cathedral (a
former crater). The heathlands here are closely related to our fynbos;
in fact fynbos evolved from these East African heathlands which skipped
down the various mountain chains and transformed along the way. In
places you will see ericas, proteas, helichrysums and other plants what
will be familiar to any South African mountain lover. What you will
also see, and what the fynbos lacks, is gigantic forms of some of these
plants, particularly the lobelias and senecios (which South Africans
know as knee-high flowers), reaching up to five metres high. It is six
and a half kilometres to Shira Camp, at 3 840 metres, and the second
half is far easier going than the first. You may experience mist, rain
and even sleet on the way, so be prepared. This camp site is your first
really cold place, and in the morning the tents and ground will have a
thin layer of ice. If you start taking Diamox now, remember it’s a
diuretic and you have to keep up your liquid intake (and get up in the
night for relief). You’ll start to experience breathlessness, but your
appetite should be holding. Some groups elect to spend an extra day acclimatizing at Shira camp,
especially those diverting up the daring Arrow Glacier summit route. We
had hoped to give it a try, but the very steep final section was
heavily iced and snowed under, so we continued on the longer Machame
Route. The walk to Barranco Camp is a long one, about 12 kilometres on
the map, but that belies its real nature. At first you ascend gently
for about 1 000 metres to the based of Lava Tower, then you lose all
that hard-gained ground by dropping 900 metres to the dramatic camp
site, located at the base of Barranco Wall. The camp site is on an
exposed spur, so be very careful where you wonder for a midnight
ablution. Here the nights are very cold and you may well start
experiencing headaches and breathing problems. If so, dip into your
medicine bag or consult your guide. This was by far my favourite: you look up at the Barranco Wall,
black in shadow against the rising sun, and wonder how on earth you’re
going to get up the 400 metre rock face. Once you cross the roaring
Umbwe Stream you’ll pick up the far-off lilt of voices, somewhere above
you. Some of the porters will have set off earlier and you’ll see their
tiny forms moving back and forth across the crag. Amazingly, apart from
a few simple scrambles, the path is pretty straight forward - just take
it slowly. Once at the top you’ll find yourself in real moon country,
for here there is very little vegetation other than occasional tussocks
of grass among the volcanic ash or brave everlastings hiding against
the rocks. The air here is noticeably thin and you’ll be huffing and
puffing while learning the rhythm of the dance you will come to know
well over the next 18 hours - the Kili shuffle. For five kilometres the
path rises and falls three times to negotiate ridges and valleys as you
skirt the southern flank of Kibo. Where you meet the Mweka Route path
you turn sharp left, up the Mweka sput towards Barafu Camp. The ridge
is exposed and, when you reach camp at 4 800 metres in the late
afternoon, you will understand how it got its Swahili name, meaning
‘ice’. When dinner is served you will find it stodgy and unappetising:
you will be cold and nauseous; you will have a sore head and you will
be tense with anxiety about getting any sleep, and about the midnight
call. This will be the night of facing your misgivings and gathering
your inner strength. Just remember to drink as much liquid as you can,
and carry at least two litres The way is long and getting Your body will feel extremely tired but your mind will be soaring.
Still, you have another six and a half steep kilometres to descend
through dense forest to the park gate, and then another two to where
your bus will be waiting. Luckily you will find small refreshment
stalls along the way where you can procure the required celebratory
Kilimanjaro beers. Back at Keys Hotel the real celebration begin but
remember you have to drag your body, mind and soul out of bed early the
next morning to catch the flight home. The single most important element of any safari is the guide. The best safari guides do far more than simply spot and identify game. They lead you on a fascinating journey of discovery, using their skills and experience to help you see all that is around you and assist you to understand the complex web of inter-relationships that exist within the natural world. For a true guide there is never nothing to see. There may well not be any big game in view but there will always be birds, insects, flora and animal tracks to look at, discuss and interpret. This knowledge is given enthusiastically, put over in simple but graphic layman’s terms, as they share their passion for the bush. Guides don’t come better than Abercrombie & Kent’s Director of Operations in Botswana, Gavin Ford. With eighteen years experience as a qualified guide and an Honours Degree in Biological Science, he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the bush and all that can be found in it. Walking with Gavin you may find yourself quietly observing a pride of lion on their kill, peering down a lion spider’s burrow or listening as he describes the symbiotic relationship between wasps and the fruit of the sycamore fig. At the other end of the spectrum, driver guides catering for the mass tourism market may be able to drive you around areas that they are familiar with and identify the major species of game but in many instances they can do little more. Language is often a problem and many still sadly rely on their radio or spying other vehicles who have stopped to find game. The worst instances of jeep jockeying, where animals are surrounded by over-zealous vehicles who move in far too close and disturb or even frighten the animal, are what has earned safaris a bad name in certain areas. There are very different standards and criteria from country to country for the licensing of guides, if indeed they do have a formal licensing procedure at all. Zimbabwe is credited with the highest standards. Only fully licensed guides may lead parties walking in the bush. Aspirant guides must sit a written learners exam which has papers on Natural History, Ballistics, Law covering the Safari Industry and General Knowledge. If they pass this exam they must then undergo an apprenticeship to a licensed hunter or guide for a minimum of 2 years during which time they are expected to shoot big game including elephant and buffalo and conduct many walks and game drives under supervision. Only then can they apply to take the written and practical examination for their full licence. This rigorous test includes a week spent in the field during which their field-craft, camp-craft, catering, personal turnout, tracking, hunting, defensive shooting and range skills will all be tested. There is a similar but less rigorous test for canoe guides on the Zambesi who must have a minimum of 250 river hours in their log book before they can apply. Elsewhere the standards are regrettably and evidently less exacting. South Africa has formal guiding courses and sets a high priority on guiding ability. Many lodges run their own training programmes for their guides. Botswana’s current licensing system allows some extremely mediocre guides to operate at the lower echelons. Kenya has responded to the poor reputation of its driver guides and is instituting a licensing system but this is currently based on written exams and leaves room for considerable improvement. The top guides command premium rates. US$500 per client per day would not be unusual on a fully catered private mobile safari. Although this may seem steep, you are benefiting from a lifetime of experience. John Stevens, for example, spent 16 years in the service of the Zimbabwe National Parks ending up as Warden of Mana Pools and then Warden of Matusadona National Park, followed by 2 years as a professional hunter, before spending the last 15 years as a safari guide back in Mana and Matusadona where he specialises in walking in wilderness areas and tracking rhino on foot. You have only to go with a less capable guide to realise just what a difference that kind of experience makes to your safari. Different guides have their individual styles which will suit some clients better than others. Reputation is the best indication and specialist Safari Travel Operators such as Tim Best Travel will be able to recommend the best guides for a particular area taking into account your interests and budget. The landlocked Kingdom of Swaziland is surrounded on the north and south by provinces of South Africa, and on the east is bordered by Mozambique. The Kingdom provides eco travellers the ideal gateway between South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal Province and the Kruger National Park, as well as Johannesburg and Maputo - no better route is available with added advantage of discovering a whole new country filled with bygone African traditions and culture. With an area of just over 17,000 square kilometres, Swaziland is the smallest country in the southern hemisphere (comparable to the size of Wales in the United Kingdom, and the stae of New Jersey in America). Swaziland covers an area of approximately 193 kilometres from north to south, and 145 kilometres from east to west. Small as it may be, Swaziland is an exciting tourist destination with its many art and craft outlets and traditional markets and wildlife reserves. At the Mlilwane Game Reserve, tame birds and animals are free to come and go and wander through the camp grounds. Mkhaya Game Reserve offers visitors the opportunity of game viewing by open Landrover with guides. A major attraction for the visit to Swaziland is the casinos. These are located at the Royal Swazi Sun Hotel complex, in the heart of the Ezulwini Valley, between Mbabane and Manzini, at the Nhlangano Sun in the South, and at the Protea Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino in the North. Swaziland offers many scenic drives. North of Mbabane, the road to Luve is known as Pine Valley with a series of waterfalls on the Black Umbeluzi River and the granite heights of "Bald Rock". The drive to Piggs Peak, in the north is one of the most scenic in the country. The Malolotja Nature Reserve lies to the west of the road and here, after a stiff walk, you can view the Malolotja Falls, the highest in Swaziland. Swaziland also hosts a large number of internationally renowned private safari game, hotels and a number of thermal springs where visitors can relax and unwind, Fore example: the Spa at the Royal Swazi Sun. Swaziland also has many private country lodges with accommodation of an excellent standard which are more affordable if you are on a tight budget. National parks offer self-catering accommodation as well as camping. Some towns have smaller hotels, but are not always of good standard. Accommodation should be booked in advance. Outside the national parks, there are not many campsites. RAIL & BUS
DAY ONE:
DAY TWO:
DAY THREE:
DAY FOUR:
DAY FIVE:
longer.
The road goes uphill all the way
and even further.
I wish you luck, You’ll need it.
The way is dark and getting
darker.
The (peak) is high and even
higher.
I wish you luck.
There is none.
DAY SIX:
Safari Guides
The best safari guides do far more than simply spot and identify game…
A train service runs from Durban, through Swaziland, to Maputo in Mozambique. The more luxurious Royal Swazi Express operates a four-day rail tour from Johannesburg five times a year. Bookings should be made well in advance. There are good bus services including express coaches that connect the Swaziland's major towns. Minibus taxis operate more often, and generally cover shorter distances.
Swaziland's national airline and airlines from neighbouring countries fly in to the international airport Matsapha (MTS), north of Manzini. There are a total of 18 runways in Swaziland, but only the international airport has a paved runway.
ROADS
There are over 4,000 km of roads in Swaziland. The main roads are all tarred, and all other major roads are well-maintained gravel roads. Vehicles drive on the left. The speed limit in Swaziland's urban areas is 60 km/h and on the open road is 80 km/h. Car hire is available in Mbabane. Swaziland has a high road accident rate so be very aware of erratic drivers and animals on the road. Most feul stations are open 24 hours.
MAJOR NATIONAL PARKS/ GAME RESERVES/ AREAS OF INTEREST
HLANE ROYAL NATIONAL PARK
Covering some 30 000 ha in northeastern Swaziland on the western border of the Lebombo Mountains, Hlane National Park is the largest conservation area in the kingdom. It also flanks the site of the annual Butimba - a week long royal hunt led by the monarch, after which slaughtered game is presented to him. 'Hlane' means wilderness and that's what it is, a vast expanse of acacia and broadleaf savannah plains, peppered with bushveld of knobthorn, stunted thickets and dry riverine forests. Looking down on the wilderness today from the peaks of Lebombo Mountains in the east, the landscape stretches out in a tapestry of undulating greens and yellows, intersected by the Black Mbuluzi and Mbuluzana rivers. It is difficult to imagine that amid the pristine beauty and seemingly timeless tranquility of this lowland animals died in their thousands in poachers' snares; or that game rangers risked their lives trying to prevent the wholesale destruction of game. Between 1950 and 1960, during the laying of the railroad to Maputo, poaching started in earnest and Hlane's once teeming herds were either drastically reduced or eliminated altogether. Sensing total destruction, the owner of Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary, prevailed on King Sobhuza to intervene and was appointed official custodian of the park before it was proclaimed in 1967 - a position he holds to this day.
MALOLOTJA NATURE RESERVE
Hikers who have ventured deep into the heart of Malolotja Nature Reserve get starry-eyed and breathless when they try to describe its hidden treasures. For this pristine mountain wilderness is ranked amoung the most scenically beautiful places of Southern Africa. Here soaring peaks surge skywards above a cloak of undulating, flower-covered mountains whose folds conceal kloofs, ravines and gorges fringed with rich, riverine forests. The valleys and gorges were eroded in the dawn of time by scores of rivers and their tributaries racing down the enigmatic mountains of Malolotja. In their rampant journey to the low ground such rivers as the Malolotja, Nkomati and Yingayingeeni have laced this mountain wilderness with ribbons of white water cascading down 27 different waterfalls. For visitors to Malolotja the waterfalls and their magical pools, surrounded in some places by amphitheatres of rock, tree ferns and secret forest glades, represent the very tabernacles of contentment - the closest man can come to true tranquility in the wild.
Malolotja Nature Reserve itself is relatively close to civilisation, just 15 km from Oshoek-Ngwenya border post between Swaziland and South Africa, and 35 km north of Mbabane, and the country's capital. It covers 18 000 ha of Afro-montane forest, riverine scrub, bushveld short grassveld. The highveld terrain ascends two of Swaziland's highest places: Ngwenya Peak (1 829 m) in the south, and Silotfwane Peak (1 680 m) in the west.
Sometimes shrouded in morning mists, at other times sweltering in the summer sun, this landscape is garlanded by a profusion of wildflowers and plants throughout the year. No less than 1 000 plant species - cycad (including the woolly cycad and Kaapsehoop cycad), aloe, protea, red-hot poker, orchid, amarylid, disa and Barberton diasy. They bring extravagant colour combinations to the mountain slopes and grasslands, which lie between 615 m and 800 m above sea level. The reserve was named after Swaziland's highest waterfall, the Malolotja Falls, which plummet 90 m into the Nkomati River gorge.
MKHAYA GAME RESERVE
Bone-jarring thuds reverberate through your body as the open Land Rover bumps through the bush of Mkhaya Game Reserve. You hang on grimly and duck as the branches of acacia trees and sickle-bushes swing towards you with their needle-sharp spikes seeking soft skin. The vehicle dips down into a donga, hurtles up the other side, surmounts the crest and brings you face-to-face with two tons of raw menace. The black rhino right I front of you snorts, shakes its head and veers off at a canter into the undergrowth.
This is the heart of Mkhaya Game Reserve, an unforgettable bushveld paradise in eastern Swaziland, where you can get close to the large mammals that you can literally touch them. More importantly, however, Mkhaya is one of Africa's great refuges for endangered species, a sanctuary where you are more likely to see black rhino than anywhere else in the world.
The reserve is the brainchild of world-renowned conservationist Ted Reilly, who started it in 1979 as a sanctuary for purebred Nguni cattle, threatened with extinction because of crossbreeding. The programme was so successful that Reilly, backed by the Swaziland Monarchy,The South African World Wildlife Foundation and other foreign bodies, decided to develop Mkhaya into a fully-fledged game sanctuary.
THE TEA ROAD
The Tea Road winds its way to the top of the Mdzimba Mountains, burial place of the Kings, from where you will see, hundreds of metres below, the magnificent panorama of the Ezulwini Valley spread out beneath the twin peaks of Sheba's Breasts, referred to in Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines.
MANTENGA NATURE RESERVE AND SWAZI CULTURAL VILLAGE
This is a small and protected area of natural bush vegetation in a secluded corner of the Ezulwini Valley. It is thickly forested with indigenous varieties such as the Waterberry and Kiaat. The Swazi Cultural Village nestles next to the little Usutu River in a clearing below the Mantenga Falls. Authentic Swazi beehive huts have been constructed as they would have been 150 years ago - where visitors can experience true Swazi culture. Traditional Swazi dances are performed twice a day.
BEST TIME TO GO
As in most Southern African reserves, the best game-viewing months are in winter (May-August), when the vegetation is less dense, and animals are more easily spotted. Birdwatching, however, is best in summer (November-April) when the migratory species are home.
BORDER POSTS
Lavumisa Border PostMahamba Border Post
Gege Border Post
Sicunusa Border Post
Sandlane/Nerston Border Post
Oshoek/Ngwenya Border Post
Bulembu Border Post
Matsamo Border Post
Mananga Border Post
Lomahasha Border Post
BANKS
There are four commercial banks operating in the country: First National Bank of Swaziland, Nedbank Swaziland, SwaziBank and Standard Bank Swaziland. In addition to the commercial banks there is one development bank, the Swaziland Development and Savings Bank. The Central Bank of Swaziland establishes and implements monetary policy in Swaziland. Banking hours are normally from 08H30 to 14H30 Monday to Friday but on Wednesdays until 13H00 and 08H30 to 11H00 on Saturdays.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Malaria is a risk in the Lowveld areas. Avoid swimming in still or slow-moving dams and rivers as bilharzia is also a risk, as are crocodiles. Yellow fever and cholera certificates are only required if you have come from an area where those diseases are endemic, but yellow fever inoculation is advisable anyway.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Medical services are available and doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health services. There are six main hospitals, including ones at Mbabane and Piggs Peak.
CURRENCY
The unit of currency is the Lilangeni, plural Emalangeni, divided into 100 cents. (E1 = 100 cents). It is par with the South African Rand and Rands are freely accepted everywhere. It is however wise to change Swazi currency back into Rands before leaving.
LANGUAGE
S Siswati and English are the official languages although English is used extensively in government and business. Siswati is used every day by the majority of the population.
CULTURE AND RELIGION
The majority (80 percent) of the people are Christian and the rest (20 percent) have indigenous beliefs.
You are likely to see many Swazis dress in colourful costume, featuring toga-like garments - the mahiya. The women sport the traditional 'beehive' hairstyles. Two major traditional ceremonies are held in Swaziland annually: the Incwala and the Umhlanga (Reed) Dance. The Incwala is the sacred ceremony of Kingship, a mystical rite of powerful spiritual significance for the nation. The Incwala begins on the new moon closest to the longest day. A certain clan is sent to sea to fetch water and on their return, rituals are performed, part of which involve the singing of sacred songs and performing ritual dances. Young men are dispatched by the king t fetch special branches which are used to decorate the king's private sanctuary where the secret parts of the Incwala are performed. The sanctuary itself is within the enormous cattle kraal of the nation at Ludsidzini. The Incwala is the most sacred annual event and spectators are permitted, but not encouraged. The climax of the Incwala is the fourth day, during which the King ceremoniously eats the first of the new harvest. The Umhlanga Reed Dance is an occasion where all the unmarried maidens (tingabisa) of the country gather together to collect reeds (Umhlanga). The girls, in their teens and early twenties, wearing the colourful traditional costume of the unmarried maidens, walk long distances to collect reeds and bring them back to the residence of the Queen Mother who is known as the Indlovukazi, the 'She Elephant'. The final days are the most spectacular when thousands of girls return to the kraal. Refreshed after a night's sleep, they arrive in the Royal enclosure the following morning, dancing, singing and ululating, to deliver their bundle of reeds. The reeds are used to rebuild the windbreaks of the Queen Mother's residence, and symbolise the loyalty of the maidens. Photography is usually permitted but it is essential to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Information.
SHOPPING
Dolls, kaftans and skirts, baskets, mats, soapstone carvings, tapestries, decorative glassware and even solitaire boards are amoung the products of Swazi crafstmen and women, whose work retains a skill now rare in more commercialised African countries. Amoung quite a number of craft centres a few off the beat en track are Tisheshwe Cottage Crafts in the Malkerns valley, Swaziland Tapestries at Phumalanga and Ngwenya Glass.
LOCAL FOOD AND WINE
There are a variety of local dishes, most of which are based on traditional recipes such as samp and meat.
ELECTRICITY
Swaziland uses 220V AC, 50Hz and three pin plugs are used with round terminals.
WATER
While water is probably drinkable in the larger centres, it may be worthwhile sticking to bottled water. All water gathered from streams and rivers should be boiled before consumption.
This 3 Part information series on Swaziland was taken from your best source for African Travel tours and safaris. African Travel Gateway
GEOGRAPHY
The official figure of population occupying Swaziland is 985 000.
Approximately 53,54 people per square kilometre. Swaziland is
landlocked in the east by Mozambique and on the other borders by South
Africa.
It is something of a topographical jumble. Within a roughly oval shape
only 193km (121 miles) long from north to south and much less east to
west, God has contrived there to be everything from peaks and upland
plateaux, through rolling grassland in the middleveld to the hot, arid
bush of the lowveld on the Natal border. Wherever you venture in the
country's 17,364 sq km (6,783 sq miles) you will find something
different. Swaziland is divided into four distinct regions which are
easily explored without the need to travel great distances: the eastern
Lubombo plateau; the low bush country of the lowveld; the hilly
middle-veld or grasslands; and the mountains, forests and waterfalls of
the highveld in the west. The vegetation varies according to the
regions, from the high summer rainfall area of the highveld in the west
to the dryer lowveld areas in the east. The altitude also varies from
an average of 1 800m in the highveld to around 400m in the lowveld.
Summers are very hot in the lowveld eastern areas but temperate in the
highveld. Winters in the highveld are typically beautiful and sunny
during the day with chilly mornings and evenings while the lowveld
winters are always warm.
HISTORY
Swazis themselves are relative newcomers - as are most of South
Africa's peoples, black and white - having been part of a migration
from the Great Lakes of central and east Africa around 1750 when the
Nguni moved down the east coast to Delogoa Bay and later settled
between the Lubombo mountains (now Swaziland's eastern border) and the
Indian ocean. Among their clan leaders was Nkosi Dlamini, forefather of
today's royal clan. The Zulu and Xhosa took the same route and the Zulu
expansion under Shaka later led to the Dlaminis crossing the Lubombo.
At their high point of power the Swazi nation controlled part of the
Gauteng and their kingdom was twice its present size.
The confederation of clans, which made up the nation was ruled by Mswati the first between 1840 and 1868, from whom the word 'Swazi' derives. But at the same time other influences were intruding: those of Boer farmers and English missionaries. The Boers were also interested because Swaziland blocked their way to the Indian Ocean coast. Then in 1879 gold was discovered and a torrent of fortune hunters arrived seeking concessions from the King for anything and everything, from refreshment bars to clothing shops. The conflicts of interest led to the British and Gauteng governments defining the north, west and south boundaries: and the Swazis losing much agricultural land.
For a time dual control of the territory by the British and the Boers was tried, but without success and after much political manoeuvring the interests of the Swazis themselves were to some extent preserved by the establishment of a British Protectorate in 1903, when the Anglo-Boer war was over. Successive kings tried to achieve independence, finally succeeding in September 1968 under King Sobhuza the second.
ECONOMY
Sugar, soft drink concentrates, citrus products and wood pulp are the
major exports, mainly to South Africa from which Swaziland receives
almost all (90 percent) of its imports. Tourism is one of Swaziland's
biggest industries.
CLIMATE
Swaziland has a subtropical climate with summer temperatures of 15
degrees to 25 degrees Celsius and 5 to 19 degrees Celsius in winter.
The rainfall at higher altitudes varies from 1 000 to 1 600mm while in
the lower areas it is between 500 and 600mm. The country's highest
point is Emlembe at 1 862m and the lowest at the Usutu River at 21m.
The country has a wide range of habitats and great variations in flora
fauna.
MAJOR TOWNS AND CITIES
Mbabane is the administrative capital. Manzini is the hub, situated
next to Matsapha Industrial Estate. Lombamba is the legislative capital.
MBABANE
Lying in the northern end of the Ezulwini Valley, the capital city is
an easy, attractive and safe place to walk around. There are large
modern complexes that offer banking facilities, excellent shopping and
the Swaziland Tourist Information Office. The Mbabane Market is nearby
and has very reasonably priced authentic crafts. The fruit and
vegetable halls next to it offer fresh fruit and vegetables and
traditional Swazi medicines for sale. The largest granite rock in the
world, Sibebe Rock, is on the outskirts of Mbabane. There are
spectacular views of Pine Valley from here, and it is also an excellent
picnic spot.
Tailor-made itineraries are in fact the most common service we deliver at African Travel Gateway. These are itineraries that have been specially put together by us for you, to meet your specific requirements in terms of your required dates; duration of holiday; preferred places to be visited; budget and any other variables that may dictate a certain requirement. They can encompass as many countries as you want, and could include everything from hotel accommodation, safari accommodation, car hire, regional & local flights, road transfers, guided day tours, meet & assist services and adventure activities.
You may have already arranged part of your holiday or safari but need to arrange the rest, in which case we can also assist in arranging the missing links. Below we have provided a selection of tailor-made itineraries, designed by us for previous clients. This will give you an idea on the variety such an itinerary can have and how we personalize an itinerary - and can do the same for you !
A 30 day self drive itinerary for South Africa incorporating a safari,
country hotels, Anglo-Boer war history, The Garden Route and Cape Town.
Itinerary Specially Prepared For 2
27 Jan
On arrival in Johannesburg, you check into the Holiday Inn Johannesburg
International for (4) nights on a bed and breakfast basis.
On arrival in Johannesburg, you collect your rented group B car and make your way to the Mpumalanga Escarpment area. Here you check into the Mount Sheba Country Hotel for (2) nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
Sleepily tucked away amongst the mountains above the historic mining
town of Pilgrims Rest lies Mount Sheba Country Lodge. Surrounded by
indigenous forests this up-market lodge resort is an ideal retreat yet
lies in easy distance to some on Mpumalanga's superb tourist
attractions including 'God's Window', the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's
Potholes, Sudwala Caves and of
course, Kruger National Park. The beautifully decorated en-suite
bedrooms with private patios offer panoramic views allowing the beauty
of the surroundings to be enjoyed from the comfort of your room. The
cosy bedroom fireplaces are a perfect place to snuggle up with a book
on chilly winter nights and your every comfort is catered for. At the
main lodge cocktail hour is an event in the 'Potted Owl' before dining
in the Chandelier Restaurant where the world-class gourmet menus are
complimented by exceptional service that the Three Cities Group has
become renowned for. For the leisure guest there is plenty to keep you
occupied. Apart from visiting
the many sights of the area there is also superb hiking, mountain
biking along trails through thick indigenous forests, trout fishing and
forest picnics. For birding enthusiasts Mount Sheba is a 'Mecca'.
Internationally known Peter Lawson conducts regular birding outings in
the area which is renowned for its birdlife.
28 Jan
Day at leisure to explore the area and visit points such Blyde River
Canyon, Gods Window, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Pilgrims Rest or the many
waterfalls of the area. Alternatively you may decide to go on a few
forest walks on the property.
29 Jan
Today you descend the escarpment into the Lowveld and make your way to
the Sabie Sands Game Reserve. Here you check into the Djuma Vuyatela
Lodge for (4) nights on a fully inclusive basis.
Vuyatela - meaning, "come and visit again" - was recently built. This
exclusive lodge has broken the mould of traditional game lodges and is
the pride of Djuma. When building, Jurie and Pippa shunned heavy
machinery and chose instead to employ as many local Shangaan people as
possible to hand-craft the camp, thus creating jobs as well as a unique
and beautiful construction.
Before construction, we invited the local Sangoma to bless the site.
The ancestors were to be informed of our intentions. The Sangoma, who
led the proceedings, "threw the bones" - their relative positions
interpreted as omens, good or bad. The lie of the "bones’ indicated
that the ancestors were pleased! Pippa, with the help of talented
friends, has created a set of mosaics for each room and these colourful
patterns and symbols add to the atmosphere of each "Kaya".Also, each of
the eight chalets has been attractively hand painted by nearby Shangaan
villagers - a contest was held for the best designs. Vuyatela is an
expression of modern South African culture. Each of the eight chalets
or kayas is secluded in African bush. The bedrooms look out onto teak
decks, which end in private plunge pools. Each of the chalets at
Vuyatela is a collection of buildings joined to each other. You will
notice that each of the buildings that make-up your chalet, or "Kaya"
(Shangaan word for house), is built in a different technique. Some of
the "Kaya’s" have abstract patterns painted on the walls and others
have even domestic scenes painted on them. The private lounge is
separated from the bedroom by a beautiful Teak deck, which ends at the
private plunge pool. The view from the Teak deck is into pristine
African Savanna with its bounty of animal life.
30 Jan - 01 Feb
On safari at Djuma.
02 Feb
This morning you exit the Sabie Sands early and drive south to the
small town of Piet Retief where you check in at the Dusk to Dawn Guest
Farm for (1) night on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
Dusk to Dawn is situated on the N2, 35 km south of Piet Retief and 65 km north of Pongola
Dusk to Dawn is a spacious country house in the most southern tip of
Mpumalanga - the place of the rising sun. Johann and Gudrun Engelbrecht
have turned their family home into a friendly and welcoming half-way
stop for tourists and visitors en route on the N2 from the Kruger
National Park or Gauteng to the Kwa-Zulu Natal North Coast or vice
versa. Dusk to Dawn has been a Finalist in the AA Accommodation Awards
for the past 3 years and was the Winner in the Farm Accommodation
Category for the year 2001 and also features the AA Superior Grading
Endorsement. Furthermore Dusk to Dawn is a regular feature in the
Portfolio Bed and Breakfast Collection. SABS-Grading: 3-Crystals. A
full English and Continental breakfast is served in the beautiful
dining room or on the verandah with a stunning view onto the large
garden and the wide open spaces of this well managed 1800 ha farm.
03 Feb
Today you continue down to the Three Tree Hill Lodge close to
Spioenkop. Here you check in for (4) nights on a full board basis (all
meals).
Andrew Ardington, together with David and Nicky Rattray, has created a
lodge where the history of the Anglo-Boer war unfolds itself in a
stunning, secluded environment. Three Tree Hill Lodge overlooks the
battlefield of Spioenkop. The striking aloe spectabilis and the
paperbark acacia dominate the vegetation. The lodge adjoins the
Spioenkop Nature Reserve which contains white rhino, giraffe, zebra,
eland, kudu, numerous smaller antelope and 270 recorded bird species.
The lodge has been constructed using mostly wood and iron so as to
resemble the housing kits brought out from Britain in the nineteenth
century. Each of the six twin cottages has its own bath, shower and
verandah, with magnificent views of Spioenkop - even from the bath.
Three full meals and teas offer delicious, varied and elegant fare.
Weather permitting, these are served on the cool wide verandahs of the
main lodge. A viewing deck, swimming pool, wonderful walks and library
offer you complete relaxation in this unique African setting.
In November 1899, 13 500 British soldiers and 8 000 civilians were beseiged in Ladysmith by Boer forces. As a result of the siege a series of battles was fought in the vicinty of Ladysmith. After 118 days General Sir Redvers Buller finally relieved the siege. On the hill behind the lodge overlooking the Drakensberg mountains Andrew Ardington (whose great grandfather took part in the siege) will talk to you on the origins of the Anglo-Boer war. The following morning as you tour the battlefield itself, you will listen to the dramatic story of Spioenkop - the bloodiest battle of the war for both Briton and Boer. Louis Botha, Deneys Reitz, Winston Churchill and Mohandas Ghandi all played a part in this fascinating and moving story.
04 - 06
Feb At leisure at the Three Tree Hill Lodge. On one of the days here
you will be taken on a full day tour of the Anglo - Boer Battlefields
by Andrew Ardington.
07 Feb
Today you continue to the Drakensberg Mountains, where you check in at
the Cathedral Peak Hotel for (3) nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast
basis.
Is a charming family resort set against the backdrop of the majestic
Drakensberg in tranquil surroundings. Offering excellent cuisine and
warm hospitality, this complete hotel has a range of accommodation,
including beautifully furnished suits for executives or newly weds, and
interleading family rooms with panoramic mountain views. Activities
include daily guided
walks, bird watching, nearby game viewing, tennis, squash, outdoor
chess, swimming, gym, trout fishing, sauna and challenging nine hole
golf course.
08 - 09 Feb
At leisure in the Drakenberg. (Fishing, walking, golfing are all possible in the immediate area).
10 Feb
Today you drive down to Durban International to drop off your car and
board your flight SA 659 to Port Elizabeth, departing at 12h25 and
arriving at 13h45. On arrival you collect another rented car and make
your way to the Shamwari Game Reserve. Here you check into the Bayete
Lodge (in the newly aquired section of Shamwari) for (4) nights on a
fully inclusive basis.
Bayethe Lodge, pronounced "bi-ye-ti" is a luxury, 5-star tented lodge of Shamwari Game Reserve – a magnificent bushveld-type lodge of stone walls and thatched roof, accommodates the lounge, dining room, an outdoor banquet boma, swimming pool and viewing deck overlooking the Buffalo River, a tributary to the great Bushmans River. It is an 18-bedded wilderness type lodge that opened in December! This area of the Shamwari Game Reserve is spectacular with rolling hills covered in Aloe’s and many other indigenous Eastern Cape plant species – Six Biomes come together here – one of which is commonly known as the Zuurveld with abundant succulents and many flowering plant species! There are open plains and a most amazing natural indigenous forest with Yellowwood trees that are hundreds of years old, set along the Buffalo River which is the ideal habitat for the Knysna Lourie and many forest bird species. The accommodation is tented where each of the tented suites are situated along the banks of the river and all have separate plunge pools, air-conditioning and heating. They are very well appointed with private wooded decks with great views over the water. Each has a large en-suite bathroom with separate toilet, his and hers vanities, a slipper bath and a spectacular outdoor shower. Two of the tents are on a small island between the river and you need to cross a low suspension bridge to get to them. Activities offered include morning and evening Big 5 game drives in open land rovers, guided nature walks and bird watching all with experienced game rangers. The rates are inclusive of all meals, local beverages and game activities.
11 - 13 Feb
On safari at Shamwari Game Reserve.
14 Feb
Today you start down the garden route to Plettenberg Bay. Just outside
Plettenberg Bay you check into the Hog Hollow for (3) nights on a bed
and breakfast basis.
Lush indigenous vegetation and forests framed by majestic mountain ranges on the one side and the Indian Ocean with it's pristine white beaches on the other, make the Garden Route, situated on the East Coast of Southern Africa, one of the most beautiful parts of South Africa. Hog Hollow Country Lodge, a private nature reserve, is situated 18km East of the small coastal town of Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the magnificent area providing guests with an ideal base to explore the Garden Route. Twelve uniquely individual rooms offer uninterrupted views over the indigenous forests and Tsitsikamma Mountains. These comfortable African-styled rooms, situated in the gardens surrounding the main house, are decorated in earthy colours, naturally woven fabrics, artefacts and tones from north-eastern Africa, and local handcrafted woods. Each room has a private wooden deck, fitted with its own hammock and wooden furniture overlooking the forest and an en-suite bathroom with bath and shower. At breakfast, hosts assist our guests in planning their day. There are so many wonderful places to see and things to do in the area that we are able to advise and book activities according to your specific individual needs. Attractions nearby include at least 50 charted and guided walks. The area is part of one of the world's great floral kingdoms with a host of bird-life and wildlife for nature lovers. Horse-riding, Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Windsurfing, Canopy Walk, Scuba Diving, Paragliding, Deep Sea Fishing, Bungi Jumping and Black Water Tubing down the Storms River Gorge are among some of the great outdoor activities the area has to offer.
15 - 16 Feb
Days at leisure to explore the Knysna – Plettenberg Bay area. (During
this time you could visit Oudtshoorn for a day, go boat cruises on the
lagoon or up the Keurbooms River, take the Outeniqua Tjoe choo Steam
Train for a ride to George and back. Golf, walking and some beautiful
drives are all possible as well).
17 Feb
Today you drive down to Hermanus area, where you check in at the
Groobos Lodge for (4) nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, with
all lodge activities included in your stay.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is situated on the hills above Walker
Bay, which is world-renowned for its natural beauty and amazing
diversity of life. It is the best land-based viewing area in the world
for Southern Right whales. Offshore islands are home to penguins,
thousands of seals, a multitude of seabirds as well as Great white
sharks. Beautiful white beaches are interspersed by wave-swept caves
once inhabited by early humans, while the inland mountains are home to
some of the richest flora on earth and a wide variety of fascinating
fauna. Grootbos Nature Reserve, with over 1000 hectares of nature as we
were intended to experience it, lies 160 kilometres from Cape Town on
the way to the Garden Route.
Grootbos provides you with a unique opportunity to experience all of this and more with our specialised guiding team. Whether your stay is a brief or an extended one, you can enjoy our nature activities, or relax in comfort and style on the wooden decks of your private, luxury suite overlooking the forest and endless sea. With a maximum of just 28 guests and personalised attention, a full day of exciting activities is guaranteed. Whether you glide across the sparkling Atlantic Ocean to within touching distance of a 60 ton whale, watch thousands of seals swim around your boat, explore a middle stone age cave dwelling, ride on a horse for the first time, watch the sunbirds dance amongst a sea of proteas, hike to the top of the highest mountain, relax at the pool or sip champagne as the sun sets on a deserted beach, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve will provide you with an unforgettable nature experience.
The reception desk of Grootbos Lodge offers telephone, facsimile, e-mail and postal service facilities. Pamphlets and brochures of things to see and places to go, as well as binoculars and guidebooks, are available from reception. The Grootbos Lodge shop is a treasure house of local arts and crafts and outdoor wear, beautiful African jewellery and hand painted pottery. Adjacent to the reception and shop is the lounge, filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, where whale-spotting telescopes are on hand for whale watching, or star gazing. The swimming pool and sundeck is available to guests at all times of the day. Relax and cool off at the swimming pool, tastefully set into natural rock features and overlooking the blue seas of Walker Bay. Drinks can be ordered from the fully stocked bar and enjoyed on the sundeck or at the pool.
The accommodation at Grootbos comprises of nine private luxury cottages which have been built from locally hewn stone and timber, nestling in the Milkwood Forest. Each cottage has a separate lounge, one or two bedrooms and en suite bathroom/s. The cottages are spacious with a one-bedroomed unit being 60 square metres and a two-bedroomed unit, 120 square metres. All cottages have open fireplaces in the lounge, inviting cosy and romantic evenings. The spacious wooden sun decks with panoramic sea and mountain views, convey a classical 'Out of Africa' feeling. Each luxury cottage is equipped with its own filter coffee machine, a selection of the finest quality teas and a well-stocked mini-bar. A fresh fruit basket is placed in your cottage each day and the ambience is enhanced by indigenous fynbos floral arrangements. Reading material and binoculars are provided in each cottage. The bedrooms are individually decorated with pure cotton luxury bedding and 100% down duvets. The large, bright, sunny bathrooms have double washbasins, spacious double showers and / or baths as well as heated towel rails for those chilly winter nights! Bathrobes and a hair dryer are also provided.
18 - 20 Feb
Enjoy the daily activities at Grootbos Lodge.
21 Feb
Today you take a leisurely, scenic drive down to Cape Town. In Cape
Town you check into the Alphen Hotel in Constantia for (5) nights on a
bed and breakfast basis.
Whitewashed buildings shaded by ancient oaks offer both tranquility and easy access to many splendours of the Cape. Alphen is just 15 minutes from the centre of Cape Town or 20 minutes from the airport or beaches. Alphen is a National Monument, a historic country manor house offering you so much more than mere accommodation. It is the heart of a former wine estate, centrally situated in the Peninsula and at the gateway to the Constantia Valley and Wine Route. Constantia has a country atmosphere with a distinctive historic and scenic environment and has an image of quality as Cape Town's most exclusive suburb.
22 Feb
Day at leisure in Cape Town.
23 Feb
Today you will be taken on a private guided full day tour of the Cape Winelands tour with lunch included.
In 1679, Stellenbosch was founded. Home to many fine examples of Cape Dutch architecture, the town is famous for is's university and the oak trees that line it's quant streets. The tour visits a winery in this area for a cellar tour and wine tasting before taking an orientation tour of the town. The tour continues to the beautiful Franschhoek valley to visit Boschendal manor house, the celebrated historical estate. Lunch is enjoyed at one of the many good restaurants of the area. After lunch the tour takes in Paarl, "the pearl of the cape" and another wine tasting before returning to Cape Town.
24 - 25 Feb
At leisure to explore the Cape Peninsula & Table Mountain.
26 Feb
Today you drop off your car at the Cape Town International Airport and board your flight home.
Article Source: African Travel Gateway
TRAVEL TOOLS
GEOGRAPHY
For centuries Africa has
been called the "Dark Continent" by early explorers, hunters and travellers - a
mysterious and wild continent reluctant to reveal her secrets. Not much has
changed since those early days. To the modern-day traveller Africa is still a
treasure chest of natural riches waiting to be explored.
Zimbabwe is a land
of diversity and contrasts and unrivalled natural beauty. It is a land of
adventure where one can experience nature first-hand, whether you are hurtling
through rapids on the mighty Zambezi, bungi-jumping off the bridge at the
Victoria Falls or watching a herd of elephant at sunset in one of the many
wildlife sanctuaries. Of course one cannot mention the Zambezi without referring
to one of the world's most magnificent natural wonders, the Victoria Falls.
Whatever your choice of adventure, you will leave Zimbabwe with fond memories of
an unforgettable visit. But there is more to this wild and wonderful country
than thundering water and plains teeming with game. A history that can be traced
back thousands of years is interwoven with legends of ancient tribes and
forgotten civilisations, of Portuguese travellers, brave English explorers and
Arab traders who came from the north to exchange beads and cloth for ivory and
gold. One of the sites that silently testifies to this fact is the Great
Zimbabwe Ruins, the largest man-made structure in Africa after Egypt's Pyramids.
Although steeped in history, Zimbabwe has kept up with the demands of
catering for the modern-day tourism industry. The country boasts a
well-developed infrastructure, including aspects such as telecommunications,
roads, banking services, transport, and upper-market accommodation and shopping
facilities. Perhaps this popular tourist destination's greatest asset is its
friendly people, always ready to welcome visitors to their country with a smile
and good service.
HISTORY
The history of Zimbabwe was not
chronicled in writing until the middle of the 19th century. In the early
nineteenth century a branch of the Zulus, the Ndebele, were forced north by the
Voortrekkers in South Africa and settled in what became known as Matabeleland,
holding their northern neighbours, the indigenous Mashona, s vassals ( a
situation neatly reversed by the Independence elections). Even so it was left to
Selous, to draw the attention of the outside world to the unknown interior north
of the Limpopo; and only the discovery of gold on the South African
Witwatersrand and the great ambitions of Cecil Rhodes prompted settlement and so
development.
Cecil Rhodes, whose British South African Company had
obtained a concession to exploit mineral resources from the Matabele King,
Lobengula, organised a Pioneer Column to move up from the Cape Province in
1890.
In 1896 the Matabele and Mashona tribes rose in rebellion but were
crushed by the settlers. Thus began the European domination of what became known
as Southern Rhodesia. The country was legally divided into white and black areas
to the great disadvantage of the Africans. White settlers came from South Africa
and the United Kingdom, farming and small-scale mining became well established,
and railways, roads and secondary industry followed. As time went by the
settlers generally achieved a high standard of living.
The British Government granted internal self-government to the settlers in 1923, and did not concern itself actively with the political development of the country until 1953, when the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was created, uniting present day Zambia, Malawi and of course Zimbabwe. The decade of federation brought increased prosperity to Southern Rhodesia, but it foundered on the other two colonies' mistrust of the Rhodesians and was dissolved in 1963. Britain then refused to grant independence to Southern Rhodesia while it remained in white control, and this led to a Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Ian Smith's government in 1965.
In 1979 the whites, although not defeated militarily in the field, were forced to negotiate with Britain and a transitional government resulted. The General Election f 1980 returned Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party to power and Zimbabwe became independent on April 17, 1980.
ECONOMY
The most
important sector of the country's economy is agriculture, with a variety of
crops such as tobacco, sugar, coffee, cotton and maize as well as a large cattle
farming industry which exports high-grade beef. The second largest sector is
mining, with many important minerals like gold and nickel being important
exports.
CLIMATE
Summer is from October to April. Days are hot
and generally sunny in the morning with possible afternoon thunder storms. Day
temperatures reach about 30C and night temperatures drop to 14C - 16C. I can
also be considerably warmer all year round in the low-lying areas such as
Kariba, Victoria Falls, and Zambezi Valley. The rainy season from November to
March, although the Eastern Highlands are damp for most of the year. Winter is
from May to September, days are dry, sunny and cool to warm (20C) while evening
temperatures drop sharply (5C). Exceptionally cold spells can occur so it its
recommended to bring appropriate clothing, just in case.
In Zimbabwe the seasons are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere. Summer is at its hottest over Christmas while winter lasts from May to August. It is considerably warmer in low-lying areas such as Kariba, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Gonarezhou and the Zambezi Valley. Winter days are generally dry and sunny with temperatures averaging 15-20 degrees Centigrade. In summer, temperatures range from 25-30 degrees Centigrade during the day. The hottest month is October when temperatures often exceed 32 degrees Centigrade. The sun can be very harsh and it is advisable to wear a hat and sunblock. The rainy season runs from November to March.
MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS
Harare is the capital of
Zimbabwe. The other major towns include: Bulawayo, Chimanimani, Hwange, Gweru,
Kadoma, Kwekwe, Chinhoyi, Chiredzi, Beitbridge, Kariba, Masvingo, Mutare, Vimba
and Victoria Falls.
HARARE
Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, is a
convenient starting point for visiting the country's many tourist attractions. A
prime example of a modern African city, Harare is a mosaic of high-rise office
blocks and well-preserved, historic buildings, all situated on the central
plateaux of this country which is about three times the size of England. Amongst
the concrete and glass structures there is an ample supply of green lungs -
tree-filled parks and other open spaces which lend this city its vibrant,
friendly character. Harare has a lot to offer, provided that you know where to
go and what to look out for. Although not on a par with the shopping malls of
Johannesburg's Hyde Park or Sandton, Harare has its own unique collection of
shops catering for every budget. Westgate is a double-storey shopping centre
about 15 minutes from the CBD. Apart from a number of shops stocking South
African goods, this is the place to go for movies, fast- food, and a wide
selection of clothing and accessories. Next to the well-known Meikles hotel you
will find an upmarket shopping centre renowned for its computer outlets and fine
shoe stores. This building also houses the Zimbabwe Tourism Association. Another
shopping complex offering quality goods is Sam Levy's village in Barrowdale, one
of the city suburbs. But if you want to experience shopping the way it is
traditionally done in many African countries, you need to stroll around at the
open flea-market at Mbare. Here tourists can feast their eyes on a colourful
array of baskets, food, clothing and other items. Looking for that perfect
memento? Support the local craftsmen who are selling hand-made artworks such as
stone and wooden sculptures and wickerwork along the tree-lined streets of
Harare.
Zimbabwe Parliament Queen Victoria Museum Queen Victoria National Library National Art Gallery - houses a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some superb stone carvings by local Shona people. National Archives - see the valuable collection of rare Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, note-books and reports of famous missionaries and explorers. Not to be missed is the famous painting of the Victoria Falls by Thomas Baines, the first artist to paint the Falls, as well as the less well-known but excellent painting of the same subject by EH Holder. Chapungu sculpture park Vhukutiwa Sculpture Garden National Botanical Garden - development of this garden only began in 1962. To date more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country flourish here. Larvon Bird Gardens Lion and cheetah park Lake Chivero Mukuvisi Woodlands - when travelling just a little to the east of Harare, one will find 227 ha of natural woodland on the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. Escape from the hustle and bustle of Harare's CBD and explore this magnificent area on foot in the company of a guide, or on horseback. Bird-watchers will be pleased to know that more than 230 species of bird occur here, including the shy narina trogon, African finfoot and Ayres hawk eagle. Botanists will enjoy this walk as they will be able to identify no less than 300 species of trees and shrubs that naturally occur in the area. Just less than 50 per cent of these woodlands is isolated by an electrified fence, creating a safe haven for a wide range of game species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessebe, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reedbuck and eland. The smaller remaining part of this popular tourist destination houses the head offices of some of Zimbawe's most important conservation bodies, namely The Wildlife Society, The Zambezi Society and Campfire. The best mode of transport for tourists is the commuter omnibus - the cheapest and most reliable way to get from A to B. The ever-present sedan taxis are really expensive and not a good option.
BULAWAYO
Bulawayo, a name that means "place of
slaughter", was the royal kraal of the legendary Ndbele kings in former times.
Zimbabwe's second largest city, it is noted for the exceptionally wide streets
which were originally designed to allow turning space for a full span of oxen.
Many chapters of Zimbabwe's history were written in this city which is still
characterised by many old British colonial buildings, maintained by the Bulawayo
City Council and landlords as heritage sites. Bulawayo boasts one of the best
municipal caravan and camping parks in Zimbabwe. The country was originally
known as "Rhodesia", named after Cecil John Rhodes who made a lasting impact on
the country's history. One of Rhodes' favourite places was the Matobo Hills
south of Bulawayo. He was so moved by the fascinating rock formations and the
wild spirit of this area that he chose to be buried at the highest point of the
hills which he named "World's View". His burial site is visited by thousands of
tourists to Zimbabwe.
Places to visit in and around Bulawayo
-
The Natural History Museum
Situated in Centenary Park, it is not only the
country's main museum but also one of the better known natural history museums
in the southern hemisphere. The impressive mammal collection comprises more than
75 000 specimens.
- Railway Museum
Display of steam engines and
rolling stock and station buildings from the earliest days of the country's
railway history, including the Pullman saloon that transported Rhodes' body from
Cape Town for his burial.
- National Art Gallery
Housed in a charming
Victorian building, Douslin House, in Main Street. The gallery complex contains
a curio shop, restaurant and artists' studios (also a bicycle hire facility for
the energetic.)
- Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre
Situated just out
of town off the Old Falls road, the Centre is definitely worth a visit if you
are looking for mementos to take home. Visitors can choose from a wide selection
of skilfully crafted sculptures, basketry, pottery, beadwork and woodwork, all
done by local people. Established in 1963, the Centre today boasts a commercial
pottery providing jobs for more than 70 people. Situated nearby is the Bulawayo
Home Industries Centre where batiks, hand-woven items and embroidery work is
manufactured and sold.
- Matobo Hills and Matobos National Park
About one hour south of Bulawayo by road, are the stunning Matobo Hills.
Regarded as one of Zimbabwe's major tourist attractions, these famous rocky
outcrops extend across 2000 square kilometres of countryside. The massive
granite boulders and gigantic rock formations are more than 3 000 million years
old, creating an ancient, brooding landscape. A focal point is Rhodes Grave on
the summit of the Hill of Benevolent Spirits. The entire area has great cultural
and religious significance for the African people. The vegetation in the Matobos
is quite different from the surrounding countryside and provides fascinating and
varied habitats for wildlife. There are hundreds of caves, many of which were
home to early man, and rock painting bear testimony to the value of wildlife to
the artists. These are signposted and directions and maps are available. Despite
their antiquity, many of the depictions are well-preserved and very clear.
Matobo National Park contains some of the more rare species of wildlife,
including the sable antelope and both black and white rhino. It is renowned for
having the highest concentration of leopards and black eagle in an area of its
size in the world. Bird life is prolific and the area is a botanists delight.
There is a fenced area where most of the country's big game can be viewed in a
short space of time against a dramatic setting.
- Tshabalala Game
Sanctuary
Ten kilometres from the city centre en route to the Matobos -
contains varied wildlife, birds and waterfowl. One may drive, walk or cycle, and
horse rides can be arranged. It has an important Interpretive Centre, easily
accessible for school children and city dwellers.
- Kame Ruins
Just
22 kilometres west of Bulawayo - one of southern Africa's most magnificent Late
Iron Age ruins, now recognised as a World Heritage Site. The ruins consist of a
series of terraces and passages supported by massive granite walls, some
overlooking Khami Dam and Khami Gorge. Scenically more beautiful than Great
Zimbabwe, the ruins are thought to have been built between 1450 and 1650. It is
claimed that the Matabele king Lobengula used the site for rain-making
ceremonies. A small museum displays relics found at the site, some over 100 000
years old. The land adjoining the ruins has been made into a municipal
recreation park, called Mazwi Nature Reserve. There the visitor may walk, drive
and picnic. Horses are available for hire.
VICTORIA
FALLS
Mosi-oa-Tunya - The Smoke that Thunders. Derived from the towering
column of spray when the Zambezi River runs high, this is the name that
Zimbabwe's local people have given to this awesome natural phenomenon. The name
is probably more appropriate and descriptive than "Victoria", which has a far
too calm and composed ring to it to do justice to the masses of thundering,
swirling water of these spectacular Falls. But all Dr David Livingstone probably
thought of when he named the Falls after his Queen in 1855 was his royal duty.
Five separate falls make up this incredible spectacle that plunges more than
100 m into a sheer-sided chasm which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. The
awe-inspiring abyss is spanned by a 1905 Edwardian bridge which links the two
countries. The masses of water plunging down the Falls and into the gorge below
originate from the mighty Zambezi River that meanders through more than 2 700 km
of African countryside.
The Victoria Falls and all its associated
adventure-packed activities have a way of whetting the appetite. There are
numerous restaurants to choose from and the cuisine ranges from Indian to
Italian.
Some of the main hotels in town are:
- Elephant Hills Hotel: Situated a mere 3 km from the Falls, this superb hotel overlooks an 18-hole golf course and the Zambezi River. A full range of sporting facilities is available and the hotel has a casino. Good conference venue, caters for up to 450 people.
- Victoria Falls Hotel: Regarded as one of the world's best hotels, this famous Edwardian-style hotel offers breathtaking views of the Victoria Falls bridge and gorge. A private footpath leads hotel guests to the Falls close by.
- Victoria Falls Safari Lodge: This world-class lodge is ideally situated, overlooking the Zambezi National Park with the thundering Falls just 4 km away. Water activities and game viewing are offered. There is also a self-catering section, operating under the name of Lokothula Lodges.
- Rainbow Hotel: Situated within easy walking distance of the Falls, guests can enjoy the beauty of the rainbow formed by the tumbling waters from the Sundowner, a special roof pedestal. The hotel also overlooks a rainforest of trees.
- A'Zambezi River Lodge: Situated on the banks of the Zambezi River a few kilometres upstream from the Falls and near the Victoria Falls village. There are two restaurants, a swimming pool and boats can be hired. A courtesy bus operates between the town and the hotel.
Activities available at the Falls
- White-water rafting
The
ultimate African adventure. One of the major tourist attractions of the Falls,
commercial white-water rafting started about 10 years ago. Today several
companies are offering these adventure-filled packages to tourists. This
activity takes place below the Falls and the white water section of the Zambezi
extends for just over 20 km, hurtling the rubber boats through 19 gorges
bordered by sheer cliffs of up to 700 ft high. This adventure is regarded as a
Grade 5 "run" (grade six is regarded as "non-runnable"). These rafting
excursions are conducted from July to March. Those wishing to take it in their
stride can opt for a 3-day white-water canoeing trail stretching along 65 km of
the Zambezi, from the Botswana border to the Victoria Falls. Irrespective of the
kind of white-water adventure one chooses, safety is of major concern. Each
rafting trip is preceded by a safety talk during which the guide instructs his
passengers on the importance of safety helmets, high-flotation life jackets and
other equipment, and demonstrates safety procedures.
- Canoeing/game
viewing
For the less adventurous. Rent a canoe and cruise down the river
upwards from the Falls while viewing game coming to drink at the water's edge.
This water-bound trip will take you through Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park and
the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side of the Zambezi. Cameras and
binoculars are recommended, as you will come within a stone's throw of animals
such as elephants, buffaloes, waterbuck, kudu and many others. Visitors can
embark on full or half-day trips to explore the rapids and channels on the
Zimbabwean side of the river.
- Bungi-jumping
Not for the
faint-hearted. A visit to the Victoria Falls is packed with adventure, and those
wishing to experience the thrill of bungi-jumping have one of the most scenic
spots in the world at their disposal. Please note that medical conditions are
taken seriously and it is essential to check with the relevant company in this
regard well before you take the plunge!
- Helicopter flips
An aerial
view of the Victoria Falls in all its splendour is an unforgettable experience,
and one which is made possible by the Zambezi Helicopter Company. Visitors can
choose between a 13-minute panoramic flip over the Falls or a 30-minute flight
over the Falls and the neighbouring National Park. Viewing the Victoria Falls
and animals such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants and other animals from the air
is an unusual experience which visitors will remember long after they have left
the country. Flights depart from a helipad next to the Elephant Hills Hotel.
- Train rides
South Africa's world-famous Blue Train needs no
introduction and for those wishing to combine the experience of travelling on
one of the world's most luxurious trains with viewing one of the world's most
spectacular falls this is the perfect choice. The Pretoria/Victoria Falls route
allows passengers to spend two nights on the train, stopping for a few hours in
Bulawayo and making provision for game viewing in Hwange National Park. Rovos
Rail and the Train De Luxe also include the Falls on their itineraries.
MAJOR NATIONAL PARKS / GAME RESERVES / AREAS OF INTEREST
VICTORIA FALLS
The Victoria Falls is approximately 5600
feet wide, twice the height of Niagra Falls and one and a half times as wide. It
is divided into five separate waterfalls: Devils Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe
Falls, Rainbow Falls and Eastern Cataract, ranging in height from 200 - 355
feet. Peak flood waters usually occur around mid April when 150 gallons of water
per minute crash onto the rocks below spraying water up to 1650 feet in the air.
Hence the african name for the falls Mosi ao Tunya, the smoke that thunders.
Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River form the border between Zambia and
Zimbabwe. The banks of the 1675 mile long Zambezi river are lined with thick
riverine forest. Daytime and sundowner cruises operate above the falls where
hippo and croc?s may be spotted, and elephant and other wildlife may be seen
coming to shore to drink.
EASTERN HIGHLANDS
The eastern highlands form
a natural barrier between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Sweeping 300 kilometres from
Nyanga in the north, they include the Bvumba Mountains near the little city of
Mutare and the Chimamimani Mountains, the farming area of Cashel, and end south
of the Chirinda Forest Botanical Reserve. The area is cooler than most of
Zimbabwe, and the winter months, June and July, are often very cold. The rains
come between November and March and then wildflowers are at their best.
GREAT ZIMBABWE
Just 30 kilometres from the town of Masvingo and
eight kilometres by road from Lake Mutirikwi (formerly Lake Kyle) are some of
the most extraordinary relics of man-made structures in Africa. Formed of
regular, rectangular granite stones packed into impeccable dry-stone walling,
the ruins of Great Zimbabwe are awe inspiring. Many visitors talk of
experiencing a strange atmosphere, and say that within the ruins there is an
almost tangible "presence". Others are less susceptible to mood, but are none
the less impressed by the scale and grandeur of the site. Among Africa's most
complex and well-preserved archeological sites, the ruins are thought to be the
remains of a royal stronghold built by the Karanga, ancestors of the Shona,
between the eleventh and the thirteenth century. The enigmatic soapstone
carvings of the now ubiquitous Zimbabwe Bird was first found among these ruins.
Set in a rugged koppie strewn valley, this national monument is surrounded by a
well tended indigenous garden with a museum and walking trails. Hotels and
camping sites are located near by.
LAKE MUTIRIKWI AND MUTIRIKWI
RECREATION PARK
Dammed at the confluence of the Mshagashe and Mutirikwi
rivers, the 90 square kilometres of water make Lake Mutirikwi Zimbabwe's third
largest water body. Boating and licenced fishing is allowed, but since the water
contains both crocodile and the bilhazia parasite, swimming is not advised.
Spreading back up the two rivers, the lake forms two sides of a 12 000 ha
triangular game park. Undulating and broken hill country covered mainly by
miombo woodland and grassland make this scenically one of the most attractive
parks in Zimbabwe. The area owes much of it's undisturbed beauty to the absence
of elephant. A lack of predators makes game-viewing on horse-back and
unaccompanied game-walks a major attraction. Apart from a thriving population of
white rhino, the park offers good viewing of tsessebe, reedbuck, oribi, giraffe
and nyala, among others. The park has a good selection of raptors and grassland
birds and the lake provides habitat for a wide range of water birds. There are
hotels on the lakeshore offering chalets, lodges and camping.
GONAREZHOU
NATIONAL PARK
Gonarezhou (pronounced Gonna-res-or) or "place of the
elephant" is the only large big-game national park in Zimbabwe not in the
Zambezi basin. Situated in the south-east lowveld, and bordering on Mozambique,
Gonarezhou is in one of the hotter and drier parts of the country. The Park is
5,053 square kilometres in extent and is characterised by low altitude (most of
it is below 400 m above sea level), high temperatures of up to 50ºC and rainfall
that is low, varied, and unreliable. Despite these apparent drawbacks, the Park
is an extraordinary place to visit. It is a true wilderness area. Three drainage
systems traverse the park and have created an extraordinary landscape. To watch
the light of sunset illuminate the ochre-coloured castellated sandstone of
Chilojo Cliffs across the sandy bed of the Runde River is an unforgettable
experience. Apart from being known as a bird-watchers paradise, a number of
animals considered rare in Zimbabwe occur in this ecosystem. These include the
pangolin, wild dog, bat-eared fox, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, roan antelope and
nyala. It is the only park in Zimbabwe that has the diminutive suni. This tiny
and elegant rufus-brown creature has moderately long ears that seem almost
transparent. A shy and secretive browser, it lives exclusively in dry sand
forest areas and is found only at the confluence of the Save (pronounced
Sah-vie) and Runde rivers in Gonerezhou. Though seldom seen, it is unlikely to
cause a stir if you do spot one, being roughly the size of a fox-terrier and of
unremarkable features. The elephants that gave their mane to the area are known
for their small body size and, in the bulls, relatively large tusks. They have
earned the reputation of being among the most irascible and aggressive of their
species.
SAVE CONSERVANCY
Stretching north from the Gonarezhou up
the east side of the Save valley lie a number of large ranches which until ten
years ago were predominantly raising cattle. Owners of these ranches have been
forced by a declining cattle economy to convert to wildlife use as their main
source of income. Common interest and the wide open spaces needed for wildlife
populations have resulted in the formation of the Save Conservancy now
comprising over 20 members. The crowing achievement of this conservancy was the
reintroduction of state-owned black rhino from the Zambezi valley in the mid
1990's. Safari hunting and upmarket game viewing in a large number of scattered
private game lodges provide the main sources of revenue. This conservancy
concept has spread to many other areas of Zimbabwe's privately owned game areas.
A good lodge to stay at is the Malilangwe Private Nature Reserve which has two
lodges.
ZAMBEZI VALLEY and MANA POOLS
Between Zimbabwe and Zambia the
Zambezi River has carved a deep broad valley through some of Africa's oldest
rocks. In its recent past it has sliced into eight succeeding basalt chasms to
form the broad majestic sweep of Victoria Falls as movement of the earth caused
cracks and ruptures to appear. With each new route, the old lip of the falls
became the new gorge. Winding its way through the narrow channel of these
gorges, it spills out into an area of mud stone and shale, to be dammed at
Kariba Gorge. Here it spreads into an man-made lake so heavy that it has caused
tectonic movement in the ock substrate. Expelled by the huge turbines that drive
the hydro-electric scheme for the entire country, it finally finds it's way into
sandstone, carving a valley floor so vast that at times the opposite bank, now a
steep escarpment thousands of feet high, is blue and smudged by distance.
This area of flat valley floor and abrupt great-rift walls is the region
most often referred to as the Zambezi Valley. It is an area of heart-stopping
beauty, vast sweeping savannas graced with stately trees, backed by the distant
fringe of the escarpment, heron blue in the soft air. Well watered and much of
it inaccessible, it is a natural haven for wildlife. Between Kariba and the
Mozambique border all of the Zimbabwe side of the valley is devoted to wildlife
use of one kind or another.
Over many years the Zambezi River has cut its channel slowly northward into Zambia, leaving a series of old channels and river terraces on the Zimbabwe side, where there are now countless pools and small ponds, which is where the park got its name, Mana Pools. Mana Pools National Park, a million hectares in extent, is the main attraction for game viewing, but the entire length of the river from Kariba Gorge to Kanyemba on the Mozambique border provides endless opportunities for canoeing, fishing, game viewing, and simple inert gazing. From a true wilderness 20 years ago this is now a busy recreational river - luckily it's too shallow for industrial transport. Once famed as being the last redoubt of the black rhino, the remnants of this species have now been removed to the safer confines of private conservancies. Flanked by wildlife areas set aside for safari hunting, Mana Pools is renowned for its glorious views of elephants in the tall stately parkland of the Zambezi flood plain, the much browsed undergrowth allowing vistas for kilometres between the giant trees. The park has four camp sites, and is a really great park for the do-it-yourself camper since it's possibly the least restrictive of all the parks, visitors being allowed to walk as freely they would in un-proclaimed bush, despite the presence of the more dangerous animals. However, care should betaken as accidents do occur; there have been incidents of canoes (and canoeists) destroyed by hippo, and sleeping under the stars more than once resulted in the sleeper being claimed as a prize by a passing hyena. The park is increasingly being opened to upmarket international visitors by the provision of neighbouring luxury bush camps and lodges on the Zambezi like those at Chikwenya and Ruckomechi. The park is only open seasonally, between the beginning of May and the end of October. During September and October this area has the highest concentration of wildlife in Zimbabwe. In recent years there has been a tremendous growth in canoe safari operations. These companies organise guided canoe trails down the Zambezi from Kariba in the west to Kanyemba in the east - or any portion in between. Each trip is accompanied by well-trained, competent and experienced guides, and is an incredible way to experience the river at first hand.
LAKE
KARIBA
Lake Kariba on the Zambezi River is a unique place of outlandish
beauty: a great man-made inland sea nestled amongst drowned mountains, the
bone-white limbs of dead trees still reaching up from the water like pleading
hands. These stark relics of the wilderness that was inundated for the
production of hydro-electric power in the late 1950's are a photographer's
delight. The water covers nearly 6 000 square kilometres and is surrounded
predominantly by wilderness areas with an abundance of wildlife. The Zimbabwe
side of the lake has about 1 000 kilometres of shoreline, baked African fjords
with placid backwaters and numerous islands. Often elephants can be seen
swimming between the shore and islands, a sight perhaps unique to Lake Kariba.
Game viewing by boat is a popular activity, since it provides an unusual and
effective way of approaching land-based animals without causing alarm - to both
the animals and the tourists. Crocodile and hippo abound so swimming and water
sports generally are not an option. Some suggest that swimming in the deepest
water is safe, but many would disagree. There is a four-day wilderness
water-safari from Bumi Hills, where guests are accommodated in twin bed mini
house-boats and fed on a central kitchen-dining boat, ferrying themselves
between the two by canoe. From here guided game viewing on foot into the
Matusadona National Park provides a different immediate experience of the
wilderness.
Matusadona National Park
Matusadona National Park lies
on the south-eastern shore, and is accessible by boat or aircraft. There is a
rough seasonally passable access road from the south. Sprawling across 1407
square kilometres between the Ume and the Sanyati rivers, the park is a tumble
of wooded mountains spilling down from the uninhabited plateau to the creeks and
bays of the lake. The Sanyati Gorge is particularly spectacular, and is
navigable for 12 kilometres. Camping facilities are available at Tashinga on the
Ume River and Elephant Point.
Charara Safari Area
This area
stretches over 1700 square kilometres from the outskirts of Kariba Village and
has a network of unsurfaced roads. Game viewing on foot is allowed, if the
necessary permit is obtained from the warden. Viewing is reputed to be good,
especially in the late afternoon. With the close proximity of the village, there
is no lodge accommodation for visitors in the park. However, there are camping
and caravan sites at the mouth of the Nyanyana River some 28 kilometres from
Kariba.
Ferry Trips
For tourists with limited time to spare, a ferry
trip along the length of the lake is most appealing. Daily trips run between the
towns of Kariba in the north and Binga in the south. Kariba town was initially
built to house the workforce needed to build the dam wall in 1956, and has now a
permanent population. It is also popular as a holiday resort, like a little
Riviera at the head of the lake. It's the base for the many house-boats that are
such a typical sight on Lake Kariba.
Houseboats
There are many of
these floating houseboats available for charter, if a floating or fishing
holiday appeals. Some houseboats have special swimming cages which allow the
visitor to bathe in complete safety. Small tender boats accompany the houseboats
to allow for close-up game viewing, angling, or just exploring the shoreline.
The lake is home to the famed tigerfish, a fighting game fish that offers an
excellent challenge. Vundu, bottle nose, barbel and several types of bream are
also among the 42 species of fish found there. Commercial fishing for kapenta
(the Lake Tanganyika sardine, Limnothrissa miodon) is a feature of the Lake, and
provides a vitally important source of protein for both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
MATUSADONA NATIONAL PARK
Situated on the southern shore of Lake
Kariba and bounded on the east by the Sanyati Gorge and the west by the Umi
river, this scenic 600 square mile park has an abundance of elephant, Kudu,
impala and buffalo. Game viewing by boat near shore, fishing and walking safaris
are available.
HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
Named for a sub-chief of the Rozvi
tribe, who were all slaughtered by the Matabele chief Mzilikazi, Hwange National
Park is Zimbabwe's oldest, largest and best known game reserve. It is regarded
as one of the finest conservation areas in Africa. Only a quarter of the area is
accessible to visitors in the more diverse and interesting northern part of the
park. Covering just over 14,600 square kilometres and bordered by Botswana in
the west and the railway line to Bulawayo in the east, this huge park has a
relatively low rainfall of between 570 and 650 mm per annum. Covered centuries
ago by wind-blown Kalahari sands, most of the area consists of scattered
woodland scrub and grassland in an endless mosaic. In the north where the
ancient sand cap thins to a clay and basalt layer are large natural pans, with
granite outcrops among extensive mopane woodland. During the dry winter months
the game relies on man-made water-holes, dams and boreholes where vast herds of
elephants and buffalos come to drink. Both black and white rhinos have been
reintroduced to the area, and large herds of sable and eland can be seen, and
the rare roan antelope. Lion and spotted hyena are found throughout the park,
and although leopards are common, they are rarely seen. The park affords a large
enough area for African wild dogs, one of the continent's most endangered
predators. Crocodiles are present in some of the larger waterholes and the
northern river systems. In the dry winter months some hours spent watching
quietly at a waterhole can be more rewarding than driving around searching for
game, as most species will come to drink during the day. There are large hides
at several waterholes. More than 400 bird species have been recorded in Hwange,
and bird watching in summer when they are most active is particularly good. The
three camps, Main Camp, Sinamatella and Robin's Camp, offer escorted walks, and
this is where the real joy of a Zimbabwean bush experience begins. Moonlit game
viewing from Main Camp is also popular. Robin's Camp has one and two bedroom
chalets; Main Camp and Sinamatella have one and two bedroom chalets, cottages
and lodges, as well as a restaurant and a shop each. There are three other small
"exclusive" camps with a variety of accommodation. In addition private tour
operators have their own camps within the reserve which are available only to
their particular clients. Hwange Safari Lodge lies outside the park and offers
luxury accommodation and tours. There is an airstrip at Main Camp. Hwange
National Park Aerodrome is close to the Safari Lodge, and takes scheduled
flights. Within the park is a network of almost 500 kilometres of game viewing
roads, mostly of hardened gravel. Some sections may be closed in the rainy
season. The undeniable pleasure of Hwange is that it is considerably wilder than
it's rather larger South African competitor, the Kruger National Park, and has
fewer visitors. The camps too are much smaller are more intimate. This leads to
a greater sense of wilderness, which, together with the traditionally
superlative quality of Zimbabwe's game guides, give an experience of wild Africa
seldom bettered.
COMMUNAL AREAS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME FOR INDIGENOUS
RESOURCES (CAMPFIRE)
As a tourist or potential tourist to wildlife
destinations in Zimbabwe you will be interested to know where the money you
spend is going. Zimbabwe believes in making wildlife pay for itself. It has
legislation which grants the right to the utilisation of wildlife and natural
resources to those who live on the land - whether a private land-owner or
lessee, or the traditional community which has always lived there. In the 1980's
a programme based on the rationale that communities will invest in environmental
conservation if they can see tangible benefits in so doing, was implemented by
the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. Called CAMPFIRE as an acronym for
Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources, it aimed to
develop and manage sustainable wildlife utilisation in communal areas by placing
the custody of and responsibility for resources with the resident communities
who would gain direct cash benefits from their use. In essence, CAMPFIRE is
simple: rural communities conserve their own wildlife and other natural
resources. National Park authorities advise them regarding what they should use
and what the off-take for the year should be. The community then 'sells' that
off-take, either directly or through a third party - usually a safari or hunting
operator. The aim is sustainable utilisation of natural resources in the
interests of conservation and the relief of human poverty. And it works! One
elephant, for example, is worth ZW$63 000 - a huge amount to a poor rural
community. And Zimbabwe has an over abundance of elephants, not only are there
sufficient to be hunted, but in many areas the population actually needs
reduction. This means that revenue generated by hunting safaris, tourism,
photographic safaris, rafting licences, and the sale of hides, skins, wood and
so on, will find it's way into the coffers of either commercial land-owners, or
those local communities who have these resources on their land. Roughly 80% of
Zimbabwe's communal lands which have the space and the habitat for wildlife are
engaged in CAMPFIRE. Beneath this encouraging success lies one basic fact: wild
animals are worth money. And they are worth it, dead or alive. If hunting were
to stop, or if the value of animals was otherwise to be reduced (by stopping the
sale of trophies, for example), the incentive for CAMPFIRE would be removed.
Zimbabwe's spectacular reserves of game would once again be threatened, and the
present abundance would come to an end, only to be replaced by cattle and goats
which almost invariably end up destroying the resource base on which they
depend. As a tourist to Zimbabwe's wildlife areas, you are helping to support
conservation, which in turn is keeping the environment intact and healthy for
future generations.
THE GREAT ZIMBABWE MONUMENT
Located 247 miles
south of Harare stand the brooding stone ruins of the ancient city state names
Great Zimbabwe. For years the ruins were know as one of Africa's greatest
mysteries, as their origin and purpose baffled scientists through out the world.
Only recently have archaeologists proposed that Great Zimbabwe was built and
inhabited by African people between 13th and 15th centuries. The complex once
occupied several square miles and is thought to have contained a population of
over 10,000 inhabitants. Fortified by a flourishing gold trade with Arab and
Muslim merchants, it is believed to have begun its decline in the late 15th
century due to agricultural overuse of the natural environment. When the gold
trade trickled to a a halt by the end of the 18th century, the entire culture
was dissolved. The ruins are dominated by the Acropolis, Valley of the Ruins,
Temple and Conical tower - all examples of the incredible skill and tremendous
labour put forth by these ancient builders. The ruins are easily explored by
foot and the Great Zimbabwe Sun Hotel is located only a few minutes walk from
the complex entrance.
BEST TIME TO GO
Zimbabwe is an all year
round destination but for special interest group: High adventure enthusiasts,
white water rafting is most exciting when the Zambezi waters are low which is
generally from August to December. Best botanical months to visit the famous
Vumba Botanical Gardens are Dec - May when the vegetation is lush and green,
also when most plants are in flower.
BORDER POSTS
ROAD:
Zimbabwe / Botswana
Kazangula (Vic Falls / Kasane)
Plumtree (Bulawayo /
Maun)
ROAD: Zimbabwe / South Africa
Beitbridge (Bulawayo, Harare /
Joburg)
Zimbabwe to South Africa/Botswana
Beit Bridge 06h00 to 20h00
daily
Plumtree 06h00 to 18h00 daily
Mpandamatenga 08h00 to 16h00
daily
Kazangula 06h00 to 18h00 daily
Zimbabwe to Mozambique
Mutare
06h00 to 18h00 daily
Nyampanda 06h00 to 18h00 daily
Zimbabwe to Zambia
Chirundu 06h00 to 18h00 daily
Kariba 06h00 to 18h00 daily
Victoria
Falls 06h00 to 18h00 daily
BANKS
Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday 08h00-15h00
Wednesdays 08h00-13h00
Saturdays
08h00-11h30
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Travellers arriving in
Zimbabwe from infected areas are required to posses valid vaccination
certificates against cholera and yellow fever. It is essential that you take
malaria prophylactics before entering Zimbabwe. The best is to contact your
pharmacist or doctor in this regard. It is not advisable to use the water in
Zimbabwe for drinking or swimming. However water in the town and hotels
(including swimming pools) is purified and therefore safe. With the exception of
children younger than one year, all travellers arriving in Zimbabwe from
infected areas are requested to possess valid vaccination certificates against
cholera and yellow fever. While in Zimbabwe, visitors are advised not to use
water in any river or dams for swimming and drinking as it may be infected with
bilharzia. Needless to say, all water in towns, hotels and swimming pools
originates from purified central water supplies or boreholes and is, therefore,
safe. If you plan to visit low-lying areas such as Hwange, Victoria Falls,
Kariba, Gonarezhou and the Zambezi Valley, it is advisable to take a course of
anti-malaria tablets as a simple precaution. Remember to consult a doctor before
entering Zimbabwe.
Malaria:
Visitors are reminded that malaria can
still be contracted even when a prophylaxis has been taken. The safest option is
to try and prevent mosquito bites by taking the following steps: -Apply insect
repellent to any exposed skin, -wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved
shirts, long trousers and socks at dusk and at night, - use mosquito coils,
candles, mats and nets - Use soap that contains mosquito repellent - Avoid
places close to water at night Each country has its own health requirements and
potential tourists should therefore check the health requirements of their own
country before entering Zimbabwe. They are also advised to obtain vaccination
certificates, if required, for their return home.
MEDICAL
SERVICES
Zimbabwe does not have a national health welfare scheme. It is
therefore advisable to obtain good medical insurance prior to arrival. It is
also wise to bring with you, any medicines which you may require since you will
not have access to pharmacies in many of the areas which you may be
visiting.
CURRENCY
Zimbabwe's unit currency is the Zimbabwe
Dollar and is divided into 100 cents. Any amount of foreign currency brought
into the country, must be declared to customs upon entry to you will be unable
to re -export your bank notes. Master, Visa and American Express credit cards
are accepted at most tourist hotels, restaurants and shops. Please note that US$
100.00 bills cannot be exchanged.
LANGUAGES
English is the
official language of Zimbabwe. Other widely spoken languages are Chishona and
Sindebele, which also have various dialects and other minority languages that
include the following:
Sotho and Nambya - South Western border with
Botswana
Shangani - South Eastern
Venda - Southern border with
SA
Chewa, Nyanja - Mining towns
Tonga - Zambezi Valley.
CULTURE
AND RELIGION
Zimbabwe is a multi-racial society where people of all
nationalities live in harmony. The majority of this widely spread and friendly
populations, more specifically in urban areas, have a Westernised lifestyle. In
country areas, however, there are many African traditions that have been
preserved, with the people remaining friendly and accustomed to the presence of
visitors. Despite Zimbabwe's vibrant cities, the countryside retains a deep hold
on the nation's consciousness. Only one in four lives in the 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 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.
SHOPPING
Most stores are open from 08h00 Monday
to Friday. Closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday. Good buys are
articles made from Zimbabwe Copper and jewellery made from semiprecious
gemstones.
DRIVING IN ZIMBABWE
International driving permits
and valid driving licences issued in Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Namibia,
Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland are valid in Zimbabwe. A visitor from any other
country may, for 90 days or more (depending on the country of issue), use a
valid driving licence issued by the competent authority in that country. Road
rules: Drive on the left-hand side of the road and give way to traffic
approaching from the right at uncontrolled intersections. The general speed
limit in Zimbabwe is 100 km/h on open roads and 60 km/h in urban areas. Watch
the road signs.
LOCAL FOOD AND WINE
Start with an inspiring
range of snacks, from madora/ mancimbi (mopani worms), roast groundnuts and
boiled mielie to biltong. Sample Zimbabwe's staple traditional mielies sadza
(thick porridge) and mungha sudza (millet). Why not try our popular soups of
nhedzi (wild mushroom), muboora (pumpkin leaves) and game soup alongside a
variety of other locally made soups. Enjoy wild game meat dishes varying from
impala and warthog to ostrich steak, eland stroganoff and crocodile tail in
cheese sauce. Spruce up your appetite by treating yourself to our local fish
dishes, which include Nyanga trout, Kariba bream and Kapenta (fresh and dry
small fish).
ELECTRICITY
Zimbabwe's power consumption is
currently growing at a rate of 6%. The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority
(ZESA) undertakes the general transmission, distribution and supply of
electricity. Power is generated from Kariba South (66W), Hwange (thermal 920W),
old thermal stations in Harare, Munyati and Bulawayo (376W) with private
generators contributing 5MW to the total of 1 966W. Additional power is imported
from South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Firewood, coal and solar energy are used mostly by the rural folk. The country
electricity supply is 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Most of Zimbabwe's rural areas are
now electrified under the Government's Rural Electrification
Programme.
WATER
The water in the main centres is generally
safe, but it may be safer to drink bottled water to avoid any ailments you may
pick up, if you are sensitive.
SAFETY
Zimbabweans are known for
their hospitality and friendliness towards each other and visitors alike.
Although all Zimbabweans are very helpful, it is always advisable to be cautious
when dealing with strangers. If you need help, be on the lookout for anyone
wearing a ZIMHOST badge, as they are the best people to ask. Police officers can
also be very helpful and are easily identified by their uniforms, although some
may be plainclothes police. Like anywhere in the world, valuables should always
be safeguarded or left in the hotel safe box.
Source: http://www.africantravel.com
TRAVEL TOOLS
GEOGRAPHY
The country is situated just south of the Equator bordering the Indian
Ocean and is 930,704 sq. km. in area. Of this, inland waters cover
53,000-sq. km. and 247,537-sq. km. is devoted to the protection of
wildlife. Most of the land area of the country falls within the central
plateau region, although the most distinctive feature is the Great Rift
Valley with its associated series of lakes from Nyasa in the south, to
Tanganyika in the west and Victoria in the north. Volcanic activity is
common throughout the Rift Valley area. The coastline comprises long
tropical beaches and the major offshore islands of Zanzibar, Mafia and
Pemba. The population presently occupying Tanzania is about 30,3
million. Approximately 3,2 people per square kilometre.
HISTORY
If the cultural and historical aspects of Tanzania are what hold your
interest, there is no better place to start than the capital, Dar es
Salaam, which means 'haven of peace' in Arabic. A whole tapestry of
history is played out in the architecture and streets of this city with
fantastic mosques, traditional and busy Indian bazaars. For an insight
into present lifestyles, which still follow a tradition as old as
Africa itself, visit the Kariakoo Market where every variety of
vegetable, fish and livestock is on sale, along with a fascinating
range of traditional medicines and spices. An even better window is the
Nyumba ya Sanaa, a local handicraft centre where you can buy anything
in the line of painting, pottery, carvings or batlik fabric designs.
Just north of Dar es Salaam is the former capital of the country, Bagamayo. The name is said to be derived from the cry of slaves brought here for sale and transport, and means 'Here I lay down my heart'. The sombre history of this once great city is evidenced by the remnants of the slave trade - shackle rings, cell-like stone pits in which the slaves were kept and the rare examples of freedom certificates.
On a more optimistic note, this was also the starting point for many of history's most famous explorers. David Livingstone is especially well remembered here in the museum collection at the Catholic Mission, but Burton and Speke also passed through this city and Stanley's own house still stands here as a monument to those great adventurers.
ECONOMY
As one of the best-established economies in Africa, Tanzania has a well
developed infrastructure and many investment opportunities. The main
activity in the country is agriculture, but the industrial base is also
developing towards manufacturing. Mining is also a very important
sector, as well as tourism which is one of the strongest growing
sectors.
CLIMATE
The entire country falls into a tropical region. Coastal areas area
warm and humid whereas central regions are warm and dry. Mountain
altitudes have cool weather. The main rainy season runs from March to
May except around the north-western highland regions, which are cooler
than the rest of the country. Here the rains appear from November to
December and again from February to May. Tanzania is a land without
winter. Temperatures in northern Tanzania range between 60F-70F during
the day and 40F-50F at night, from May to October. From November to
March the daytime temperature varies from 70F-90F and from 60F-75F at
night.
MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS
There are two main cities in Tanzania. The first and biggest is Dar es
Salaam which is the commercial capital. The second largest is Dodoma
and serves as the administrative capital of the country.
MAJOR NATIONAL PARKS / GAME RESERVES / AREAS OF INTEREST
NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
Declared a World Heritage Site the Ngorongoro crater is remnant of an
ancient volcanic peak, which once dominated the surrounding landscape
and formed its lava plains in the vicinity. Today it is completely
inactive and the plains are covered by soil and vegetation and is the
preserve of 25 000 larger mammals, including the Big Five. The
spectacular variety of wildlife and the vast number of animals in this
area can hold you spellbound for days. Transformed by the passage of
time into a natural Eden known as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of
about 8 000 square kilometres, its serene beauty includes Lake Eyasi in
the south and the world famous Olduvai gorge where Dr Louis Leakey
discovered the remains of Australopithecus boisei, established Africa's
claim to be the 'cradle of humankind'. There is a museum of
palaentology, as well as guided tours, which will fascinate the visitor
for hours.
To the north are the Gol Mountains and just beyond them lies Lake Natron, one of the strangest environments in the world. Heated not only by the brilliant sunshine but also by volcanic vents from the foot of mount Ol Doinyo Lengai, the lake has natural hot water in which a huge variety of creatures flourished. The Ngorongoro area is the homeland of the Masai people who share a symbiotic relationship with the herds of cattle they take care of. With their tall stature, striking traditional dress and a history of on e of the most demanding rites of passage ever documented - young men were expected to kill a lion single-handed, armed only with a spear, they area surely one of the most distinctive of the surviving tribal cultures on earth.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK
The park is found 125kms West of Arusha town, Southeast of the
Ngorongoro Crater, below the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley in
Northern Tanzania. The park is 330sq. kms of which 230 kms is covered
by Lake Manyara. The most eminent wildlife at Manyara are the tree
climbing lions, elephant, zebra, hartebeest, impala, hippos and
millions of birds - countless pelicans and flamingos.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The park lies in a high plateau between the Ngorongoro highlands and
the Kenya / Tanzania border, and extends almost to Lake Victoria
covering an area of 14 763sq. kms. It comprises of a huge preserved
ecosystem of Africa and one of the most breathtaking events in the
animal kingdom - the migration of thousands of wildebeest and zebras
that takes place every year. This spectacle sees more than one million
wildebeest, 200 000 zebras, and 300 000 gazelles trek to new grazing
lands. The Serengeti National Park contains an estimated three million
large animals and over 400 bird species. Other animals are lion, eland,
hartebeest, giraffe, cheetah and leopard.
TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
The park lies South of an unrivalled landscape of open plains of the
Maasai land, Southeast of Manyara in Northern Tanzania and covers 2
600sq. kms. It is famous for its dense wildlife population. Tarangire
is most impressive between June and November, when herds of animals
crowd around the permanent waters of the Tarangire River. It is also
prominent for its zebras, elephant, hartebeest, buffaloes, waterbuck,
gazelles, oryx and innumerable bird life.
SELOUS GAME RESERVE
This is the largest protected wildlife area in Africa, situated in the
Southern part of Tanzania covering an area of 55 000sq. kms. It
possesses a diverse landscape of hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes
and channels from the great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers. Selous is famous
for its elephants and hippo's. Other animals are buffalo, eland,
bushbuck, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, lion, wildebeest, leopard and
spotted hyena. There are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as
crocodiles and various snakes.
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
This is a pristine and untouched park covering an area of 12 950sq.
kms. This is the second largest park in Tanzania and is situated 140
kms from Iringa town in Tanzania. The Great Ruaha River is an amazing
sight in the Park with goliath herons, hippo and crocodiles found
there. There are about 1000 elephants, 30 000 buffalo, 20 000 zebras
and may prides of lion and leopards, together with more than 400 bird
species.
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Arusha National Park offers a variety of environments from full forest
to swamp and grassland areas, which are home to elephant, hippo,
buffalo and giraffe as well as leopard, hyena, the black and white
colobus monkey and 400 species of migratory and indigenous birdlife.
Tarangire, near to the town of Arusha, is a well-populated wildlife
area, which guarantees easier sightings of animals on game drives. Lake
Manyara is, like Lake Natron to the north, a soda lake where the
combination of sun, volcanic activity and a high mineral content in the
water has made for special adaptations by the wildlife of the area.
MOUNT KILIMANJARO
According to local legend, is the home of an angry god who guards
against intruders. The summit of Kilimanjaro can be reached by a route
that is a steep walk, rather than a mountaineer's ascent, which takes
about six days to achieve. Only the last part is arduous, as a result
of the lack of oxygen at this altitude. The view from the peak is
incomparable but the entire climb presents an ever-changing series of
natural environments from tropical rainforests to an eerie world of ice
and snow - which contains the only permanent glaciers in Africa.
ZANZIBAR
Zanzibar is part of the United Republic of Tanzania. First and
foremost, this island is a place of history and the signs of its long
past have not been obscured by the appearance of five-star hotels and
world-class tourist resorts. The actual story of Zanzibar goes back
many misty legends, preserved only in the songs and oral tradition of
the area. The island has been inhabited for millennia, initially by
local African people who found a fertile refuge here from the invasions
of other cultures with the sea as their protection. Until the last 500
years or so the local population was undisturbed although frequently
visited by traders from far off places. The most important of these
were Arab traders and settlers from the Arabian peninsula and Persia.
The Sultan of Oman set his palace in Zanzibar and brought most of the
Omani nation with him. The Omani were slave traders and such was the
market for this terrible trade that they accumulated vast wealth in the
process. Today, along with luxury hotels, sandy beaches, crystal sea
and lush vegetation of the interior, the island and particularly
Zanzibar town itself, contains living reminders of all this history.
This is not just a place to visit for its beauty. It is a place to stop and contemplate all the vast tapestries of history, which has shaped every human being on earth. From the shanty town of Ngkimbo, to Stone Town - the oldest part of the city, to the palace of the Sultan and on into the country villages where fishing and farming continue in the same way they have for thousands of years, Zanzibar is full of beauty and surprises. There is no better place in the world to get away from it all and still be immersed in a society from the pages of history.
BEST TIME TO GO
The best time to go is traditionally July - February. The classic
safari from July to September, as this is when the Mara provides one of
nature's most dramatic spectacles, the annual migration of over a
million wildebeest and zebras, teeming from the south to cross the Mara
river into the Masai Mara National Reserve. The stunning Savannah
streches on forever. In the vast landscape you can see Cheetah the
fastest animal in the world, chasing Antelope and Gazelle. In the Mara
river Hippos bathe, and on the banks, Crocodiles sun themselves. One of
the world's very special places.
As East Africa's plains fade yellow after the summer's rains, an ancient signal is sent to millions of beast as one, the horizon blurring with the bodies of 1.4 million wildebeest and 200 000 zebra, eland and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa's great predators. This is the migration - one of the most awe-inspiring sights on earth.
The migration has its origin on Tanzania's southern Serengeti plains, where great herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle gather to graze on the rain-ripened grass in January. But by the end of May the depleted plains are unable to sustain them - and an ancient impulse commands them to move. Like iron filings being drawn by a magnet, the great herds sweep north towards the Masai-Mara plains of Kenya.
By July the herds have amassed along the swollen Mara River - their final barrier from the short, sweet grasses ahead. With wild eyes, they plunge in to face the crocodiles which await them. Many who struggle through the deadly flotilla are drowned, or else weakened, falling prey to ambushing lions. This is the dramatic life-and-death struggle that travelers have come to see. Between June and October the herds total 1.4 million beasts in the Masai Mara (Kenya) . Here the green grass of the Mara-plains nourishes them - until the arrival of the November rains, calling them back south again. Back on the rain-sweetened Serengeti grasslands, the pregnant females give birth in spontaneous profusion. The circle of life is completed.
BANKS
The following banks are represented in the main centres around
Tanzania: Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered, Exim Bank and a number of
local banks.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Visitors should have an International Certificate of Vaccination
against Yellow Fever. Anti-malaria tablets are recommended and are to
be taken a few days prior to arrival, during your stay, and for a short
period after returning. Precautions against other tropical diseases
should be taken - we suggest you consult your doctor or local travel
clinic.
MEDICAL SERVICES
There some reputable clinics in Dar es Salaam, but you are advised to
take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover you in the event you
need it.
CURRENCY
There is no restriction on the importation of foreign currency. The
import or the export of Tanzanian shillings is prohibited. Visitors can
change their foreign currency at any of the Bureaux de Change which
give a better rate than the banks, and at certain hotels. This money
can be used for personal expenses like shopping, meals and drinks in
town restaurants or safari lodges. Note that USD notes printed PRIOR to
1990 are often not accepted. We recommend a combination of cash and
travelers cheques, preferably in small denomination notes - otherwise
you will end up carrying large wadges of Shillings around!
LANGUAGES
English and Kiswahili are the official languages, although there are
more than 120 tribal languages spoken in remote areas which fall into
at least three major language groups: Bantu, Nilo-Hamitic and Khoisan.
CULTURE AND RELIGION
Local people are generally friendly and particularly welcoming to any
visitor who can command a couple of worlds in Swahili. For the more
adventurous traveller, there are many rituals, cermonies and festivals
of traditional music, which are well worth experiencing. There are
large numbers of Muslims, Christians and Hindus as well as a strong
following of traditional African beliefs in country areas.
SHOPPING
Tanzania is a friendly country, and there are many shop outlets geared
to tourists which sell a wide range of curios, clothing, wood carvings
and Masaai handmade jewelleries. However, as with any city/town, please
be VERY careful when shopping, do not wander around at night in towns
(use taxis), and do not leave valuables in hotel rooms etc. Lock up in
safes where available.
LOCAL FOOD AND WINE
The sheer variety of African and Muslim cuisine is too large to
catalogue and changes from one region to the next. The parts not to be
missed, though, are the spicy and sweet specialities in Dar es Salaam
and Zanzibar. The local population eat a lot of maize meal as well as
rice. There is also host of local beers specific to the various tribes,
but the most common is "Mbege" from the Chagga Tribe.
ELECTRICITY
The electricity is mainly generated by hydropower in Tanzania. The main
supply is 240V AC, 50Hz. Wall plugs can be either round or square pin
types.
WATER
Tap water is not reliable in Tanzania and should be treated. To be safe
rather just drink bottled mineral water which is readily available.
SAFETY
As indicated under "shopping", Tanzania is a friendly country. However,
as with any city/town, please be VERY careful when shopping, do not
wander around at night in towns (use taxis), and do not leave valuables
in hotel rooms etc. Lock up in safes where available.
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
Recent Comments
-
public said:
christian louboutin christian louboutin boots christian louboutin sale christian louboutin shoes Classic Louboutin louboutin sale louboutin new louboutin shoes Mainstream... read more
on Swaziland Part 2 of 2 -
louboutin said:
Christian Louboutin PinkChristian Louboutin BlackChristian Louboutin WhiteChristian Louboutin BlueChristian Louboutin YellowClassic Christian LouboutinChristian Louboutin BootsCheap Christian LouboutinChristian Louboutin ShoesChristian Louboutin... read more
on GETAWAY - SEPT 93 THE MACHAME ROUTE
Fashion editor Belinda White, said: "Christian Louboutin classic black high-heeled shoes are a popular women's shoes, which they feel sexy.... read more
on GETAWAY - SEPT 93 THE MACHAME ROUTE