Bulawayo

A colonial city of broad avenues, with the balancing rocks, rock art and rhino tracking of the UNESCO-listed Matobo Hills to the south and the Khami Ruins nearby.

Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second-largest city and the traditional heartland of the Ndebele people. It sits on the Matabeleland plateau in the southwest at about 1,350 m above sea level, roughly 440 km from the capital Harare and 440 km from Victoria Falls. Its name means "place of slaughter". In the 1870s the Ndebele king Lobengula founded his royal capital here, and after 1893 it became a colonial outpost of the British South Africa Company. The grid of downtown streets was laid out wide enough for a span of oxen to turn, and many colonial arcaded buildings and railway structures survive. Climate: April to October is the dry season, with clear skies and sparse vegetation that makes wildlife easier to spot; June and July are cold in the mornings and evenings. November to March is the hot rainy season, with frequent thunderstorms. Highlights: in town are the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, the Railway Museum, the National Gallery's Bulawayo branch and the old town around City Hall. The Khami Ruins, 22 km west, are a World Heritage site and were the capital of the Torwa state that succeeded Great Zimbabwe. The biggest draw is Matobo National Park (part of the Matobo Hills World Heritage site), about 35 km south, with its balancing granite boulders, cave paintings, World's View with Cecil Rhodes's grave, and walking safaris to track white rhinos. Allow 1–2 days there, staying in the park or at nearby lodges. Getting there: Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport has flights to Johannesburg and Harare, and long-distance buses connect to South Africa and Victoria Falls. Taxis in town require negotiating the fare; hire a car with driver or join a local tour to get between sights. US dollar cash is widely used in Zimbabwe and change is scarce, so carry small notes. Avoid walking alone at night, and ask before photographing government buildings. Allow 3–4 days.

Top sights

• Khami Ruins – A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital of the Torwa Kingdom from the 15th to 17th centuries, after the decline of Great Zimbabwe. Its…
• Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe's largest museum, with full galleries of animal specimens, mining and ethnic history. Its elephant specimen is the museum's prized…
• Bulawayo Railway Museum – Zimbabwe's national railway museum, with dozens of old steam locomotives on display outdoors, including Cecil Rhodes's private saloon carri…
• Old Bulawayo – The site of King Lobengula's Ndebele royal capital. Parts of the palace area, beehive huts and enclosures have been rebuilt on their origin…
• Tshabalala Wildlife Sanctuary – A small sanctuary a short drive south of the city, where visitors can walk, cycle or ride horses to see giraffes, zebras and various antelo…
• Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage – A wildlife rescue centre founded in 1973 that takes in injured or abandoned animals, including lions, leopards, hyenas and birds of prey.
• Bulawayo City Hall & City Centre – Colonial-era buildings line Bulawayo's wide, grid-patterned streets, and the City Hall gardens host a craft market, making this an ideal ar…
• National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo – Housed in the century-old Douslin House, the gallery shows contemporary Zimbabwean painting, stone carving and sculpture, and often hosts e…
• Cyrene Mission – An Anglican mission school founded in 1940, where students painted African-style religious murals that cover the chapel's interior and exte…

Where to eat

• Kwesintu Traditional Restaurant – A city-center traditional restaurant serving oxtail, beef bones, and free-range chicken with sadza at affordable prices…
• Indaba Book Cafe – Bulawayo's top-rated book cafe on TripAdvisor, highly praised for its coffee, pies, and light lunches.

Itineraries

• Zimbabwe Heritage & Wildlife Grand Loop – Head south from Harare to Great Zimbabwe and Matobo, fly to Victoria Falls, and enter Hwange to see elephant herds.