Got the travel Bug? Here’s where you can go to rejuvenate in between classes this semester!
The Acacian Wanderlust: For the Love of Travel
Story by Jeffery Takunda Murungweni
Just imagine yourself, after an exhausting week in school, and you’re looking for that one thing to do so that you can let off some steam. Maybe you think of just laying on your bed the whole day, but it’s just not working. Or you try to play a sport or something, but still you are not getting that relaxing feeling that you’re so keen to grab hold of? Well, how about traveling as an option?
Africa University is a school that is perfectly located for the avid traveler. We are right in the heart of one of Zimbabwe’s most iconic regions tourism-wise. The Eastern Highlands is a ‘heaven-on-earth’ kind of place for anyone who has a keen tourism eye. The region boasts of impressive mountain ranges, including the highest mountain in the country, which is about 2,592m above sea level. The famous mystical Nyangani mountain ranges are some of the popular spots to visit which form the northern boundary of this region. The Eastern Highlands is also home to Zimbabwe’s highest waterfall, the Mutarazi Falls, which is Africa’s third-highest waterfall! How impressive is that?! Aside from its jaw-dropping scenery, Nyanga is also home to Zimbabwe’s trout fish farms, timber plantations and so much more!
For now let’s leave Nyanga and move down towards Honde Valley. Aside from the beautiful view of the valley, it is also home to banana plantations and gorgeous tea estates. Quite a lot of agriculture happens within this particular region and the views of the farms, fruit tree plantations and everything else are so worth it! As we proceed down from Honde Valley to the capital of the Eastern Highlands, Mutare, you will definitely notice the range of mountains that gives the region its name: the Eastern Highlands. The city of Mutare is one that is rich in history and some cool places to visit for recreational purposes. As you head to places like Vumba, you will get opportunities to see parts of Mozambique whilst you’re still in Zimbabwe! Vumba is another place to visit if you love being soaked in nature. It is home to some evergreen forests and spectacular waterfalls, aside from it being home to a castle that Queen Elizabeth (MHSRIP) once lived in when she came to Zimbabwe.
As we move west of Mutare, you will see Rusape – a small town with some of the most impressive granite rock outcrops. South of the region, we have places like Chimanimani and Chipinge, where you can peek into Mozambique because these are border towns to our eastern neighbors, Mozambique.
This was a general overview of what the Eastern Highlands holds concerning its tourist attractions. It is the start of a series: The Acacian Wanderlust, where I will share more information about the tourist destinations within the Eastern Highlands, including the fun recreational activities you can do. This travel series is supported by a digital tourism information center on a WhatsApp tourism chatbot called Trafiki Africa. Whenever you would like to discover more about tourist destinations in Zimbabwe, you can simply send a Hi to the chatbot at +263788935424 or follow the link https://wa.me/263788935424?text=Hi and interact with the bot.
If you would also like to share your reviews about some of the tourist destinations I have mentioned, please feel free to share them with me on my email: murungwenij@africau.edu and let’s create a travel community. Let’s explore the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe together as Hans Christian Andersen once said, “To travel is to live.”