Staying at Inn on
Rupurara in Zimbabwe puts the game drive in your backyard
If you’re looking for the most adventures available in one
place, the Inn on Rupurara should be on your radar. Situated in an area of
Zimbabwe known as the Eastern Highlands, the inn itself is a green jewel in a
necklace of scenic mountains. Passing through
the big entrance gate, you sense you are in for a special experience and then
looking at their activities board, you realize that you are going to need some
time to take in all that the inn has to offer.
We arrived late in the afternoon, which just gave us time to
register and quickly head down for the scheduled game drive. Piling into a 12
passenger open safari vehicle, we drove down into a valley full of native flora
with strange names and their beautiful blossoms. Heading up the steep climb on
the other side of the valley, it didn’t take long at all for the wildlife to
come into view.
Rounding the bend in the road at the top of the hill, we
came eye-to-eye with a herd of grazing zebra. Another 500 feet along the road,
eland could be seen over the brush. Not much longer and impalas added their
names to our checklist. Cecil, our guide, pointed out how to verify an impala
from the markings on their rear ends.
Heading into a grassy plain, we brought our vehicle to a
quick halt as two large wildebeest ambled across our dirt road. Seeming ambivalent
to our presence, but somehow shy at the same time, they kept going until they
were safely out of sight in a clump of trees.
Animal sightings continued on a regular basis as we drove
around a good portion of this huge game preserve. Heading back for dinner,
Cecil wanted to check out a special group of Acacia trees where some of the
resident giraffes liked to hang out. Approaching the grove of trees, all we
could see were the legs and bellies of the giraffes. Cecil parked our vehicle
and jumped out, heading into the Acacia grove.
With a little good-natured coaxing, the giraffes came out
for their photo session. Mom, dad and baby all made for great photo subjects in
the setting sunlight. After posing for maybe 5 minutes, they returned to their
favorite food source and continued their dinner. It was dinner time for us as well
and we returned to the inn.
Staying at Inn on
Rupurara in Zimbabwe keeps you comfortable during your adventures
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| Black eagles fly over the lodges at Inn on Rupurara |
|
The Inn on Rupurara is cut into the side of one of the many
hills of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. With such a dramatic setting, the
owners were careful to utilize as many natural materials as possible in the
construction of the lodge. Rugged stone walks and steps guide you to individual
lodges overlooking the valley we had just driven through.
Staff from the hotel carried our heavier bags as the
frequent stone steps and wooden bridge made the long path to our room a bit of
challenge in the fading light. Inside
the cabin was a wonderfully furnished room overlooking the valley. An outside deck with comfortable chairs and
the fresh evening air just begged to be utilized.
Eighteen lodges dot the hillside. Each lodge is spacious and
the beds are comfortable. Each is furnished with period wooden furnishings. In
addition to the bed(s) there is a desk and chair as well as an overstuffed easy
chair. The baths are large and have a
full-sized soaking tub and a separate, tiled shower. The floor was a colorful
tiled floral pattern.
The dining area back at the main lodge was located on the
second floor and offered both inside and outside dining. Inside, the dining
area was a blend of warm wood tones and artwork. Food was plentiful and tasty,
a perfect end for a fun filled afternoon.
Internet coverage is spotty in the wilds of Zimbabwe and
this was no different. From 7:30pm until 8:30pm we did get a good wireless
signal in the lodge and we quickly checked emails before the signal and the
lights started to fade by 10:00pm. By that time it was time to turn in for an
early morning hike the next day.
Staying at Inn on
Rupurara in Zimbabwe enables you to scale a mountain, no training needed
While on the game drive the night before, we had noticed
this large boulder-like mountain hovering in the distance. Turns out this was Rupurara
Rock, for which the inn had been named. In an otherwise level grassy plain,
this monstrous 1,804 meter-tall rock juts up as though someone had slammed their
fist up through the earth’s crust from the nether world below.
As the saying goes, “If there’s a mountain, someone’s got to
climb it,” so a small group of journalists from around the world met at 6:00am
to give it our best shot. We’re met again by Cecil, who has led this trek to
the top 904 times. He’s even got one of the scenic overlooks named after him.
Luckily for us, we get a ride to the base of the mountain on
the safari jeep. That saved an hour’s worth of hiking right there, not to
mention not having to dodge the wildebeest and eland with their twisty horns.
From the shady western face of the mountain, we start our
ascent. Much of the first portion is an easily traversed set of switchbacks
with an occasional large boulder that must be vaulted up and over.
Occasionally we’d see some of the bashful, furry creatures
that live amongst the rocks. They were too quick to photograph though. Later we
found a large millipede slithering across the ground which gave us reason to
pause for photographs. Actually, we’d have been just as happy to stop and photograph
dirt…we just needed to catch our breath.
Cecil, at 70+ years old, was in far better shape than our traveling band
of writers and photographers.
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| Cecil paused at "Cecil's Overlook" while we worked to catch our breath. |
Pushing on, we eventually reached the tree line and were
greeted with unobstructed views of the distant hills and a couple priceless
hilltop homes. The ground at this point turned to 99% pure rock face. Only an
occasional plant sprouted up in a rock crack and some lichen could be found
growing on the surface. From here it was
a constant smooth climb to the summit.
Reaching the peak, a 360 degree panorama revealed itself
with breathtaking vistas in all directions. Directly below, dozens of animals
could be seen grazing on the grassy plains. In the distance, everywhere you
looked revealed more mountain peaks. To our right, the Inn on Rupurara’s cabins
could be seen dotting the hillside closest to us.
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| "We made it!" |
Cecil had carried an antelope’s horn with us, all the way to
the top. Upon reaching the summit, we
discovered why. With great ceremonial flourish, he aimed the horn toward the
Inn and began to blow. “That’ll let the cook know we’re coming in for
breakfast,” he said with a smile. “Better hold those eggs” we thought, as none
of us wanted to leave.
If you are looking for a place to rough it (limited
electricity and Internet) without having to rough it (comfortable beds and warm
showers) or you’re looking for a place to enjoy good food with great views,
you’ll want to consider Inn on Rupurara.
Whether your idea of a good time is horseback riding up close and
personal with the giraffes, or taking a hike to see ancient rock paintings, or
trout fishing or bird walks, the Inn is happy to accommodate.
Contact them here:
INN
ON RUPURARA
P.O. Box 337
Juliasdale
Zimbabwe
Or contact:
KAM TOURS
307 W. 38th Street, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10018
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