Mutare

Mutare needs a day: the center and the Cross Kopje gardens are the main stops, though many use it as a base for the nearby Bvumba Mountains. April-October is the recommended dry season. It's inexpensive, with no significant tourism development. It's the gateway to the Bvumba Mountains, a cool-climate area with lush vegetation on the border with Mozambique, with botanical gardens and cloud forests that contrast with the dry landscape of the rest of the country.