Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe.

Understand

Its name is a derivative of a Shona tale. A King was seriously ill and his subjects thought that he was not going to 'sleep' and live another day. In Shona 'Ha a rare' literally means He will not sleep. And the place where the sick king lived became to be known as 'Chikomo che HA A RARE' meaning the mountain where he won't sleep.

Harare is home to some two million people, with most in central Harare but some 500,000 in the surrounding districts of Rural Harare, Chintungwiza and Epworth. Once a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens, it is now in increasing disrepair thanks to Zimbabwe's economic downward spiral.

Get in

By plane

Harare's airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air Zimbabwe also operates a small network of domestic flights. In recent times flight with Air Zimbabwe often had to be cancelled due to a lack of spare parts and fuel. So rather use a foreign airline. These include South African Airways [1] and low-fare Kulula.com [2], both flying from South Africa's Johannesburg Int'l. Airport.

By car

A National Road from Johannesburg allows easy access. Note that it is a Toll Road, meaning you have to pay from time to time to use it.

See below about fuel shortages

Get around

Although the best option to get around is by car, it can become difficult, as there are fuel shortages in Zimbabwe.

Since Zimbabwe redistributed farms, there have been limited exports, meaning there is no foreign currency available to import fuel into Zimbabwe. All gas stations in the country have been closed since about 2004, and the only way to buy fuel is on the black market from someone who has brought it in bottles in the back of their car from a neighbouring country. Buying and selling fuel is illegal in Zimbabwe, so be discreet.

Roads: The condition of the roads in Zimbabwe has deteriorated dramatically in recent years since the govornment has failed to maintain them. Most of the country is now without street lights. The roads are often crumbling and pot-holed, and a 4 wheel drive is usually needed to get around, even in the city centres.

See

There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved. The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.

• The National Gallery houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings.
• The priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins, are housed in the National Archives. Some of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and missionary can be viewed.
• Other institutions which are well worth visiting include the Queen Victoria Museum and the Queen Victoria National Library, both at the Civic Centre; in Rotten Row.

• The city was laid out with large open spaces like the 68ha National Botanic Garden with more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. The Mukuvisi Woodlands is 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that stances astride the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.
• The Kopje, a granite hill rising above the south-west corner of central Harare, is a great place to go for views of the city.

Do

Buy

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you need to stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare. Here tourists can feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items.

Update: In September 2005, the government bulldozed Mbare flea market along with every other informal market in the country. Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless and without an income. The government's policy to try and cut down on informal trading has been disasterous in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

Eat

Zimbabwe's Staple food is Sadza: a thick white porridge (a bit like mashed potato), that's made from corn meal. It's eaten at every meal, accompanied by vegetables or meat in some form.

In Harare there are many westernised restaurants serving European or American style food - but far more exciting are the (surprisingly cosmopolitan) outdoor cafes:

-40 Cork Road, Avondale, Harare is an outdoor cafe, art gallery, and sculpture garden. Very much the place to be seen. -167 Enterprise Road, Chisipite, Harare - an old house converted into a restaurant with a huge garden with a pool, an art shop, gallery etc...

Drink

Try Chibuku, a popular local beer. It comes in "scuds" - large 2litre brown plastic containers. The beer is lumpy and opaque beige, but is surprisingly good, and painfully cheap.

Sleep

Get out