Things to Do in Zimbabwe in September

It moves from the echoing halls of the National Archives to the lively chatter of Mbare Musika market. The air there carries the earthy smell of fresh produce and dried fish. The tour usually ends at the National Heroes Acre. Its granite monuments stand silent under a vast blue September sky.

Days are spent listening to the slap of hippos in the river. Nights are spent under a thick blanket of stars. The silence is broken only by the crackle of your private campfire. The Zambezi's banks in September line with animals coming to drink. Their silhouettes look stark against the golden winter grass. The air feels cool and clean.

The morning sun casts long shadows across centuries-old walls. The only sounds are the wind through granite and the call of a distant bird. Walk among the towering, mortarless structures. Feel the cool, shaded stone. Imagine the empire that once thrived here, trading gold with distant shores.

It goes from the thunderous spray of Victoria Falls, where you feel cool mist on your face, to the dense elephant herds of Chobe National Park. You hear those herds rustling through mopane woodlands before you see them. The contrast between Zimbabwe's rugged parks and Botswana's watery floodplains is the journey's core. You experience it from open safari vehicles and riverboats.

Fairways are lined with jacaranda trees not yet in bloom. Your only distractions are the chatter of hadeda ibises and the satisfying click of a well-struck iron. The September climate is ideal. You get comfortable warmth and a firm, fast-playing turf underfoot.

A driver meets you at the arrivals gate holding a clear sign. They guide you to an air-conditioned vehicle for the drive into Harare. You will watch the cityscape emerge. You will smell the distinct scent of woodsmoke and earth that marks the Harare periphery.