Just been there..

Just to let anyone know who may be interested.

We travelled up through Zim last week from South Africa taking the road from Messina RSA to Harare and then onto the Mozambique border and onto Tete Mozambique.

The road condition is good all the way and diesel was available at all decent service stations but their was a lot of talk in RSA about it not being reliable for fuel (make of that what you want, who to beleive??)

Lower end of the road their are a few camping sites, lodges etc (great roadside carvings for sale too) but after and before Masvingo their are no campsites that I saw until one roughly 60km South of Harare, we didn`t go there but pressed on to Harare and pitched up at The Rocks campsite near the only BP station on Seke Road (ask at station) nice place, bar, pool etc.

Visa for Mozambique is required before you get to the border, available from the embassy in Harare currently 28 - 51,000 only in Zim dollars for transit depending on how quick you need it, sameday is available 2 x pics required, get to the embassy by 7:30 or you`ll be queing longtime.

Zim dollar is highly unstable right now, at the border the officail rate was 60Z$ to 1£, in Harare black market is offering 400Z$ to 1£.

Border between Zim and Mozambique was a hassle, I used a Malawi vehicle and was told I needed a Malawi police report stating the vehicle wasn`t stolen in order to get through (1st we had heard of it) anyway after discussion and threats to send us back to Interpol in Harare for this document (and my friend who initially blew steam admitting he was a very very ignorant man indeed, hehehe) we were allowed to leave.

Entering Mozambique had to pay an Immmigration fee (even though we had visa`s) an Import fee for the vehicle and vehicle insurance all payable in SA rand or US$ (go for the rand its much cheaper) about 125 rand total.

The local people we met were friendly and helpful we didn`t get any feelings of hostility along the way, but thats just our experience.

Oh well there you go now you know. Remember things change fast in this region.

Phil

Hi Phil
Thanks for the info- now that I've found your entry again. We're still debating as to whether we'll go thro Zim or Zambia. the deciding factor will probably be time rather than petrol.

Please let us know if you went all the way thro to Lilongwe/Blantyre, or ended at Tete. We're needing to know reasonable time in days to travel from Jhb to Blantyre

regards
Beth

Hey Beth,
thanks for being patient while I chucked myself off a hill in Turkey for two weeks.

Okay, the route I took was right through to Blantyre and on up to Senga Bay. From Tete in Mozambique to Blantyre the journey took about 4 hrs. I went from Harare - Tete - Blantyre in one day leaving early 09.00 arriving late 19.00 long slog but if your time constrained you can do it easily (I go slow because I`m always looking out the window).

I reckon at a reasonable pace you could do Jhb to Blantyre in 3 days if you wanted to (but you may have to allow an extra day for Moz visas in Harare).

If you go from Harare to Lusaka via Kariba allow a day (I didnt go that route and am not sure if you can get through at Kariba) or allow a day from Harare to Livingstone and a day onward to Lusaka. From Lusaka to Chipata took two days on decent roads plus some areas of potholes with a stop over at the Bridge camp near the bridge over the Luangwa river (you could make Chipata in one day if you pushed it).

Chipata is about 100Km from Lilongwe on decent roads.

Blantyre is about 4 hrs from Lilongwe.

Hope that helps, feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

Phil J
moderator

Thank you for telling it like it is about Zimbabwe. The western media has lied so much that if you want to see how they have been ruined lives of Zimbabweans who rely on tourism go and see it for yourself.

Anyway I am looking for someone going to Zimbabwe or South Africa via Jo'burg. I would like to send some used soccer equipment for an Aids orphans soccer program in Zimbabwe. Please contact me if you can take just a box of used soccer balls and someone can come pick them up from Jorburg Airport or Harare Airport.

If you need help having a place to sleep while in Bulawayo my family would be glad to help. Limited space though.

I live in Victoria, B.C. but I am from Bulawayo.

Please email me or visit my website at
"http://www.geocities.com/mukahanana/academy"

Thank you for the help.
Eddie