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Tafadzwa Zimoyo, Lifestyle Editor

As the sun rose imperceptibly and we started warming our seats, all of a sudden, an announcement hit our earlobes.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Heritage Expedition Africa luxury coach. I will be your driver, feel free, relax and enjoy the voyage . . . ” these were the words of driver Menace Paradza.

Such words are mostly heard when a plane is about to take off, as passengers are reminded to fasten their seat belts.

But this time around, we were in a 49-seater luxury coach.

The tour was courtesy of Heritage Expeditions Africa general manager Itai Kapumha.

The company is a subsidiary of Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), who hosted the visiting tourists and buyers for this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

The bus puffed of from Harare on Thursday and buried behind acre, upon acre of farmland, dotted homesteads, tress and forests to Victoria Falls, Hwange via Bulawayo for the European buyers’ pre-tour of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo.

We also buried behind us, village after village and small town after small town as the resilient engine ran smoothly.

The buyers came from Japan, China, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Italy.

They liked the joy-ride.

First things first, the Heritage Expedition Africa bus is something else, comfy and luxurious.

Before being treated to packed breakfast on board, what amazed everyone was the connectivity to free Wifi.

Buyers pose with the Ncube family at Monde village

Well, for those lost, the buyers’ and tourists’ pre-expo tour was to familiarise them with some of the tourism tapestries that Zimbabwe offers.

We arrived in Bulawayo after a five-hour drive then rested at the Rainbow Tourism Group and the following morning we continued with our journey to Victoria Falls.

The famous luxurious A’Zambezi River Lodge was our home for the next three nights.

As its name indicates, the hotel is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River.

The four-star lodge offers comfortable accommodation with its traditional thatch architecture.

Of course, Victoria Falls must be the adrenalin capital of the African continent, we had a lot of activities.

Being a frequent traveller, especially in Europe, for Victoria Falls, I can be there as many times because of its ambience.

Each night at the lodge, guests were treated to the rhythms and music of African dancers and musicians.

There was the ‘Kuzhe Bush Dinner’, which is a special treat where guests learn more about the BaTonga Tribe and their connection with the Zambezi River.

Some of the activities we partook in to have an appreciation of the safari lifestyle included the Boma dinner, sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, quad bikes, tour of the falls, game drive at Chamabondo Game Park, helicopter flight over Victoria Falls and bunjee jumping from the Victoria Falls bridge, among others.

All these activities were hosted by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, in conjunction with RTG.

These activities were done in various groups to appreciate Victoria Falls.

Buyers at the Victoria Falls

Tourism attaché based at the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Paris, France, Audrey Chidyamakono, said the pre-tour was useful as it sold and marketed Zimbabwe well, before the expo.

“I am happy to be back home as my responsibility lies on promoting Zimbabwe as a tourism destination of choice to France, Spain and Portugal.

“I am glad that two renowned companies from France have joined other buyers from Europe for the familiarisation tour of the destination to complement the efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism (and Hospitality Industry) in establishing a physical presence in the markets by opening a Tourism Office in France,” said Chidyamakono.

The attaché said having the buyers in Zimbabwe afforded them the opportunity to experience first-hand, what the destination offers. UK-based buyer, Yared Bizuneh, a director for Africa Travel Connect, said he was happy to be in Zimbabwe.

“So far I am liking what I am seeing,” he said. “It is a different story altogether from what we hear people say. I am feeling the experience and happy to take it back home and market Zimbabwe We visited the majestic falls and I enjoyed The Boma.”

French tourist and buyer Natalie Brune from Macro Vasco said she was here to discover Zimbabwe. “We want to develop Zimbabwe with more tourists from France and I passed through Zimbabwe for four hours while in transit to Zambia from Dubai. I never get to witness this amazing safari and loving people,” she said.

Before travelling to Hwange National Park, we visited the Monde Village, where Crispen Ncube stays with his family on one homestead. Ncube shared some aspects of the Tonga culture, how they live, farming, marriages and how they preserve the community.

Japanese Cho Mi said Zimbabwe is a safe place. “This is my first time in Africa and have started with Zimbabwe and I like what I am seeing,” she said. “I love animals and I am happy to have experienced the tour, especially Simunye Theatre. The Tonga culture is amazing.”

Now from white-water rafting, bungee jumping and zip lining, to cultural experience, it was time for the incredible game drives in Hwange National Park. Hwange is one of Africa’s largest elephant sanctuaries and is also the habitat of thousands of buffalo as well as giraffes, kudus, zebras, lions, leopards, wildebeests, and various other species of antelope. According to tour guides, wildlife can be observed from platforms overlooking the water holes. The buyers’ groups had a three-hour game drive along the national park.

This tour was amazing as we saw three prides of lions amongst other animals like ostriches, zebras, giraffes, kudus, wildebeests, antelope and crocodiles. We were close to the animals and one tour guide said, “Don’t make noise, take off the flash from your camera and standstill.” We were 100 metres to be precise from the lions who were also watching us.

One interesting thing to note was the refurbishment of the Hwange Safari Lodge by the African Sun who brought the natural comfy ambience with their hues colours matching nature. It’s like more of the Sun City in South Africa but this is real and natural.

“I love the ambience here,” said one buyer from Italy.

Commentin on the tour, RTG Group Corporate Affairs and Quality manager, Pride Khumbula, said this curated experience was designed to immerse guests in the unparalleled beauty, culture and hospitality in Zimbabwe, reinforcing commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for international travellers. She concurred with buyers that the Hwange National Park tour provided an authentic taste of Zimbabwe’s most iconic landscapes and wildlife.

“They experienced the grandeur of Africa’s wildlife and the rich cultural heritage of Zimbabwe. They had an interaction with the people at the Monde Village in Hwange, where they were taught about marriages, farming, culture and traditions,” she said. “The tours represented a significant step in strengthening business ties between The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Rainbow Tourism Group with key partners from the UK and France.”

Khumbula added that they are committed to fostering long-term relationships that enhance the value proposition for European travellers, offering them unique and sustainable travel experiences in Zimbabwe.

We then returned to Bulawayo for the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) halls.