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We really enjoyed our walk to the Bamata cave in the Bambata Wild Area, just north of the Whovi game Park.The landscape is very scenic with beautifull rocks. On top of the rocks we saw huge round boulders, looking as if they could roll away any moment .....
The Whuvi game Park is part of the Matobo National Park. In this game park it is possible to go around by horse.We didn't , we did the gamedrive by our bus.The Whovi Game park is known of its black rhino population. We saw a rhino-mother with her kid in the bushes just before we ended our game drive. So we were lucky in the end.In the two hours before we saw other game like impalas, klipspringers, warthogs, 3 hippos with a baby, a giraffe with a baby and 2 crocodiles.So our visit to the Whovi Wild Area was not bad at all. At this waterpool we saw a herd of wildebeasts and impalas.
The traditional huts in the reconstructed Karanga village have mud-walls with thatched roofs. The walls were decorated with geometrical forms in natural colours.Walking through the village, two people waved at us. We walked in the direction of their hut. The man and the woman were witch doctors. They could heal us from diseases or could tell something about our future. Because our bus should depart in half an hour, there was too little time left to come in their hut for a consult. So maybe the next time.
After the Great Enclosure and the Hill Complex, we walked very relaxed through the area, looking at the remains of the Valley Enclosures (13th century), towards the reconstructed village. The reconstructed Karanga village gives an idea how the common people of Great Zimbabwe have lived in their huts, while the royal family lived in stone buildings.The colorful huts looked really nice.
The hillcomplex of Great Zimbabwe is very impressive. The built structures are integrated in the natural boulders. It looks really amazing.The hillcomplex is occupied for 300 years. There are royal and ritual chambers. The most important part of the hillcomplex is the western enclosure, where two of the original ascents, the ancient path and the terrace path, converge. i liked it very much to discover the several chambers and entrances by taking narrow steps and corridors.For more pictures have a look at my travelogue.
From the area aorund the Great Enclosure we had a nice overview of the 80 M high hill, where the hillcomplex or the acropolis is situated. The hillcomplex was probably the first of the Great Zimbabwe structures to be built . We walked up hill by the easygoing modern path, signposted as ''modern path'' in 10 minutes. Along the path we saw remains of old huts.On our way back we took one of the more difficult and interesting original paths, the ancient path. Going down it was easy to walk along this path, also because we had a good overlook where to go.
Great Zimbabwe is the greatest medieval city in Sub-Saharan Africa. The city was inhabited between 1100 AD and 1500 AD with 10.000 till 20.000 inhabitants.The name Zimbabwe is meant to be from Shona origin and means houses of stone (dzimba dza mabwe) or esteemed houses (dzimba woye).There are two important parts in Great Zimbabwe, the Great Enclosure and the Hill Complex. We took enough time to visit both, but also the small museum, the remains of the smaller Valley enclosures and the reconstructed Karanga Village.
Within the huge walls of the Great Emclosure is a convex conical tower of 10 M high a bit hidden under the trees at the south-eastern end od the enclosure. This tower is object of greatest speculation, because it is not clear what this apparently ceremonial structure represented.Some speculate that it symbolized a granary, others see it as a phallic symbol or believe it was used in rainmaking ceremonies.For more pictures of the great Enclosure and Great Zimbabwe have a look at the travelogue.
The best known part of Great Zimbabwe, you see at all the pictures, is the Great Enclosure.Often this enclosure is called Great Zimbabwe itself. The enclosure has a elliptical from of 255 M circumference and 100 M across.The common people lived in huts outside the enclosures. The more important people lived in the enclosures and it's accepted that the Great Enclosure was used as a royal compound and cloister for the king's mother and senior wives of the Shona king.The influence of the king stretched into the present-day Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa.
From the Mutekeswane Base Camp we walked up hill. There was not a very clear track, but we found our way, just going up.To find your way look out for piles of stones, marking the track or signing the direction you have to go.You can find lobelia, aloe, heather and other wildflowers on you way.Allthough the Chimanimani NP isn't a wildlife park, you can see baboons and antelopes.
Ilala Lodge Victoria Falls
3 Reviews and 176 Opinions The hotel is really super, with very friendly staff. We are shown to room no. 26 on the same level...
Holiday Inn Harare Harare
1 Review and 19 Opinions
Holiday Inn Bulawayo (Milnerton Avenue ) Bulawayo
1 Review and 14 Opinions service was allright rooms are very basic, clean but a little used the restaurant was a posivtive...
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Q: What would you recommend for this forthcoming trip? I aim to spend a clubbing and fun period between Harare (28 to 30 Dec) and...
A: I haven't been to Harare but I have by accident ("The Blue Train" derailed there) stayed overnight in Bulawayo. It isn't a place I would go back to. As for the Victoria...
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