1 TANZANIA 2010 TRIP REPORT
It started as a dream more than a year ago. I did a similar trip in 2001 and wanted to do it again.
Three vehicles were involved (Nissan Patrol 4.5 GRX, Land Cruiser 105 with off road caravan and a 2.4 Toyota Raider Single Cap) Three families and we enjoyed the company tremendously.
2 STATISTICS
We visited the following countries:
• Botswana
• Zimbabwe
• Zambia
• Tanzania
• Zanzibar
• Malawi
• Mozambique
Total Kilometers – 9,726 Km
Fuel – 1,740 L at an average consumption of 5.6 Km/L
Average Fuel price through all countries was R 9.93 / L
PREPARATIONS
CARNET
Carnet was done through the AA office in Kyalami. I took the 5 page carnet and the cost was R 2,400 of which R 500 was refunded when I returned Carnet. This is a must document for travel in Africa. All the border posts know what to do with it and the average crossing at a border post was 15 to 20 minutes. At Beit Bridge it took 1 and a half hour to cross. Most time spent on the South African side.
COMESA INSURANCE
This is the vehicle / 3rd party insurance for the countries and can also be acquired at the AA in Kyalami and was a blessing. Accepted through all countries except Mozambique. Cost R1,200.
INSURANCE ON VEHICLE
Local insurance company added the countries which we traveled to and the monthly premium inflated by approximately R300.
VISUM
Had to obtain a visum for Tanzania and cost R900 per person. This was a double entry visum.
INJECTIONS
A Travel Clinic advised us on medical matters. The consultation and injections cost just over R900 per person and included the following:
• Yellow fever
• Meningitis
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
TRIP
DAY 1
Left Pretoria around 5 in the morning on our way to Francis Town in Botswana. We crossed into Botswana at the Stockpoort border crossing. A nice quiet crossing with very little traffic.
Arrived at Francis Town around 1500 at Woodlands Campsite. Price R65 per person with very good facilities. Hot showers and flush toilets. Later on the camp was totally packed with GP vehicles and some vehicles from the cape.
DAY 2
We left Francis Town after a slow start and entered Zimbabwe at Pandamatenga, through the Hwange reserve to our destination, Vic Falls. We experienced our first trouble on the way with the offroad caravan. The shocks tore from the body and had to be welded in Livingstone. We stayed in the Vic Falls Rest Camp site at USD20 per person. We experienced the first vuvuzelas to our dismay.
DAY 3
We left Vic Falls early to cross the border to Zambia. No problems except for the baboons that you have to watch. Even inside the customs offices, they try to grab any loose items from car. Get a car guard there to watch your vehicle for a small fee. We had the caravan fixed and only left Livingstone by 12 afternoon. It was a long, very bad road to Lusaka and we arrived around 1900 south of Lusaka at the Eureka campsite. A good campsite with rooms at USD20 per person. We opted to stay in a room with nice hot shower and flush toilets. Watched Test Rugby and soccer at the club.
DAY 4
Started our journey early, around 7 on our way to Kapisha Hot springs, towards the northern part of Zambia. Some 700 Km away. The road is terrible and don’t try to drive at night, you will write your vehicle off! Road full of potholes. We could not make our destination and we decided to overnight at a place called Mutinondo Wilderness camp, 25 Km off the main road and a beautiful place. (GPS coordinates: S13 09.254 E30 42.150) We encountered problems again with the off road caravan suspension.
DAY 5
After a quiet start we headed for Kapisha hot springs and arrived just after 12 in the afternoon. A gem of a place with a bird trail to walk and of course visit the hot springs. This is a wonderful place to stay and the price is USD 10 per person to camp. We met a lot of South Africans and the camp was quite full. Nice hot showers and flush toilets. (GPS coordinates: S11 10.175 E31 36.031)
DAY 6
We left Kapisha only after 10 on our way to Mbeya in Tanzania. The border crossing at Tunduma was terrible. Very busy and watch out for the “agents” that want to help you. They help a lot but negotiate a fee first. After crossing the border, we left for Mbyea some 110 Km further. Good roads except for the local busses on a suicide mission that travel at very high speeds and they don’t care about any other cars on the road. We stayed in the Karibuni Centre in Mbeya at USD 3 per person for camping. You can take a room for USD10 per person, including a breakfast. Highly recommended with very clean ablutions with cold showers for camping. Rooms are with hot showers and flush toilets.
DAY 7/8
We left Mbeya after 8 o’clock and traveling to Ruaha National Park through Iringa. After we filled up the tanks at Iringa, we left for Ruaha National Park, 130 Km away on an average gravel road. This road is also called the “Never ending Road” Arriving at Ruaha NP, we had to pay the National park fees as follows:
• Camping per person per 24 hours – USD 30
• Entry per vehicle per 24 hours – USD 40
• Entry per person per 24 Hours – USD 20
The park is beautiful, a bit dry at this time of the year. The campsite is on the river with Elephants, Lions and Hyenas visiting the camp at night. We entered the park just before 1700, so we had to leave the next day before 1700. We did just that and bush camped just outside the park. Again the Lions and Hyenas visited our camp during the night. Again problems with the caravan suspension that we had to sort out.
- Ruaha Campsite 2.JPG (52.5 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
DAY 9/10/11
We left early for Dar Es Salaam, through the Mikumi National Park, where we had lunch. Arrived in Dar Es Salaam late afternoon to hit the peak hour traffic. We stayed at the Silver Sands Hotel, 25 Km north of Dar Es Salaam. Very cheap and you camp almost on the beach. USD 7 per person for camping. You can leave your vehicle at the campsite, there are guards to look after you vehicle, if you want to go to Zanzibar, for USD 5 per vehicle.
- Silver Sands Hotel.JPG (41.48 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
The next day we took the ferry from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar. The trip is 2 hours and the price for a return ticket is USD 70 per person.
In Zanzibar we visited the market, stone town, slept in a local guest house at USD 30 per room, including a breakfast and did the Spice Tour the next day. The price for the spice tour was about USD 40, depending on the tour guide you get. Don’t be afraid to use a local tour guide. They will offer their services when you get off the ferry. You don’t have to pay them anything, they are paid by the guesthouses or hotels for bringing the clients. A small fee afterwards will be good. This visit was too short and one needs about 4 to 5 days to experience Zanzibar. We left Zanzibar again at around 1500 with very rough seas. Luckily the ferry was bigger, never saw so many sick people before.
Arrived back at Silver Sands Hotel late afternoon. I then had a meeting with the South African military Attaché, because we were worried about our trip in the west of Tanzania, along the Tanganyika Lake where all the refugee camps were. He was very helpful and took our vehicle registration numbers and personal details. He also gave us a number to call for the local Army Liaison officer if we would encounter any problems on the route. He confirmed that the route was safe.
DAY 12
We left Dar Es Salaam around 7 and followed the road north to Bagamoyo. We visited the Bagamoyo museum, where the history of slave trade in Tanzania is displayed. Absolutely a place worth visiting.
Followed the gravel road to a small town Msata, where we joined the main road to the north. Nearing Mount Kilimanjaro, we saw the ice cap for the first time late afternoon, but unfortunately never again.
- Ice cap.JPG (37.23 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
At first we tried to camp at the Marango Hotel, but the campsite was filled to capacity with South African cars, mostly GP cars. We could not find a place for three vehicles, so we heard about another place called “The Coffee Tree” campsite. What a gem, we camped there for USD 10 per person with very clean facilities, hot showers and flush toilets. This campsite is highly recommended. This is at the foot of Kilimanjaro where you start the Marangu route.
- GPS Kili.JPG (43.02 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
DAY 13
Early morning, we drove probably 2 kilometers towards the mountain where the Marangu route starts. It was rainy and around 14 degrees Celsius outside. After visiting the shop and taking some pictures, we left for Moshi, a town some 30 Km away where we visited a local market and had lunch at a very nice coffee shop. We left for Arusha, the capital of the north where we stayed over at a very noisy, crowded campsite, “The Snake Park” This is very popular with the overlander trucks, facilities not good and not clean, at USD 12 per person. Not recommended when you like peace and quiet.
DAY 14/15
We left the campsite early to do shopping in Arusha and to buy some fresh meat, even biltong. We then visited Arusha National Park. We found a campsite near the park, called the Colobus Mountain Lodge. Highly recommended at USD 10 per person for camping. Nearly hot shower with flush toilets. We left the caravan there and visited the Park.
Here we had to pay the fees again as described with Ruaha, except we did not camp inside the park. Here you can pay by credit card. The Arusha National Park is absolutely a must. Few people know about this park. Driving through the rain forest to the top of the rim of the crater is indescribable.
- ANP route.JPG (104.93 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
Arriving at the view points, one can observe the crater floor and see the animals living in their own world.
On the rim of the crater and looking at the crater floor of the Arusha National Park
Hippos, buffalo, lots of birds and of course the Colobus monkeys in the trees. Truly an unforgettable place and a must see. Camped at the Colobus Mountain Lodge in the mist.
DAY 16
The next morning, visit the park again, the outside of the rim and the lake areas. This part is also beautiful with lots of animals ranging from Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe and lots of birds including flamingos.
We left the park by 1 o’clock to do some last minute shopping and visited the Cultural Heritage site in Arusha. Here one can buy lots of traditional things and enjoy some nice coffee. We took the road west to Tarangire National Park to arrive late afternoon, but found a campsite outside the park. The campsite is called ZION campsite with average facilities at USD 10 per person.
DAY 17/18/19
Early morning we entered the Tarangire National Park, with the National park fees again as describe. The park was very dry with not much animals to see. A little disappointing for the money spent. We then left for Ngorongoro Crater passed Lake Manyara. We entered Ngorongoro Crater National Park and had to pay the normal National Park fees again as described earlier, and an extra USD 200 for entering the crater floor. Here, no credit cards accepted, only cash.
Driving up the crater rim through the rain forest is beautiful to a height of 2,300m above sea level. The temperature dropped to 14 degrees Celsius from a high 30 degrees earlier. To stand on the rim of the crater is absolutely spectacular!
- Ngorongoro View.JPG (35.91 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
We left for the Simba campsite on the rim of the crater. Camping in samba camp is great, with facilities now upgraded to have hot showers and flush toilets. At night the park is visited by buffaloes, hyenas, elephants and bush pigs. Don’t try to camp on the grass, it is not allowed. The vehicles have to stand on the side, with only tents allowed on the inside grass area. The next morning we woke up with temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius and lots of thick mist. We left camp to enter the crater floor and soon the temperature rose to around 26 degrees.
We saw lots of animals in the crater floor and also saw a mini migration of the Wildebeest. Leopards were very shy and we could only see them at a distance. We left the crater floor around 1500 with a steep road to the top and arrived at the campsite at around 1600.
Very cold at night and we woke up the next morning in very wet and misty conditions.
We used the rest of the day until 1400 for some vehicle maintenance and left for Serengeti National Park to arrive at the entrance gate around 1800, just before the gate closed to pay the park fees again. Credit Cards accepted again. The roads are atrocious inside the Serengeti and we arrived at the campsite around half past eight in the evening. Most of the campsites around Seronera area were full and we found a campsite nearby that was empty and we set up camp. Strangely, we had no visit of predators during the night.
DAY 20/21
Early the next morning we left for the western part of the Serengeti to try and find the migration of the wildebeest.
We arrived late afternoon at the Grumeti river where the wildebeest have to cross to get to the northern part. (Masai Mara) On the way to the western part we saw and experienced thousands of Wildebeest on their way North. I must say a sight that I will never forget. Problems again with the caravan suspension and it became serious now.
- Patrol in Serengeti with Migration in background.JPG (48.01 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
Being at the viewpoint on the Grumeti river with crocodiles 4 meters long, waiting for the Wildebeest to cross, we decided to stay there for the night. Bush Camping in the Serengeti . . . was our only option.
- Grumeti Campsite.JPG (45.29 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
Early the next morning we were awakened by the sound of thousands of Wildebeest and the sudden movement of crocodiles in the water, less than 20 meters away. Suddenly we saw a hot air balloon passing overhead. I think the sight from up there must have been spectacular. The wildebeest started to move down to the river and we thought that they would cross at that point.
- Wildebeest at Grumeti.JPG (82.13 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
Too many crocodiles and the Wildebeest turned around and crossed the dry riverbed 2 kilometers down stream. It was a little bit of a disappointment, but the wifes were glad not to see a kill.
We stayed in the park until around 1500 and exited on the western gate. (Ndabaka Gate) Paid for our extra night in the park and left for the stop over campsite outside the park. We had some great steaks in the restaurant, with excellent service and very cheap. Problems again with the caravan suspension.
DAY 21/22/23/24
We left the campsite early on our way to Mwanza, a very busy city some 100 Km away. Filled up the tanks with fuel and last minute shopping. The next few days are very remote, with only small villages, bad roads and not sure about fuel. 25 Km south of Mwanza we turned west at a village Usagara to take a short cut to the west. At a place called Kikongo, you can take a ferry across Lake Victoria and safe some 200 Km. The ferry is very cheap, R35 per vehicle and R7 per person.
After the ferry we were heading west and arrived at a town called Nyakanazi. Up to this point it was tar road and our gravel road started here for a thousand kilometers south. On the way we encountered many roadblocks manned by the Army, and to our surprise they knew about our movements and even had our vehicle registration numbers. The military attaché did a great job. Everywhere the officials were very friendly.
We could not find a campsite and it was too risky, due to the refugee camp to do bush camping. We found an old German fort and we pitched camp in the fort at USD 6 per person. Met South Africans there that service the cell phone towers. Clean facilities, with hot showers and flush toilets. Rooms are also available at USD 10 per person.
We left very early the next morning, around 3 o’clock. It was a watch/alarm mistake, but later that day we were very glad that it happened. The road is terrible and we could manage a speed of 20 to 30 Km per hour. Every now and then, problems with the caravan suspension.
Needless to say we could not reach Katavi National Park or Mahali Mountains where you can do Chimp tracking and we decided on bush camping that night.
The next day we were heading for Mahali mountains and we realized that the road does not exist and locals told us that a person on a bicycle can’t even drive there. A big disappointment and we headed for Katavi National Park. We arrived at the park after 1300, paid the fees for the National Parks as described earlier and set off to drive through the park. The park itself was very dry with little animals, until we arrived at the Katavi Plains. What a place, as they say “Where there’s water, there is life” Big open plains with lots of water and lots of animals. Hippos, elephants, Lions, buffalo and lots of birds to name only a few. We stayed there until dusk and headed for the camp.
- Katavi Sunset.JPG (38.18 KiB) Viewed 3030 times
Sunset over the Katavi plains
Again the camp had good facilities, no hot showers, but flush toilets. We set up our own warm shower. The campsite is great, under big trees. Early the next morning, we were awakened by elephants in the campsite. What a start to a great day visiting the Katavi Plains again until midday.
We left Katavi and headed south, on a terrible dirt road, to a place called “Lakeshore Lodge Campsite” on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. (GPS coordinates: S7 26.070 E30 35.530) We arrived there around 1600 and set up camp. Problems again with the caravan suspension. A beautiful place owned by a young South African couple. Facilities are great with perfect hot showers and flush toilets. In the evening/ late afternoon you sit on the beach, the lodge makes a fire on the beach and the atmosphere is fantastic. You can eat at the lodge and they set the table on the beach.
The next day we relaxed at the campsite, did some maintenance on the vehicles, snorkeling, canoeing on the lake and visited an old mission.
DAY 25
Early morning, we headed south again on the terrible road towards Mbeya and arrived at the Karibuni Centre late afternoon.
DAY 26
After a good breakfast with excellent local coffee, we headed to Malawi. Traveling through the tea plantations and beautiful hills we reached the Malawi border post. The border post was a breeze and soon we traveled south and saw the beautiful Malawi Lake. We stopped at a place called Karonga and had lunch at a place called Mufwa Lakeside Lodge, where you can also camp.
We headed south and stopped at a place called Sangilo Sanctuary Lodge, right on the Lake. (GPS coordinates: S10 31.060 E34 13.045) A great place for future reference with a campsite and great facilities.
After the short visit, we headed south for Mzuzu where we filled up with petrol and turned east towards the lake again. We arrived late at Chintheche Inn Lodge and campsite, which is run by Wilderness Safaris. We met up with lots of South Africans again. Good clean facilities with hot showers and flush toilets. Camping at USD20 per person and there is also a restaurant to eat where we had some local Chambo fish from the lake.
DAY 27
The sun rising over the lake was a beautiful sight the next morning and we left camp early, heading south towards Mozambique (Tete corridor) The border crossing was no problem accept that we had to take out vehicle insurance (Comesa insurance is not accepted in Mozambique) and the price is USD 25. This is also the first place where they asked our yellow fever certificates. Heading for the town Tete and arrived there late afternoon. A very busy modern city and we quickly passed through, heading south and found a place next to the road to bush camp. Problems again with the caravan suspension to sort out.
DAY 28
We left our bush camp early and headed for Mutare in Zimbabwe. The border crossing was no problem and quick. Huge problems with the caravan suspension and on one stage we thought to leave the caravan at the nearest police station, but we managed to solve the problem with a local mechanic. Heading now south through Masvingo to arrive late afternoon at Lion and Elephant lodge and camping. The campsite is very close to the road and the trucks are noisy through the night. Camping is USD10 per person, the facilities ok with flush toilets. They opened a chalet for us to have a hot shower.
DAY 29
Our last day started slowly and we headed for the dreaded Beit bridge. Needless to say it was very busy, but there was a good system on the Zimbabwe side and did not take too long. On the South African side it was very busy and luckily they opened a line for South African passport holders. The Beit bridge crossing took roughly an hour and a half. Back in SA with the great roads, we arrived in Pretoria at 1730.
SUMMARY
A great experience, with lots of memories. If I had to do it again, I would add another 2 months. As my wife said, it was an amazing race, always in a hurry. All the roadblocks in Zambia and Tanzania was a pleasure. The officials were friendly, definitely a positive move from earlier in 2000. This was a drive from the government to make it easier for the tourists.
Work some spare time in the planning, the roads does not always allow you to drive long distances.
It was great to see so many Patrols in Zambia and Tanzania. All the officials from the government and the Parks Board are driving Patrols. Surely you won’t find any problems with spares, not that we needed any.
Always nice to travel in a group and three vehicles were excellent.
Everywhere, the people were very friendly and nowhere did it feel unsafe.
Fuel (Petrol) was no problem and only at one place did we experience that there were no diesel. Look around for the prices at the filling stations, it varies from one filling station to another. We had no problems with dirty fuel.
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