The Sunday News
IT is spectacular, tastefully decorated and unbelievably comfortable. Tucked within a secondary indigenous forest of deciduous msasa trees, alongside a road that uncharacteristically undulates up and down and snakes into hairpin curves, Nichrut Resort is the latest inclusion babe in the tourism and hospitality industry in Midlands.
Nichrut which started as a lodge, is now a full-fledged resort where many long established hotels can learn internal decorum and comforting giving. It has become a one-stop resort.
Owned by Nicholas Gara, an indigenous miner, Nichrut has six executive suits and 10 standard rooms, perched on hill slope, overlooking serene rolling moorlands and undulating slopes of the Great Dyke mountain range.
Built about 20km outside Gweru and five kilometres outside the mining town of Shurugwi, Nichrut, has proved to be the quiet place where those tired of the hullabaloo of urban life, retire with families.
A tour of the lodge last weekend saw spacious tastefully decorated rooms. Each lodge is fitted with two television sets connected to DStv and nine channels.
Tiled floors are also decorated to the guest’s amazement. The kitchen and the reception areas are ultramodern, with ceiling, many an established hotel would envy.
Construction work at the hotel started in 2010 after the owner successfully applied for land from Shurugwi Town Council.
To date, Mr Gara has tamed a forest into a comfort zone. Now there is a service station in situ. There is also an animal kingdom, which includes an aviary and a snake park. Work on new ventures is still in progress. The new look Nichrut Resort now houses a lodge, a service station, a food court (that can easily compete with Chicken Inn, Chicken Slice and Nando’s) and theme park (parades a snake world, a crocodile sanctuary and a plains game sanctuary and a children’s centre, among others, to make it a one-stop shop.
Mr Gara says his resort will be the game changer in tourism in the Midlands.
“We are the game changer. As you can see we have already started construction work and if all goes well, the animal kingdom will be operational soon,’’ he said.
NICHRUT ANIMAL KINGDOM
Caged:
The animal kingdom will have caged and roaming wildlife. Among the caged will be the king of jungle, The Lion. The master predator of Africa’s fresh water predators, The Crocodile, and Tortoise among others.
Uncaged:
Africa’s plains game from the elegant zebra to the spindly-footed impala will roam in the park and visitors can have a walk in safari.
NICHRUT SNAKE KINGDOM
An array of lethal snakes are on display. The African rock python that grows up to 10 metres is a master attraction. So is the coffin-shaped Black Mamba, a deadly serpent that grows up to 6 metres. Trained snake charmers will do circus with tourists for photoshoots.
NICHRUT AVIARY AND BIRD KINGDOM
Birds of all kind will be kept and documented from habits to growth and lifestyle. The birds will capture all the varieties resident in Africa South of the Sahara. Bird circus.
NICHRUT CHILDREN’S PLAY CENTRE AND AMUSEMENT PARK
State-of-the-art children’s play centre featuring jump castles, water castles, slides, glides and lunar park plus a sand bath spa and miniature swimming pool will be a fascination. The play centre will have a resident tattoo and face painter and a shop for ice-cream, candy-floss, sweets and toys.
