Southern Africa is a big place, really big and one needs time and wheels to explore all the countries within the region. When travelling around here, riders will notice that some areas are considerably more densely populated than others. Some also more developed than other areas and lets not forget to mention the large difference in levels of affluence between the different regions in each country. Any rider who is going all around this region needs to be willing to cross borders, navigate city traffic and sometimes find creative ways to communicate with the locals, especially in the remote areas. There is simply no way around this, unless you only plan on going to the (quite boring) big cities and tourist hot-spots, you will need time and patience, especially when crossing borders.
There are various ways to travel around the regions. Most common is the mini-bus taxis and inter-city busses that go between big cities that (depending on where you are) either leave on a schedule (e.g Intercape and other South African bus companies) or leave when full. One good trick is to initially inquire about travel tomorrow, rather than show your hand early. That way, you are much more likely to get a reasonable time of departure – if you turn up looking to travel that same day then all the busses going to your destination are conveniently about to depart, until you have paid at which point they turn out to wait until they are (really really) full; don’t leave for another eight hours (during which time you will repeatedly be told they are leaving in ten minutes to stop you walking off). Minibusses also leave when (ridiculously) full and you will probably be overcharged for using them but as they’re smaller they can be faster (although usually more expensive). Expect transport to be the best and worst part of your trip round Southern/Eastern Africa! Why do we tell you all of this? Simply to tell you we have it covered at Motorcycle Tours Africa…..we do it by motorcycle and our Vic Falls & Beyond 17 day tour gives you a sublime experience from the saddle to explore Southern Africa.
Probably, you’ll want to visit game parks and other nice sights – think Chobe Park and Victoria Falls! The main draw back is that they’re usually in the middle of nowhere, and may require you to drive through the park in order to get to the campsite. There will not be any public transport, so you need to think outside the box. Hitch-hiking in this part of the world (besides South Africa) is very safe compared to most of the rest of the world. It is a widely recognised form of transport and in general you will be more comfortable and get to your destination faster if you can hitch a ride over some other kind of bus.
Do not “thumb” a ride, instead put your palm out face-down on the road and flap your arm a bit (more like hailing a cab). It is common to be asked to pay something similar to the equivalent bus fare for a ride in this part of the world. If you are in a small town then you should ask around to see where the hitching spot is, as others will also need rides and many drivers will go to a hitching spot in order to pick up fare paying passengers going the same direction as them.
If in the middle of nowhere (perhaps Namibia somewhere), its worth noting that even if only one vehicle goes past every 30 mins, you should get a lift sooner than you expect. Stating facts rather than stereotyping, if you see a white driver or a rich black driver (big car), smile at them as they approach and they are much more likely to give you a (probably free) ride if you are a white traveller. Their cars will also be comfortable and they are likely to have made an exception for you, so will probably not pick anyone else up. On the other hand, some locals will cram in as many people as possible (double figures in a small 5-seater!). Finally, ask where the driver is going before you tell them where you want to go, unless the road you are on only goes to one place. In some places, the sight of a white man will encourage almost every car to stop and assist – at a price. Finally, note that there are not many independent travellers in this area without their own car, so you will be getting an authentic experience if nothing else!
Again you might question our intensions behind the “getting around bit”, bottom line is we have it covered at Motorcycle Tours Africa – we offer guided and self-guided tours all over Southern Africa to help and assist you in exploring this beautiful continent and find out for yourself what Africa is all about.
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