• Home
  • About Me
  • Destinations
  • Blog
  • Contact
instagram

Beyond Babeesh

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Destinations
  • Blog
  • Contact

7 Ideas For Things to do in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo Zimbabwe

“You are going to the City of Kings” -man on the train

Contents

  • I traveled through Bulawayo several times during my train adventures in Zimbabwe
  • Bulawayo is Boring
  • Visiting the University
  • Ok but back to things to do in Bulawayo:
  • Getting cash and Sim Cards
  • See the eerie coal factory smokestacks
  • Stock up on food and water for your next adventure
  • What about my big old bag I am lugging around with me?
  • The Railway Museum: The top of my list of things to do in Bulawayo
  • How to get to the Bulawayo Railway Museum
  • If I had more time…

I traveled through Bulawayo several times during my train adventures in Zimbabwe

Bulawayo was and is the train transit hub of Zimbabwe because it is close to South Africa, Botswana, and Victoria Falls. If you take any train in Zimbabwe, you will probably travel through Bulawayo.

I often arrived in Bulawayo by train in the morning and departed in the evening on another train. But sometimes I stayed around Bulawayo because I had met some friends who lived there during my adventures.

I figured I would write a little post about some things to do in Bulawayo based on what I did and liked. So here you go, things to do in Bulawayo:

Bulawayo Zimbabwe

Bulawayo is Boring

Sorry, I had to say it. There just aren’t many things to do if you travel to Bulawayo. It seems like a nice place to live, and of course any place is fun if you are in the company of good friends, but wow Bulawayo is lacking in the tourist and sightseeing department. Badly.

See also: My Top Zimbabwe Travel Tips

Due to the presence of a few universities, here is a large student population in Bulawayo. In fact, Solusi University, largely regarded as Zimbabwe’s top University, is located about a 30 minute drive outside of Bulawayo in the countryside.

Bulawayo Zimbabwe
The road to Solusi University

Visiting the University

I met friends from Solusi on the train from Mozambique to Zimbabwe and they invited me to go visit the campus and spend the night.

It was a great experience to see what college life was like for young Zimbabweans and international students from neighboring countries. I visited an elementary school on the campus and later I ate melon at an English professor’s house.

The campus vibe was the same as any college campus I have been to in North America or Europe. Solusi was unique, though, since it is a Seventh Day Adventist University.

Solusi University Zimbabwe
Campus Buildings at Solusi University

I don’t know so much about Seventh Day Adventists aside from the fact that they live forever due to their healthy diets. I also know that the religion began not so far away from my parents’ house in Michigan…small world.

But one thing struck me as sad: the campus felt very empty. Apparently the cost of tuition and living expenses totals to around $4,000 a year. Since the economic crisis in Zimbabwe a lot of students had to discontinue their studies.

Solusi University Bulawayo
Solusi Campus

There’s a bus that leaves from the center of Bulawayo that goes to Solusi University every afternoon if you want to visit the campus.

One fun fact is that I later couchsurfed with a Zimbabwean man who was an alumnus of Solusi!

Ok but back to things to do in Bulawayo:

Some older British tourists on one train kept talking about visiting the Bulawayo Club for lunch. Rumor has it they let you take showers there if you took the overnight train over. You can also pretend to be Cecil Rhodes if you’re into that sort of stuff. I’m not.

Also apparently the art gallery there is pretty good but I can’t vouch for that since I didn’t visit! Next time!

Bulawayo Zimbabwe

Getting cash and Sim Cards

This is the top of my list of things to do in Bulawayo: there is an ATM in the center of town that will take foreign debit cards! This proved to be sort of a rarity throughout Zimbabwe so take advantage of that! It’s not the ATM that is inside the bank, it is the ATM on the main street that is at street level.

Near this part of town there are also several Sim Card vendors and even actual stores where you can top up on internet data or get a Zimbabwean phone number.

Coal Factory Bulawayo Zimbabwe

See the eerie coal factory smokestacks

The first thing you see when you exit the train station in Bulawayo is the big old coal plant. It is not in use right now, but those smokestacks sure make it look like there’s a big old nuclear power plant in the center of town. Great.

But, as someone from Detroit, I have always harbored a love of industrial ruin. I found the smokestacks to be quite beautiful. I would totally travel to Bulawayo to see urban decay…but that’s just my travel style!

Things to do in Bulawayo Zimbabwe1

Stock up on food and water for your next adventure

Ok it isn’t the most touristy thing among things to do in Bulawayo, but there are a few grocery stores near the center of town that sell huge bottles of water and snacks that are perfect for long train rides out of there! People who travel to Bulawayo are generally on their way to somewhere else, so stock up on your modern conveniences here!

What about my big old bag I am lugging around with me?

I forgot to mention, as you are running around finding things to do in Bulawayo, you can actually leave any baggage at the railway station. They have a left luggage area where you can leave your bag that costs $1 for the whole day. This is a good idea if you are arriving by train in the morning and departing by train in the evening. It makes traveling to Bulawayo much easier!

I wouldn’t recommend leaving all your valuables in your bag, but there were guards and the luggage room seemed relatively secure.

To get to the left luggage area you just leave the main entrance and turn right and walk along the station for a few minutes. It is the room after the parcel room.

Railway Museum Bulawayo

The Railway Museum: The top of my list of things to do in Bulawayo

The Railway Museum showcases a lot of the retired engines and carriages from the colonial era when the National Railways of Zimbabwe was called Rhodesia Railways. It is probably the first thing to do if you travel to Bulawayo.

You can spend the afternoon climbing in and out of the big old locomotives or carriages. A lot of the trains are in good condition and since I’m from a train obsessed family I just had to go.

You can chat with the interesting fellow  who runs the place (a born and raised Rhodesian dude) , ride a handcart back and forth, or see Cecil Rhodes’s old carriage. The older British guy I wandered to the museum with was obsessed with Cecil Rhodes so it seemed like this visit was more of a pilgrimage to him.

Railway Museum Bulawayo Zimbabwe

Also, has anybody else in the region noticed that so many of the older British tourists are dressed like a lion or elephant is going to pop out at any moment? I don’t know why you would need safari clothes in the middle of an industrial city haha.

Some birds attacked me in one of the museum’s carriages so be aware…

Bulawayo Railway Museum

How to get to the Bulawayo Railway Museum

So this is a lot trickier than it looks. I ended up having to take a tunnel and then cross a junk yard to finally arrive there. I mean, I find urban junk yards to be interesting but not as a lady wandering around alone in a new city. But, if you wish, to find said tunnel you need to exit the train station from the main entrance, turn right and walk down that little road of restaurants. When the road dumps into the larger road you turn right and walk for maybe 3 minutes until you arrive at the tunnel.

Bulawayo Railway Museum Zimbabwe
Here’s a sign marking where you need to walk to get to the museum

An easier way to get there is to cross all the platforms of the station and get to the grid of roads behind the station. From there you would need to turn right and walk until you see the gutted carcasses of old locomotives.

If I had more time…

One thing I really wanted to do but couldn’t was visit the Matobo National Park just outside the city. I opted to visited new friends in the University instead. If I am lucky enough to travel to Bulawayo again one day that would be the first thing on my list of things to do!

Bulawayo Zimbabwe

 

In the end, traveling to Bulawayo is good to go to stock up on supplies and get organized! I liked the people I met there but it wasn’t my favorite place in Zimbabwe.

Related posts:

  1. Independent Travel in Southern Africa : You can do it! Here’s my trip overview:
  2. Is Backpacking in Africa Expensive? Here’s my Africa travel budget!
  3. Taking the Train from Mozambique to Zimbabwe Part 2: The Party Train
  4. 12 Essential Things to Know About Taking Trains in Africa
Previous Article Craziest Trip Ever: How to get to Tofo from Maputo on Public Transport
Next Article 8 Great Things to do if you Travel to Harare, Zimbabwe

Related Posts

  • Ouagadougou national museum things to do

    7 of the Absolute Best things to do in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

  • street art in Benin

    8 of the Absolute Best Things to do in Cotonou, Benin

  • The Lomé cathedral is one of the best things to see in Lomé

    7 of the Absolute Best Things to do in Lomé, Togo

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: 8 Great Things to do if you Travel to Harare, Zimbabwe
  2. Pingback: Taking the Train from Harare to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: The Scary Train

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

  • English

Subscribe here for updates!

Hello and thanks for visiting! I’m Babeesh, a Michigander who loves solo and adventure travel. I spent several years living abroad in France and Norway and now I'm back in freezing cold Michigan. I’m obsessed with eating raclettes and I have had the honor of visiting over 100 countries. Want to learn more? Check out my about me page!

Social Media

Categories

Explore my other posts!

  • door of no return benin
    Benin: Know Before You Go- Visas, My Travel Tips, and Advice
  • a day in Addis Ababa Mercato2
    Ethiopia: My experience seeing Addis Ababa in one wild day
  • zambian countryside
    Backpacking in Zambia: Why I Love Lusaka More than I Probably Should
  • transnistria tank and church
    Is it safe to go to Transnistria? These 8 tips will keep you out of trouble!
  • travel to lesotho
    Backpacking in Lesotho: My Ridiculous Welcome to the Kingdom in the Sky
  • train in Maputo Train station Mozambique
    Taking the Train from Mozambique to Zimbabwe Part 1: The Ghost Train
  • From Livingstone to Maun in one day: Going from Zambia to Botswana
  • South Luangwa National Park Zambia1
    How to Travel from Lusaka to South Luangwa National Park by Bus
  • Elephant Zambia
    Independent Travel in Southern Africa : You can do it! Here’s my trip overview:
  • cambly english tutor bird bird
    1000 Chats Later: My Experience Tutoring English Online with Cambly
  • How Not to Book Transportation between Osh and Murghab: My Warning
  • ala archa national park
    Hiking Near Bishkek: The Perfect Adventurous Day Trip
  • Old Town Ramallah Palestine
    A One Week Palestine Travel Itinerary
  • swakopmund beach atlantic namibia
    Namibia: How to go to Swakopmund from Windhoek
  • The Best Things to do during the Autumn in France
  • Swaziland Countryside
    How to get from Johannesburg to eSwatini (Swaziland) by Bus
  • Taking the Train from Harare to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: The Scary Train
  • using pinterest to plan travels
    Have you considered using Pinterest to plan your next trip?
  • street art in Benin
    8 of the Absolute Best Things to do in Cotonou, Benin
  • HitchhikinginZambia3
    Hitchhiking across Zambia from Victoria Falls to Lusaka: I am an idiot
  • sossusvlei desert unedited photo
    Solo Female Travel in Namibia: My Experience
  • yurt kyrgyzstan
    My Tips and Warnings about Hitchhiking the Pamir Highway
  • How my Original Project for my Southern Africa Trip Backfired
  • plate of ugandan food
    Stuffing my face in Uganda: All About Ugandan Food and Culture [Shock]
  • one year after microdiscectomy
    Months 1-12 After My Microdiscectomy: My Recovery Experience
  • AutumninFrance
    Avoiding being shot in the French Countryside in Autumn
  • Tofo Beach Mozambique 1
    Tofo, Mozambique: What I did, Where I stayed, and Why I sort of hated it
  • hitchhiking back to maputo from tofo
    Craziest Trip Ever: How to get to Tofo from Maputo on Public Transport
  • french riviera trip
    Monaco sort of sucks/ wandering around the French Riviera and weird ride shares
  • Road in Mozambique
    My Experience Getting a Mozambican Visa at the Border

Disclosure:

This blog contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission if you book or buy something through this site. It is at no extra cost to you and the tiny commission I make helps keep the blog up and running! I really appreciate it!

Subscribe

© Copyright 2021 Beyond Babeesh. Theme by BloomPixel. This site uses affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I will earn a ridiculously tiny commission from stuff sold or booked on this site. Some of it is through Amazon, and some is via booking sites. I love typing up and sharing my experiences, but it really takes a LONG time. A little bit of compensation is greatly appreciated and helps me keep this site up and running.