Where is harare situated

Harare is laid out with space such as 68ha National Botanic Garden with more than species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. The Mukuvisi Woodlands is hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that stances astride the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you need to stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare. Here you can feast your eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items. The Kopje, a granite hill rising above the south-west corner of central Harare, is a great place to go for views of the city.

Your Name required. Your Email required. Your Message. Category Destinations. Location Harare. Restaurants In Harare. Latest Listings Pamarah Lodge Special. Shearwater Victoria Falls Special. Chengeta Safari Lodge. Price tables. Cancel Insert Shortcode. Accordion Settings. The average annual rainfall varies from mm Very little rain typically falls during the period May to September, although there may be sporadic showers. Rainfall can vary a great deal from year to year and follows cycles of wet and dry periods from 7 to 10 years long.

The climate supports a natural vegetation of open woodland. The most common tree of the local region is the Msasa Brachiastygia soiciformis that colours the landscape wine red with its new leaves in late August. Two South American species of trees, the J acaranda and the Flamboyant , which are introduced exotics, contribute to the city's colour palette with streets lined with either the lilac blossoms of the Jacaranda, or the flame red blooms from the Flamboyant.

Also prevalent is Bougainvillea. Harare had an estimated population of 1,,, with 2,, within its metropolitan area. There has been an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswanain search of better economic opportunities. Black Africans make up 98 percent of Zimbabwe's population. Shona comprise 82 percent; Ndebele 14 percent; other two percent; mixed and Asian one percent; and white, fewer than one percent.

English is the official language, while Shona, Sindebele the language of the Ndebele , and numerous but minor tribal dialects, are spoken. About half of Zimbabwe's population follow syncretic religions which are part Christian, part indigenous beliefs. Christians make up 25 percent, those following indigenous beliefs 24 percent, Muslim and other, one percent.

The centre of the city does have its sights, but many of the best places to visit in Harare are in the suburbs or on the outskirts. A car is the best way of getting to see most places and whether they are a shopping mall or coffee place most have a security guard to look after the car whilst you are inside. Alternatively, there are taxi services that you can use. Harare has something for everyone — you just have to know where to look. Most are easy to find with a mapbook or from the website.

Newspapers and photographs provide a reminder of the Constitutional Developments that led to the birth of Zimbabwe on 18 April and the display on the mezzanine floor concentrates on the first Chimurenga, or Ndebele-Shona revolts of which puts into perspective the historical struggle for independence.

In recent years the Gallery seems to have lost its way and recent exhibitions have been disappointing. We spotted cormorants and herons, as well as a water monitor, or leguaan and vervet monkeys. Best avoided at weekends. It's the curios that bring tourists here; there is a big collection of Shona sculpture, wooden crafts and basketry.

It's in a poor part of town and pickpockets are rife, so leave your cash and valuables at home and it is best to travel here in a group, with safety in numbers. As with anywhere some areas are more risky than others.

The city centre has there are some pick-pockets in the area as has the Avondale Flea market, so keep valuables out of sight and be aware of handbag snatchers. Visitors should not walk around at night for the same reason — take a taxi. Most residents and visitors remark on the low level of crime in the city, black and white Zimbabweans all say that Harare is one of the safest cities on the African continent. There are shops around the international hotels like Meikles, but visit Doon Estate, Avondale Flea Market and Mbare Market for handicrafts and souvenirs to take home.

Chapungu at Doon estate is good for Shona soapstone sculptures and textiles. These places have shops selling most items that you might need although the choices are nothing like those visitors will be used to and prices will be higher. There are dozens of options that cover the whole culinary range from Thai to French with dozens of coffee shops in between.

A selection from luxury restaurants to takeaways are listed under the General section of the Guide. Harare could be described as a beautiful city. Of course, it is not as stunning as Cape Town,but in a very modest way it is very attractive. In the centre of town are Harare Gardens and Greenwood Park a little further out the Botanical Gardens and most of the streets are lined with gracious trees. There is relatively little crime in the city and there are no disagreements about this.

Black Zimbabweans and White Zimbabweans, foreign experts, cops and doctors — all say that Harare is one of the safest cities on African continent. In Nairobi, you cannot walk down the street because of fear of violent crime. The level of danger for Indian women in New Delhi and other Indian cities is almost as high as it is in war zones. Nearly all Zimbabweans speak good English.

Every street robot has vendors selling newspapers and magazines. Zimbabwe is the most literate nation on the entire continent, from Suez to the Cape Town. Tunisia held held pole position for years with Zimbabwe second best and number one in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Of course there are recurring electric blackouts in Harare, but not more frequent than in Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Jakarta, Dhaka, Colombo, to mention just a few places. Water supply desires to be better, but it could be hardly defined as a tragedy as it definitely is in Indonesia, Sub-Continent and most of Africa. The City is short of cash, and it has serious problems with garbage collection and recycling, but despite that, Harare still looks very clean by Africa standards and more at par with much wealthier Kuala Lumpur than with the cities like Manila, or Surabaya.

In Harare, culture is very important and very diverse and interesting. You can get true, vibrant and traditional local culture in the center and in other parts of the city, or you can drive to Borrowdale just a few miles away, as well as to other suburbs, and there you get what is common in the South African white suburbs, or in Cape Town — all those luxury malls, movie theatres showing latest releases, posh cafes. You can eat local food, you can eat Chinese, Indian restaurants, Portuguese, there are even few sushi places.

Harare has Mbare slum, but it is not as terrible as Kibera or Matare in Nairobi. Mbare is small, but it has basic infrastructure, including sport facilities. Kibera slum houses hundreds of thousands, some say one million people, crammed in inhuman conditions, whilst the population of Mbare must be at most ten or twenty thousand. In Harare people are generally free to air their grievances and discuss food prices, security, even the upcoming elections and there is no fear like in Rwanda or Uganda, no tension like in Djibouti, Kenya or Ethiopia.

Most people are resilient and tough, and very kind at the same time. They feel powerless, unemployment has sky-rocketed, businesses closed, tourism collapsed.

How to get here:. Javascript is required to view this map. History Chief Mbari lived on the site of Harare kopje before the occupation in , his brother Gutsa lived in the present area of Mt Pleasant and then moved to Mazowe where he was very active in the First Chimurenga of The local stock markets, initially full of optimism lost confidence and went into a slump Salisbury was declared a municipality in with its first elected Mayor, W. Post-independence Harare has been negatively affected by the political and economic crisis that is currently plaguing Zimbabwe, although Bulawayo has suffered even more.

Operation Murambatsvina In May , the Zimbabwean government demolished shanties and backyard cottages of , mostly poor supporters of the opposition in Harare and other cities in the country in Operation Murambatsvina "drive out trash. Today Harare remains the capital and the largest city of Zimbabwe.

Factories produce processed food, beverages, clothing, cigarettes, building materials, and plastics A modern, well-planned city with multi-storied buildings and tree-lined avenues, numerous suburbs surround the city, retaining the same names colonial administrators gave them during the nineteenth century, such as Warren Park, Borrowdale, Mount Pleasant, Mabvuku, Greendale, Marlborough, Tynwald, and Avondale.