What we offer you

An 11 day Escorted Tour of Zimbabwe concentrated in the Eastern Districts for groups of between 8 and 12 people. The purpose of the Tour is threefold.
1) To see parts of Zimbabwe that most Tourists do not see – the spectacular and majestic Eastern Highlands
2)To see and experience some of the many Humanitarian Aid Projects that are currently running in Zimbabwe.
3)To “Make a Difference” through financial assistance to the various projects

For every group hosted, up to US$3,000.00 will be donated to a selected Project or Projects.

For groups of 8 people – US$ 2,000.00 will be donated
For groups of 9 – 10 people, US$ 2,500.00 will be donated
For groups of 11-12 people, US$ 3,000.00 will be donated

The donation is included in your Tour price, and will be given to any of the projects visited by the group. At the end of the Tour the group will select the recipient(s) for the donation. (Please see Donations)

Tour Overview

Cost includes all accommodation, (NB - all accommodation is per person sharing), meals, soft drinks, bottled water, entry fees, and transport within Zimbabwe, starting from day 1 arrival at the Bronte Hotel in Harare to final breakfast at the Bronte Hotel in Harare. (Please see Tour Content)

Most visitors to Zimbabwe only see the northwest of the country – Victoria Falls, Hwange and Kariba. The Mercy Tour will take you to the southeastern regions, on the Mozambique border. There are very few game animals in this part of the country, but the scenery is spectacular and there is a huge diversity of countryside from trout lakes in mist-covered mountains to arid semi-desert. Each day will offer something different, and all daily excursions are voluntary.

The base for the Tour will be the La Rochelle Hotel – a small, privately run hotel situated in a botanical garden. La Rochelle was formerly the stately African home of Sir Steven and Lady Virginia Courtauld. Though not as luxuriously furnished as in the days of the Courtaulds, the hotel provides a clean and comfortable base.

All groups will be met at the Bronte Hotel in Harare at 6:30pm on the 1st, 11th or 21st of a month, and will be dropped off at the Bronte Hotel after 11 days in-country. The final night at the Bronte is included in the Tour cost.

There are several flights daily from Johannesburg (with SAA, Lufthansa , ComAir and Air Zimbabwe) or there are direct flights from London with Air Zimbabwe on selected days of the week. All airport fees and taxes will be to your own expense. Guests may wish to add-on an excursion to Victoria Falls at their own discretion. We would recommend the Ilala lodge in Victoria Falls as an up-market base there, or Lorries B&B as a budget alternative.

The Tour Excursions will go to Nyanga, Vumba, Hot Springs, and Imire Game Park. With the exception of Imire Game Park accommodation, which will be subject to availability, all Tour excursions are confirmed as part of the Tour. Should we not be able to book overnight accommodation at Imire, we will still go there on a day visit on the way to Harare (please note that animal photos on this website are from Imire and not from La Rochelle!!).

The Project excursions will go to at least 5 of the following - Nzeve Centre for the Deaf, Simukai Street Children Project, St. Augustines Mission Clinic, Robert Mugabe Orphanage, FACT (Family Aids Caring Trust), Lighthouse Church Children of Hope Orphan Home Care Project, Chengetai Centre for Mentally Handicapped, Sport 4 Socialization Trust Zimbabwe, Fairfield Orphanage, and Old Mutare Mission Hospital. There may be Projects running in the area which you have involvement with, and we will include any Project on request within a 40 mile radius of Mutare Town.

Also, if you have a specific Project with which you have involvement, all 3 of the “project days” may be spent observing one particular Project, if you wish.

Every Mercy Tour includes :-
4 days of Day Excursions to Scenic or Tourist destinations
3 days of Day Excursions to at least 5 Humanitarian Aid Organizations and Projects

Your Tour will consist of 11 days in Zimbabwe. Please have a look at our SAMPLE itinerary to get an idea of daily programs. The various projects may be changed as other projects request assistance. Should you have a specific Project you would like to visit, this should be indicated on reservation. Once a booking has been accepted, we will finalize your itinerary and send you a listing of daily excursions. This will be dependent on term dates, days of the week, and Project willingness to host. Once you are at La Rochelle we may adjust the daily programs by consent depending on the weather.

Should Imire not be available to host the group, we will arrange a day visit en-route to Harare. Similarly, should the Bronte Hotel not be able to accommodate the group, alternative accommodation will be arranged in Harare at no additional cost.

All you need to do is get a group of friends together (preferably with a sense of humor) and start making a plan. a list of available dates is included and we will only host one Tour at a time.

An itinerary will be constructed for you on reservation. Please indicate on reservation whether there are specific projects you would like to see, and any other requirements.