A Short History Present-day Zimbabwe was the site of a large and complex African civilization in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was populated by descendants of the Bantu tribes, who had migrated from the north around the 10th century. Mainly pastoral, evidence of their lifestyle can be seen in the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, near the present-day town of Masvingo. The first contact with Europeans was with the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century. Relations between the two were fairly stable – the Portuguese were largely concerned with ensuring communications between their colonies in Angola and Mozambique on either side of Zimbabwe - until the1830s, when the region was thrown into upheaval by the northward migration of the Ndebele people from South Africa. The Ndebele, who espoused a Zulu warrior tradition, effectively enslaved the indigenous Shona people until the end of the century. At this point, the colonists had arrived in the form of British mining interests led by Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company (BSAC). They took control of the country – which they called 'Southern Rhodesia' – until 1923, when it became a British colony. From 1953–63, Southern Rhodesia formed part of the Central African Federation with neighbouring Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi). In 1965, to resist decolonization, the white settlers – with South African support – issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). This triggered a bitter civil war between the white minority government and fighters for African independence, ending only in 1980, with the granting of independence and the holding of a general election, which was won decisively by Robert Mugabe's ZANU party. During the first decade of independence Robert Mugabe used force to silence any opposition to his government and an estimated 20,000 civilians, mostly Ndebele, were killed or disappeared and have not been accounted for to this date. Allegations of genocide and have resulted in calls for Mugabe's arrest and prosecution for crimes against humanity. Also, the main focus of dissent in the early years was from Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU opposition party – ZANU's former ally in the 'Patriotic Front' that fought the guerrilla war against Rhodesia from their bases in Zambia and Mozambique. From 1985, however, the two parties moved towards a merger, which was peacefully achieved in January 1988. By 1999, the government had begun addressing land issues - whites made up less than 1% of the population but held 70% of the country's commercially viable arable land. Mugabe began to compulsory redistribute land to blacks in 2000. This has led to a sharp decline in agricultural exports, traditionally the country's leading export producing sector, and as a result, Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a severe hard currency shortage, which has led to hyperinflation and chronic shortages in imported fuel, food and consumer goods. Climate Although located in the tropics, temperate conditions prevail all year round as the climate is moderated by altitude and the inland position of the country. The hot and dry season is from August to October, and the rainy season from November to March. On all our tours, it's best to bring warm clothing - raincoat, warm hat, socks etc. - as across Africa wet/dry and hot/cool climatic periods change invariably. Health Matters Yellow fever: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. Malaria: A malaria risk, predominantly due to P. falciparum, exists from November to June in all areas below 1200m and throughout the year in the Zambezi Valley, although there is negligible risk in Harare and Bulawayo. P. falciparum is resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine - pyrimethamine. Recommended prophylaxis: mefloquine. Precautionary measures to take to prevent contact with mosquitoes include: insect repellent, cover up at sundown, sleep under a mosquito net and wear long sleeve clothing and long trousers in the evenings. Other: Seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic at least six weeks prior to departure about what vaccinations you require. Typically the list includes typhoid, tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B and meningitis. Untreated water should be considered unsafe to drink. Hospital facilities are generally good in towns and cities but in rural regions medical facilities are limited. Insurance: Health insurance is essential; adequate medical provision is often only provided privately and may require health insurance or a cash payment before admission. It is recommended that visitors carry personal medical supplies with them. Money Guide Currency: Zimbabwean Dollar (Z$) Exchange Rates: fluctuate widely due to high inflation. The following information is provided to assist you in planning the finances you will require for your safari. It is intended as a general guide only and may change with local conditions. African currencies tend to fluctuate more rapidly than your own currencies. Due to high inflation, the Z$ fluctuates enormously and exchange rates can rapidly change on a daily basis. The official bank rate is set twice weekly after foreign exchange auctions. Therefore it is best to change your money at a bank using the official bank auction rate of the day. As banks are closed on weekends, you are advised to change the money you will require prior to the weekend. You cannot change excess Z$ to any other currency outside of Zimbabwe so do not change up too much money at once. Please first seek the advice from your trip leader and staff from the Africa Travel Co office in Victoria Falls BEFORE changing any money. You really need to have US$ cash to change into Z$. You will not get anywhere near as good a rate with GBP or Euros. Note that it is illegal to change money on the streets in Zimbabwe. Some people choose to post souvenirs home from Zimbabwe as the postage rate is reasonable. However some of our clients have reported that parcels sent have not arrived, so it's not advised to post parcels from Zimbabwe. Optional extras in Zimbabwe include many adrenaline and scenic activities in the Victoria Falls area. These have to be paid using US$ cash or traveller's cheques. Credit cards are not accepted for activities in Zimbabwe. Visa requirements: The following nationalities require a US$35 visa for Zimbabwe: Australian, USA, Canadians, German, Dutch, Danish and some other nationalities. The current visa fee for British and Irish is US$60. Most visas are available on the border but there is talk that the British will soon have to obtain their visa prior to entry. Visas can be brought using post 2000 US$ notes, GB£ or South African Rand. Please check with your local embassy or visa service for up to date information as this could change at any time. Average Costs Limited and slow internet access, US$1 per minute. Beer, US$1.50.