How Matopos Zimbabwe is Outstanding

In terms of location, Matopos is situated some 30-35km from Bulawayo the second largest of cities in Zimbabwe. It is an area of great national significance some 474 km (294 miles) from the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare. The area covers a total of 3100 square kilometres and is the oldest park in Zimbabwe which was established in 1926. Matopo Hills as it is also known was in 2003 declared a World Heritage site.

In essence Matopos is a vast area of granite scenery. The boulders found across the park were exposed from underneath by thousands of years of geographic activity that ultimately exposed the rocks underneath the surface. The area is popular with tourists from all parts of the world and contains rock and cave paintings of the San people. Visitors enjoy sunrises and sunsets including wildlfe such as the black eagle. Amazing sites of balancing rocks inspired the pictures used on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe logo and many other currency bills that were printed before and during Zimbabwe's problems involving the Zimbabwe currency.

From a social and cultural perspective the Matopos park is very important to the people of Zimbabwe especially the Ndebele people in the southern part of Zimbabwe were the park is located. It represents cultural and religious significance to the indigenous people in the Matebelenad region. The ancestral founding father of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe, Mzilikazi, personally named the area Matopo meaning bald heads. The colonizer Cecil John Rhodes who arrived later after the indigenous people had since discovered Matopos, was buried here. To this day, his grave forms part of the tourist attraction to the park.

The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe a fierce critic of Britain and the west in general once mocked the dead Rhodes that his grave has been kept there by the government to help continue attracting tourists and help earn tourism money for Zimbabwe even if he didn't deserve to be there.

Travelling to Matopos from outside of Zimbabwe would require a consideration of various available Bulawayo flights and then once in Bulawayo travel by road to the park. From Bulawayo to the park, the road is well tarred permitting use of almost any type of vehicle. It is also possible to drive from Harare to Matopos passing through Kwekwe, Gweru and Bulawayo. Some visitors to the park prefer to take day trips whilst staying in Bulawayo where there are various hotels and B&B facilities. Most visitors to Matopos also visit the Victoria Falls some 891 km from Bulawayo. It is possible to travel to Victoria Falls by road and by air.

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