Hi all

I should point out at the outset that I know HUBB is primarily for overlanders in their own vehicles and, although I've done that in the past, this time I'll be backpacking and using public transport.

Am mulling options for a trip involving flying into Lusaka but out from elsewhere, taking (up to) 1 month to get to the 'elsewhere'.

Therein lies my question: would I be better off going through Zambia into Mozambique and flying out from there, or doing likewise via Namibia?

This is a question that straddles borders, so I will also post it in other sections - but I am hoping that a forum like HUBB will have members who've visited each country!

Look forward to hearing any thoughts members may have.

Cheers

Mark

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I would check out the security situation in Mozambique first, a beautiful country but they are having problems with Islamic insurgents at the moment, if the foreign office advises against travel there it might invalid your insurance.
Namibia is worth a visit and you could go through Botswana to get there rather than travel along the Caprivi Strip.

Mark M - sounds like the insurgency isn't likely to affect the area I was thinking about but always wise to check these things out - www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mozambique

Namibia via Botswana - thanks a lot, precisely why I like to throw a question like this out to the world (or a tiny bit of it!)

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Of course a month is way too short for a trip in that area of Africa. Namibia is spectacular, but so is South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe.... and I haven't even been to Botswana. Mozambique is worth some exploration, too, although my last time there was in the nineties just after the UN-sponsored elections. Basically, wherever you decide to go you'll be simultaneously deciding NOT to go elsewhere.

You'll want to think as well about public transportation options. In Namibia we really needed our rental car, while in Mozambique at the time the public transport existed, but involved long waits, discomfort, slow travel and intermittent hitchhiking. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that suggestions you may find on motor forums like this one don't quite apply.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

A bit of a wide open question - and your interests are not clear to me, however:

I know the region fairly well, but have never spent time in Mozambique. The insecurity is apparently in the north, and unlikely to affect visitors staying in the south, however you never know. Botswana and Namibia are very safe.

As markharf notes, a month isn't long, however I suggest that it's enough to make a trip via Kazungula, Chobe, Caprivi, and Etosha to Windhoek, with a trip to Sossusvlei thrown in.

The big challenge is that unless you go on tours in these parks you'll have to rent vehicles in each place. Now, you could get to Kasane via Victoria Falls by public transport, then rent from an agency there to explore Chobe and Moremi. Then travel to Windhoek and do the same.

All the previous posts are absolutely correct - @ilesmark's problem will be to find public transport. I doubt that. You could hitch-hike though. The Trans Kalahari Hwy from SA through BOT to NAM has quite some traffic. Maybe you could hang around petrol stations or road houses to talk to people to hitch a ride.
Next problem is South AFrica. Standing in the middle of nowhere with a rucksack you are prone to being robbed. This is a problem mainly in South Africa. The other African countries have way less crime than SA Although, this applies mainly to the more densely populated regions in the eastern parts (Gauteng, KZN, the Cape provinces).

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Hi all
Thanks for responses. I need to start my trip in Lusaka and there is a specific reason for this (long story, and if anyone is interested I can copy and paste it!) and I would absolutely LOVE to spend longer than 1 mth but work commitments

Leading into the reason I need to start in Lusaka: the last time I was in southern Africa was Dec 19 and I spent 10 or so days in Kenya seeing a couple of national parks / reserves for the wildlife before taking the TAZARA from Dar Es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, then Lusaka, followed by Vic Falls, then back to Lusaka.

Re the wide-openness of the question: mountains and deserts are my favourite scenery. For eg in Mar 17 I did 2 weeks travelling around the Tadrart area of southern Algeria in a 4x4 with a Polish tour co (the only ones who take foreigners in Algeria) - a completely Martian landscape of dunes, canyons, spires, arches.

I've travelled overland in my own vehicle before but this time I'll be backpacking and using public transport such as it is. That last bit said, I am not totally averse to renting a vehicle / teaming up with someone to do so for part of the trip if needs be.

Mark

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I visited both Etosha and Kruger national parks with people I had met on the road who were happy to share the cost of their rental cars and petrol, I was on a motorcycle at the time so could not enter on that.

Thankyou Mark M......yes, teaming up with fellow travellers for safaris / treks / national parks is exactly what I've done many times in the past. I'd like to say 'the internet is brilliant for that' but, in truth, most of the time it's been F2F meetings on the road or in bars / guest houses

A number of people seem to be inclining me towards Namibia over Mozambique, which I'm a little surprised about.

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I had some remarkable experiences in Mozambique, and equally remarkable ones in Namibia. They're very different--in culture, colonial histories and remnants, climate (and therefore wildlife and vegetation), geology, infrastructure, politics...

So this really depends on your interests. For wide open spaces, deserts, hints of ancient populations, desolate seacoast, and pretty good travel infrastructure Namibia seemed like the promised land after roaming around East and Central Africa.

Mozambique was more about tropical beaches (with outstanding diving, by the way), recent colonial ruination as well as slave trade relics, and--at least when I was there--the experience of harsh travel in areas where other tourists had never been. The absence of much infrastructure meant we ended up hitchhiking on private boats, freight trains, and one private plane, in addition to taking some remarkably long and uncomfortable bus rides. I know less about what it might be like these days or the extent of rebel activity in the north, so take my descriptions with a large grain of salt.

A month would be an appropriate amount of time for one or two of these countries, depending on how much you like flitting around. I'll add that there are also questions of budget, since (for example) Botswana trends quite expensive, and costs in Namibia can add up quickly too due to the distances and need for a rental car.

I'll stop now. Hope that's helpful!

Mark

I have just got back from Mozambique and believe me you don't want to take public transport there. To get to the beaches would be a challenge, you would need a lot of time and personally Namibia is so much easier and way nicer. Botswana has as of April 1 doubled their fees, even for a tourist it is pricey now and you would need a 4x4 obviously and have to book campsites prior to arriving.
In Namibia you will stand a much better chance hitch hiking and possibly hooking up with someone who is touring and it is a safe country somewhat to wildcamp.
I just finished a three and a half month trip from Cape Town to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique back to Cape Town with a 4x4.
Whatever you choose it's going to be an adventure, so just go and do it.

Thanks, Gomgat. Have you been to both Namibia AND Mozambique? It sounds like you have, albeit not in the same trip.

When you say Botswana has 'doubled their fees', are you referring to visas, national parks or both?

My original intention was to fly into Lusaka and then out from Windhoek - or Kaputo - a month later and I only thought of Botswana en route to Namibia (if that's where I end up choosing) because someone (mark manley) suggested it. After all, that's the whole point of chucking a question like this out to the world!

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Yes have been to both,Namibia about 9 times but not on this trip. Sorry it is the Botswana National Parks that have doubled their prices. You don't need a 4x4 in Namibia, the dirt roads are very well kept, obviously you won't be able to explore off road and drive up river beds but you will be able to see Etosha etc. I believe hitch hiking out of Windhoek wouldn't be to difficult either, but I have not done it. Namibia is just an amazing country, I will be back there on my motorcycle in about two months, I'll stop if I see you hitch hiking. Enjoy whatever you choose to do,it's all about experiences.

Have now FINALLY booked my trip….if I hadn’t, I’d still be there in 5 years time prevaricating and talking about it without actually doing it. It’s utterly amazing just how institutionalised I’ve become into NOT going away since the pandemic.

I ended up plumping for Namibia following ppl's advice on this and other fora so am heading to Lusaka on Fri and then back to Ldn from Windhoek on 2 July. I kind of had it in mind that I'd spend around a week in Zambia and then onwards to Namibia, perhaps via Botswana en route.

So - anyone got any recommendations for places / routes?

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