Discovery of Africa
(Kyiv-Windhoek-Gobabis-Maun-Kasane-Livingston-Divundu-Windhoek-Sesriem-Wolvish Bay-Swakomund-Windhoek-Kyiv)
Background. Three friends decided to go to Africa in an attempt to find out what a safari is, Victoria Falls, other African attractions, to understand for themselves what Africa is. There was an idea to go to South Africa, but 15 days for 5 countries was not enough plus in South Africa (as well as other African countries) the crime situation was frightening. Before the trip, you should determine for yourself where you want to go, what to see and then make a route. The trip could also be made without a car, which would allow more immersion in the environment and save money. There were three of us in the car, which allowed one of us to sleep in the back row of seats (I think a fourth person would not ruin our trip). On the trip, we spent a lot of time in the car, so it is important to choose non-conflict fellow travelers. A very important rule! do not drive on the roads of Africa after sunset, it is very, very dangerous (impalas jump out of the bushes, donkeys, cows, etc. ), plan your route so that you do not drive at night!
1. Tickets. There are several options for flying to Namibia: via London, British airways (any questions may arise at border control and you will be sent back to Ukraine); via Frankfurt, Air Namibia (price was high); via Amsterdam, KLM (the best option with a transfer of about 6 hours in both directions). We bought KLM tickets with a transfer in Amsterdam and a refueling in Luanda, Angola (about 1.5 hours, they don’t let you out of the plane, you don’t need a visa to Angola), the ticket price was optimal.
2. Visas. Ukrainians do not need a visa to Namibia (in Windhoek at the border control they ask the name of the hotel and the route, you need to be ready to answer). A visa to Botswana must be obtained through the Botswana Embassy in Stockholm (http://www. botswana. se/Consular). It is necessary to fill out a special form and collect the documents indicated on the website, make a payment for a visa (payment must be made in Swedish krona, done through Privatbank), attach a passport and send (http://www. ksd. kiev. ua/) to the embassy in Sweden. You can contact them first and ask questions. After receiving confirmation of obtaining a visa, it is necessary to collect their passports. One-way delivery of documents costs about UAH 1.5 thousand, so you need to immediately put in your passports (passports and documents of all participants in the trip are put in one envelope), the necessary documents and documents on paying for a visa, they will be against it, but you can save 1 5 thousand UAH per shipment. A visa to Zambia and Zimbabwe (a single visa, the cost is 60 USD) is issued at the border of Botswana and Zambia at the border control in Zambia. At the borders, it is necessary to fill out special forms (for each border crossing) for each tourist and car, there were practically no problems with crossing the borders.
3. Car rental. The car was taken from the Britz company (http://www. britz. co. za/vehicle/nissan-double- cab), contacted them in advance, agreed that 3 drivers had permission to drive a car (by default, 2 drivers have the right, they paid extra for one), took the maximum insurance for the car, paid for documents for passing border control . To book a car, you need to pay 25% of the rental price, the full payment for car rental must be made 2 weeks before the trip. Upon arrival in Windhoek, immediately go to the Britz counter at the airport terminal and they will take you to the rental point. In order not to lose 5 hours like us to receive a car, it is necessary to speak tough and business-like with the manager and demand your car, check the car for scratches, chips, go through the list of what should be in the car (right-hand drive car, car equipment can be found on car rental website). Be sure to check the car rental agreement, 3 drivers must be indicated there. When concluding a rental agreement, an amount equal to 200 USD is blocked on the card (the total amount, not per person, maybe a little more). At the Zambian border, they demanded a copy of the registration certificate for the car (require a copy of the registration certificate at the car rental office), we had a chance to grease the border guard (15 USD). In the car, the wire contact for powering the refrigerator departed, so it is necessary to check whether it is functioning on the road. The roads along the route are of good quality (mostly one lane in each direction), potholes appear 100 km before Maun and on the way from Maun to Kasane. Rarely, but traffic cops hide in the bushes with a speed control device, I recommend sticking to the speed limit. According to the Boers, in Zimbabwe you should not go by car at all, extortions from traffic cops at every step and ruin any trip. The consumption of our Nissan double cab 2.5 diesel car was 20-25 liters per 100 km, the fuel price was 0.8-0.9 USD, it was refueled with diesel 50 (it is better in quality than diesel 500). Traffic in all countries is left-handed, as in the UK, at first it is inconvenient to shift gears with your left hand and get confused when driving in a roundabout, but after a short period of time you stop noticing that you are driving in a different lane.
During the trip, we used the maps. me application maps - this was enough (even for driving through the parks), the application works without the Internet. Lonely Planet guidebooks can be downloaded from the Internet (at awd. ru), which I did.
4. Housing. Accommodation prices range from 30-50 USD for hotels and 8-15 USD for campsites per person. According to the results of the trip, it is necessary to pre-book a campsite in Sesriem (http://www. namibian. org/travel/lodging/ sesriem.html, the best campsite on the trip), in other places - it is better to find the best option on the spot in order to be more flexible along the route. You can use booking to search and book accommodation, but pre-booking takes away a degree of freedom. Accommodation was found by arriving at the place and using the resource maps. me (there are hotels and lodges on the map), it is convenient to come, see if everything suits you and make a choice.
5. Vaccinations. Made in the Alexander Hospital (Kyiv) vaccinated against yellow fever. A week before the trip, they started taking a medicine for malaria - lariam (sold in Ukrainian pharmacies, one tablet per week) and stopped taking it two weeks after the trip. Two weeks after returning, they passed a blood test for malaria at the Alexander Hospital, this must be done! During the day there are no mosquitoes and you can walk in shorts and a T-shirt, in the evening it is better to wear closed shoes, pants, a long-sleeved shirt and use mosquito sprays (the easiest way to buy them in Windhoek markets).
6. Moremi Park (from the side of Maun). The park is very large, so it is better to take a guide into it, he shows the best route, can drive your car and tells you how to behave at the campsite located in the park. The guide (his name is Okay) was found in the hotel lobby https://ua.hotels.com/ho599575/centre-lodge-maun-botsvana/ (asked from the administrator), he offers several travel options, with and without an overnight stay (to go without I don’t see the point in spending the night! because it’s about 60 km to the park from Maun), on his car and on your car, we chose a trip on our car, it cost 110 USD per person. The guide was not surprised, so I will not recommend it. Accommodation at the Tonata campsite (located inside Moremi Park, costs 70 USD (from everyone for a campsite), camping accommodation must be paid at a travel agency in Mauna (guide helped)), wild animals are free to enter the campsite, therefore it is strictly forbidden to open at night tent and go out, approach the water, there are no fences and fences in the campsite. The campsite has a shower and a European toilet. Summary: the park is very large, it is difficult to find animals in it (therefore, we didn’t see much), in the Chobe (Kasane) park we saw a lot more animals, it’s up to you whether to go to Moremi or not. In Maun, with a company (http://www.helicopterhorizons.com/contact-us/) flew over the Okavango Delta to helicopter (without side doors, you are wearing a seatbelt and you can watch nature without glass), I really liked it and it costs 230 USD per person for 1 hour of flight.
7. Chobe Park (Kasane). The park is located near the city of Kasane, it’s easy to drive your own rental car without a guide, you arrive at the entrance to the park, pay entrance tickets, you need to drive parallel to the river back and forth, you saw almost all the animals in large numbers, it’s enough to come to the park by dawn and at lunch you can go back, this time will be enough to see the animals.
8. Victoria Falls (Livingstone, Zambia). From Kasane to Livingston we got through the Kazungula crossing, I recommend taking an assistant from the side of the Botswana border (they offer their services themselves, they paid him 10-15 USD). There is chaos at the crossing (you can wait a long time in line for the ferry) and to save time you need an assistant, plus he helps to process all the documents at the Zambian border (corruption and chaos thrive there), he can pay for the crossing of you and the car, insurance in Zambian kwachas (after you will return the money to him, just be careful, find out in advance the exchange rate of the Zambian kwacha because people who exchange currencies for kwacha significantly underestimate the exchange rate and try to divorce you, be tough and count everything he will pay for, including insurance and other payments), all others who will try to protect your car, wash it, drive it in the neck! Livingston is a fairly large and lively city where you can try crocodile ribs, impala, kudu (Cafe Zambezi), go to the disco. The waterfall is located almost within the city, you buy an entrance ticket and walk on foot contemplating the Victoria Falls (a must to visit, very interesting !!! ). You can also see the waterfall in the park (entrance to the park 40 USD) from Zimbabwe, for this you need to cross the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe on foot, there are no problems, everything is fast. There are practically no souvenirs in Namibia and Botswana and their price bites, souvenirs were bought at the markets near the entrance to the parks of Victoria Falls (from Zambia and Zimbabwe), there is a good market in the center of Livingston, be sure to bargain and radically bring down the price (even 2-3 times ). A lot of water came from Angola, so rafting on the Zambezi River was not carried out, it was dangerous (according to the organizers). A paratrike flight over Victoria Falls costs 180 USD (did not try). They didn’t jump from the bridge with elastic bands on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe (it costs 100-110 USD, I can be wrong). In Livingston there is an interesting museum of old steam locomotives, open until 5 pm, we were late and didn’t get in (we saw the exhibits through the fence).
9. Sesriem. It took almost two days from Livingston to Sesriem (via Bostwana with overnight stops at Divundu guest house, worst night of the trip, terrible mosquito nets, hot blankets, insects) and Windhoek). I recommend in Namibia, on the way, to stop in one of the wild villages in order to understand how ordinary Namibians exist, in what poverty they live, the children were presented with candy canes, which they were very happy about. The road to Windhoek and further to Sesriem (a must visit!!! ) is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life, reminiscent of the Wadi Rum desert, the landscapes of the "wild" west of the United States. In Sesriem, it is advisable to climb Elim dunes (located at the entrance to the park, turn right almost immediately) and watch the sunset, let me remind you that you need to climb the dunes only along the ridge, and not from the side, otherwise you will be exhausted and will not reach the top !! ! Dawn is better to meet on dune 45 (about 60 km from the entrance to the park, the road is paved and you can drive 130-150 km). The park opens at 05-45, you need to be ready to start right after the opening in order to have time to meet the dawn on the dune. Sesriem camp site (http://www. namibian. org/travel/lodging/sesriem.html) beyond praise, hot showers with good water pressure, European toilets and thoughtful camping sites, great burgers and beer in the restaurant at an affordable price! After you met the dawn, you need to go look at Dead Vlei (a must see !!! ) (you need to walk about 1 km from the parking lot (located a few kilometers from dune 45), drive on pre-flat wheels to Sossusvlei (there you can climb The road from Windhoek to Sesriem and from Sesriem to Wolf Bay is unpaved, but allows you to travel at speeds of 130-150 km per hour, do not forget to only take water supplies with you and fill a full tank (including a spare tank) in your car, gas stations are not so common! At the entrance to Sesriem there is an old gas station with an installation of old mobiles, I recommend stopping and organizing a photo session there!
10. Wolwish Bay and Swacomund. German-built cities, very well-groomed and completely European. In Wolfish Bay, you can watch groups of flamingos (Flamingos observation deck is located right on the waterfront, flamingos can be seen in the morning and evening). Seafood can be tasted at the Musselcracker restaurant, disco - Cats lounge bar, Shanghai. In the Wolvish Bay area, on the way to Swakomund, you can ride an ATV on the sands (the cost of 1 hour is 30 USD, I really liked it). Swakomund is a more well-groomed city, I think it is more interesting to spend the night there.
11. Windhoek. We ate at the Sicilia pizzeria (tasty food, excellent service, good coffee and breakfast). We visited the National Museum of Namibia (Owela), I liked it, I can recommend it. In the center of Windhoek there is a Craft market (souvenir market) where you can buy souvenirs, as well as women of the Himba people, a very colorful Namibian tribe, trade there !! ! Windhoek is not rich in interesting sights.
12. Food, alcohol, cigarettes. There was a refrigerator in our car, so we bought up in supermarkets in big cities, it is worth noting that the choice of products in the markets is poor (the choice is better in Windhoek), there are no fruits except bananas. It is important that the transportation of meat products from Namibia to Botswana is prohibited, we hid meat products in backpacks, at sanitary checkpoints we were forced to open the refrigerator for inspection. In Botswana, not often, you pass through sanitary control (a car passes through special fluid, the sole of any shoe in a car and on a person must be dipped in a special solution). Alcohol (beer and spirits) is not sold in markets, but in special small shops, so buy in advance. Cigarettes are very expensive, so take them from Ukraine. Take hand sanitizer with alcohol and wet antibacterial wipes. From Ukraine, we brought lard (this is understandable! ) And sausage, which really helped out, it’s worth taking dried fruits, sweets for children (not chocolate) with you! ). The local population is very, very fond of fast food (fries, chicken, very spicy burgers), so there is no interesting local cuisine as such! Seafood is worth tasting in Wolvish Bay and Swakomund. There is no culture of drinking coffee, so it is very, very difficult to find good coffee, take coffee with you. In restaurants and cafes, food is expensive, I think at least twice as expensive as in Kyiv. The car included a gas tank and everything you need for cooking (pots, pans, plates, scoop, spoons, forks, etc. , you just need to take salt, pepper with you and buy a sponge and dishwashing detergent in the field in Windhoek conditions), so they bought up in large markets and cooked food for every taste (soups, scrambled eggs, cereals, etc. ) in camps.
13. Equipment. On the trip, large and small backpacks will be convenient, as well as a small bag (for a belt) to carry documents and money (we took dollars in cash with us, you must have low-denomination banknotes, there was a situation that there were no exchanges and paid with a bank card in markets , gas stations, you must first notify the bank that you will use a payment card in these countries). We didn’t buy a local SIM card, we used Wi-Fi in hotels and cafes, it’s better to call via WhatsApp. I recommend taking on a trip: light, closed, fully breathable trekking shoes with mesh zones, it will be hot in closed trekking shoes, sandals; light comfortable pants; long sleeve shirts; sun glasses, cap; a special lightweight mesh jacket treated with an anti-mosquito solution; more socks, t-shirts; thermal underwear. Do not take jackets with you, they are not useful. You can take a thermocouple. I took photos and videos on the trip only on the phone, that was enough for me. Friends took a professional DSLR and go pro hero5, the choice is yours.
14. General info. The Internet (Wi-Fi in hotels and cafes) in these countries, except for Windhoek and Livingston, is practically dead, you can only try to talk on WhatsApp, the video does not send. Adapters for our sockets need to be bought in markets, sockets in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia differ in type and appearance. Take plenty of portable batteries, an adapter for a car to charge devices in a car from the cigarette lighter. Take your FM transmitter with you!!!! ! with USB outputs for listening to music from a flash drive and for charging equipment, an antediluvian system is installed in the car! Take sunscreen with you. They took with them pills for colds, poisoning, sprains, bandages, cotton wool, peroxide (all this was not useful).
15. Bottom line. My opinion, must-sees: Sesriem and surroundings, Victoria Falls, Chobe Park, helicopter flight. I do not give general figures on the budget, this is purely individual (the minimum budget for this type of trip is 3000 USD, including an air ticket, the presence of a fourth companion reduces the cost per person). Namibia and Botswana are perfectly civilized countries, a little dry on emotions, but easy on the traveler. Zambia and Zimbabwe are more lively African countries, but there is much less order in them. I want to dispel fears and say that all four countries are safe for a traveler, not difficult to travel, there were no problems, conflicts, security threats. People there are lazy, but open, good-natured and ready to help. Do not be afraid to travel to these countries on your own, break the stereotypes! Africa will amaze and surprise you, you just have to overcome your fears!
If you have any questions - write to the mail mihail79@i. ua, I will try to answer promptly! Thank you for attention! Ready for cooperation!
