This ap article just appeared re. rampant inflation in Zimbabwe. Any comments by Zimbabwe experts here on the impact for travelers to Zimbabwe? Not just financial, but potential for instability?

http://my.earthlink.net/article/int?...0213-466630512

Jim

It's been that way for years. If you stick to the tourist areas you won't notice it except for the desperate people begging you to buy their stuff with foreign currency.

It's getting worse and worse. The doctors are on strike, effectively closing the hospitals. Teachers are now considering doing the same, and the labor unions are next. If that wasn't enough, Mugabe now expects the people to cough up US$1.2 million to celebrate his birthday! That may be the tipping point. http://allafrica.com/stories/200702130858.html

I've been to Zimbabwe a couple of times, but at this point, I don't think I would go any further into the country than Vic Falls.

Zim inflation is actually now at a monthly rate of 45%, which works out to more than 8,000% a year.

We traveled by public bus from Jo'Burg to Masvingo and then on to Harare and finally to Lusaka, Zambia last August. We never felt threated and were treated very well by all we met. We felt much more secure in Zimbabwe than we did in Jo'Burg (where the home we stayed in had been the target of two attempted home invasions and our hostess had been injured in a attempted carjacking the week before we arrived).

At some point Zimbabwe will come apart, and I wouldn't want to be there when it does, but until it does it is reasonably safe to travel there.

My father in law lives in Zim. When we were in SA last month we had planned to spend a week in the country (visiting vic falls, great zim, lake kariba)When my husband was there 3 years ago he went to visit and had a great time. This time "dad" felt that it was best that we skip it until things are under control there. We just could not ignore advice like that from someone who cares about us

Aurora

Things must have deteriorated. Before we visited we check with several Zimbabwe locals and they all suggested we visit. If you were advised by a local not to visit, I think you were wise to listen.

Things seem to really be heating up in Zimbabwe:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200702220215.html

I don't know if I would call it "inflation" as that would infer that prices of things are going up. They're not.

If you use US$, then prices are the same today as they were a few years ago.

I would prefer to call it "deflation" of the local currency. Prices are staying the same, but you need WAY, WAY, WAY more local currency in order to purchase those same things.

Fortunately, as a white westerner with US dollars in your pocket, you won't notice any difference and will have an amazing, carefree trip !

If you do not change US currency on the black market, then prices for westerners are much higher than they were several years ago. In 2003, restaurant food in Zimbabwe cost about what it does in New York. In 2006, it was five times the cost. A couple of burgers at a McD's type restaurant were over $25.