Friendly Zimbabwe - Updated

Advantages: Friendly people, great exchange rate if you've got £'s
Disadvantages: Possible threat to foreign nationals

...Being a British woman who lived in Zimbabwe for 2 1/2yrs, only returning to the UK in April '00, I can sadly no longer recommed visiting Zimbabwe, at the present moment in time. Despite everything you hear on the news about racism and the blacks hating the whites, it simply isn't true. I married a Black Zimbabwean so they can't be that bad! However, President Mugabe has now stated publicly that he "cannot guarantee the safety of diplomats or foreign aid workers based there". Now while he dooesn't state tourists in this statement his small, but trusty, band of violent supporters may well attack any white (or foreigner) without asking what their business is. I must state that I do not know how badly affected the Tourist areas such as Vitoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe have been affected. Therefore if you do decided to travel to Zimbabwe...

Gwenick 04.09.2000 (02.05.2001) · Read review
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Review of General: Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

Advantages: Unique and fascinating sight, plenty to explore
Disadvantages: Climb to Hill Complex is quite steep, can be very hot

...The name Zimbabwe is derived from the Shona word for 'houses of stone' and was historically used to refer to the places where rulers would live or be buried. There are many such 'zimbabwes' around this region of the country but Great Zimbabwe is the largest. It was built and developed over a period of approximately 400 years between 1100 AD and 1500 AD. When Rhodesia became independent in 1980, the country took its new name from the historic site. Little detail is known of the origins of Great Zimbabwe and theories submitted in the past were usually based on the politics of the day rather than any historical evidence. Indeed, the European explorers and archeologists could not believe that such a place could be built by local natives. However, we now know that the site was definitely the work of the local native people. Visiting...

stuartmelvin 20.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Great Zimbabwe National Monument

Are We There Yet?

Advantages: the cabin crew is very friendly...
Disadvantages: boring music offered, no T.V on board, not enough milk and sugar for the tea etc

...Air Zimbabwe is a Zimbabwean airline which operates both domestic and international. Domestically it operates in Big cities such as Harare, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo etc. Internationally it operates in countries such as England, China, Egypt etc. However nowadays due to the country's economy corruption the services to other various countries and cities has been limited and some services have been stopped. I used air Zimbabwe once when I went to Zimbabwe for a holiday for three weeks. I used air Zimbabwe because it is the only non-stop plane to Zimbabwe and is cheaper compared to other airlines that travel to Zimbabwe such as Kenya airways, BA, Egypt Airways, KLM etc. However, because I live in England the only airport that air Zimbabwe operates at is Gatwick airport, which I don't have a problem with as I live two minutes drive...

shaaza 28.07.2008 (31.07.2008) · Read review
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Review of Air Zimbabwe

Showing signs of improvement

Advantages: Good one day side
Disadvantages: Have lost influential players

...Just as Sri Lanka were when they had entered Test Cricket in 1981/2, Zimbabwe entered the test arena as the whipping boys. Mind you England's failure to beat them in Harare in 1996/7 showed that they had got some resilience. In recent times they have troubled the West Indies, and showed a certain degree of resilience against England, having been initially humbled. They still remain the bogey team for England, although this summer's NatWest triangular series has hopefully shattered this. Unfortunately Zimbabwe are losing the services of Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin, and with the number of injury stricken bowlers they have, then things promise to be difficult, and this also with the current situation in Zimbabwe, which must prey heavily on the players' minds....

Morgenhund 02.09.2000 · Read review
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Review of Zimbabwe

Playing to their strengths

Advantages: Team spirit
Disadvantages: Lack of genuine test talent

...Zimbabwe are in an unfortunate position. If they win a match, they are branded as lucky, or the opposing team is deemed to have lost the match. On paper the team is ordinary, but on the field, working as a unit, it is clear to see that the whole is greater than the sum of all the parts. I wonder how good they could be now with a focused Graeme Hick playing for his own country, given a long run in the side. Perhaps it is the fact that Zimbabwe has to cope with so few test players at its disposal, competing with the same 15 or so players season after season. Perhaps England could learn from this and limit selection to around 16 players in a year....

northers 11.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Zimbabwe

Boring....most definitely

Advantages: playing them at test level is an instant confidence boost
Disadvantages: soooooo boring

...In the knowledge that Zimbabwe have already qualified for the final of the Nat West Triangular tournament, it may seem strange that I am criticising them. However, I find them to be the most boring side in international cricket. Besides Heath Streak, their bowling attack is useless. Johnson, Whittal, Strang, Strang, Olonga and Viljeon would struggle to fit into most county sides. Their aim is not to bowl you out; they only get wickets by the batsman getting himself out. Similar to the equally mundane Glousteshire, they aim to bowl as slow as possible so you can't get the ball of the square, and then rush through their overs as possible, hoping that their batsmen will be able to knock of the runs. Although this is currently proving successful, it makes for a boring game, defeating the whole point of providing entertainment for the paying...

mintboy 20.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Zimbabwe

The Smoke that Thunders

Advantages: breathtaking
Disadvantages: lack of decent toilets

...Into the northwest of Zimbabwe runs the Zambezi River. This great river enters Zimbabwe from Zambia in an astounding manner. It crashes over one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world - Victoria Falls. David Livingstone was the first outsider to stumble across this incredible nature feature and reported it to the world in 1860, naming it after his Queen - Victoria. However, the 'natives' had already given it a name - Mosi-oa-Tunya - meaning The Smoke that Thunders. This is a very apt name which they gave it as the roar of the falls can be heard from the town of Victoria Falls which is situated about 15mins walk away. The spray - or smoke as they described it - can be seen from miles away as the water falls 100m into a deep gorge. The falls themselves are situated in their own National Park, protecting them from...

Gwenick 18.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)

Memories of Mavuradhona

Advantages: Absolute freedom! Absolute quiet!
Disadvantages: no mod-cons such as electricity

...Gee.. where to start... What a tranquil place!! Mavuradhona is similar to Kariba, excepting there is no water.. Unfortunately, I dont have any photographs of our trip to show you just how peaceful this area of Zimbabwe actually is. There are loads of elephant and other wildlife. If you like walking, there are plenty of hills to climb and the views from the tops are out of this world... The temperatures can soar to around about 40 degrees celcius and the air becomes very humid and muggy.. Accommodation is very primitive and the "bedrooms" are miniature A-frames with thatched roofs and are only big enough to sleep one couple with a small kiddie in the middle.. The beds are mattresses on the raised decking which are very comfortable nonetheless.. Self catering, you have to ensure you have enough ice and a large enough cooler...

auntyrottie 13.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Mayuradonha Wilderness (Zimbabwe)

Gweru,walking with lions

Advantages: Hard to beat walking with lions!
Disadvantages: A little pricey.

...would follow. They did. They were beautiful and their feet were so big! Both of them were about 7 months old, and they were about thigh high to us. As we walked, the sun began to set, and the lions wove their way between us. We sat down occasionally and the cubs would come over to us and play, or chew grass held out to them or just sit on our laps! It was unbelievable, just trying to imagine that these beautiful ?tame? creatures could take your face off with one swipe of there plate like paw! Just sitting in the bush with a beautiful sunset, bright red clouds and the last warm rays of the sun with a lion cub lying next to me, is an experience I will never forget. It firmly set my love of Zimbabwe. After about an hour and a half of walking and playing we went back to the enclosure, but not before Bandit had run off with my camera...

LeilaR 12.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of General: Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls

Advantages: spectacular world-class sight, lots of things to do
Disadvantages: town is tourist trap - unlike rest of the country

...Victoria Falls is the number one destination for most visitors to Zimbabwe (or indeed Southern Africa) and must surely be one of the most memorable sights in the world. The Zambezi River expands to an incredible width of over a mile before thundering 100 metres down a sheer chasm and into turbulent white waters. Before reaching the falls, the river is a peaceful place with palm-dotted islands scattered throughout the water. The area around the falls is rainforest fed by the constant spray from the falls. Rainbows can be seen from all angles. Viewing of the falls is done from within the Victoria Falls National Park where you can see antelope, vervet monkey, warthog and banded mongoose living amid the spray. Beyond the falls, the river winds its way down the gorge and provides some of the best white water rafting in the world. Finally, it...

stuartmelvin 20.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of General: Zimbabwe