Matobo National Park At The City Of Kings

Bulawayo is situated in Matabeleland; some 439 kilometres away in the south-western part of the metropolis (Harare) and is the second largest city of Zimbabwe. Due to its magnificence and grandeur, the place is known with many other names such as ‘Bluez’, ‘Skies’, ‘City of Kings’, ‘KoNtuthu ziyathunqa'( place of smoky fires) and ‘Bulliesberg'. Bulawayo is a multicultural destination which offers a number of alluring spots to all of its beloved guests who take cheap flights to Bulawayo for viewing its elegance and grandness. One such amazing allurement is its Matobo National Park which is located 35 kilometres away in the southern region of Bulawayo surrounded with wooded valleys and granite kopjes area and forms the base of Matopos Hills which have the history of more than 2000 million years.

These hills are spreaded over the land area of approximately 3100 square kilometres of which Matobo National Park, comprises almost 424 square kilometres and the remaining serves as the farmland and communal land. The park features the most spectacular and magnificent landscapes comprising of adjusted rocks and jaw-dropping views along Mpopoma , Maleme, Mtshelele and Thuli valleys. Some 100 square kilometres park area is used as a game reserve which is well stocked with white and black rhinoceros. The most stunning part of the park is Gulati – the highest peak in the hills which is elevated at the height of about 1549 metres and is located in the north-eastern edge.

The park was inaugurated in 1926 and is considered to be the oldest one of Zimbabwe and the Matobo Hills were declared as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. This park is very well-known ad the habitat of plenty of botanic diversity. Approximately 200 distinctive species of trees can be found in this region and majority of the land is blanketed with paper bark, wild pear and acacia trees. Besides the park is also the haven of almost 100 different breeds of grass and various wild herbs and aloes.

The park also act as an oasis for many endangered wild life species, almost 16 species of fish, 39 breeds of snakes ,88 kind of mammals and approximately 175 bird species have been recorded in the park. A wide stretch of the park is covered with latter, on which the hyrax survive and the western area serve as the habitat for black and white rhinos. You can also observe ostrich, wildebeest , zebra and giraffe within the premised of the park.

There are many cultural, historical and archaeological sites at the park which are a source of great temptation for the tourists. The park contains more than 3000 rock paintings whose history date back to as early as 320 CE. There are many cave and crevices which own antiquated artefacts like clay oven and many others and amongst them Bambata Cave is one of the most alluring site which is situated in the western side and many mongoose, tsessebe, warthogs, giraffes and elephants can be spotted near it.

Other notable caves are Inanke Cave, Nswatugi Cave and Pomongwe Cave, all having a great historical and archaeological significance. For your convenience the park provides an excellent variety of camps like Mtsheleli Camp, Mwesilume Camp, Toghwana Camp, Arboretum Camp, Sandy Spruit Camp and Lake Matopos Camp. So get ready for an exciting adventure in the Matobo National Park.

By: TravelhouseUK

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