Zimbabwe Harare and Midlands

Two lakeside resorts complete the list of things to do outside Harare. Lake Chivero, some 35 km (20 miles) out of town, is Harare's favourite watersports playground, complete with small game reserve which stocks giraffe and antelope and a few elusive rhino.

There are a number of accommodation options around the lake. Just beyond Chivero is Manyame Recreational Park, the fisherman's favourite, with few amenities other than camping around the dam and, if you're lucky, African salmon over an open fire.

Chinoyi Caves National Park:

Chinoyi Caves National Park is 71 km (43 miles) north of Harare and makes a pleasant lunch stop on the long hot road to Kariba and the Zambezi. The small park houses a limestone cave formed when the ground collapsed into a sinkhole.

The deep blue pool beneath is known as the 'Sleeping Pool' and to the Shona as the 'Pool of the Fallen' after the many people who, over the centuries, have lost their lives to the bottomless waters. A look at the mysterious blue pool and lunch under the trees at the adjacent Caves Motel should set you on your way again. But, should you want to spend the night, there is a camping site adjacent to the park

The Midlands:

The cooler, high-lying Midlands, south of Harare, is mining territory. Brought to the surface by ancient earthquakes, the mineral-rich deposits of the Great Dyke ensure that commerce and industry is the region's chief preoccupation.

For the adventurous tourist however, this is an area that is little visited . Isolated lakes like Sebakwe Dam and Ngezi Recreational Park provide angling and boating opportunities for those that like their outdoors undisturbed by modern conveniences. Private game conservancies offer more luxurious surroundings.

Midlands Activities:

Kwekwe:
This sleepy hollow has little for the foreign tourist and you're unlikely to find yourself here for long. If your car does happen to break down in the vicinity, Kwekwe has a very good gold-mining museum and a fine array of colonial buildings.

Fishing and hunting are the two major recreational pursuits in these parts. There is sable and leopard hunting on private farms in the area as well as a horse-riders mecca at the budget Mopani Park Farm, fifty-five kilometres from Kwekwe.

They also offer three day riding safaris to Sebakwe Dam, where, you'll find boating and fishing in usually splendid isolation. National Parks maintain the lodges and camping sites which must be pre-booked in Harare. Likewise at Ngezi Recreational Park, fishing is the primary pursuit.