African Reservations

Bulawayo, today the second largest city in Zimbabwe, was originally the royal kraal of the legendary Ndebele kings. The very wide streets were originally designed to allow a full span of oxen to turn. The City Hall houses many items of historic value. The National Museum in Centenary park has a mammal collection of over 75 000 specimens; alongside is an open-air display of mining antiques. The Railway Museum has engines and rolling-stock exhibits. The Chipangali Wildlife Trust, 23km south of Bulawayo, is an orphanage for abandoned young wild animals. The Tshabalala Wildlife Sanctuary near the Khami Ruins is 8km from the city.

The Matopos, a gigantic wind-sculptured rock formation thought to be over 3 000 million years old, are at the Rhodes Matopos National Park 30km south of Bulawayo. Cecil John Rhodes, after whom ‘Rhodesia' was named, was so impressed with ‘the view of the world' from this area that he arranged to be buried there. The Khami Ruins, on the banks of the Khami River 22km west of Bulawayo, are believed to have been constructed between 1450 and 1650. The Dhlo Dhlo Ruins are on the road from Bulawayo to Gweru. The Naletale Ruins north of Dhlo Dhlo are 50m in diameter, and have a stone wall decorated in contrasting colours.