In June 2024, after a little more than a year, I disembarked once again in my favorite place in the world: Africa. I have been to almost every continent in the world (except Antarctica), experienced various adventures over nearly three years traveling around the globe without returning to my homeland, but there has not been a place that surpasses the diversity and plurality of this continent where I find myself writing this article.
I traveled overland through countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Botswana. I also had the opportunity, in partnership with Hero South Africa, to cover more than 20,000 km between South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Some of this story has already been told, although it is always very challenging to convey so many experiences in a few hundred words. It seems almost unfair to this magical place to try to summarize it. After all, Africa is represented by 54 countries, has the second-largest population on the planet, more than 3,000 tribes spread across this vastness, approximately 2,000 languages spoken, and a megafauna that many places envy. In my opinion, there is no better way to travel the continent than overland, or better yet, on two wheels.
This time, I covered a little more than 5,100 km in 33 days between Botswana and Zimbabwe. I passed through cities such as Palapye, Maun, Nata, Kasane, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Chinhoyi, Harare, Mutare, Chimanimani, Save Valley Conservancy, Masvingo, São Petersburg, and finally back to Johannesburg.
The expedition started in Johannesburg with not-so-pleasant temperatures. I equipped my Hero Xpulse 200 (rally version - which was a great advantage considering the roads I would travel) with my Turkana soft bags and carried all my gear to stay as self-sufficient as possible on the road, including all my camping equipment.
I headed north as quickly as I could, seeking milder winds. I had planned a few days of safari in Moremi National Park and, to meet the scheduled agenda with the local operator, I had to cross Botswana to the city of Maun with some urgency.
On the first day, I rode a little over 540 km, crossing the Groblersbrug border, and spent the night in Palapye to continue the journey the next day.
The following day covered another 550 km, and I wrote in my travel diary: "very cold in the morning, crossed remote areas with almost no fuel stations."
I mainly used the A1 and A30 roads, which are in excellent condition. At a sanitary checkpoint 50 km from Maun, local police helped me find fuel at the nearest station. I am deeply grateful for their assistance.
In Maun, I embarked on a four-day safari in Moremi National Park. Although I had visited Botswana in 2023, I had not explored the Okavango Delta and could not miss this opportunity. I had done safaris in other African countries, but nothing compared to the abundance of wildlife near the Delta. There were dozens and dozens of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and even lions very close to our camp, which was undoubtedly a privilege.
My thanks to Frank, who was not only a driver but also an excellent guide.
Back in Maun, I headed to Nata via the A3, which is in good condition until Gweta. From Gweta to Nata, there are many potholes, but they were easily overcome on a motorcycle. Along this route, I encountered zebras, impalas, and even elephants.
I found an excellent campsite in Nata and stayed for three nights to explore the town and, especially, the Makgadikgadi Pans. Riding across the salt flats was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had. On a future trip, and with milder temperatures, I will definitely camp on the plains to observe the stars at night.
Also in Nata, I met an Englishman who had traveled the entire west coast on his KTM 640, and we decided to ride together for the next few days. It was a successful partnership, considering the roads ahead in Zimbabwe would not be easy.
After Nata, we headed to Kasane, further north in the country, near the border with Zimbabwe. We camped at the Chobe Safari Lodge, which has excellent infrastructure and abundant wildlife in the vicinity.
The town serves as a base for safaris in Chobe National Park and also for boat cruises on the Chobe River. We stayed a few more nights here and prepared provisions for entering Zimbabwe, knowing that the country's infrastructure was deteriorated due to the economic crisis and high cost of living, as the economy is dollarized.
I crossed the Victoria Falls border after almost two hours of immigration. The road leading to the town of Victoria Falls is in generally good condition.
There were indeed some potholes, but nothing that spoiled the experience. Once camped, I visited the famous falls. Seventy percent of the falls are on the Zimbabwe side, so I opted not to cross the border into Zambia, also to avoid additional costs. An afternoon visiting the various viewpoints was enough to appreciate this great natural wonder.
The infrastructure of the town of Victoria Falls, with good roads, accommodation facilities, and restaurants, does not represent the reality of the country, but this does not detract from the experience. Zimbabwe has an extremely kind, welcoming, and helpful population. Motorcycles are not popular in the country, so they attract a lot of curiosity from the locals.
DFrom Victoria Falls, I planned to visit Lake Kariba. The construction of the dam began in 1956 and was completed in 1959. Over 30,000 people had to be evacuated from the region, and a massive operation was also necessary to evacuate the resident animals (Operation Noah). I had read about the poor condition of the roads leading to the lake and can confirm that it was indeed a great and fun adventure.
I started the journey on the A8, which is in good condition until 30 km after the town of Victoria Falls. Beyond this stretch, the road is under heavy construction, with a lot of dust, trucks, and workers along the track.
It is necessary to make a detour towards Bimba on the A8, leading to local roads that alternate between gravel and dirt, with some sandy sections, which requires a lot of attention. My destination was Maabwe Bay campsite, which has excellent facilities managed by the kind Richard, who, in addition to a warm welcome, gave me some fish fillets. The route is not long, around 300 km, but due to the conditions, it took me almost six hours to reach the destination.
I camped for two nights and enjoyed the beautiful view of the lake with its local residents: hippos and crocodiles. Due to these residents, swimming in the reservoir is not possible. Unfortunately, the region is experiencing one of the worst droughts in history, and the reservoir has deteriorated significantly. Richard told me that the water level should be at least 6 meters higher than it currently is.
It was time to travel again, crossing Lake Kariba. I knew I wouldn’t reach Chinhoyi that day and would likely need to find a place to camp before dark. It was a long and quite arduous day, with roads varying between sand, gravel, and dirt. Maintaining a constant speed was not possible due to the constant changes in terrain, which made the riding quite technical. Having a light motorcycle in these situations is a significant help, especially when it's loaded as mine was. The sun was already setting, and the destination was still far off. I found some locals along the way who allowed me to spend the night on the grounds of a primary school, not too far from Matusadona National Park.
I quickly set up camp before dark, and some locals came by with firewood so I could make a campfire.
The next day, I continued on rough but beautiful roads towards Chinhoyi. The number of baobabs I encountered was surprising. Paved roads only appeared a few kilometers before I reached the A1. Enduring discomfort for consecutive days means developing the ability to find happiness in small things, and in this case, finding a paved highway after days of dealing with a lot of dust, bumpy roads, and limited access to food was a great joy
In Chinhoyi, I found a quite comfortable guesthouse and was finally able to enjoy a hot shower, good food, and a well-deserved rest. The town serves as a base for visiting the Blue Caves. The cave system is composed of limestone and dolomite. The main cave contains a cobalt-blue pool, popularly known as the Sleeping Pool or Chirorodziva ("Pool of the Fallen"). The depth of the cave is unknown. The last attempt to reach the bottom was over a decade ago, and divers did not exceed 100 meters in depth.
From Chinhoyi, I headed to the capital city, Harare, via the A1. It was a short stretch but filled with trucks and cars insisting on making risky overtakes. Harare wasn’t initially on my itinerary, but since I aimed to explore the eastern part of the country, the stop became necessary. Visiting capitals is always interesting, as there is often a significant contrast between the capital and the countryside. Capitals are usually more developed and do not necessarily reflect the reality of the country. Therefore, experiencing both realities makes the journey much more authentic.
After two days in the capital, I started my journey east, near the border with Mozambique. I settled in a town called Mutare, in a mountainous region of the country. The town is also a meeting point for travelers arriving or heading to Mozambique. With good infrastructure, it is possible to find good restaurants, supermarkets, and comfortable accommodations.
I was eager to visit Chimanimani and its national park to do some hiking. The Chimanimani mountains have peaks at 2,400 meters in altitude and stunning landscapes. I followed my route on the A9 and A10, roads with good infrastructure, in contrast to the northern roads of the country that I had explored until then.
I found an accommodation worth recommending (Frog & Fern Cottages) and stayed in a quite comfortable rustic chalet at the foot of the mountain ranges. The owner, Jenni, is involved in various social projects in the village and is also strongly opposed to gold mining in the mountains, working hard to preserve the region. Besides having great conversations during my stay, Jenni provided excellent tips for the coming days.
I took the opportunity of my stay to explore Chimanimani National Park and undertake the hikes I had planned.
It is mandatory to hire an armed park ranger who accompanies all internal activities. Due to illegal gold mining by locals, there have been some incidents with tourists hiking alone, so the government has made it mandatory to have a ranger present. For me, this was not a hindrance, as the ranger, in addition to being very friendly, guided me through beautiful paths within the national park. We did a 7-hour hike through ascents, plains, rivers, and waterfalls. He even showed me some paintings that the Bushmen made many years ago on the region's rocks.
Unfortunately, the area attracts few tourists, which is regrettable. There is a lot of tourist potential, and the region is well-prepared to host visitors from around the world. I truly hope this scenario changes, as responsible and sustainable tourism can benefit the communities with the presence of tourists. After enjoying the region for a few days, it was time to seek new adventures through the Save Valley Conservancy.
I dare say it is one of the few, if not the only, places that allows motorcycles in an area with the presence of the BIG-5. Many of the accommodations are extremely expensive, as the focus of tourism is on Americans seeking the place for hunting, and therefore, they have a high purchasing power. However, I found a place within the park with more attractive prices and welcoming to travelers like me (Humani Farm). Mark and his team, the owner, who is very friendly and a great connoisseur of the region, provided valuable information about the place.
The park has only two entrances, one from the north gate and another from the south gate. From the north gate to the campsite is just over 70 km. I confess I was quite apprehensive about crossing the park and encountering animals that could pose a threat.
But I also couldn’t miss the opportunity to experience something I’d hardly find elsewhere in the world.
I crossed the north gate, and from that moment on, all my focus was on the present. With every turn, the anticipation of encountering some wildlife grew immensely. I also had concerns about potential mechanical problems. The road through the park is generally in good condition; however, there are quite sandy sections that require a lot of attention. Many might be eager to hear about the animals I encountered, but fortunately (or unfortunately), I didn’t see many animals beyond a few antelopes.
Since my tent is a ground tent and considering that I travel on a motorcycle, I didn’t feel very safe camping near the river due to the large presence of elephants and other animals. Therefore, I opted for a cottage instead. I spent one night in the park and the next day, as my destination was the Masvingo area to visit Great Zimbabwe, I had to return the entire way to the north gate (70 km). Feeling a bit safer, I enjoyed the ride more, but still didn’t encounter any animals.
Back on the A9, I headed towards Masvingo, surrounded by the mountains of Zimbabwe. The road is in excellent condition, and the scenery throughout the route is picturesque, always surrounded by mountains. After long days crossing challenging roads, I was able to enjoy better roads that didn’t present major challenges. As I mentioned earlier, discomfort brings the incredible ability to appreciate the small things.
Near Masvingo, I chose a campsite close to Lake Mutirikwi, another reservoir created in the 1960s to supply the farms in the region.
The reservoir is impressive in size and is also home to hippos and rhinos, making it impossible to enter the lake. Masvingo is the first large city encountered when crossing the Beitbridge border from South Africa. There are good restaurants, markets, and a good hotel infrastructure. Masvingo is also the base for those wanting to visit the "Great Zimbabwe" ruins, which are one of the most important archaeological sites in Africa and a symbol of Zimbabwean cultural heritage. Unfortunately, there were few tourists visiting the area.
It was time to start the return to where it all began: South Africa. The road heading south towards Beitbridge is under major reconstruction and in poor condition, at least for the first 50 km. As I couldn’t reach the border before dark, I once again sought help from locals and spent the night in a primary school, but this time inside a classroom. The next day, I headed to the border and, in contrast to the lack of infrastructure at the Victoria Falls land border, Beitbridge impressed me with its size and organization. On the Zimbabwean side, I didn’t encounter any queues and found well-prepared professionals. On the South African side, due to the number of people, the process was a bit slower, but it didn’t affect the schedule.
After crossing the border, I rode a few more kilometers on the N1 to the town of Petersburg. This stretch seemed quite dangerous, with many trucks and cars making risky overtakes.
The next day, I completed the final stretch to Johannesburg and said goodbye to yet another unforgettable experience.
Gabriel Turano
Comments