Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area, Mvurwi, Zimbabwe Review (All you need to know about visiting it)

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1. Introduction
2. Booking, contact details & fees
3. Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use
4. Arrival & experience with the staff members
5. Accommodation & meals
6. Activities
7. Conclusion

Introduction

I remember vividly the disappointment each time I tried to plan a trip to Mavhuradonha since 2019 and all the efforts proving futile. My 30th birthday anniversary must have brought all the luck I needed because finally the long wait was over…

Booking, contact details & fees

The booking process went relatively smoothly. Once we confirmed the dates of our visit and made the payment in Harare, we received information about what we needed to bring with us and also a map with directions (more about the map & directions below). The contact number is +263772240346. Enquiries and/or bookings are to be done during working hours between 8am – 5pm. At the time of our visit, the fee was $40 per person per night, in a two occupancy lodge. The $40 is also inclusive of entry fee, all activities offered plus a cook. However, if you are a group of more than six people or you just prefer to have a professional chef, there will be an additional fee of $25 per day for the chef. 

NB: VISITS ARE STRICTLY BY BOOKING. 

Directions, road conditions & best type of vehicle to use

We faced quite some challenges trying to find our way to this gorgeous wilderness area. The place is unfortunately not on google maps and to make matters worse,  “Mavhuradonha mountain” which can be found on google maps is actually in the exact opposite direction. The paper map with directions that we were given also did not have a scale and/or distances marked for the first part of the trip. So figuring out the correct route proved to be a mission since we were not familiar with that side of the country. We therefore ended up wasting so many hours and fuel on the road but lucky for you, we have already made the mistake so you won’t have to. 

To get to Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area from Harare you take Mazowe road and drive until you get to the tollgate. From the tollgate you drive exactly 24 km and take the left turn which is on Centenary road (A12). Drive an additional 54.3 km until you get to Mvurwi town. Alternatively, you can just use google maps to get to “Mvurwi” town.

While in Mvurwi CBD, you will see sign posts directing you to Guruve/Kanyemba. As you are driving, pay attention to the Mvurwi High School which will be on your right and take the immediate right turn onto Guruve/Kanyemba road. Unfortunately,  the road does not have the Guruve/Kanyemba sign post, however, there is a Nyaradzo sign post so that too can help assure you that you’re taking the correct turn. After taking that right turn off, drive 37.2 km and you will see an Energy Park Fuel Station on your right. Take the immediate right off at that fuel station and drive another 10 km. Turn left at a “Varden” sign post as if to go to Siyalima Primary School. Drive an additional 8.3 km, past Siyalima Primary School and just before the 8.3 km start to keep an eye out for a large fig tree with a green “Mavhuradonha Wilderness” signpost on one of the top branches. The sign post is directing you to your right. Drive another 1.7 km (passing through some small scale tobacco farms) and that will take you to the Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area main gate. Approximate distance from the tollgate/Harare to the Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area main gate is around 147 km. Remember that VISITS ARE STRICTLY BY BOOKING.

The roads in the park are pretty rough as shown in the pics and are perfect for an off road experience. A 4 wheel drive with good ground clearance is therefore the only suitable vehicle to use.

Arrival & experience with the staff members

As we drove in, we had three gentlemen and a lady, Nesbert, Kuda, Robert and Gertrude standing at the car park waiting to welcome us. I am generally uncomfortable having too much attention on me and at first seeing them there made me feel a bit self-conscious. However, the way they were so gracious & genuine in their approach instantly made me feel a warm and sincere welcome from them. I guess because of being elderly, the welcome did not feel robotic or recited like you would normally experience at most hotels. Gertrude reminded me so much of my mum just from her mannerisms, laugh and free spirit which led me to fall in love with her immediately.  All four definitely made us feel at home in the most literal sense of the phrase. After the pleasantries, Nesbert, Kuda and Robert helped us to carry our luggage and escorted us to what was going to be our new home for the next few days. The displeasure of getting lost completely vanished and the excitement of being in such a tranquil wilderness area started building up.

Accommodation & meals

We arrived at our thatched lodge and the size took me by complete surprise. Just as I was about to exclaim how huge it was, my eyes then landed on these gorgeous seats & an enormous eye-catching log on the veranda. I don’t know what I was expecting our accommodation to look like but it was certainly not this. The modern sliding glass door slid open and my eyes met yet another surprise while standing right in the middle of the bedroom – a  remarkable forest view! The whole wall was of transparent glass.

The lodge has two large sized rooms – the bedroom and the bathroom, plus the veranda. The veranda leads straight to the bedroom which is quite a spacious room, artful and with vibrant yet calming colours. The coffee and vanity tables made out of logs were outstanding pieces in this room. I also loved the round mirrors which were sealed in flat grass woven baskets/ rusero. The hosts were ingenious in the pieces they selected and also making sure to not clutter the lodge.

The bed was minimal, yet inviting. It looked really classy with a few pillows and a pop of colour which spiced it up. I remember struggling to wake up that very afternoon after hubby & I decided to take a quick shower & nap before going on a game drive. The bed was super snuggly, we only got out of it when it was dinner time.

Imagine, the bathroom was even better! Walking in, I see glass walls on two of the sides but also two giant logs standing upright in the middle of the room, one shorter & the other one taller. It turns out that is where the bathtub and shower taps are neatly tucked in. Speaking of the bathtub, it was a large, stand alone type, strategically placed in the room to allow for viewing outside while relaxing in it. One time, as I was taking a bath I spotted this cute owl seemingly staring at me. It’s funny because I had always expressed to my husband my wish to have an outdoor experience but with indoor comfort. Little did I know, such a thing actually existed at a budget friendly cost. Having a hot indoor bath while maintaining eye contact with an owl is one of the most intimate moments one can ever share with nature. 

Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area is on self catering basis so you will have to bring your own ingredients. However, the cook included in the daily rate can prepare the meals for you if you wish. The dinners Gertrude prepared for us were truly satisfactory. I felt sorry for her because we had brought the most boring and basic ingredients you can think of but she still managed to work her magic and whip up some really delicious meals. There are two common dining areas with kitchens – one smaller and the other one larger for a bigger group. Lucky for us, since we always aim to travel off season, we had the whole dining and kitchen area to ourselves. *(Do remember to leave the staff with a tip by the way. They really deserve it).

Activities

Game viewing

The first activity we engaged in was of course a game drive. The rainy season (which was the time of our visit) does not allow for many animals to be spotted due to the thickness of the bush. We knew this already so we were quite surprised that we managed to spot as many animal species as we did. 

Driving in we saw a small herd of wildebeest. I looked at them for a brief moment, admired them grazing before they spotted us of course and froze in a guarding position. It crossed my mind how lucky these ones are as they do not have to do the heavy migration like the others of their kind have to do in places like Serengeti in Tanzania. Yes, they are programmed to do these migrations however, it must still be quite a stressful period because many end up dying during river crossings and also if they are not healthy or fit enough numerous predators follow the migration closely on the lookout for stragglers… 

As usual, we of course saw zebras not far from the wildebeest. The wild is quite a competitive place, operating on survival of the fittest basis. Lucky for these two species, they eat the same grass but different parts of it so they can afford to cohabit harmoniously as there is no direct competition. They even figured out each other’s strengths, such as the wildebeests’ good sense of hearing and smell which helps both to find food & protect from predators, while zebras’ great eyesight also helps in spotting any threat.  It is sad that with the most advanced brain we are said to have, we fail to recognise the strengths that nature has which benefit us enormously. Instead, we choose to destroy it  with all kinds of pollution, habitat encroachment and destruction of vital systems such as wetlands.

The species I was most surprised and over the moon excited to see (it being my first encounter) was a bush pig. Unlike warthogs, bush pigs’ tusks are much shorter and less prominent just like the warts on their muzzles. Bush pigs also do not run with their tails up. The one we came across was the kindest ever, allowing us to watch him for quite a while before storming off into the thick bush.

Other animal species at Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area include giraffe, eland, elephant, lion, hyena, buffalo, sable, kudu, impala, among others.

Landscape & waterfalls viewing

One thing that drew me to Mavhuradonha all these years was its strong resemblance to the Eastern Highlands. It is surrounded by magnificent mountains and also waterfalls, rivers and streams cutting through several parts of the wilderness area. The two places we checked out during this trip were the Elephant gorge and Spilling table. Both are remarkable spots for relaxation and picnics. They are marked with several rocks and plenty of flowing water in the river.  There is something about the sound produced by flowing or falling water that is soothing to the mind and body that is just bliss.

Other activities

Other activities at Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area, beside game drive with own vehicle include:

• Nature walks
• Mountain biking
• Cultural heritage site visits
• Swimming in natural pools
• Waterfall visit
• Rock painting viewing
• Sacred cave visit

Other things to know:

• The source of electricity is a petrol generator and the approximate usage is 10 litres per day. Petrol for the generator is not provided so you are to bring as much fuel as you wish depending on the amount of time you want the lights to be on because it is switched on & off at your discretion. 
• There is no network coverage.
• There are predators such as leopards, hyenas and others in the park and so an armed scout escorts clients out of camp and during any tours.

Things provided for:

1. All bed linen & bath towels.
2. Mosquito nets
3. Soap for showers and toilet rolls.
4. All kitchen utensils
5. A gas stove and filled gas cylinder
6. One gas freezer and filled gas cylinder

Conclusion

I had quite an incredible time at this place. I felt so relaxed from the moment I took that first nap the afternoon we arrived. This was followed by a lot of unwinding and a huge feeling of being at peace. I was trying to figure out why this place was so fulfilling compared to other places and I realised that it is because we had no network. So we were both just immersed in nature and each other. I didn’t realise how much I needed such an experience. Intimacy with nature is definitely one of the two best things I ever introduced in my life and Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area allowed me to experience it in the best possible way ever. Definitely planning another trip there before the end of 2022 and if my word is anything to go by & also you feel that you are happy with everything else this place has to offer, then you better start planning your trip asap.

Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life, and as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature 🙂