Zimbabwe

From MaxTravelz

Zimbabwe is a country in Southern Africa. It is landlocked and is surrounded by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east and north.

Although the country is landlocked, its great rivers are used for transport. The Zambezi forms the natural riverine boundary with Zambia and when in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water. The falls have been a major tourist attraction.

Once known as the Breadbasket of Africa, in recent times Zimbabwe has undergone a politically induced economic depression. Due to political activities, many commercial farms have been taken out of large-scale production and redistributed to small-scale farmers. Press freedoms have been curtailed and law and order has been compromised by armed gangs.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 2.1 Ports and harbors 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 History 4.2 Climate 4.3 Terrain 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By car 5.2.1 From South Africa 5.3 By bus 5.4 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact

Regions

Administrative divisions 

8 provinces:

• Manicaland
• Mashonaland Central
• Mashonaland East
• Mashonaland West
• Masvingo
• Matabeleland North
• Matabeleland South
• Midlands

Cities

• Harare - Capital
• Bulawayo -
• Victoria Falls

Ports and harbors

• Binga
• Kariba

Other destinations

• Victoria Falls is a popular tourist destination. For specific information on getting in, sleeping, dining, activities, etc., see either Livingstone (located in Zambia) or Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).

• - the archeological remains of a Southern African ancient city, located in present-day Zimbabwe which was once the centre of a vast empire known as the Munhumutapa Empire (also called Monomotapa Empire) covering the modern states of Zimbabwe (which took its name from this city) and Mozambique.

• The Eastern Highlands include some of Zimbabwe's most beautiful views. The lush, cloud-hung mountains form the border with Mozambique. The regional capital is Mutare, and Chimanimani is a village popular with tourists and walkers.

Understand

History

Stone cities were built in many locations in present-day Zimbabwe. The most impressive structures and the best known of these, Great Zimbabwe, were built in the 15th century, but people had been living on the site from about 400 AD.

British invaders under the British South Africa Company took control of and settled parts of Zimbabwe from around 1900, calling it Southern Rhodesia.

The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the British South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority. UN sanctions and a guerrilla struggle finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980.

Robert Mugabe was the first leader of Zimbabwe, and initially pursued a policy of reconciliation towards the white population, but severity towards regions which had supported a competing guerilla group (ZAPU). From 2000, Mugabe has instituted a policy of massive land redistribution and of "national service" camps, which are suspected of political indoctrination. In recent years, the economy has shrunk 30%, inflation has shot up to over 200%, informal homes and businesses have been destroyed, and there have been shortages of food and fuel. Zimbabweans of all colours have been leaving the country in large numbers. The prospects of change seem remote at present.

Climate

Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March). Although there are recurring droughts, floods and severe storms are rare.

Terrain

Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east.

Elevation extremes : lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Get in

By plane

Harare International Airport has a number of international flights, mainly to other African countries. When coming from Europe you can fly directly with Air Zimbabwe or the better choice British Airways . However, a good option is to fly with South African Airways via Johannesburg. SAA operates to quite a few European airports and has many flights to South Africa and other African destinations. When coming from South Africa you can also use the no-frills airline Kulula.com .

By car

Zimbabwe is accessible by road from the countries that surround it.

From South Africa

The N1 highway from South Africa will take you from Cape Town via Bloemfontein and Johannesburg/Pretoria right to Harare. Please note that this is a Toll Road, meaning that you have to pay a certain fee to use it, especially when coming closer to Zimbabwe. You can reach the N1 from nearly anywhere in South Africa, as it goes straight through the country.

By bus

Regular deluxe bus services operate from Johannesburg to Harare.

Overlander tours have begun to avoid traversing the country since 2001, and may visit Victoria falls and then continue via Zambia or Botswana.

By boat

Because it is landlocked, there is no way you can get into Zimbabwe by boat. Along the Zambezi you have the Cabora Bassa Dam that blocks the Zambezi river route.

Get around

Talk

Languages 

English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Buy

The official currency is the Zimbabwean dollar. The official exchange rate is ever-increasing (check right before you go due to rampant inflation), at the moment 99,202.00 Zim dollars for 1 US dollar. Unofficial black market rates are always significantly higher and also fluctuate rapidly; at the time this was written (2006-02-13), it was closer to 200,000:1. You may only legally exchange forex at official selling points (else you risk being arrested), but you can offer to pay for goods and services in foreign currency and will likely receive a much-better deal without any substantial risk. In such cases, US dollars are your best bet; bring lots of small bills as no one will be able to give you change in forex.

Haggling for a better price is common, but keep in mind that most people are very poor so don't try to abuse their desperation.

Eat

For a sample of what Zimbabweans eat (in some form, nearly every day), ask for "sadza and stew." The stew part will be familiar, served over a large portion of sadza - a thick ground corn paste (vaguely like polenta and the consistency of thick mashed potatoes) that locals eat at virtually every meal. It's inexpensive, quite tasty and VERY filling.

If you want to really impress your African hosts, eat it how they do: take a golfball-sized portion of the sadza in one hand and kneed it into a ball, then use your thumb to push a small indentation into it and use that to scoop up a bit of stew before popping it into your mouth.

For extra credit, clap your hands together twice gently when it (or anything else for that matter) is served to say "thank you." Trust me: they'll be very impressed!

Drink

A variety of domestic brews are made in Zimbabwe, mainly European-style lagers with a few milk stouts mixed in for good measure. If you're feeling very adventurous, you may want to try the unusual "beer" that most locals drink, a thick, milky beverage known as Chibuku - guaranteed to be unlike anything you've ever tasted outside of Africa. It is generally sold in a 2 litre plastic bottle called a 'skud' but is often decanted into a plastic bucket after a good shake. Beware, however: it's definitely an acquired taste!

Imported drinks and locally made franchises are available as well as local soft drinks. If you are offered Mazoe, this is the local orange squash (or other fruit flavour). Bottled water is also available. Tap water is of variable quality, depending on the area and source. In Bulawayo it is usually excellent. However this depends on whether there is water in the reservoirs, as there are sometimes water cuts in order to divert water to areas that are low.

Sleep

There are various hotels and motels in the town. If you are on a safari tour there are chalets and camping sites in most of the safaris areas. Several hotels have international partnerships, such a Meikles Hotel, Crown Monomotapa Hotel, Holiday Inn in Harare and Bulawayo.

You also have access to lodges in the towns.

Learn

Work

the woman do most of the farm and labor

Stay safe

Given the political and economic instability in the country, travellers to Zimbabwe should take care with their personal security and safety. However, on the whole the country remains very safe for foreign visitors (certainly more so than Johannesburg, for example) and you are likely to find it very welcoming and quite inexpensive. Simply exercise the same caution and sensitivity you would as a relatively well-heeled tourist travelling in any very poor country. And don't forget to tip; times are tough for locals, and they depend on your generosity.

Stay healthy

In the current economic situation many medicines are in short supply, so you are strongly advised to take all medications with you. Private doctors, hospitals and pharmacies are of a good professional standard in the towns, although specialist medicine or surgery may require a visit to South Africa. Again, however, current circumstances may severely restrict medical supplies.

HIV/AIDS is very common in Zimbabwe. Assume everyone you meet, regardless of race or gender, is HIV positive, and take precautions accordingly. Wear rubber gloves when dressing someone else's cut, even if they are a child, and obviously never, ever have unprotected sex. If you form a serious relationship, consider both going for an HIV test before taking things further.

Malaria is prevalent, so unless you are going to stay entirely within Harare or Bulawayo, anti-malarials are advised. Drugs reduce the severity of the disease but don't prevent infection, so also consider precautions such as:

• sleeping under a mosquito net (lightweight travel nets are comparatively cool to use)
• using mosquito repellent on the skin or burning mosquito coils
• wearing long sleeved clothing and long trousers, particularly in the evening

Bilharzia is present in some lakes. Ask locally before bathing.

Snakes are common in the bush, and most bites are on the foot or lower leg. If walking, particularly in long grass, wear proper boots and either long, loose trousers or thick, concertinaed hiking socks. Shake out boots and shoes in the morning, in case you have a guest. These precautions also reduce the chance of scorpion sting. If you do get bitten or stung, stay calm. Try to identify the exact culprit, but get to medical assistance as rapidly as you can without undue exertion. Many bites and stings are non-fatal even if not treated, but it is safer to seek treatment, which is very effective these days.

Respect

Clapping twice is an accepted "thank you", especially when someone is handing you something (food, a purchase). If one hand is full you can clap the free hand on your chest. As in Asia, taking items passed to you with both hands is polite.

When shaking hands or handing anything valuable to someone, it is polite to support the right forearm with the left hand (or vice versa), to signify the "weight" of the gift or honour. In practice this often means just touching the forearm, or even gesturing towards it.

Contact

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