Banff Lodge

Guests arrive at a family-run hotel on two-and-a-quarter acres of gardens in Bulawayo's Hillside suburb, five minutes from the city centre. The property holds 24 en-suite rooms, each furnished with antique pieces and fitted with a kettle, complimentary tea and coffee, and wireless internet. Most rooms have been renovated since 2013. A pool sits within the gardens.

Two restaurants serve the same menu in different settings. New Orleans Restaurant, founded more than 30 years ago, operates indoors with Old French Quarter décor and table service. The Deck runs outdoors beneath open sky. Both serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner; a full bar stocks wine and spirits. You can walk from your room directly to either restaurant.

The nearby Hillside Dams lie within walking distance. Mabukuwene Gardens, a short drive from the lodge, hold indigenous trees, aloes, cactus, and recorded bird species. The property is gated and walled, with secure on-site parking. A well beneath the gardens yields 2,000 litres per hour. Laundry service runs daily. Staff are on site around the clock.