Harare

Understand

Harare is home to over two and a half million people, with most in central Harare but some 500,000 in the surrounding districts of Norton, Chintungwiza and Epworth. Though a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens, it suffered from increasing neglect thanks to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, however in the 2010s there has finally been some new investments in infrastructure. Despite this, Harare is still one of Africa's most pleasant cities to visit with plenty of attractions and friendly locals.

Get around

thumb|250x250px|Light aircraft at Chikwenya Camp near Mana Pools National Park. Harare is very spread out. The best option to get around is by car, which is easier now that dollarization has made fuel shortages a thing of the past. Fuel is readily available at most outlets for cash or through a coupon system. Most operators now import fuel by themselves and prices are independently set. Most service stations close in the evening, while some offer 24-hour service.

See

There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved. The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.

Buy

thumb|250px|Eastgate shopping mall

All purchases in larger stores are made with US dollars or the Zig which is the national currency.

Anything made locally is generally very affordable. Look for Zimbabwean goods as they tend to be of high quality. Everything that is imported is relatively expensive compared to other African countries, due to high import taxes and a lack of competition. Cans of Coca-cola typically cost $1, for example.

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you could stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare or the more upscale experience at Avondale market. Here tourists could feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items. Most locals prefer to do their shopping in shopping centres of which Borrowdale and Westgate are among the most prestigious.

ATMs give US dollars. The ATMs at Ecobank, Stanbic, Nedbank will accept international Visa or Mastercards.

Eat

Zimbabwe's staple food is sadza: a thick white porridge (a bit like mashed potato), that's made from corn (maize) meal, seen throughout Southeastern Africa. It's eaten for lunch and dinner, accompanied by vegetables or meat in some form.

In Harare there are many cafes and restaurants serving various cuisines, a good place to start are its numerous outdoor cafes: Cafe Espresso on Cork Road, Avondale. Has a brilliantly landscaped garden, a wifi spot and excellent coffees 40 Cork Road, Avondale. An outdoor cafe, art gallery, and sculpture garden. Very much the place to be seen. 167 Enterprise Road, Chisipite. An old house converted into a restaurant with a huge garden with a pool, an art shop, gallery etc.

With the dollarisation of the economy, there has been a big increase in the number of restaurants and coffee shops in Harare. The Zimbabwe Tourism website has also been upgraded.

Drink

Try Chibuku, a popular local beer with the working class. It comes in "scuds", which are large 2 litre brown plastic containers. The beer is lumpy and opaque beige, but is good and very cheap.Shake-shake is prepackaged sorghum beer (brewed in the traditional African style) and is very thick and filling, and comes in milk cartons.

The locally brewed Castle, Lion, Zambesi and Bohlingers are definitely worth trying and more popular with suburbanites. Wine consumption tends to be the preserve of the middle class, with most restaurants going for South African and to a lesser extent French and Australian wines. However, Zimbabwe does have a small wine scene of its own, dominated by the Delta Corporation and its wine brand, Mukuyu. However, newer upstarts such as, Kumusha produce wines of much better quality and are extremely affordable by international standards.

Harare has a very vibrant club scene that goes on until the early hours. Popular genres include the local Zimdancehall, amapiano, and Jamaican dancehall. Working class residents tend to favour grassroots Sungura and Congolese music, while the more well to do prefer Western artists.

Sleep

thumb|260px|Monomotapa Crowne Plaza Hotel The city boasts a few high end hotels (such as the Meikles Hotel and Rainbow Towers), but also has a significant number of three to four star hotels that offer affordable accommodation without compromising on quality. These include the Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, the Cresta Lodge and the Holiday Inn.

Harare also has quite a number of bed and breakfast/guest houses and Airbnbs, mostly set in former residential houses with extensive gardens.

Connect

WiFi is available around the city provided by private from as little one as 1 USD, when in doubt look for a finer hotel and connect to their network for a better connection. Internet cafes are slowly becoming extinct but are reliable if you can find one .

Go next

Victoria Falls. Bulawayo Eastern Highlands