GREAT ZIMBABWE RUINS To get to... and other Zimbabwe General Tips

Favorite Thing: GREAT ZIMBABWE RUINS
To get to this amazing ruins, I took a local bus from Masvingo that stopped 1 km away from the ruins.
Once there, admire the Great Enclosure, but avoid the 'touristic' village, a tourist trap. Don't miss the little museum, where you can see the stone birds that appear in bank notes, flag...
This are the ruins of the capital of the great Monomotapa Empire, which reached its climax from 1000AD to 1400AD. The Great Enclosure, (see photo), is the largest ancient structure in southern Africa. It is almost 100 meters across and 255 meters in circumference. The walls are 11 meters high in places and up to 5 meters thick. The prevailing theory is that this structure was used as a royal compound. Unfortunately, treasure hunters removed most artifacts that would confirm this theory.


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Favorite Thing: MATOPOS NATIONAL PARK
About one hour south of Bulawayo by road, are the stunning Matopos Hills. Regarded as one of Zimbabwe's major tourist attractions, these famous rocky outcrops extend across 2000 square kilometers of countryside. The massive granite boulders and gigantic rock formations are more than 3,000 million years old, creating an ancient, brooding landscape.
A focal point is Rhodes Grave (see photo) on the summit of the Hill of Benevolent Spirits. The entire area has great cultural and religious significance for the African people, but Mr. Rhodes considered that his own grave was more important than centuries of religious traditions; since then, locals don't use to come here as often.
There are hundreds of caves, many of which were home to early man, and rock painting bears testimony to the value of wildlife to the artists. There are sign posted and directions and maps are available. Despite their antiquity, many of the depictions are well preserved and very clear.


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Favorite Thing: SOME FACTS ABOUT THE FALLS
The native name of the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya - The Smoke that Thunders, derived from the towering column of spray when the Zambezi River runs high. The name is probably more appropriate and descriptive than 'Victoria', which has a far too calm and composed ring to it to do justice to the masses of thundering, swirling water of these spectacular Falls. But all Dr David Livingstone probably thought of when he named the Falls after his Queen in 1855 was his royal duty.
Five separate falls make up this incredible spectacle that plunges more than 100m into a sheer-sided chasm which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. The awe-inspiring abyss is spanned by a 1905 Edwardian bridge which links the two countries. The masses of water plunging down the Falls and into the gorge below originate from the mighty Zambezi River that meanders through more than 2,700km of African countryside. April and May are the Peak season for the falls. The dry seasons are between September and November and almost no water plunges from the falls. So you will find during the dry season a lot of the activities available have been reduced.


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