Harare, Kigali, Zanzibar: Actress Chi Mhende on her African adventures

I enjoyed the stillness of lockdown, but in November 2021 I was fortunate to travel to Rwanda for a film. That was unbelievable. One evening I joined a motorcycle convoy with the makeup team in Kigali, which was the best experience. The love we received from the streets really sealed it — everyone wants you to know them, their land, the language and their hearts. There's no such thing as getting lost here. Someone will always hold your hand. Also, a meal is never fast. Don't expect that ever. It’ll always be a two-hour, home-cooked affair, so get comfortable, just as you would at home. Kigali is a truly magical place.

The thing I remember most about my childhood holidays is Valoid, for all the motion sickness. But once I was there, I remember waterfalls, horses, the gorgeous forests that makes up the Nyanga National Park, shandies, sunshine and strawberry milkshakes. 

The most difficult, remote or adventurous destination I've ever been to was “myself” — at a silent retreat that changed my life in April. It's no longer so hard and is without a doubt the most incredible adventure.

I took my first trip abroad when I was eight, to stay at the lovely Constance Belle Mare Plage hotel in Mauritius. On my first island trip of many, I remember playing chess on a giant board with pieces that were taller than me.

I remember the midnight warmth, the smell and taste of salt everywhere but my favourite was the frangipani leis with which we were welcomed everywhere we visited. They felt like medals celebrating our arrival and existence.

I once had a bizarre experience on a French exchange trip to Réunion. I was 15, there was a bus and a visit to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. A car came racing down the mountain and our super-alert bus driver slammed on the breaks. I was sitting in the middle seat at the back and went flying down the aisle. Had it not been for someone breaking my run, I would've gone flying through the windscreen. It was an entire movie.

Cape Town is my favourite city in SA. It raised my heart and reintroduced me to my spirit. If a foreigner asked me to recommend the place in SA they cannot miss, I’d say the Blyde River Canyon. As for a “hidden gem”, I'd say the people of Rammulotsi in the Free State. From 2016 to 2019, I was as an ambassador for a creative arts charity for children called Dramatic Need. As part of my work, I got to experience the most sacred and serene sunflower farm in Bothaville, and unforgettable workshops with students from Rammulotsi. They took their pain at such a tender age and turned it into the most astounding art.

My hometown is Harare, Zimbabwe. If I were hosting a tourist there I would take them to the passport office, which is a humbling experience but also a good introduction to the good-natured spirit of the Zimbabwean people. The friendships formed in these queues are for a lifetime and you'll leave with a sense of having attended a stand-up comedy show.

I'd also take them to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, which is similar in that you get to see Zimbabwe at its best. It offers an appreciation of who we've always been, a truth not all the world gets to see.

Finally, I would show them Domboshava, a heritage site whose name translates in English as “light brown”. It has the most extraordinary giant granite rocks and the most popular hiking trails in Mashonaland East. It's a spiritual and majestic feast.

Zanzibar, where I celebrated my birthday in 2016, has the most welcoming locals. We walked everywhere and we were always safe. One night, walking to dinner, my partner and I met some locals who invited us out dancing. After dinner, we followed their directions to a stone tower that overlooked the island. We felt like royals and danced the night away, ending with a glorious 5am ocean swim. The man we'd met — Grey, they called him, not a king but a regular local — treated us to a wonderful breakfast. He is still a dear friend. When your heart is open, it will receive and when it's pure those gifts will multiply.

The best lesson travel has taught me was said best by Maya Angelou, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

• Chi Mhende is starring in 'Fordsburg's Finest' with Paul Slabolepszy at the ​Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, until October 9. Book tickets here.