Zimbabweans find new pastime: holidaying in groups

Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter

EVERYONE gets excited when they are going on a holiday retreat. Be it to Victoria Falls, Kariba, or overseas to the Maldives, everyone wants to sit back, relax and escape their everyday life.

A holiday retreat is used to reduce stress, decrease high blood pressure, improve physical health, improve sleep quality, enhance emotional health, refresh and reboot, prolong lifespan and to explore the wonders of the natural world. New relationships are also formed through holiday retreats. Old relationships and friendships are cemented.

Zimbabweans seem to have found a new pastime — holidaying in groups to cut costs.

Chronicle spoke to Washington Dube, a guide at Thrifty Travel, and asked him about the benefits of holiday retreats. He said because most vacations are in a secluded place with nature around them, it is easy for people to create strong bonds and fix broken relationships.

He said he remembers there was once a couple that was close to divorcing and decided to go on a holiday retreat just to see if their relationship can be fixed.

“When their vacation ended they were now in love all over again. Because of the games that are played on vacations and just doing activities together the two were able to rekindle their love. What I can tell you is that spending quality time together without thinking of work and other things makes bonding to be easy and rekindling the lost love easy,” said Washington.

Saturday Chronicle also spoke to a few people who have gone on vacations and they spoke greatly about how holiday retreats have helped them with creating lasting relationships.

A woman who could only be identified as Dineo from South Africa said she went on a vacation to Victoria Falls with friends she had met online.

She said going she was nervous that they would not click and she would not make good friends especially because she was travelling with a small baby. Dineo said she was however, pleased with the positive response she got from the vacation as her daughter got extra aunts and uncles and cousins.

“It was amazing travelling with my new friends. I appreciated how we were all able to bond and share our stories without anyone judging and throwing nasty looks at each other. Being with people I met at the vacation felt like reuniting with my long lost big family that was always giving a helping hand whenever it was needed and made the journey to be seamless,” she said.

Sihle Ncube said when her family went to Nyanga mountains it helped the young ones in the family to get to know their aunts and cousins.

“People are always busy because of work and school so we don’t really get time to bond and spend time together. At family vacations people get a chance to spend time together and rekindle old relationships,” said Sihle. She said most of the vacation places are not very expensive especially when travelling in groups so people should consider planning them. – @flora_sibanda

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