Ndeipi! Visiting Zimbabwe was special for a variety of reasons. The people and the places are so beautiful, and it was a blessing to experience. This trip was unlike most, as I did not plan any of it, and the main goal was to spend time with family.

I landed in Harare on a Saturday after a two-day flight trip. Due to covid, there were additional precautions such as required negative test results, full-body sanitization and masks in the airport. I applied for and was granted a Kaza visa, which allows entry into both Zimbabwe and Zambia to be able to cross the border in Victoria Falls, which is shared by both countries. Much to my surprise, they decided even though they granted the visa, they would not accept it due to Zambia’s border closure, so that was a thing. Spoiler alert: I did, after much debate, eventually enter with the visa.

We drove from Harare to Marondera, and I got to take in all the scenery, namely the huge logic-defying boulders stacked atop each other. It seems impossible, and I have never seen anything like it, but the country is known for, and named after, them!

From Marondera, we drove to Victoria Falls to see the waterfalls: one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The power and magnificence of the falls is hard to depict in words or photos. I’ve seen three of the seven, and each gives the familiar feeling of awe and amazement, especially considering they are a natural occurrence. It was a gorgeous day with clear skies and a perfect rainbow. Later that day, we embarked on a cruise on the Zambezi River, where we saw hippos and settled the day with a stunning, pink sunset. There are a lot of excursions and activities available around the falls: zip lining, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, gorge swinging, etc. Many of the activities were unavailable due to covid, but zip lining was available. We crossed the border into Zambia to zip over the falls back to Zimbabwe. Though I’ve zipped many times before, this is the first time I have zipped from one country to another! (Because it was a day trip, I have counted Zambia as a country visited but will wait for a future visit to make a post.) While in Victoria Falls, we visited a game park, Zambezi National Park, and rode alongside wildlife in their natural habitat. As an avid Planet Earther, this was like my personal, backstage pass experience. We went to The Boma for dinner and atmosphere.

From Victoria Falls, we went back to Marondera, and then headed back on the road to Nyanga to see mountains, the Mtarazi Falls and a skywalk. The ride took about three hours, and while it was an exhilarating ride (dodging animals and the car-sized potholes in the roads), we were turned away from doing the skywalk, so it’s on the list for next time. From Nyanga, we headed back to Marondera, and then to Wedza. Safe and accurate to say, we have driven everywhere in Zimbabwe?

I was so taken by the purity of nature here, much like I felt in Malawi, and I have felt a peace that I will look forward to every time I come “home”.

All photos taken with Nikon D5100.