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Growing up in Zimbabwe we saw affluent people, mostly whites, going on holiday with boats attached to their cars.
Everyone knows the famous resorts, Vic Falls, Nyanga and Kariba because these places are famous tourist attractions, they are a bit pricey, and not everyone can afford to visit them.
However, Zimbabwe is blessed with other equally majestic places that one can visit on a tight budget and still enjoy the vacation without holding back.
Searching for adventurous activities in Harare can be quite an arduous task for both foreign and local tourists.
However, a subsidiary of hospitality giant Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), Heritage Expeditions Africa (HExA) the domestic tour operations wing, opened its doors recently, could bring the sunshine factor back to the city with their packages covering adventure, wildlife, historical and cultural experiences.
With the capital having lost its lustre over the years, many would think all that is left are scenes of chaos brought by overpopulation and the feeble service delivery, but a Heritage Expeditions Africa (HExA) could be adequate to dismantle that thought.
Harare is the country’s capital which surprises many visitors with its beautiful resort areas, alluring tourist gems and it is rich in history.
A haven for wondrous wildlife, the city is encompassed by sprawling African plains and spectacular scenery home to giraffes, lions, wildebeests and more.
Harare has some great museums and majestic gardens too, travellers can easily lose themselves for days in this busy, dynamic and charming places.
Heritage specialises in providing packages covering adventure, wildlife, historical and cultural experiences for both domestic and international tourists.
The highlights of the inner city tour include the Kopje Skyline view, historical buildings along Robert Mugabe Road, Mbare Township, Mukuvisi Woodlands, Harare Gardens, Epworth Balancing rocks, Harare Kopje, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, National Art Gallery, Africa Unity Square and National Botanical Gardens.
There are some of Harare’s historical and tourist destination which many may just bypass and don’t even know of them, these include:
Harare Skyline View (Harare Kopje).
A potential tourist destination Harare Kopje is lying in a state of neglect as all forms of litter and vandalism has rendered the sights an eyesore.
History records that the Harare Kopje provided the best view of buffalo plains, although the plains no longer harbour herd of buffalos and other wildlife, the hill doe offer best panoramic view of the capital city.
The Kopje was founded on 1890, it was the residence for the local ethnic group, Mbare people under Chief Mbare who had lived there for quite a long time.
Fort Salisbury as it became known later on belonged at that time to Chief Gutsa’s people who had taken possession of the Kopje from Chief Mbare.
This is one gem in Harare which many who were born in 90s do not know of, and one can actually visit this place to know more about our history as Zimbabweans.
Mbare Township
Mbare is one of Harare’s oldest townships and for decades it has been stereotyped for all the wrong vices ranging from robbery, petty thieving, prostitution and all sorts of misdemeanours.
It has been a destination for a lot of international visitors because of its history and favourable cultural attributes such as its Arts and Crafts centres.
Mbare became a melting pot of the cultures of the various African people settled in the suburb and township tours now being conducted to that suburb expose to the visitor a rich cultural heritage of the people living in Mbare and of the various trades conducted in the suburb’s environs with Mbare musika as the hub of the economy of the residents there as well as of others benefiting from the trade in various commodities at that market.
Various trades that are plied in Mbare Musika, the heart of the economy of the residents have the capability to generate interest from tourists.
Africa Unity Square
Africa Unity Square in the heart of the Harare Central Business District is another historical place for the foreign tourists not to miss.
For it was in that unique spot in Zimbabwe’s capital with Jacaranda trees in full bloom in summer where the colonial Union Jack flag fluttered for the foreign visitor’s attention, before freedom came to Zimbabwe in 1980.
Epworth Balancing Rocks
Balancing rocks can be found in many places in Zimbabwe, but these are probably the most famous. They are located 13km southeast of Harare, off Chiremba Road.
Although the Epworth balancing rocks are not as extensive as Domboshava, or Ngomakurira in the Harare area, they are well-known locally because one of the strange granite formations appears on the old Zimbabwean dollar notes issued during the period of hyper-inflation.
There are some enigmatic San rock art sites worth visiting. They are in excellent condition and give a good idea of the original paint colours and the fine lines the San painters were capable of drawing on the granite surfaces.
The rocks were declared a National monument in 1994 and according to the National Museum and Monuments website they symbolize the peace and stability of the nation’s economy.
Harare Gardens
This is the city’s largest park and a popular spot with locals to hang out. There is an island-like stand of rainforest with its miniature Victoria Falls and Zambezi Gorge, one can actually get a glimpse of what Victoria Falls looks like just by visiting the site.
Pioneer Cemetery
Harare Pioneer Cemetery is a large town cemetery with two separate plots both marked by a cross of sacrifice.
The Pioneer Cemetery is located some few kilometres away from the CBD along Simon Mazorodze Road just after flyover.
Amongst the graves are sixty six of the Rhodesia Native Regiment, the BSAC police and the Harare Cremation Memorial commemorating a single Royal Air Force casualty of the Second World War. There are twenty seven Commonwealth burials of the 1914 to 1918 war and further two hundred and twenty four Commonwealth burials of the 1939 to 1945 war in the cemetery.– Lifestyle Writer/Wires
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