Money Matters
If you are an astute traveler and planning on visiting Zimbabwe, you may be
wondering what to do about money? It is a tough question, as the
Zimbabwe Dollar is worthless at this point (2006) in foreign currency terms.
As of 2006, the Zimbabwe economy was in such a tangled mess that the President
ordered the printing of currency to cover their bills. Predictably, this
led to hyperinflation and a massive devaluation of the currency against all
other traded currencies.
The chart below shows the valuation of the Zimbabwe Dollar in relation to the
US Dollar from January 1, 2006, to October 4, 2006- the date of this writing.
Only in July, when we visited, the conversion rate was approximately
100,000:1, and in just two months, it has jumped to 250,000:1. Such are
the perils of printing money. Yet, the President, I'm sure, is not
hurting personally for this, just his people.
For us, the best way to handle payment in Zimbabwe was to pay in US Dollars,
cash only. It is best to have a lot of smaller bills, as though
businesses will try to give your change back in US Dollars, they may run out
if too many people pay with larger bills. This goes for the park entry
fees and taxis, as well as smaller establishments in the town that are not
equipped to take credit cards.
Regarding Victoria Falls Hotel- they do take major credit cards, so it is an
option there to pay, though it may take a bit longer to settle your bill.
If you're willing to wait for the convenience, then that is perhaps the best
option, though they will probably charge 5% more, as is custom across much of
Africa.
To give you an example of the effect on the people of Zimbabwe, this has the
effect that the people of Zimbabwe have adopted the US Dollar as a second
currency. And regarding actual pricing for goods and services, they are
detached from the real value of that good or service, whether it be in US
Dollars or Zimbabwe Dollars.
We met a lady at the Livingstone Airport a few days later that had taken a
train ride through Zimbabwe, and she shared a story of making a purchase, in
which the vendor asked for US$20, then US$1, then said "Whatever you think
it's worth". They really have lost some touch with what they should
charge, as when the prices are constantly rising, it's hard to know what you
need to make, what the item cost you originally, what your current debts are
worth, etc... in order to conduct business in the way it is supposed to be
conducted.
I feel sorry for the people, and hope this situation is resolved in the near
future. The central banker, Gideon Gono, seems to be a voice of reason
in getting the economy back on track- here's to him and let's hope he can make
some headway. --October 4, 2006
Hotels
The only
hotel I can comment on, and I will iterate that we did not stay there, is
Victoria Falls Hotel. However, we had a tasty lunch there, so I feel
that I can offer at least some insight on the place.
First off, it is very elegant and spotless, inside and out. There is
little sign here of the turmoil going on in Zimbabwe. The staff is
professional and very friendly and helpful.
If lunch is anything to go by, the rooms are likely very expensive, but I
imagine they are spotless and the service near impeccable.
Lunch itself was extremely expensive. Gail & I, after looking at the
prices, decided to split one of everything- we shared one bottle of water, one
bowl of cold cucumber soup (delicious), and one chicken sandwich. Total
bill, US$34.
We had
planned on paying with credit card, but service was a tad bit slow (lunch hour
was crowded) and paying with credit card took time, as they had to call it in.
So we parted with the cash and met our pre-planned taxi out front and took off
for the border crossing back into Zambia.
The staff was accommodating our rush, and rushed our food to us. In
hindsight, perhaps we should have allowed ourselves a little extra time in
Zimbabwe.
From the pictures here, on the right and below, you can see that the grounds
are carefully manicured and spotless. The hotel does not lack for paint,
or really anything. The guests all seemed to be rather well off, so I
imagine you will get pampered quite a bit here. It was refreshing to see
an island of capitalism in what otherwise must be a dismal existence at the
moment.
The
hotel has been around for over 100 years, and is a fine example of colonial
building. The area in the photo on the right with the umbrellas was the
outdoor dining area, where we had lunch.
All in all, it seems like a fine place to stay, and I would plan, if possible,
on having a post-park visit lunch there, just to enjoy the atmosphere, the
view, and the hospitality, even if you have to budget for it.
