Too lazy to plan my own trip.....

[DawidT]

Hi All,

Some advice and assistance please!!! I am planning my next holiday – probably somewhere between May and Sept (autumn to spring). The plan is to go in at the bottom of the Kruger Park, all the way up to the north (as far north as possible) and then cross into Moz. From here I would like to go to the coast (Xai Xai?) and tour my way down all the way to Kosi / Ponta da Oura border post, right down to Ramsgate and then back to Witbank.
I need a lot of advice please!
The info I can share might help:
1) Going with the 4.8 Patrol, towing a Jurgens Explorer
2) Probably only myself and da Boss (maybe someone else with a similar plan…. )
3) Plan to be on the road for 3 weeks - flexible
4) I am totally self-sufficient and can go for some time doing the Bush camp thing – no water and power needed and I would like to work some rough camps in
5) I do not mind doing some full day travelling when needed to move to next sleep over spot
6) I hate booking in advance but will do if needed (KNP!!) Worked well on my previous Bots / Nam trips
7) Have been to Moz, 3 X times already

Maybe someone has done a similar trip before and can share their route plan?
I need to know:
1) Places to stay
2) Fuel availability
3) What roads / route to take (more back roads please)
4) Any other crossing into Moz above the Gyrriondo(?) border post
5) Safety (a lot of conflicting reports!!!)
6) Parks, nice places and “must see areas” to visit
I am free to any other suggestions on alternative trips. My plan is not casted in stone…. Wanted to do the Namib, Aus to Walvis trip and then along the coast into Angola but maybe another year for that one…
In exchange for your advice I will bring back some nice pics!!!

[Tinus lotz]

Dawid ek het nou net van moz af terug gekom was jy al in die injambane area?

[Peter Connan]

I have not been there myself, but started researching a trip to Gonarhezhou. As a result, I know that there is a border post at Pafuri, about 2.5km south of Crook's Corner, right at the northernmost corner of KNP. From here the "road' follows the river for a while, and then one needs to cross the river. There isn't a bridge, and crossing depends on water levels, this is reconned to be a "dry season trip", but at the moment it lloks like being a dry year.

T4A shows "roads" from here to Muxungue/Beira, but there are lots of warnings. A real Patrol road, but it's 470km between Pafuri and Beira, so I reckon it's at least 2 or three days. There does appear to be some possibilities of rough camping between the two, with camps mentioned in both Banhine and Zinave national parks, which are along the way. As are lots of small villages.

Sounds like fun!

[DawidT]

Baie dankie. Tinus gave me the name of a very nice place to stay right on the beach, that will take up about 4 days of my stay. Peter, I will certainly look at the border post you are talking about, sounds like another three days travelling from the gate to the coast line - will check the campsite in the parks you mentioned.

[ricster]

Yeah the Pafuri border post is a nice neat organized border post. I did a trip up there to go to Inhambane ( Barra Lodge ) about 5 odd years ago.

When you cross the Pafuri border you drive on to Mapai where you cross the Limpopo river. If there has been some rain then this can be an imposibility, as we found out and had to drive back into SA and drive down to Giriyondo border post and cut across to Xai Xai. Was quite an adventure and will do that again.... just when it's a bit drier....haha