Mutare is the largest town in Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands, situated in a narrow valley near the Mozambique border with forested mountains rising on all sides. It is the commercial centre for the region and a practical base for exploring some of Zimbabwe's most spectacular highland scenery. The Eastern Highlands as a whole are among the best birdwatching destinations in southern Africa and among the least visited.
South of town, the Vumba Mountains and Bvumba Botanical Gardens are the main draws — mist-wreathed montane forest that holds orchids, ferns, and forest birds found nowhere else in Zimbabwe. North of Mutare, Nyanga National Park contains the country's highest peak (Mount Nyangani, 2,592m) and the Mtarazi Falls — the second tallest waterfall in Africa — dropping dramatically into the Honde Valley below. Further south, Chimanimani National Park offers one of Zimbabwe's finest multi-day walks through a remote quartzite mountain range.
In town, the Sakubva market near the main bus terminus is a lively place to pick up locally made stone and wooden carvings at prices well below tourist outlets elsewhere. The Mutare Museum covers the region's natural history and cultural heritage and is worth an hour before heading into the hills.