This is my first post after my intro post. My wife and I are planning to ship/fly our bikes over to Cape Town (probably) from the UK for a 5-6 week tour of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and as I have just realised Victoria Falls isnt that far away we will probably go to Zambia and Zimabwe briefly too. Anyway this is the first of what will probably be a series of rather numpty questions about South Africa, where to go, what to see, places to stay and so on. So....
We will probably arrive in early May 2012. This is the start of your winter. Now, bearing in mind I live in the North West of the UK where it rains 2 days in 3 and if we get up to 20c its a scorcher even in summer, what can I expect the weather to be like. I have read the various guides, the BBC web site etc etc and there's conflicting reports all mixed up with dry seasons and stuff (what a weird concept - implies a dry season :biggrin
. I guess going North its warmer and drier, especially Namibia and Kalahari. I think East is warmer than West but inland can be cool due to altitude. Anyway I would appreciate real experience and guidance from people who live there.
How far is it realistic to travel in a day on gravel roads. I assume in South Africa you choose to travel on gravel, but in Namibia you dont always have the choice. I would sit on my bike all day every day, wife is significantly less experienced although she has done Europe tours and been to Morocco, but she is not one to ride for 8+ hours non stop.
What should I budget for Hotels, Hostels and B&B. We are OK in cheapish hostels and moderate hotels as long as they are clean enough. I suppose my question is what is the typical rate for a bed in Hostel or a double room in a B&B. UK prices would typically be £15-£25 each in a hostel; £50-70 for B&B for 2. (£50 = 650ZAR). In the UK and europe I would not book ahead, just aim for a town and find a hotel I liked and negotiate on price until I got it to a reasonable rate. Is that acceptable in the region?
Will we need to camp? So if I am heading for Zambia down the Caprivi strip or somewhere remote are there enough towns to find a reasonable hotel or is camping the best way to do it and are there enough camp sites or is it wild camping (I dont want to get eaten though ???). What facilities can I expect at camp sites - in the UK you would get a grassy pitch, toilet block, hot showers, a shop, and a pub or resaurant on site or nearby. Some of the RRs I have read suggest very limited facilities on camp sites - but I do like the Barbecues or Braas or whatever you call them.
That's enough for post #1. Thanks in advance. I'll be checking back in tomorrow evening
We will probably arrive in early May 2012. This is the start of your winter. Now, bearing in mind I live in the North West of the UK where it rains 2 days in 3 and if we get up to 20c its a scorcher even in summer, what can I expect the weather to be like. I have read the various guides, the BBC web site etc etc and there's conflicting reports all mixed up with dry seasons and stuff (what a weird concept - implies a dry season :biggrin
. I guess going North its warmer and drier, especially Namibia and Kalahari. I think East is warmer than West but inland can be cool due to altitude. Anyway I would appreciate real experience and guidance from people who live there. How far is it realistic to travel in a day on gravel roads. I assume in South Africa you choose to travel on gravel, but in Namibia you dont always have the choice. I would sit on my bike all day every day, wife is significantly less experienced although she has done Europe tours and been to Morocco, but she is not one to ride for 8+ hours non stop.
What should I budget for Hotels, Hostels and B&B. We are OK in cheapish hostels and moderate hotels as long as they are clean enough. I suppose my question is what is the typical rate for a bed in Hostel or a double room in a B&B. UK prices would typically be £15-£25 each in a hostel; £50-70 for B&B for 2. (£50 = 650ZAR). In the UK and europe I would not book ahead, just aim for a town and find a hotel I liked and negotiate on price until I got it to a reasonable rate. Is that acceptable in the region?
Will we need to camp? So if I am heading for Zambia down the Caprivi strip or somewhere remote are there enough towns to find a reasonable hotel or is camping the best way to do it and are there enough camp sites or is it wild camping (I dont want to get eaten though ???). What facilities can I expect at camp sites - in the UK you would get a grassy pitch, toilet block, hot showers, a shop, and a pub or resaurant on site or nearby. Some of the RRs I have read suggest very limited facilities on camp sites - but I do like the Barbecues or Braas or whatever you call them.
That's enough for post #1. Thanks in advance. I'll be checking back in tomorrow evening
