A self-drive holiday through Vic Falls & Zimbabwe is an invitation to an unforgettable adventure.
With a sensible and practical approach, as well as good preparation, your experience can be an amazing discovery of memorable moments. Here are some of our best tips:
- The Vehicle: The car hire company (chat to us as we can organise this for you) will ensure that the vehicle is properly equipped with safety gear and the necessary documentation and maps. The driver should acquaint himself with the equipment as well as with the rules, regulations and requirements of the road to avoid any problems with the local traffic officials. The Automobile Association (AA) can provide useful, current information on the necessary documents and safety gear, as well as on the condition of the roads.
- The Roads: The condition of the roads in Vic Falls & the surrounding area’s varies, from well-maintained tar roads on major routes to dirt roads towards & in the national parks.
- Fuel: The availability of fuel is often unreliable, especially inn the outlying area’s of Zimbabwe. It is always advisable to refuel before venturing into the countryside and to fill up whenever there is an opportunity to do so (not only when the fuel gauge is nearing empty).
- Maps: A GPS loaded with Garmin maps is a very useful navigational tool, as the Garmin maps are regularly updated and accurate, with good detail for rural areas. (Google maps are not sufficiently detailed and mobile phone reception is poor to non-existent in rural areas.) Often local directions obtained from hotel staff, petrol attendants or local shopkeepers are the most useful.
- Drinking Water: Although drinking water is usually safe to drink in the cities and towns, it is recommended to drink bottled water. Bottled water is widely available, but it is a useful practice to travel through the countryside with an additional supply (minimum of 5 litres) of drinking water.
- Medical: The town of Vic Falls has a pharmacy as well as doctors, but these places may not stock a wide variety of medication. It is always advisable to carry sufficient supplies of personal medication, as well as a simple first aid kit containing disinfectant, plasters, pain tablets, anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea medication etc. Travellers to Zimbabwe are strongly advised to take anti-malaria medication and to take sensible precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Don’t forget to add these to your itinerary:
- When in Victoria Falls, a day drive into the Zambezi Park, including a visit to the famous giant baobab tree and lunch at Zambezi House , situated on the river upstream from the Falls.
- Also in Vic Falls, a visit to Zambezi Island Lodge – located on Msuna Island provides wonderful opportunities for fishing, boat cruising and bird watching.
Please feel free to chat to us if you have any questions – we are happy to help you plan your very own self-drive trip including Vic Falls.