Mutare used to be called Umtali until 1982. It is Zimbabwe's third largest city and it is situated in a beautiful valley, 215 km southeast of Harare, close to the border with Mozambique. Mutare is a convenient place to stay if you want to visit the Nyanga National Park, Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands, Gorongosa National Park, or the Mozambique coast.
The Mutare Museum is quite interesting and the adjacent aviary houses over 500 birds. The museum is close to the river in the west of town. Another good museum is the 1897 built Utopia House, former home of poet Kingsley Fairbridge.
In the southeast of town, not far from the railway station are the Main Park and the Aloe Gardens, where 250 species of plants and trees are grown. On Murahwa's Hill is a small nature reserve that contains several rock paintings, as well as the ruins of an iron-age village.
You can see elephants, kudu, monkeys, rhinos, wildebeest and zebras in the Cecil Kop Game Reserve, three km from Mutare. The Thompson's Veil waterfall is also there. The Tiger's Kloof Dam is one of the most interesting spots in the reserve.
There are several hotels and restaurants in Mutare. There is a campsite 6 km from town. The bus station is in the south of Mutare, close to the railway station.
Mutare