Vumba (Bvumba) Mountains, Manicaland
Situated 10km south of the city of Mutare, the Vumba Mountains reach an altitude of 1911m at Castle Beacon, a granite dome forming one of the tallest ranges in the country. The mountains are flanked on either side by the rolling greenery of grasses, proteas, tree foliage and coffee shrubs nourished by the early morning “bvumba” (mist) formed by the inland bound moist currents from the Indian Ocean. In the valleys pristine lucid streams twist and turn and roll down granite precipices forming cataracts and rapids.
Amid the jagged granite and the wattle and pine estates, the beauteous Vumba Botanical Gardens and the Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve impose themselves with their unique fauna of Swynnerton’s robins, Livingstone’s turacos, samango monkeys and a myriad of butterfly species. The former is also home to a cycad collection including Encephalartos manikensis and Encephalartos eugene-maraisii.
To add to the saliency exhibited by the natural flora and fauna, culturally significant stone age sites also dot the area.
Top 5 things to do:
1) Hiking
2) horse riding along the Vumba countryside
3)Golfing at Leopard Rock
4)Visiting the Botanical garden and forest reserve
5) bird watching
Wondrous Zimbabwe 