The Sunday News
Faith Phiri
SITUATED about 55km from Bulawayo, within the Matopo National Park, built upon a granite outcrop is the Matopo Hills Lodge.
A lodge that offers guests a getaway experience from the city life and a time to unwind in a serene setting disturbed only by chirping birds.
My best friend and I had always wanted to embark on a road trip to a place where we could relax and enjoy some quiet time hence Matopos, a well-known destination just outside Bulawayo was the ideal location.
Catering for people of all social standing, Matopo Hills Lodge, built upon a granite outcrop which commands the Maleme Valley, is a place to visit.
We left Bulawayo around mid-day on a Friday. We initially thought that the scotching sun would be a deterrent and we wouldn’t survive the heat at Matopos, as it is drier and hotter than Bulawayo but we soldiered on.
We arrived sooner than we thought but were unfortunate, as the lodge that we had booked was far from the main gate. We kept driving around with so many turns to a point where we almost lost hope thinking we had been duped of our money as we had done our bookings online.
It was such a relief when we finally arrived at our fun-packed destination nearly two hours later. Our tour guide welcomed us and gave us a brief tour of the place and ensured that we had everything we needed.
To our surprise we discovered that we were the only guests booked that weekend, and were given royal treatment.
After settling into our room we read the pamphlets that basically give you insight of the place.
We familiarised ourselves with the place by touring around the lodge, checking the swimming pool, bar and lounge, as well as the TV room.
Matopo Hills Lodge offers couples and loved ones time to bond, as I soon discovered. Due to beauty of the surroundings, I took pictures and to my horror, I could not share these beauties with my friends on Instagram as the place had no network or Wi-Fi services. It gives people the time and opportunity to literally get away from the city life.
Due to the high temperatures we decided to take a swim. Built in the most unique way, the pool is a rock that was curved into a ditch.
The water temperature was exactly what we needed to cool down.
Meal time was next on our itinerary. The lodge serves a three-course meal with the main being a buffet. Being a food junkie, I dished out everything even the things I was not familiar with, as they looked appetising. The dessert was so delicious that I literally begged the chef for the recipe. After all that food it was definitely time to unwind and enjoy some drinks.
Matopo Hills Lodge offers a number of activities, which include game drives, which we embarked on the following morning at 5am.
Part of the game at the private reserve is the endangered white rhino. You can never go to the hills and not bump into some baboons, kudus and warthogs.
The lodge offers more than just a majestic service but also beautiful scenery of the Matopos. For those that really enjoy the great outdoors be sure to take a walk to the caves, which have rock paintings outlining the history of the first inhabitants of the land.
Be sure to visit Cecil John Rhodes’ gravesite. Visit the Matopos for your own unique and memorable experience.
