Khami Ruins — Attraction in Bulawayo Province

Khami national monument is located about 17 km south west of Bulawayo. It consists of the Khami dam and several ruins, and is just one example of the workmanship of the BaKalanga people who occupied the southwest of Zimbabwe for millenia, to this day. The Ruins are built on a raised platform giving breathtaking 360 degree views of the area, in some places, which is full of kopjes. It reminds me of Matobo Hills. There is a small museum located at the entrance that showcases the area and rich cukture and history. The Zimbabwe aloe tree/shrub is a prominent feature standing guard just outside of the Museum area. Khami national monument is managed by the national museums and monuments of Zimbabwe. On the day I visited there was a staff member and a policeman in attendance who gave us a talk of the area, they were very helpful. It is a very quiet place with few visitors on the day I visited. The bird watching here is just phenomenal. Good place for a family outing to learn about early Zimbabwean history. There are braai stands where one can have a bbq but beware of the existence of baboons, though I've not heard of them attacking anyone, they avoided us like the plague wherever we crossed paths with them. "iNzimabgwe ya She Nkami wedzisina mulu, tjita...

If you love Zimbabwean/Southern African history then Khami ruins should be very close to the top of your bucketlist after Great Zimbabwe of course. Many ethnic groups such as the Shona, the Kalangas and the Venda trace their history to Khami. The place won't disappoint - the drywalling is great and well preserved. In my opinion the architecture is much better than the one at great Zimbabwe. The great enclosure at Great Zimbabwe is much bigger though. However, nothing beats the chevron patterns at Khami in my opinion. Certain sections of the Khami walls are collapsing. I wish more could be done to preserve the site. There are good tour guides there and a museum that helps shed more light into Zimbabwean history. There is also a cross at the site which is testimony to how the ancients used to trade with early Portuguese explorers. I highly recommend...

As already said - once on 13th Ave (Khami Road), look for Green Gable School. The road going out is dreadful - lots of bad pot holes, especially near the prison turn off. The dirt road from the school to the Ruins is also quite bad. Go pass the museum to park. Once you get there it is beautiful. The museum is small but interesting. If you are going out on a sunny day- think about taking your own fire wood and having a braai. They have a beautiful area for a picnic. They do not have tour guides, but there is an interesting book for US$5 about the place. There is also by the parking area a signage map, to show where the...