Things to do
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Great Zimbabwe
Dry stone walls up to eleven metres high enclose the capital of a trading state that peaked around the fourteenth century, built without mortar from shaped granite blocks. The Hill Complex, the Great Enclosure and its conical tower each take time, and the climb between them is steep. Half a day covers the site; early morning avoids the heat on open rock.
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Great Zimbabwe Museum
Finds from the excavations sit beside the site entrance, including several of the soapstone birds carried off in the colonial era and since returned. Displays cover the trade goods that reached these hills from the Indian Ocean, Persia and China. An hour here before walking up to the enclosures gives the stonework a context the walls themselves do not carry.
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Lake Mutirikwi
Dammed water fills a valley of granite kopjes a short drive from the ruins, with a recreational park, fishing camps and a game reserve along the shore. Zebra, giraffe and impala graze the lakeside grassland, and boats go out for bream and bass. Levels swing with the rains, so the shoreline looks different between a wet year and a dry one.