TravelVoice Journal - Into Africa ... (sorry Meryl) Part 1.

Into Africa ... (sorry Meryl) Part 1.

Zimbabwe
Parks & Scenic Wonders

by Trevor Sinclair.

There is something special about a safari in the timeless landscapes of Africa. There is, of course, the feeling of leaving a world fashioned by man to return to the wilds and the domain of nature, where the simple act of survival transcends all other considerations. But there is something else that makes it particularly exciting.

A safari is unpredictable and full of anticipation, it is not simply a sightseeing trip. No one can guarantee what will be the highlight for you. It may be a baby elephant wallowing in a mud pool, a leopard in full flight, a cheeta regally surveying the plains from a rocky outcrop or a huge silverback gorilla charging through the dense undergrowth.

Whatever the highlight of your African adventure, you will thrill to the sights and sounds of the African bush, and the surprises that lurk around each bend in the trail. Join an African safari and you'll come away changed by the experience.

The cascades at Victoria Falls are one of the natural wonders of the world, and this stopover allows you to explore the area fully. Not only are the falls themselves well worth a visit, but there are many optional activities to enjoy including rafting, canoeing and game-viewing.

On a private 40,000 hectare estate, just outside Hwange, we have discovered three stunning bush camps. Accommodation is in thatched chalets and each camp caters to just 6 people. Staying at one of the camps, you enjoy guided walks or horse trails on the reserve, and a full day of game viewing in Hwange National Park.

Zimbabwe's National Parks are unique.
To begin with, the Victoria Falls are legendary - a ferocious curtain of water seventeen hundred metres wide that plunges deep into the gorge of the Zambezi. Upstream from the falls the river is placid.

Zambezi National Park preserves 56,000 acres along the river. Fishing camps along the shore take angler out after tiger fish. Wildlife can be viewed in cruises along the river and explorations into the park's interior.

Downstream from the falls, the river offers spectacular whitewater rafting. Adventures range from a day or two to a spectacular week of rafting all the way to Lake Kariba. This huge inland is sea adorned with submarine forests, open skies and spectacular sunsets.

South of the Falls lies Hwange National Park, one of the few great elephant sanctuaries left in Africa. The park is a slice of 14,000 square kilometres that boasts over a hundred different species of animals and 400 species of birds.

Further to the south-east is Zimbabwe's "second city," Bulawayo. Outside Bulawayo rise the ancient Matopos hills, a world of knobbly granite outcrops preserved in Matopos National Park. Cecil Rhodes himself was so bewitched by the mysterious formations that he chose it as his burial place.

Giving the country its name is Great Zimbabwe.
This great medieval city was the centrepiece of a burgeoning African civilisation that lasted for several centuries. Today, this sprawling archipelago of hewn stone is the greatest archaeological site in sub-Saharan Africa.
With more than a passing resemblance to a National Geo best-of issue, Zimbabwe is a beautiful and relatively safe country to visit. The cities are bright and well-organised havens, perfect for shaking the dust from your safari suit, and the hinterlands are positively bursting with gorgeousness, both four-legged and furry, wild and winged, spiky and splashy. The joy of Zimbabwe is that, apart from the adventure playground which is Victoria Falls, the country is pristine and not overly-touristed.

Whether you're lying in a tent listening to hippo snuffle in the river nearby or shaking your booty at an all night percussion jam, there's enough elbow room to raise a bucket of chibuku to your lips and toast your good luck in being there.

Zimbabwe, a landlocked blob with a western spike, is roughly the same size as the UK with an extra Scotland thrown in. It's in south-east Africa, bordered by Mozambique to the east and north-east, Zambia over the thrashing Zambezi River to the north-west, Botswana to the south-west, and South Africa over the mighty Limpopo to the south. Four countries - Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia - meet at a single point at the country's westernmost pointy extreme. The north-west consists mostly of plateaux, characterised by bushveld dotted with small rocky outcrops and bald knob-like domes of slickrock, making for an acne-writ-large landscape. The hot dry lowveld of southern Zimbabwe is comprised mainly of level savanna, sloping almost imperceptibly towards the Limpopo River. The Eastern Highlands, straddling the Mozambique border, are Zimbabwe's main mountainous region. The highest peak is Nyangani, which rises 2592m near the northern end of the range.

The critters, crawlies and crops in Zimbabwe are mind-boggling. Elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah, hyena, jackal, monkey and antelope are amongst the wildlife grazing, gobbling, louching and lounging around the national parks. Species which are unique to Zimbabwe or found only in limited ranges elsewhere, include the rare nyala, the king cheetah and the samango monkey.

Zimbabwe is also one of Africa's last rhinoceros ranges, and both black and white rhino are present, albeit in small numbers. Zimbabwe's cutest strapling is the sausage tree, which takes its name from the immense sausage-shaped brown fruits which grow to a barbecue-busting 1m in length and 18cm in diameter. The fruit is a favourite antelope nibbly, but is also dried and turned into a paste by humans to use as an ointment. Sausage-tree cream is gaining international recognition as a cure for basal-cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer associated with ageing and prolonged exposure to the sun.

Because Zimbabwe stretches over a high plateau averaging 900m above sea level, it's not as hot as the latitude would suggest. Winter (May to October) is similar to the Mediterranean summer with warm, sunny days and cool, clear nights. It never snows, not even in the Eastern Highlands, but overnight frosts and freezing temperatures are not uncommon on the plateaux. The lowveld and the Zambezi Valley experience hotter and more humid temperatures, but in winter there's still very little rainfall. Most of Zimbabwe's rain falls in brief afternoon deluges and electrical storms in the relatively humid summer months (November to April).

Facts for Travellers

Visas: Most visitors only need a valid passport to travel to Zimbabwe for visits up to 90 days.

Health risks: Bilharzia, cholera, malaria, rabies, yellow fever.

Time: GMT plus two hours

Electricity: 220V

Weights & measures: Metric

Tourism: About 500,000 visitors per year

Money & Costs

Currency: Zimbabwe dollar (Z$)
Exchange rate: US$1 = Z$12.1, AUD$1 = Z$7.8

Although foreigners are forced to pay considerably more for goods and services than locals, Zimbabwe is still not expensive for foreigners. Inexpensive hostels are springing up around the country, national parks are still good value and food is reasonably priced.

Due to a shortage of foreign exchange, imported items are expensive, but consumer goods produced in Zimbabwe, although rarely of optimum quality, are quite affordable.

It's possible to travel on less than $20 a day if you stay in hostels or camping grounds and eat in cheap local establishments or self-cater. It's quite a financial leap to hotel accommodation: count on spending up to $50 a day for a reasonable room with private facilities and a couple of restaurant meals.

Banks are open Monday to Saturday (closed Wednesday and Saturday afternoons). All brands of travellers' cheques in US dollars or UK pounds may be easily exchanged for Zimbabwe dollars at any bank. Major international currencies are also accepted, but due to rampant counterfeiting, no-one in Zimbabwe is currently accepting US$100 notes. Informal currency exchange is illegal and not worth the risks - you're almost certainly dealing with a scammer. Credit cards are accepted by establishments catering to tourists and business people.

Tips of around 10% are expected by taxi drivers and in tourist-class hotels and restaurants. Some establishments automatically add a 10% service charge to the bill, which replaces the gratuity.

Trevor Sinclair thanks the Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment and Tourism and recommends: AFRICAM

In To Africa ... Part 2.

By Michael Webb

South Africa is probably not on the top of many lists for romantic getaways but it should be. I recently spent two weeks there and it certainly was more amazing and romantic than we ever imagined.

We spent the first week of our vacation traveling throughout the Kruger National Park which includes a 100 mile wide strip along the north eastern part of the county. It is perhaps the foremost wildlife preserve in the world.

We rented a small car and took in the sights at our own pace. Within the park are a dozen camp sites with very comfortable accommodations.

Seeing the animals in their natural habitat changes a person. No matter how many zoos you have visited or nature films you have seen, it can�t really prepare you for when a two story giraffe gingerly walks right in front of your car or a herd of elephants begin to encircle your tiny rental vehicle. The long drives through the "countryside" were truly romantic for Athena and me. Between spotting wildlife we had time for in-depth conversations. The sunrises and sunsets on the African plains were right out of, well, Africa.

On the other side of South Africa is where we spent our second week. We stayed in the small town of Stellenbosch, about a 30 minute drive from Cape Town. This region is the wine making area of South Africa and rivals California�s Napa Valley with its beauty and fine wines.

Perhaps best of all was that most everything in South Africa is about one third the cost of the U.S. We would both have gourmet three course lunches and a glass of wine at a different winery each day for less than $15. Our accommodations at a lovely cottage on a horse farm was under $40 a night. We were able to spoil ourselves there like we could never afford to at home.

It might be expensive to get to South Africa, but once you arrive, your money will go far and so will your romance.

Michael Webb is an internationally known expert on relationships and romance and an avid traveller. He is editor of The RoMANtic Newsletter: Hundreds of Tips for Fun & Creative Romance which has nearly 10,000 subscribers around the world and has been praised in hundreds of publications from Family Circle to the Washington Post. His bi-weekly The RoMANtic syndicated column is circulated in over 50 publications with a readership in excess of 5 million people.

For more information visit TheRoMANtic.com .

Trevor Sinclair
September 1999

Oh Savannah

Trevor Sinclair
June 2003

By Trevor Sinclair

My oh so patient partner and I arrived in Savannah after an extremely tedious drive from Atlanta. Trucks, eighteen-wheelers, trucks, trucks and more trucks. If I�d known more I would have flown. With ticket prices under $50 it�s gotta be worth it. The drive along the Interstate is very lush green and somewhat pretty, but it�s not as though there�s anywhere to stop, apart from finding the most wonderful fresh fruit in the small town of Dudley�somewhere off the freeway past Macon.

Into Africa ... (sorry Meryl) Part 1.

In To Africa ... Part 2.

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