Whenever we visit a new country, we can’t help but have our opinions shaped by what we have seen and heard about it. When it comes to Africa we often see Hollywood images filled with dictatorships and bloody violence. It’s no wonder tourists think twice about planning a visit!

Yet the World Economic Forum has recently released its “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report” for 2017of over 136 countries and you might be surprised to learn that Zimbabwe came out ahead of both the UK and the USA in terms of safety.

The organisation took a careful look into “the extent to which a country exposes tourists and businesses to security risks mainly related to serious harm to people (violence and terrorism)” and found that Zimbabwe was safer than many countries, coming in at 78 on the list.

While the list did not take into account petty theft, this kind of theft is common to all countries and experienced by all tourists. And many occasions of petty theft usually occur by choosing a guest lodge or hotels where staff members are known to dip their fingers into the pockets of visitors.

In Zimbabwe, this can be avoided by choosing the kind of Harare accommodation that provides you with a personal touch and doesn’t consist of a long line of poorly paid employees who are constantly moving through the premises, such as a privately run B&B.

Willow Lodge is one such place, and we’ve been in operation for many years successfully, and many of our staff members have been with us for years as well. Our guests know that they can enjoy a stay with us with complete peace of mind, and we’re even able to offer babysitting and driver services to prove it. To us, our guests should feel like they’re at a home away from home and therefore as safe as possibly could be.

It’s time to leave your worries behind. A stay in an affordable Harare accommodation has never been safer and if you’re staying with Willow Lodge you can be sure of this fact.