Zimbabwe: Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park

There is no doubt that the wildlife areas and views across Lake Kariba and the Zambezi are what still makes Zimbabwe  a great place to visit. They remain quite exceptional and despite our now somewhat blasé expectations after being in the great national parks of Botswana and Namibiaand having seen a lot of wildlife, being in Mana Pools Nyamepi camp  GPS  S15*23”44’ E 29*21”40’ with everything from elephants, hippos, hyenas, buffalos and baboons wandering past your tent day and night with no restriction on either man or beast, makes it something else! Even Marianne has now got so hardened to wild animals walking by that she has given up worrying about all but lions (of which there are in fact many here, but we didn’t see them) and only elephants if they get closer than 10 metres!

But a lot of the rest of Zimbabwe is hugely sad when you see what was once and is no more. Things are improving slightly since “dollarization” in 2009 when the economy and Zimbabwe $ collapsed and they took on the USD$, but despite the economy stabilizing, the average people still have absolutely nothing. The US$ has made things expensive in Zimbabwe also. We find prices of most things in the supermarkets (if you can find what you want) and NP entry fees, fuel etc are approaching Australian or European prices and far more expensive than other countries we have been in (even Botswana which knows how to milk tourists).

Only a few tourists (mostly South Africans or Namibians) are starting to drift back into Zimbabwe after 10 years of strife and DFAT still has a “reconsider your need to travel to Zimbabwe” advice on the country – so we approached the border at Kazangula with some trepidation. However we are happy to report that the officials were friendly enough and after paying our USD$30 visa fee, we were through in less than an hour with no searches or anything to stress about. They wouldn’t accept our AXA 3rd Party insurance policy on Tin Can though and we had to purchase a Zim policy for USD$50. No big deal. However, 5 kms down the road though we met a police road block and they wanted to check that Tin Can had its red and white reflectors front and back, check my drivers licence (gave them a photo copy of my International Licence- which seemed to satisfy them) and ask a few questions about where we were from/going– which we cheerfully answered and we were through! No suggestions of any bribes etc. (we have not paid one in Africa so far – and don’t hope to either).

The tar road to Victoria Falls is good (in fact all tar roads in Zimbabwe seem pretty good – we can only put it down to the scarcity of traffic to cut them up as not too many roads seem to have been maintained much since 1990 and road signs are all faded)? Vic Falls. Well what can you say? Awesome sight! One of the 7 wonders of the World and the World’s largest waterfall. A must see before one dies. We saw it in the peak of the Zambezi’s annual flow at some 550,000,000 cubic metres of water per hour. Huge spray, which totally soaked us despite raincoats and all but, obscured the falls, rose 500 metres in the sky. Keeping the camera dry was a mission.

The village of Victoria Falls is kept pretty good, “tourist police” keep the many touts under some minimal control and we got in some fairly long walks in perfect safety from the Vic Falls Rest Camp (which is a lovely place to camp right in town). We walked about 5kms to the Falls and around town. The odd elephant and baboon troupe on the path as you walked to the Falls were no issue in the scheme of things! The impressive old lady the Victoria Falls Hotel was a highlight. This hotel,(built in the 1920’s) used to house British royalty, was a stopover on the Shortland/Sunderland Empire flying boat route from England to Johannesburg after WW11, and still reeks of Colonial splendour. It and its lovely grounds remain well maintained and it remains one of the world’s top hotels catering to the fly in/fly out tourists coming to Vic Falls  in increasing numbers (and not only staying on the Zambian side as they did before). Cost: USD$600 per room/night – bit out of our price range where I whinge about camping fees if they are over $25! The newer Casino/hotel they have built next door at enormous expense (and opened by Robert Mugabe in 1997) in no way compares to the old Vic Falls Hotel.
Vic Falls was nice. Zimbabwe is improving slowly and trying to win back some tourist industry. The only slight hiccup was when we tried at the only two  service stations in town to get some diesel only to be told “no fuel, maybe tomorrow or next week”. (This turned out a common problem in the days ahead in  Zimbabwe – with the picture of empty, old and disused petrol pumps a common sight. We would advise anyone coming here in their own vehicle to have at least tanks or jerry cans sufficient to give you at least 1,000kms range. One also needs to top up whenever one actually finds some fuel available rather than wait until you are empty).

Anyway, we set off for the town of Hwange some100kms down our proposed route in the hopes of getting fuel there – and struck it lucky! Of interest on the road to Hwange was coming across about 1,000 young Zimbabwean soldiers jogging in full kit at double march in company formations along the road. The traffic  (what little there was) was having to stop and wait for them to pass. Happily, they all jogged past Tin Can with friendly smiles despite some obvious exhaustion on some faces. No photos folks- as photos of anything military can bring you big trouble. We were also told if the President’s motorcade happens to come past, you need to draw to the side of the road and stop  immediately  or risk a roughing up by security forces.
With all our tanks full with 180 litres of the good oil (courtesy of friendly Iran), we set off on a seldom used gravel road that runs 600kms  parallel to Lake Kariba from Mbilizi in the south, past Matsudona NP (which we had hopes of going to) and  to Karoi in the north.  Then it’s tar 150kms to  Kariba Dam township. The alternative was a huge 1,500km dogleg on the bitumen to Bulawayo then via Harare to Kariba. We had decided to cut down the kilometres and time and not try and see all of Zimbabwe, just the northwest so took the gravel after some advice from Zim expats met in Botswana who had said: “yeah, did that road in 2007 and it was doable then, but hard.” “ Probably hasn’t been maintained since 1980.” “ pretty remote, won’t see any other white people”.

The first 80km to Mbilizi on the southern tip of Lake Kariba was bitumen and pretty good. Mbilizi   S17*56”37’ E 27*05”03’ has a great, grassy campsite with swimming pool bordering Lake Kariba. It is run by an ageing white Zimbabwean manager (Gordon) who seems to be living out his life there?  The campsite and lodge/ boat storage at Mbilizi is lovely, but like everything else in Zimbabwe, showing signs of crumbling away and has seen “better days”. We met a couple of other well-travelled South Africans  Andre and Anne there on their way to yet another trip up Africa from Cape Town to Kenya who gave us confidence.

After leaving Mbilizi the next morning ,things got more interesting. The road deteriorated to dusty gravel , severe corrugations in places (which I hate most of all as everything shakes to bits) and wash-aways. Maximum speed 45km/h. But it was much more interesting than the tar road and after a while not too bad once one became used to the dust and rattling  once again. We passed village after village with people casting friendly waves. The scenery is of undulating hills and bush and quite beautiful. We stopped for lunch near a village and when  within 10 minutes the inevitable little black faces appeared out of the bush, gave up trying to eat a sandwich with hungry eyes watching and handed out some Oma’s rusks, biscuits and half a loaf of stale bread instead– which all disappeared in a flash. ( We now carry a large bag of digestive biscuits with us at all times to hand out in need rather than be embarrassed eating while others are watching).

After a long day’s drive of  some 300kms, only seeing only about 3 other vehicles, we arrived at the village of Siyakobvu (where we had to ask directions to Matsudona NP from a well spoken mission school boy). After a river crossing, we eventually headed into the park past a sign, which said “Tashinga Camp 67kms”. However, after about 1 km the track became solid 4×4 with low range required in places through steep creek crossings. After about 8 kms  and ¾ of an hour hard driving (and this being about 4pm), I thought: “we are not going to make Tashinga Camp tonight or maybe ever?”  There are no recognised camping sites anywhere here or anywhere else between Mbilizi and Karoi. So what to do? Head into the bush about 1km off the track for a night of bush camping in the NP amongst the lions, leopards and, most worrying, poachers.

All went well, we survived, (although at one stage early in the night we thought we heard voices in the distance- and immediately turned off all our lights and doused the fire). Marianne wasn’t too happy about the camping spot at all, but we slept as well as ever notwithstanding strange noises in the night!
Next day was another long day’s drive out of the Park and continuing the gravel road to Karoi (we gave up upon Matsudona NP- too hard to get to Tashinga Camp, you need a week’s planned  4 x4 expedition). After about 100kms, we hit  blessed bitumen near Karoi and then the road was good to Kariba township, which we rolled into late that day. 825 Kms and 3 days between fuel stops.

I shouldn’t get into politics (and this blog will be updated long after we leave Zimbabwe -as criticism of His Excellency the President is a crime here punishable by 5 years  goal), but the Karoi area used to be a prime farming district in better days. However we started to come across several ruins of white farm houses that had obviously been taken over by the so called “War Veterans” of ZANU – PF in the “Rural Land Redistribution Program” started in 2001 (read kick the white farmers off, trash the infrastructure and try and grow some mielies (maize) instead). We saw fields gone fallow, some ruined agricultural factories and a huge wheat silo empty and decaying slowly. 20 years ago, Zimbabwe used to produce surplus food and exported to neighbouring countries.

Now its people are all but starving and 2- 3  million have left and crossed the border into South Africa – the land of seeming milk and honey to them (although there is now a local backlash against Zimbabweans taking South African jobs).

All rather sad and a testament to how one man (RG Mugabe), one Party, one Government can wreck a prosperous country in 25 years. Only last week they had a severe Tyhpoid epidemic in Harare we heard. Sad thing is even though RGM has reportedly fallen over twice in the past week and is clearly old and ill, the papers report that his Generals are already jockeying for power and a military led government of the same ZANU- PF party hacks will indubitably be little different? Interestingly, the local papers seem to mention nothing of Morgan Tsvangerai and his opposition MDC ( which is supposed to be co governing with Mugabe and showing a glimmer of hope)?
Kariba township is a beautiful and wild area and has some lovely hilltop residences and houseboats on the lake (and our campsite at Lomagundi Lakeside Association (5kms from Kariba on the left hand side) was grassed and lovely – and filled with roaming hippos at night, but once again everything looks as though the clock stopped in 1995? Nothing has really been maintained since at least then? The Kariba Country Club which once sported bowling greens, tennis courts and meals has closed and the greens are growing weeds. The restaurants and shops have closed (we struggled to find an only supermarket that had minimal goods (TM) in a “shanty town” area some10kms out of town. Most of the boats in housed sheds where we camped at Lomagundi and in the nearby marina looked as though they hadn’t been used in years? The fish trophies of giant Tiger Fish and Bass on the wall were all named and dated 1995 and before.
All rather sad, we felt. Still, people (like us and some Namibians we camped next to who had last been here 18 years ago) are starting to drift back, pleasure boats and houseboats are again starting to ply the Lake, and maybe things are improving again? But I doubt Kariba will ever be what it was again?

We were kindly allowed by Border Control to stroll down to the Kariba Dam wall  (in the no man’s land  between Zimbabwe and Zambia) –and this was an impressive site. Kariba Dam was built in 1959 at the cost of $244M ( a lot of money then). Don’t ask me to quote all the statistics (look at Wikipedia), but it was considered a world-class engineering masterpiece at the time and is one of the World’s largest dams ever created. A huge amount of wildlife had to be moved from the flooded islands under “Operation Noah”.

We spent two enjoyable days in Kariba despite the nostalgia and then headed for the last time past all the wildlife poacher’s snares collected in the Kariba area only since 2011 displayed at the entrance of Lomagundi campground. (These cruel snares also make me sad – not least the fact as you will see from the photo that the anti snare patrol has no money and no vehicle to do their job. I would love to rip one of the several expensive Lexus Landcruiser   4 x4s we saw being driven around by the Harare fat cats on the Harare- Chirundu road and give it to them to use as a vehicle)!

Off to Mana Pools NP! This is another wild and exceptional place. A UNESCO World Heritage area. I won’t bore you further other than to say where else can you walk unrestricted in a wildlife area and have everything roam past your tent at night? The view across the Zambezi towards Zambia is breathtaking. Tourists are coming back here for obvious reasons – and we met an interesting Canadian couple Paul and Sharon and some Slovenians Yuri and their kids. The only sad note once again is that the conscientious and friendly rangers don’t even have a vehicle to get from the Park entrance at Makuti the 95kms to Nyamepi camp and they have to cadge lifts.  (One who had malaria couldn’t get out to a doctor until a “Mazungu” drove him). If you want a puncture repaired, you have to give them 7 litres of diesel to run the air compressor to pump the tyres! So what hope do they have to run effective anti poaching patrols or wildlife management?
After two days at Mana Pools we headed to the Zimbabwe/Zambia border crossing at Chirundu. This turned out our first somewhat negative border crossing experience- where after passing lines of trucks waiting to cross, our first hurdle was the Zimbabwe immigration officials and police saying we needed “a police clearance certificate” for Tin Can. How could we have entered Zimbabwe without a police clearance. After patiently explaining that our Carnet was all that was required and that the Zimbabwe officials at Kazangula had just stamped us in, they were not happy and went into a huddled conference and said they had to consult with the Zambian officials who would say whether Tin Can could enter Zambia? A “fixer” who was hanging around offering to help the process said if we slipped the police $50, police clearance would probably appear?

I said “no. I will wait all day if necessary and they can phone Harare or Kazangula if they like”. After a while the Zambian police/customs officer came over, had a look at the Carnet and Tin Can, drivers licence and wanted original vehicle registration papers and said “that’s OK”. The Zimbabwe blokes looked crestfallen. Phew! First hurdle overcome.

Next, Zimbabwe immigration stamped us out after seeing 3 stamps on a piece of paper saying the police were happy and Zambia was happy to have the vehicle. Our Zambian visas (USD$50 each) were issued by a very polite official and we thought we were away! The “fixer” was still annoyingly hanging around trying to help the process. But no, Marianne made the probable mistake (after seeing prohibition notices about taking certain animal and agricultural products into Zambia) of saying that we had fruit and vegetables in the vehicle.  Boy! Here went another hour as the head Agricultural officer now had to inspect everything in the vehicle. He was eventually happy and stamped a form. Form had to be taken to an office in the Customs hall and we waited outside the office ( door closed) until the “fixer” said “knock on the door”. Customs lady was nice, but had to hear our whole story and seemed confused as to why Agriculture was involved for such a small amount of food and vegetables?

Eventually put her stamp on the form and back to another office to pay road tax ($20) and a “local district levy” ($6). Took tax receipts back to Customs and all was OK. Another stamp. All forms with all stamps ( about 5 by Immigration, Police, Agriculture and Customs) had to be shown at the boom gate. “Fixer” (who had helped somewhat) had to be slipped $10 for his efforts. We were through! 3 hours later! No bribes, not too long, but beaurocracy!
5 minutes down the road into Zambia, first police road block. “Did we have orange warning triangles?” Yes. “How many fire extinguishers?” Two. “ Let’s see your drivers licence?” All happy and we were rolling again. Two hours down the road and 10kms from Lusaka, next bunch of police armed with a radar device stopping us.

“Sir. You were doing 81 km/h”
“So? The guy in front of me was doing the same and the car behind was about to overtake me? What is the speed limit? I saw no sign?”
“Sir, the speed limit is 65 km/h. There is a sign by the Bank over there. “ (Opposite side of the road, 1 km back)
“I believe you. Why didn’t you stop the guy in front of me and behind me also”  Mumble, mumble. No answer.
“Sir, do you have the money Kwacha 270,000 (USD$55) to pay the fine now for dangerous driving or do you wish to go to Court?”
“Am I going to get a receipt? Otherwise let’s go to the Police Station.”
“Sir,we have a receipt book, Sir” Paid the fine, received an “Admission of Guilt for Dangerous Driving” receipt, handshakes all round and rolled on into Lusaka…
I hope we haven’t seemed to negative about Zimbabwe? It is safe ( we never once felt threatened despite some earlier horror stories we were told) and everyone was very friendly, polite as ever despite huge poverty. The country is exceptionally beautiful, exciting  and the wildlife areas beyond description. Zimbabwe is again on the improve.Well worth a visit!

Most travellers opt for car hire with Drive South Africa to accommodate their travel plans.

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