Zim is Back

I recently attended a very inspirational presentation on Zimbabwe at the Wilderness Safaris office in Johannesburg.  Getting there on time during a wild Highveld thunderstorm was somewhat interesting.  Living here, we all love the smell of an African storm and never complain about the much needed rain, but trying to avoid the many potholes and staying as calm as possible with most of the traffic lights out of order ….eesh!  By the time I got to the presentation, my mind was ready to be whisked off to the stunning plains of Zimbabwe and that it was.

The presentation “Original Zimbabwe” was given by a number of key players in the hospitality and tourism industry in Zim.  They came with a strong message - ZIM IS BACK - and they wanted the world to know. As each presenter spoke, I was struck by their strong sense of pride, loyalty and passion.  They have each invested so much of their own money and time into communities, game reserves and the like - pulling Zim back up into the African tourism spotlight where it belongs.   For me, this was very exciting being reassured by those in-the-know and, afterwards, I couldn’t wait to get out there and sell Zim in every itinerary I sent out.  All my own memories of this country came flooding back right there and then watching these beautiful scenes come up on the screen (with Chardonnay and canapés in hand, it has to be said -Wilderness Safaris always do hospitality so well). 

I remember my first trip to Zimbabwe (with new boyfriend Dave) as a cash-strapped student many

My first view of the majestic Vic Falls

years ago.  The two of us had decided to do a three week self-drive camping trip through Botswana and Zim on a strict budget.  By the time we arrived at Victoria Falls, we were so tired of pretending to enjoy one tin of baked beans on dry bread rolls for dinner followed by brittle biltong that we decided to treat ourselves and headed to the Elephant Hills Casino just to see a bit of luxury.  We tried our best to blend in with the other guests but truthfully we couldn’t afford anything more than a coke between the two of us.  Having never gambled in my life, I tried my last R10.00 on the slot machine, much to Dave’s horror as that R10.00 was for next day’s food (it was nearly the end of our fledgling relationship).  Can you believe it…that machine gurgled to life and with bright disco lights flashing, it spat out a bag of coins.  Even Lady Luck was smiling upon our visit.  Convinced this was now a sign to thoroughly enjoy what the country had to offer and we could afford to do a bit more, we settled the exorbitant amount in dollars to go white water rafting down the mighty Zambezi River with Shearwater the following day.  

That's us...'bobbing' along the Zambezi

I can tell you that I remember nothing of the apparently amazing scenery down the Zambezi Valley that day as I had my eyes squeezed shut for most of it.  According to my fellow ‘braveheart’, Dave, I screamed most of the way like a real ‘girlie’ (so much for impressing the new man in my life) and frightened away the baboons, much to the amusement of our raft leader who looked like Tarzan. What I do remember is being tipped out of the raft into the swirling green waters of the mighty Zambezi which threatened to swallow me up.  Luckily for me, Tarzan was having none of that and hauled me back in each time, quite calmly and effortlessly I have to say, as if this was his normal day picking up screaming tourists from the ravages of the river. This all said, I have to admit that I found white water rafting on the Zambezi the most exhilarating experience I have ever had and very professionally done.  I recommend it to all you intrepid travellers out there – those with a strong sense of adventure and a few nerves of steel. 

My next visit a few years later was much more sedate but no less exciting.  I was working in London at the time for an African travel company and this was an educational visit together with a group of English travel agents.  It was quite fascinating seeing Zimbabwe through their eyes – they loved every minute of it.  It was blisteringly hot during our visit though- so hot that we were constantly given salt tablets for rehydration efforts and our English guests were certainly “pink in face”.  Our visit took us briefly through Victoria Falls where I was shoved off the road because Mugabe’s motorcade was coming past.  However, there were no dry bread rolls in sight for me this time as we stayed at the grand old lady herself, the colonial Victoria Falls Hotel.  To this day, I believe she retains her class and charm and so I have booked myself a stay for later this year – a treat for my husband, Dave, who still associates Vic Falls with dry bread rolls from our camping trip those many years ago. 

With our English guests, we then headed to The Hide and Little Makalolo, camps in Hwange

Elephant enjoying the water in front of Makalolo

National Park, and I remember the huge herds of elephant walking through one of our tented camps during the night to get to a waterhole in front of the camp which was pumped daily full of water - it was the only water around!   Each herd was around 100 strong but waited patiently until the previous herd had moved off and then approached the waterhole, and so they came in one herd at a time.  It was quite an extraordinary event to witness (us humans could learn a thing or two).  I didn’t feel terribly brave in my tent though – luxurious as it was – as herd after herd of elephant moved silently past my tent all night.  Eventually, exhausted, I decided to sleep against a big wooden cupboard so that if an elephant did trample through my canvas tent by mistake, I would at least be safe against a strong structure.  When I told the game rangers this story the next day, they found it extremely amusing that I would imagine such a thing (in fact, one game ranger was laughing so much at my antics that he choked on his morning cornflakes and we had to rush off and get him some water) – they who understand these gentle giants so well!

The exclusive and remote Singita Pamushana Lodge

Our tour also took us down to Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve and to the new exclusive and remote Pamushana Lodge – today safely under the Singita banner.  Since 1994, a trust was set up to protect and manage this large area and create harmony between conservation initiatives and dynamic outreach community development.   Singita now manages the Pamushana lodge on behalf of the trust.  What a success story!   Each guest who visits cannot but be touched by these efforts and the magic that goes on here in an area virtually untouched by humankind. 

After the travel agents left to go back home to ‘safer’ English shores, I spent a few more days ‘on the Zim road’ on my own.   My visit to Lake Kariba certainly stands out!  I stayed at Matusudona Water Lodge – where accommodation consisted of individual floating chalets.  You needed to paddle in your haiwatha-like canoe to and from your floating chalet to the ‘mother ship’ for meals etc – if you didn’t feel so brave, they would come and fetch you.  I was the only guest that night, so when I

Your very own "floating chalet" at Matusadona

was ready to paddle from my chalet, I rang a bell so that they could watch out for me and off I would go in my canoe telling myself that I was from Africa, I could do this.  Scary but very exciting!  After a hippo decided to pop his friendly head out across the waters just to see what I was, I decided that a few glasses of the ‘strong stuff’ was definitely in order at dinner to be brave enough to paddle back.  Lake Kariba is also the area where we went on a bush walk and quite literally stumbled upon a pride of lion.  These are the moments I marvel at the local Zim people – our ranger appeared so calm and professional, knobkerrie at the ready, and so we walked slowly backwards without the pride even bothering with us.  I, however, thought my heart was going to pump right out of my body.

And so began my love affair with Zimbabwe – my own experiences have shown that it really is the most wild, exciting and exhilarating place to visit, and I am thrilled to hear that tourism is going as strong as ever in this incredibly beautiful land with the most hospitable people.   I would pack your bags and get there as soon as you possibly can.  Tarzan at Vic Falls is waiting to toss you into the Zambezi and I will certainly listen out for you down there in the valley when Dave and I are sipping our cocktails in the colonial splendour of the Vic Falls Hotel.   ‘Cheers’ to you Zim!