Camp Amalinda experience

 Zimbabwe could be set to regain its long-lost position as a top holiday destination, and while tourism is already buzzing in this border town, it is also humming in various other Matabeleland resorts.
Adrenaline junkies revel in the bungee jumping, white water rafting and elephant back safaris that abound at Victoria Falls, but a different experience awaits the traveller who visits Bulawayo, the City of Kings and the world heritage site of Matobo Hills, a place of ancient rock formations and great natural beauty.
After our recent tour of Bulawayo and overnight sojourn in the elegant Bulawayo Club, it was to this rich cultural landscape, inhabited by various peoples for thousands of years, that we travelled on the next stage of our journey. We stayed at Camp Amalinda, an unusual safari camp built into the caves and granite boulders once occupied by the San, or Bushmen, whose rock art continues to attract historians and art lovers from every corner of the globe.
Just 45 km from Bulawayo we turned left at the Amalinda sign post, following the road in the direction of a huge granite outcrop, where high-pitched thatched roofs were barely discernible between trees and boulders. Camp manager Billy Dally met us at the reception area; beneath the shade of an acacia tree stood three friendly zebra, casually giving new arrivals the once over. Billy told us that the rotund zebra in the middle, flanked by her two solicitous attendants, was in foal, and awaiting the vitamin supplements he gives her every morning.
Dally is in his element in this rich wilderness area, and accompanied us proudly up the stone footpaths leading to the unique thatched Amalinda lodges. Each tastefully furnished suite combines the rustic surroundings that were home to the San 2,000 years ago, with the 21st century luxury of comfortable beds, fresh white linen, armchairs, hot showers, and hair dryers. Early morning tea or coffee and biscuits are brought to your room, to be enjoyed in bed or on a private patio in the shade of the Paper Bark tree.
The prodigious bird life appears unafraid of guests, and small birds will occasionally fly onto the tea tray to steal crumbs or to drink from the milk jug. Climb onwards and upwards in the rocky fastness and you will reach the honeymoon suite, which has a wooden suspension bridge leading to its own private gazebo, overlooking the animals’ drinking hole and the wild valley below.
At the dining room, with its long rustic table, guests meet for evening snacks, drinks and dinner, and to describe their adventures of the day. One family will have had a close encounter with a group of white rhino, while another will have risen at dawn for a foot safari to view the rock art of the painted caves, followed by a picnic breakfast in the early morning sunlight on the mountain side.
Amalinda’s resident archaeologist Paul Hubbard is Bulawayo-born, and knows the area like the back of his hand. He can escort you to the best of the 3,000 registered rock art sites in the area, and describe the historical background of World’s View, the burial place of Cecil John Rhodes, Leander Starr Jameson and Charles Coghlan. Also of historical and cultural interest is the resting place at nearby Entumbane of King Mzilikazi, founder of the Ndebele nation. Seated upright and surrounded by the remains of his wagon and other belongings, the late king’s resting place is in the seclusion of a carefully guarded dark cave.
The caves and granite kopjes of the Matobo Hills are the home of the cult of the High God Mwari, whose voice was once heard speaking to his people from the rocks. Since the advent of the white man, the voice can no longer be heard, although Mwari still links indigenous communities to the hills inhabited by their ancestral spirits. Many sacred shrines exist in the area, and are visited by pilgrims from as far afield as Nigeria.The most important of these shrines and part of the nation’s cultural background is Njelele, which is maintained by its keeper, Mr Ncube. Permission to visit this sacred shrine, whether for rain making ceremonies, or seeking to acquire the qualities of leadership, must be obtained from the relevant authorities.
Anyone staying in the National Park can hire a guide to track the prodigious wild life in the Matobo Hills, which has a great number of both black and white rhino. These endangered mammals are under threat from poachers, even in the peaceful environment of the park. Our wild life guide Angeline (not her real name) described a recent protracted shoot out with poachers.
Armed with an AK rifle, Angeline led us through the grass and trees, towards a group of white rhino. Their leader, known as Swazi, recently turned 50 years of age. Angeline assured us that white rhino are not belligerent like their black cousins but the adrenaline was pumping as we crouched breathless a mere 10 metres from the placid group of herbivores.
Back at Amalinda we cooled off in the natural rock infinity swimming pool, while sipping rock shandys prepared by the ever obliging bar man. This is a great place to relax and absorb natural energy from the rocks, admire the brightly coloured lizards, the bird life and indigenous trees. If you would like to enjoy game viewing, early morning walks, visits to rock art and tours of historical sites, and even some beauty treatments in the poolside spa, book yourself into Amalinda well in advance of August 2013.