EWANRIGG BOTANICAL GARDEN

A tourist in the botanical garden

Zimbabwe is a country with many tourist resort areas. Among them is the Ewanrigg Botanical Garden situated on the north-east of Harare. The magnificent place has contributed to the country's economy due to the number of tourists it has. Ewanrigg Botanical Garden is noted for its wide collection of indigenous and exotic plants and owes its origin to the late Mr. Harold Basil Christian. Mr. Christian came to the then Rhodesia in 1914 as a farmer. He later turned his attention to botany and horticulture. It was in the field of botany and in the study of the genus aloe that he made many valuable scientific contributions. Building on his success with aloes, he later turned his attention to a cycad collection. In his garden which covered, 1,5 hectares, a very comprehensive collection of aloes, cycads and many species of small succulent plants was acquired - all of which were planted with considerable care and particular attention to their physical arrangement.

Fresh lilies in water

 Some months prior to his death in 1950, he donated his garden with some additional land to the Government. The cultivated area was very small, comprising some 1.6ha. During the past 40 years, considerable development has been made. When the garden was eventually opened to the public and became widely known throughout the region, the need for expansion was identified in order to capture the interest of visitors throughout the year. With this in mind many hectares of land were brought under cultivation incorporating several features that include spacious lawns with grouped trees and shrubs, a water garden and collections of cacti and bougainvillea. 

Cacti vegitation

Progress made over the past few years has brought 100 hectares under cultivation.Ewanrigg has become widely known abroad and possibly the most favorable outcome of Mr. Christian's work has been the garden's capacity to create meaningful plant specie exchanges with other botanical gardens and numerous plant collectors as well as to create a richly endowed botanical habitat for both indigenous and exotic species. Ewanrigg has now become one of the largest aloe and cycad gardens in the world.

Community Based Tourism

Old Bulawayo

Tourists have visited Zimbabwe's rural areas for many years, although the local communities were rarely involved (or benefited from) tourism until a few pilot projects were set up by CAMPFIRE in the early 1990's. Most revenues from tourism in Zimbabwe's communal lands are generated through the leasing of sites for nature tourism, although in some cases local residents run basic tourist facilities and act as guides. Many more tourism plans are in the pipeline, including cultural tourism, bird-watching and access to natural hot springs.  Through the Zimbabwe Sun Hotels, a high-end tourism initiative was developed in the 1990s. The initiative saw the establishment of “high-cost, low-volume” game lodges located in communal lands, and mostly adjacent to National Parks in the Zambezi Valley and Southeast Lowveld. 12 such lodges were in operation by 1999. Today there are five such facilities in operation. Private interests operate these ventures under lease agreements with RDCs on behalf of communities who are the major beneficiaries. These facilities share some of the following features: High level of comfort, Range of wildlife experiences, Targeted international the high-end market. 

Tourist communal areas

In 1999-2003, CAMPFIRE Association established the CAMPFIRE Development Fund (CDF) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One of the components of the CDF was the eco-tourism initiative. It consists of “low-cost, high volume” basic overnight accommodation, rudimentary camping, day visitor cultural centres and craft shops in communal lands, which were funded through infrastructure development grants, with communities providing locally available materials and labour. 14 out of the 18 large and small tourism enterprises funded have been completed to date and are operated mostly by community trusts and/or lease agreements with the private sector. These facilities provide a diverse product offering and target market based on wilderness experience, and specialist activities such as sport fishing and bird watching.

KYLE RECREATONAL PARK

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Kyle Recreational Park is 16 900 hectares in extent. Of the total Park area, 9 300 hectares is occupied by the lake (Lake Mutirikwi) at full supply level. The dam was constructed in 1960 and that same year the Park was established. The Park itself exists as a secondary resource, the primary reason for the construction of Kyle Dam was to act as an irrigation reservoir for the lowveld farming estates. Due to the fact that Lake Mutirikwi's total annual yield of water is committed, the level of the lake is subject to considerable fluctuation.

The dam wall

The Park area is bounded on the north by the Beza Range which rises to a height of 1485m. Between this range and Lake Mutirikwi, is an undulating plain averaging 1070m above sea level. The plain terminates in an area of broken hills dividing Lake Mutirikwi into to two main areas: east and west. Four main estuaries are a feature of the lakeshore in the central section of the area. Great Zimbabwe, Africa's second largest ancient stone structure, is situated on the Southern side of the Park while Masvingo city which derives its name from the afore-mentioned ancient stone city is to the west of the Park. On the south of the lake, granite hills dominated by almost bare whalebacks of solid rock occupy the area. The Park originated from traditional communal land formerly occupied by the Basutu and Kalanga tribes.

 

The valley from the dam

The Park is home to more than 25 species of wild mammals. Some commonly sited animals include; buffalo, common duiker, eland, impala, kudu, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck, white rhinoceros, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, squirrel, blackbacked jackal, leopard, honey badger, rockdassie, hippopotamus, ostrich, crocodile and porcupine. Some of the rarer species include; antbear, bushbuck, bushpig, klipsringer, sable and steenbuck.

ZIMBABWE - A World of Wonders

 

Zimbabwe is a wonderful, friendly and welcoming destination, situated on a high plateau in Southern Africa and lies between the Zambezi and the Limpopo rivers. It is a unique and fascinating tourist destination, endowed with a lot of wonders, such as its warm and friendly people and unique culture, the mighty Victoria Falls, the Great Zimbabwe national monument, its rich history and heritage, pristine wildlife and the Lake Kariba, Matobo and the Eastern Highlands which are counted among the leading tourist attractions found in Africa. These wonders contribute immensely to the high degree of attractiveness that position the destination as a prime tourist destination in the world. It is a landlocked country, bordered by Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana. The climate is generally warm, with a daily sunshine average of seven hours all year round.

Inyanga mountains

 Zimbabwe is a plural society where people of different races live in harmony. Zimbabweans living in urban areas have a westernized lifestyle, while in the country areas many African traditions have been preserved.Sanganai/Hlanganani – World Tourism Expo is an annual Tourism Trade Fair organized by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. 

 

 

 

 

Mongoose on top of an anthill

 

 

It showcases the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products, and attracts international visitors and media from across the world. The Fair is the successor of Shanyai/Vakatshani, the Zimbabwe International Travel Expo (ZITE) that was held annually at the Harare International Conference Centre. ZITE started as a small expo in 1982 and grew over the years to become one of Africa’s leading tourism showcases by 2007. 

 

 

 

Victoria falls

The past six editions of Sanganai/ Hlanganani were a resounding success and attracted the leading African destinations and major world tourism markets such as South Africa, Botswana, Malaysia, China, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Indonesia, India, Italy and many others. The editions have seen the whole world converging in Zimbabwe in the form of high calibre international buyers as well as exhibitors. The 2014 edition will be held in the Capital city, Harare and is expected to ride on the successes gained by the previous editions and is an opportunity not to be missed.