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Harare was founded by Cecil John Rhodes in 1890. The paths around the piazza and fountain are laid out in a Union Jack formation and was originally named Cecil Square – it was given its current name after Zimbabwean independence.
The Wild Is Life sanctuary on the outskirts of Harare is likely one of the highlights of anyone’s day. Also the priciest, but well worth every penny as wildlife roam free and visitors are afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see animals up close, and in a safe environment.
Arrive before 3.30pm and enjoy a guided tour of the sanctuary after which afternoon tea, champagne and canapés are served at sunset.
It’s cosy, it’s beautifully appointed and its gardens will inspire anyone with or without green fingers to go home and landscape.
Armadale Boutique Lodge (armadalelodge.com) is situated on a quiet side-street in the suburb of Borrowdale, off the busy Borrowdale Road arterial, in an old farmhouse dating back to 1904.
The rooms are spacious, yet intimate, amenities excellent and Zimbabwean hospitality is in residence here. There’s round the clock concierge and, as with most places, offers a special rate for South Africans, making it far more affordable. Zimbabwean pricing in the tourism sector is priced in three tiers – local, SADC and international rates – stimulating regional tourism and, in short, an innovative idea.
A visit to Harare is never complete without dinner, or lunch for that matter, at Gava’s. It’s a traditional cuisine eatery that could be compared to a South
African Chesa’nyama. Only, the menu is different and the flavours exquisite. Carnivores have a feast ahead of them as the freshly braaied steaks, chicken, goat or ribs are paired with some of the most delicious sides ever invented. Who would have thought that rice, mashed with peanuts, could taste so good?
If you choose chicken off any menu in Zimbabwe, make sure it’s a “roadrunner” (free range), it may be the best chicken you’ll ever
have. Dr Trouble’s chilli sauce is a must and no meal is complete without a locally brewed Bohlinger’s beer.
Harare can never be fully explored in such a brief time, but its highlights are an absolute mustsee.
Zimbabwe, and Harare, is so close to home but so different. Getting to Harare: Low-cost airline Fastjet flies several times daily between Johannesburg and Harare