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The path to somewhere: Hike Zimbabwe's Chimanimani |
As South Africa fills with travelers, more and more are heading into Zimbabwe, and several areas have been developed for hiking, fishing, riding, and other types of tourism. But the mountainous Eastern Highlands, east of Chimanimani in southern Zim, are hardly developed at all, and that's their appeal. Besides, this area, part of the Lebombo Mountain range that marks the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, provides year-round cool relief from the heat of the plains below. For the serious hiker, a stiff climb in is rewarded by an upland paradise of high pastures, waterfalls, forests of flowering protea trees, and caves large enough to sleep in. Because the water up here is pure and drinkable, you can live here for days if you bring enough food with you. The only downside: Don't cross over to the Mozambique side of the mountains, as old land mines from that country's now defunct civil war are still scattered on the range's eastern slopes. Stick closely to the maps (available in Chimanimani village).
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