Who would have imagined from the hot, dry and relatively sparse vegetation that one sees in Hwange and it's environs today, that millions of years ago luxuriant forests clothed the countryside? Evidence of this are the vast coal fields - an estimated four billion tons of coal lie buried in an area of 46 square kilometers.

Hwange town and its surroundings bear witness to industrial development with cooling towers, stained black vegetation and slag heaps. Some of the countries electricity is also generated from Hwange

Steam train enthusiasts thrill at the steam locomotives powered by the coal, which service the collieries. For lack of spare parts, some of them now lie idle.

To the south of the town lies Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's biggest National Park, teaming with a vast selection of wild animals. Well worth a visit.