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Isdore Guvamombe

Travel Talk

As we grew up the big companies owned hotels and lodges in Zimbabwe but today there is a whole lot of new players who entered the market and are still going strong. One such is Nichrut Lodge in Shurugwi.

It is spectacular, tastefully decorated and unbelievably comfortable.

Tucked within a secondary indigenous forest of deciduous Msasa trees, alongside a road that uncharacteristically undulates up and down and snakes into hairpin curves, Nichrut Lodge, is the latest offering in the tourism and hospitality industry in the Midlands Province.

The lodge, which was opened five years ago has won many awards after it was awarded the second best accolade in the hotels category in Midlands at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce annual awards held in Gweru recently.

It is a place where many long established hotels can learn internal decorum and comforting delivery.

It is very rare for a tourism facility to win an award within five months of establishing operations. It is exceptional.

Owned by Nicholas Gara, an indigenous miner, Nichrut has six executive suites and 10 standard rooms. It is a perfect stop over.

It is perched on a hill slope overlooking serene rolling moorlands, high mountain heath and undulating slopes of the Great Dyke Mountain Range.

Built about 20km outside Gweru and five kilometres outside the mining town of Shurugwi, Nichrut, has proved to be a quiet place where those tired of the hullabaloo of urban life, retire with families.

A tour of the lodge last weekend revealed spacious tastefully decorated rooms. Each lodge is fitted with two television sets connected to DSTV that offer nine channels.

Tiled floors are also decorated in a manner that will dazzle guests. The kitchen and the reception areas are ultra modern, with ceiling, many an established hotel would envy.

Construction work at the hotel started in 2010 after the owner successfully applied for land from the Shurugwi Town Council. To date, Mr Gara has tamed a forest into a comfort zone.

Since its opening Nichrut has become an integrated hospitality centre, with a forecourt and a take away food outlet.

“While I was travelling to many places as a miner looking for things to use, I decided to build my own lodge. This is typically a family lodge. It is meant to be a quiet place with no nightclub or bar nearby.

“We want to maintain the bush and at the same time give our customers the comfort they deserve,” he said.

We have the best showers in Midlands and we imported the equipment from Dubai.

“As you can see, we have been operational for only five months and we have proved very popular and I guess this is the reason why ZNCC saw it fit to honour as a comfort zone.

“We appreciate the award, but we are also expanding and constructing a service station what we hope will be open in a few months,’’ said Mr Gara after winning the award.

There are plans to expand the lodge by 32 additional rooms and to introduce wildlife on the three hectares plot around the lodge, to give visitors a real treat.

“The point is that indigenous people can do it and I am setting an example here that we can do it in our country,’’ says Mr Gara.

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