Situated thirty kilometres from Mutare by tar road along a spectacular road through the Bvumba mountains, the Leopard Rock Hotel opened in 1946 with room for up to forty guests and was family-run by the Seymour-Smiths. The Queen Mother famously stayed in 1953 with Princess Margaret when its chief attractions were the invigoratingly cool climate and the forest clad slopes of the mountains.

In the 1990’s the hotel was expanded to accommodate up to 120 guests and what it lost as a family-run hotel it gained in being able to offer more varied activities.     

The fifty-eight bedrooms looking out the front have views over the golf course, gardens and mountains; those at the back look over the forest, some have private balconies and courtyards. They all have Wi-Fi and internet access, room service, tea & coffee making facilities.

In addition to walking in the gardens, there is a small family friendly game park that stocks impala, zebra, kudu, eland, nyala, giraffe, bushbuck, wildebeest and the rare Samango Monkey and the Blue Duiker. Children will enjoy viewing from the raised platform and knowledgeable guides are available for walks in the forest which has an abundance of trees, plants and a very wide variety of birdlife. Horse-riding by Sally Simleit takes place from the hotel at weekends through the game reserve.

The Peter Matkovich-designed, championship-rated course is considered one of the best in Africa and has some challenging holes with plenty of water hazards and ravines the holes are well protected by bunkers with spectacular views  across into Mocambique.

The hotel has a small casino with slot machines, blackjack and American Roulette for those that fancy their luck. 

GPS reference: 19⁰7′56.76″S 32⁰46′54.06″E