Save River: Centuries of Tourism Secrets

Birchenough Bridge straddling across Save River. The single span bridge is  329  metres long.

Save River is more like the Ngugi waThiong's River Between. The River Between in waThiong's book was a culture clash but this mythical river in Zimbabwe is not only full of rich and colourful trade history but also the divide between the animal rich semi-arid lowveld and the scenic and fauna rich eastern highlands.

The 400 kilometre Save River starts some 80 kilometres south of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, flowing in a general south direction slowly meandering into Manicaland province and then into arid Masvingo. The river continues flowing deep into Masvingo before suddenly veering into an eastern direction towards the Indian Ocean.

Save natures three large wildlife conservancies along its trail to the Indian Ocean: Save Conservancy one of the world's biggest privately owned wildlife sanctuaries, Gonarezhou National Park a perk that has one of the largest elephant population and Zanave National Park in Mozambique. All these parks have Africa's big five among their inhabitants. These are the lion, African elephant, black rhinoceros, buffalo and the leopard.

Historically, save was a transport route for gold and trade goods between the coast and the hinterland occupied by the civilisations of Great Zimbabwe in the 13th and 14th centuries AD.

Save River as it crosses Birchenough Bridge after meandering through Chiadzwa  diamond fields beyond the mountain ridge.

 It is from this same Save River that my trails would take me deep into the lowveld to explore wildlife in Save Conservancies, Lake Mtirikwi National Park, visit the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the expansive Gonarezhou and its splendid scenery such as the red hills and Chilojo Cliffs in the coming days, weeks and months. Meet and hear stories from the locals, their co-existence with wildlife and the stories of the foreign tourists coming again and again to witness wild Africa.

After the lowveld we will travel together to explore the mystic eastern Highlands with their rivers, valleys, mountains and unique fauna and European weather. These journeys would take us through Chimanimani, Nyanga, Mutare, Vumba and centuries old equatorial Chirinda Forests.