How's Zimbabwe these days?
 

Hi,

What have people heard about riding through Zimbabwe? I'm planning to buy a bike in Pretoria and ride to Lusaka.

Hunter

I went into Zim in early November when the black market rate was 600 to 650 zim to 1 usd. It is now about 1400.

There are two main obstacles:

1. Will you be let in at the border.

Do you have a British passport? I was let in at Vic falls for 1 day and a month at Kariba. I know of one Brit who was turned away as 'not welcome'. It depends on the official and what's happened recently.

I suggest getting longest visa you can get and asking the whites for advice.

2. Petrol may be a big problem.

I was lucky as diesel was difficult to get while I was there but It took 3 hours in Harare to find some on the day i left. My cousin lived in Zim for 25 years and is now in Nairobi. A week go they said there was no petrol and the price had risen enourmously (it was 8 litres for 1 usd (at black market rates) when i was there).

3. I was advised to stick to the main tourist routes.

They are the friendliest people I've met so far - Cape town to Nairobi.

It is a beautiful country, especially the Eastern Highlands.

If you want more advice email me.

Good Luck.


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Hi, I just recently bypassed Zim but met 2 bikers who went through with no problems, one was Irish and the other was a Belgian, they said the people were very friendly and glad to see them. I'm on a British passport and so decided to stay away as we heard of people being granted visas and then being refused entry. If you can't get through Zim then Botswana/Zambia is easy and if you contact some of the lodges in Zambia they can organise a visa waiver for you so you don't have to pay the ludicrous 65 USD entry. Regards Chris