I bumped into the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority‘s #ZimBhoFestiveSeason #UripiUngaphi campaign and I was inspired to encourage other people to #VisitZimbabwe. For us to invigorate the domestic tourism industry in Zimbabwe, we must first rebrand vacations/holidays/tourism from being an unattainable luxury to accessible recreation and leisure. I used to think that travelling is expensive. It wasn’t even an option in my wildest dreams.
We are no longer children, we need to grow old and up. We need to give ourselves the things our parents couldn’t before we become parents. My main goal in my adulthood has been to make my inner child happy, to give myself things that childhood me would be very proud of.
When I was in Grade 7, Coghlan Primary School would send outgoing Grade 7’s on a trip. When it was our turn, we went to see the Victoria Falls. We stayed at the Sprayview hotel in chalets. I have fond memories of that experience. Unfortunately, growing up and adulting took away my wanderlust.
We took time to #VisitMasvingo and it was magnificent. My parents took me there when we were little because my aunt was working at the Flambouyant Hotel. I remember being so amazed by Wimpy. I was 8 years old. We went sight seeing and although I forgot chunks of those memories, I will never forget how I felt. The feeling of experiencing new things and sharing those with my loving family. The experience is forever engraved into me. When I speak of the good old days, these are the days I am referring to. We need to invest more into experiences.
At my big age, I’m low key agoraphobic. I wasn’t excited when my husband booked us a trip to Masvingo. I have already seen the Great Zimbabwe and as far as I know, it hasn’t been redone. We hired a car and drove down to Masvingo. I had the pleasure of creating a #LocalisLekker Zimbabwean music playlist. I don’t have a licence so it’s the least I could do.
We stayed at Glenlivet Resort, it was nestled deep into the mountains. The views were spectacular and the air was refreshingly clean. It was quiet. We got to unwind and relax. The food was great, the portions were more than generous. We went to go see the Great Zimbabwe, this is when I realised how old I really am. For some reason I assumed the Great Zimbabwe was just The Great Enclosure, nope! I went on a hike unsuspectingly. It was steep. It was hot. But was it worth it? Absolutely it was. I’m afraid of heights so I didn’t enjoy the hike. My knees would get weak. I crawled up the steps most of the way. At some point, I begged them to just leave me behind. They wouldn’t. I didn’t appreciate their patience at all.
After that near brush with death, we went to the museum. I love the effort that they put into the museum. The guide was quite the storyteller. I didn’t know how many Zimbabwean birds they’ve been. We ended the tour at the Great Enclosure. What a magnificent structure! I was enamoured with all of it. What a sight! I didn’t know that the conical tower was actually between two trees. Yes, I know very little about the Great Zimbabwe apparently.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thembiterry/video/7290639783653690629?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7291566169185945093
We left to go for a boat ride on Lake Mutirikwi but the Captain wasn’t available so I didn’t get to go on that ride. We drove across the dam and it was mesmerising. There was plenty work being done in that area but it was still stunning. We had the option of walking but heights and I aren’t friends. We went to Sikato Lion Enclosure (video above) to see the lions because I’m obsessed with lions. This place was well maintained. I’ll give ZimParks that much. I also found one of the best (also the safest) views of the Lake. I saw a hippo! That’s where we shot the video below.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thembiterry/video/7289097284615277829?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7291566169185945093
We booked this trip through one of those platforms that offer travel packages. We had to choose between the Masvingo, Nyanga and Victoria Falls packages. I chose Masvingo randomly. We will be doing the other two packages and I will let you know how that goes. It’s time to #VisitZimbabwe. Start small by visiting the tourism spots in your city. You can then progress to researching travel packages that are available and saving up for those. I can’t explain the feeling of watching Lake Mutirikwi. It was truly stunning. It really be the little things. My soul was still. I was calm. I was happy. The best things in life are truly free because I didn’t have to pay to admire the Lake and that was definitely the highlight of my trip.
Look out for more #VisitZimbabwe content as my husband and I continue to explore Zimbabwe’s beauty together.
