Baobab Tree, near Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa
Gliding through the calm waters of Lake Kariba on the comfortable Sea Lion is a must-do when travelling Zimbabwe. Starting in Mlibizi, the boat sails north, close to the shore and later past islands. Hard to believe that those were once small hills… Continue Reading →
We spotted the supermarket right away when we pulled into Mlibizi… Not that there are many other buildings! Eager to buy supplies for dinner we found mainly empty shelves. This is what it must have been like until 2009. All that was available was cleaning material, but hardly any food. We grabbed the last 3 beer bottles, proudly walking away with our little prey. Even the ladies at the little market nearby had nothing to sell but dried fish and cabbage. Nevertheless, they had an advice: “Ask the lady at Mlibizi Resort”. True enough, the manager’s wife provided us with the ingredients for our spaghetti sauce, all for free. She also explained the empty shelves: once goods are available, people simply buy them and store them. Continue Reading →
Helicopter Flight over Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa
A mind-boggling array of adventure activities has developed around Victoria Falls, like Abseiling, Flying Fox, Gorge Swing, the most popular being Whitewater Rafting and Bungee Jumping.
In December 2011, an Australian girl survived a plunge from the platform on the bridge although the rope tore. Head first, she plummeted into the Zambezi River rushing below. With her feet still tied together, she miraculously was able to pull herself to safety onto the rocks with only a few bruises… Continue Reading →
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa
“Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”, Livingstone is quoted saying when he first set eye on what the local Makololo people called “The Smoke That Thunders”. Could he really guess in 1855 that one day thundering helicopters would take tourists high up in the sky to get that angel’s view? Livingstone, who was taken there in a dugout canoe, was lucky to arrive in November. During peak flow from March to May, the falls are completely obscured by the massive spray. Continue Reading →
African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Nyamandhlovu Pan, Hwange National Park (Main Camp Area), Zimbabwe, Africa
Near Sinamattela Camp, on the western fringes of Hwange National Park, we enjoyed the best game viewing. Two evenings in a row, we watched about 200 elephants gather at the Masuma Dam waterhole, the bigger ones shoving, pushing and trumpeting for a good position. Cheeky baby elephants sneaked underneath big bellies, curious what the commotion was all about. Continue Reading →
African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), Nyamandhlovu Pan, Hwange National Park (Main Camp Area), Zimbabwe, Africa
Once Hwange National Park was declared a National Reserve in 1929 one thing became clear soon. To support a stock of game on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, a permanent water supply was needed, especially during the dry season. Over 60 holes were drilled, the water pumped up by noisy diesel powered pumps. Although the animals can roam freely around this park the size of Belgium, they have become dependent of the water holes maintained by the ZimParks Authorities. Unfortunately, suffering from lack of funding, many of these pans stay dry, due to broken pumps or the lack of diesel. Continue Reading →
Mpopoma Dam, Whovi Wilderness Area, Matopos or Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa
Game is very rare in this park, even in the Whovi Wilderness Area, the fenced in game viewing section. We were extremely motivated to spot one of the supposedly 30 Rhinos that still roam in this area and hired a ranger. But we had to accept that one giraffe and a few rock dassies would be all the wildlife on this otherwise most pleasant walking tour … Continue Reading →
Rock Paintings, Nswatugi Cave, Matopos or Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa
Rock paintings are Matobo’s other and for some even main attraction. Early San people (bushman) created these precise, delicate and above all realistic drawings of game and hunters. How long they have been up there is a subject of scientific discussion, somewhere between 2.000 and 10.000 years.
Some caves can be easily accessed, others are more time consuming. Continue Reading →
Kopje or Balacing Rocks, Matopos or Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa
Matobo National Park got its name from the Ndebele King Mzilikazi, who compared the balancing rocks to an assembly of elders from his tribe. The small hills (kopje) are adorned with stunning rock formations, spires, domes and large boulders defying gravity. No wonder King Mzilikazi wanted to be buried in this amazing place. Continue Reading →
Market in Bulawayo…
Deserted best describes the region stretching between Beitbridge and Bulawayo: no traffic on an excellent road, none of the typical caravans of people walking and carrying heavy loads, no herds of animals. We passed one non-descript sad looking town but apart from that it was flat, parched countryside dotted with small trees and bushes that were about to lose their last dry leaves. Continue Reading →
