We find people’s travel experiences interesting, and believe that they are stories worth telling. This week, we we met Yvonne Maphosa, popular author, scholar, entrepreneur and travel enthusiast and we listened to her interesting travel experiences as she went around in Zimbabwe. We share her travel diary and hope it will inspire you to embark on your own travel experience.

Yvonne has been living outside Zimbabwe and has traveled around the world to so many countries; she tells us she’s been to at least 30 countries, imagine! Something inside her told her she’s not complete and well traveled if she has not experienced the beauty of her motherland, Zimbabwe. So on her return to Zimbabwe, she went out to experience what she had been missing. The journey began with her going back home to where it all began, Plumtree.

Visiting Cultural Places

She took time to visit historical sites such as Khami Ruins, Matopos, Old Bulawayo, and Ntabazinduna. She found it important to experience these places as they give a background on where we come from, other people’s ways of doing things, and teach us some values which are preserved in these places. 

“Before I live my ancestors’ wildest dreams, I want to know who they were. I want to know how they lived, what they went through, what they did. I want to know what their wildest dreams were. I want to talk to old people and hear what their lives were like before we came along.” 

Yvonne

Matopos National Park 

Matopos is one one the places she visited as part of her travel diary, a place which she described as magical. “I rate Matopos National Park very high on the places to visit in Zimbabwe..” she says. “It’s the history the place possesses, the serenity, the religion, art, simplicity, luxury, wildlife, views, and peace that I love about it.” That’s quite a rich description but still words can’t do enough justice to explain the experience of being at Matopos. 

Matopos is popular for its giant granite outcrops, the Njelele Shrine, and the tombs of Cecil John Rhodes and other Pioneers.

Old Bulawayo

The home of King Lobengula still stands today, and is open to welcoming visitors. It’s a place which provides guests an opportunity to learn about how the famous and powerful King Lobengula lived, his growing up and more life stories. “It’s a place full of knowledge.”

Khami Ruins

Khami Ruins is one of the very rich historical places, classified by UNESCO as a heritage site, and is the second largest stone structure after Great Zimbabwe. The monument is located just 22km outside Bulawayo, and the queen didn’t miss the opportunity to visit Khami.

Visiting the Eastern Highlands

Yvonne did a road trip to the Eastern Highlands, destined to the beautiful Nyanga. An experience of Troutbeck was one of the finest things to happen to her. As an author, the ambience of Nyanga, the breathtaking beauty did something to her creative juices, and we expect her to pen something soon! 

On the way to Nyanga, she took a stop at that one place where every traveler is most likely to stop over and have the Surrey Pie. We are sure she did enjoy it the most, as she couldn’t stop sharing about it on her social media. 

One of our favorite places in Nyanga is World’s View, and it’s one of the places we recommend everyone to visit whenever they are in Nyanga. Although it was misty, we are glad she got to grab some views from the beautiful and serene World’s View.

Staying at Troutbeck Inn Resort gave her a great experience of the beautiful views of Nyanga, whilst also providing her a comfortable experience in their hospitality. Troutbeck is a charming place, also with an interesting flame at the fireplace by the reception which has been burning since the 1950s! 

Visiting Nyati Eco Game Park

One of her aspirations was to ‘channel the inner Daniel in her’ so she visited Nyati Eco Game Park in Headlands, where she had an experience of walking with lions. 

Apart from the experience of walking with lions, one can do other activities like game drives, game viewing, boat cruising, cable car and picnics at Nyati Eco Game Park. 

Trying Out Eateries in Harare 

Harare has a lot of places to eat at, and each restaurant or cafe has its own experience and vibe. She went out to experience these places in Harare, and definitely Queen of Hearts, Organiks, and Amanzi made it to the list. It’s important to experience a new taste, and enjoy the variety of beautiful meals found in Zimbabwe. 

Her take on the importance of traveling.

Travel is important as it helps you to unwind, experience different realities, and helps one to create impactful memories. In her words, travel gets some inspiration flowing, unlocks creativity, and helps one become more open minded about the world the more they meet people with different backgrounds, and different cultures. Interestingly, she had a very fulfilling conversation with a stranger whilst at Troutbeck sitting by the fireplace. As we travel, we could meet these people who speak words we’ve never thought we would hear and they never leave us the same, because of the soul reaching effect of their thoughts and wisdom. 

Travel gets some inspiration flowing, unlocks creativity, and helps one become more open minded about the world the more they meet people with different backgrounds, and different cultures.

Yvonne

 Apart from the sentimental part of things, travel is fun as it allows us to experience the beauty which is in new places, everyone is definitely happy to see something beautiful! 

The ‘not so good’ parts

She drove all the way to Ntabazinduna only to find the place empty. She felt stuff that you feel when watching horror movies and quickly jumped back into her car and drove away. LoL!!

The effects of Cyclone Eloise were very visible in Nyanga, it was so rainy and misty making it difficult to experience the whole of Nyanga. So she will be returning to get some more of it later this year!

Travel Tips

• Travel with someone you enjoy being with, you don’t want to be bored during your tour. You want to be with someone who you easily chat with, share laughter moments, and can help you take nice pictures too! 

• Travel is about going to find out new things about the world, so always keep your mind open. You’ll be surprised by the people you will meet, the places you will find and the things you will know.
  
• Research about the places you want to go, plan ahead, and be bold about doing out. Sometimes you will be filled with doubt and have the urge to procrastinate, but just take the first step and everything will fall into place. 

Yvonne Maphosa is the author of bestselling contemporary novel The Y in Your Man is Silent and the award winning Grasping At Straws, her latest release. We hope her experience inspires you to travel and go out to meet the beauty of Zimbabwe. For more interactions with her, you can follow her on her Twitter handle @Yvonne_Maphosa
#TravelZimbabwe

Email: tinashe@travelzimbabwe.co.zw