Zimbabwe: Tourist Entertainment Guide

Although traditional African fare, cooked Zimbabwe-style may not be everybody’s cup of chibuku, there are enough international dining options in the bigger cities to keep your taste buds tingling. Harare has something to suit every pocket, from cheap burger/pizza, samosa and sandwich takeaways to elegant Italian, Chinese, Indian or seafood places. Vegetarians and backpackers have a better chance of finding joints to suit their tastes in Harare than anywhere else. Harare also boasts some decent bakeries and cafes where you maybe, just maybe, will slurp joyfully on some genuine filtered coffee. Committed and experimentally minded carnivores should try savouring some of the more exotic meat available here, including game dishes like wart hog steak or crocodile in cheese sauce. Bulawayo also boasts a good selection of restaurants, from cafes that serve full English breakfasts and teas to Greek, Italian or Chinese dinner options. Zimbabwean luxury game lodges have also acquired an international reputation for some of the best hospitality and culinary expertise on the continent – do treat yourself if you can afford them.

Zimbabwean entertainment takes itself very seriously – many Zimbabwean artists and musicians are internationally renowned and the country attracts a good selection of performers from the rest of Africa due to its well-established reputation as a haven for the arts. When in Harare, visitors must keep their senses alert for an advertisement for a pungwe – a nightlong drinking, dancing and music session, and an unbeatable slice of local Zimbabwean culture. There are also several local clubs that regularly attract some of the best talent – musicians like the Bhundu Boys and Ilanga – especially on weekends. There are of course, more standard, white-oriented entertainment options in discotheques and pubs. Bulawayo boasts an almost equally good entertainment scene, with local jazz bars and live African music clubs revving up the atmosphere on most nights. Bulawayo establishments often insist on a ‘smart casual’ dress code, so dress accordingly. Also, if you are an unaccompanied female traveler, do make local enquiries about whether the particular club is safe before venturing there.