Eminently EveNB: It is strongly advised to read all the reviews on this site in their entirety to ensure that the destinations really suit all your needs & preferences.
Click on the subheadings below to jump to their contents:
Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
Arrival & experience with staff members
The history, geology & wildlife of the Chinhoyi Caves
How & why the Chinhoyi Caves Sleeping Pool water is striking blue.
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Introduction
Since my university days, we had plans to visit this sacred place with my classmates but the plan never materialised. I then thought maybe it’s better to visit on my way to or back from Kariba but again when I visited Kariba for the first time this did not happen. Fast forward to our Kariba visit in October, we finally made it a point that we would visit this famously unique place that we had heard so many intriguing facts about.
Booking & contact details
The booking process went smoothly. Chinhoyi Caves Motel contact number is +263719732034. I got a prompt response to my initial message of enquiry which was then followed by the quotation with their bank details. After depositing the funds, our booking was confirmed so now it was just a matter of waiting for our travel date.
Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
The travel date fast approached. We had just had one of the best 10 days ever in Mana Pools National Park and Kariba and now it was time to say our goodbyes to Kariba. At this point Kariba had fully rejuvenated me and Chinhoyi caves was going to be a perfect slow step back into the busy city life again. So we started our journey from Kariba to Chinhoyi at around 10am. For a detailed description of the Harare-Kariba road please check this article where I went in depth.
Chinhoyi Caves are located 125 km from Harare CBD. To get to them you exit Harare using A1 also known as the Kariba road. The road has chipped edges, potholes and heavy trucks coming to and from Zambia which slow down the drive so you want to factor that in when planning your time of departure. If the plan is to only visit the Chinhoyi caves then a small vehicle can manage if driven with caution. Since we were coming from Kariba we drove 237 km and the drive was quite a breeze. We started the journey early enough so we were in no hurry.
Arrival & experience with staff members
Upon our arrival, we went straight to the reception on the motel side. We were greeted with warmth by the lady there and all the other staff members we met were quite courteous too. We did our check-in and were escorted to our lodge for the night.
Accommodation, WiFi & fees
At the time of our visit, the accommodation and breakfast plus WiFi were $70 per couple per night. Please kindly note that fees in the tourism industry are always fluctuating depending on the season. Our visit was in October which is an off peak season so it would be relatively cheaper. Do contact them on +263719732034 for the up to date fees at your preferred time of visit.
The first thing that caught my eyes as we were being escorted to our lodge was the stunning gray paint on the exterior of our lodge. The paint looked new which suggested that the lodge had just been renovated.
In my history of travelling, this was also the first time the vehicle actually had its own shaded spot to be parked in and quite close to our lodge. It was literally an extension of our lodge so it was just perfect.
We opened the door feeling a bit nervous, hoping that we would not be disappointed considering how everything else so far had raised our hopes high. The first thing I saw was the fancy gypsum looking ceiling with fitted lights. Not exactly what you would expect from Zimparks but hey, they have been upping their game lately.
To the right was the dining corner with a new looking faux double leather couch & a high quality timber coffee table. There was also a mini fridge and a Tv mounted on the wall. Another beautiful surprise was the aircon also mounted on the wall which came in quite handy as our trip was in October, at the peak of the hot season.
Behind the couch was a beautifully made Queen size bed with white linen and some orange throws for a pop of colour. Whoever is responsible for the revamp of Zimparks is really putting in some effort and it’s much appreciated. The bed even looked brand new and it was quite comfortable. On both sides of the bed were sockets and bedside tables. The tables have stunning shelves made out of reeds & a steel frame plus a spacious wooden top.
To the left, from the main entry is a good sized floor to ceiling wardrobe with mirrored doors. I have a feeling this is a popular decorative feature in this lodge among ladies. I totally loved it. Right next to it is a perfectly tucked coffee corner which can also be used as a work desk. It is similar to the bedside tables but it is bigger.
The bathroom is located directly opposite the main entry. It is modernly and beautifully tiled with faux wooden tiles on the wall and white tiles on the floor. The white basin is sitting on a wooden cupboard which adds storage space. The shower cubicle is capacious which allows for two people to shower comfortably. I really appreciated that the shower nozzle worked perfectly because it’s hardly the case in most places.
Considering that this destination is situated by the side of a busy highway with trucks moving non stop, it was quite impressive that when the door was closed we did not hear a single sound of a truck. The noise proofing of this lodge is par excellence.
The lodge is overall a huge improvement especially by Zimparks standards. The quality of the renovation work & materials used may not be the best in the industry but that did not take away from how the lodge had everything we needed which all worked perfectly (except for the WiFi) and was 100% homely and comfortable.
Restaurant, meals & fees
From my observation, Chinhoyi Caves Motel does not offer self catering as an option so all meals are catered for by them. After being on holiday for almost two weeks straight, starting from Mana Pools, then Kariba, this kind of service is exactly what we needed.
Breakfast was an English one and consisted of eggs, beans, sausages, bacon, tomato, lettuce, toasted bread and tea/coffee of your choice. Cereals were on offer too. For dinner we had roasted chicken, chips and vegetable salad. I forgot to take any pic but it was a decent meal just as the breakfast was.
Activities at Chinhoyi Caves
Activities are priced per person & they include:
1. Cave exploration – $5 locals, $10 internationals
2. Lion enclosure visit
3. Scuba diving
4. Camping
5. Picnic
6. Swimming
The history, geology & wildlife of the Chinhoyi Caves
Description: Chinhoyi caves are the caves known to date to have the most intricate and extensive cave systems in Zimbabwe. The two accessible ones to the public are the Sleeping Pool Cave and the Dark Cave. The Bat and Blind Caves have been discovered too by scuba divers who explored them via the sleeping pool. It is believed that more caves probably exist as no one has ever managed to follow all the channels due to safety reasons. In the Sleeping Pool Cave is where the famous pool with cobalt blue water is found. This pool is also known as the Chirorodziva which means “Pool of the fallen”.
The Sleeping pool has gained Chinhoyi caves much of its popularity because of its distinct, spectacular colour and also its temperature that never changes. It is always in the range of 22°C to 24°C all year round regardless of how hot or cold the ambient temperature is. Its fascinating history also cemented its fate as a crowd puller and interest grabber.
How & why the Chinhoyi Caves Sleeping Pool water is striking blue.
So the Chinhoyi caves are made out of two types of sedimentary rock called limestone and dolomite. Limestone’s main chemical structure is Calcium Carbonate while that of dolomite is Calcium Magnesium Carbonate.
Unlike the blue seas and lakes that are blue due to reflection of the sky, the cobalt blue colour in the Chinhoyi caves sleeping pool is due to the limestone being dissolved by water and forming tiny crystals. It is these tiny crystals (also known as Calcite) that when exposed to sunlight they scatter the light, giving them the cobalt blue colour.
The sleeping pool is exposed to so much sunlight because of the roof directly on top of the pool which collapsed leaving a giant hole also known as the Wonder Hole.
The Wonder Hole walls are about 45 meters high from the sleeping pool surface to the hole. The collapsing of the roof was no accident but an expected progression of these types of caves which are even termed the “dying caves” by geologists. This is because of the limestone which they are made out of which dissolves when mixed with water. The sink holes and other depressions around these caves also support the “dying” phenomenon. However, the process to have such elaborate structures as those of the Chinhoyi caves to all fully collapse is a very slow one.
History: Chinhoyi Caves are also special due to their rich history and cultural significance. Around the 1830s, there were severe political conflicts that included the Mfecane and Great Trek in South Africa that resulted in the Nguni tribe leaving that area and migrating northwards towards Zimbabwe. As it happened then, the group that would be migrating would attack any group that they came across so that they could take food and any other resources they needed. This time they came across a Shona tribe that was living in the Chinhoyi area. This Shona tribe was ambushed and in trying to flee, they were headed towards the sleeping pool where they all perished. It is then that the pool was named Chirorodziva meaning (the pool of the fallen).
Later on the inhabitants of the Chinhoyi caves faced another dark period when one Nyamakwere (an outlaw and bully) tormented everyone in the villages and threw those he had even the slightest disagreements with (or just didn’t like) into this pool. Many people lost their lives at his hands. This only was put to an end by Chinhoyi who was a headman at the time and decided to fight this Nyamakwere guy and defeated him. The villagers were so relieved and so grateful to him that they decided to make him their chief. Chief Chinhoyi’s leadership was so memorable and deeply appreciated that the town and the caves were named after him. During his reign, the caves were used as a refuge for women & children when tribal wars started and also to store grains. Visitors used to see the Chief’s grain bins in certain parts of the Dark Cave but that area is no longer accessible.
Wildlife: The Chinhoyi Caves area is rich in plant vegetation like Msasa and Mnondo. There are also some Mukwa trees as well as Figs. Bird species that utilise this Ramsar site include Arnot’s Chat, Angola Rock Thrush, Mocking Chat, Large Striped Pipit, woodpecker species and many others. Bats are also quite prominent there. They even got one cave named after them. The cobalt blue water is inhabited by fish like bass, bottle fish, bream, and catfish. Due to the rise in the number of mosquitoes there, Goldfish were introduced too to try and keep the mosquitoes at bay. Rock hyraxes’ presence is undisputed with their droppings scattered everywhere in the caves. Bushpigs also live in the surrounding vegetation.
It is unfortunate that this beauty is under threat from agricultural projects and residential land expansion in the vicinity which are causing a detrimental increase in borehole sinking which is affecting groundwater quantity and quality. Mining of dolomite nearby is also posing a threat to the caves and the other protected surrounding areas. The Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority is the one responsible for monitoring all these threats so that measures are taken to make sure the Chinhoyi Caves continue to exist.
Conclusion
I questioned myself why it took me so long to visit this natural masterpiece because it definitely matches the hype it gets. When you have the knowledge of its history and geological aspects, the experience of exploring these caves is certainly different. Do carry something to repel mosquitoes though because they can cause quite a lot of discomfort especially when the visit is in summer. The accommodation and meals were also great.
When you visit, please do share your experience with me here or on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn :)… Remember to have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature
