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Tour Summary
In a constant effort to continue expanding and developing our offering for our clients we look to East Africa for our latest adventure. The Johannesburg – Dar Es Salaam Tour is offering 14 riding days through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, showcasing some of best these diverse nations have on offer.
This tour is mainly on-road, with some minor gravel road riding to and from the entrances of the lodges.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Great Zimbabwe Ruins
- The bridge over the Zambezi
- Lake Malawi
- Baobab tree forest
- Mikumi National Park
- Dar es Salaam
incl, 4 star hotels/guesthouses/lodges, meals, BMW F750GS, luggage transport
DAY 1/17
Johannesburg
ca. 0 miles
We welcome you to South Africa, you will be transferred form OR Tambo international airport directly to your hotel, this is arranged by our team and details sent to you before the commencement of the tour.
In the afternoon/evening we’ll deliver a tour briefing and finalise formalities. We’ll be pulling out all stops on your first night and be taking you out to a local restaurant certain to tantalise your taste buds.
DAY 2/17
Johannesburg – Louis Trichardt
ca. 244 miles
The second day, what will be your first riding, has an early start to ensure a smooth and efficient check out of the bikes from our depot in Pretoria Centurion. The ride is quite lengthy as we need to get as close to Border as possible. We make our way through Mpumalanga to Louis Trichardt in the Northern parts of Limpopo.
DAY 3/17
Louis Trichardt – Masvingo
ca. 268 miles
The second riding day involves the border crossing to Zimbabwe. Our guides are with you to facilitate the process and make it move as smooth as possible. We continue our way to Masvingo and our accommodation venue is only a stone’s throw away from the Great Zimbabwe Ruins.
The name ‘Zimbabwe’ is derived from two Shona words namely ‘dzimba’ (houses) and ‘mabwe’ (stones) and can be translated into English as ‘Big houses of stones’ or ‘honourable houses’.
DAY 4/17
Masvingo - Harare
ca. 219 miles
The next morning we charter on a path to Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, which is a bustling Metropolis. The route is about 350km, taking us via Chivhu in a Northerly direction to our destination for the evening. We’ll be staying at one of Zimbabwe’s premier hotels, in the city centre.
DAY 5/17
Harare - Tete
ca. 238 miles
After a sumptuous breakfast, the day’s ride will take us out of Harare and across the border into Mozambique. Not too long after the border we cross the Great Zambezi River to get to our accommodation venue. By now you would have noticed that crossing borders in Africa are quite the experiences on their-own, but our guides are there to facilitate the process and help you through.
DAY 6/17
Tete - Zomba
ca. 208 miles
Our time in Mozambique is brief, on the 5th riding day we making our way via Blantyre to Zomba in Malawi. Please note there is another border crossing on this day, hence an early start is necessary. Our lodge tucked away on the edge of the Zomba plateau, offers a slightly cooler climate to the rather temperate environment in the valley below. The plateau is littered with Pine and Cedar forests, with a beautiful road that leads directly to the lodge.
DAY 7/17
Zomba – Cape Maclear
ca. 124 miles
We make our way back down the plateau towards Lake Malawi. This body of water spans about 600km from the southernmost to the northernmost end and 75km at its widest point. Today’s journey takes you away from the densely populated urbans area into the country side and towards the lake shore regions. Our lodge, on the lake shore is near Cape Maclear and we’ll be staying here for 2 nights so there is plenty of time to take in the sights and enjoy Lake Malawi.
DAY 8/17
Cape Maclear
ca. 0 miles
Day 8 is a rest day and gives you the opportunity to indulge in some of the activities offered at the lodge or if you just want to rest and take in the beach, it’s all up to you. It is said the tranquil turquoise waters invite you in by name.
DAY 9/17
Cape Maclear - Bandawe
ca. 248 miles
It’s time to make our way north, as we leave Cape Maclear and head to Bandawe on the North Western side of the lake. The route is predominately near the coastline so we get to take in the sights of the many fishing villages that populate the lake shore region.
DAY 10/17
Bandawe
ca. 0 miles
Day 10 is another rest day reserved for activities on offer at the lodge and taking in the sights at Lake Malawi.
DAY 11/17
Bandawe - Karonga
ca. 173 miles
We leave Bandawe and make our way towards Mzuzu in a north westerly direction. Mzuzu is Malawi’s third largest city, which is slightly elevated and more inland. The route then works its’ way back to the lake shore, down a pass to Chiweta and finally on to Karonga where our accommodation venue will be.
DAY 12/17
Karonga - Mbeya
ca. 124 miles
It’s time to make our way into Tanzania, the last country for this tour. Once again it’s going to be an early start to ensure we get to the border timeously. Our Lodge for today is just outside Mbeya in the coffee growing district of Tanzania. If all goes smoothly from the border we’ll be there early enough to have a few cold beers and enjoy, the pool and bask in another glorious African sunset.
DAY 13/17
Mbeya
ca. 0 miles
Having reached Tanzania, it’s time to take a moment and appreciate our surrounds and as luck would have it, we are staying on a working coffee farm. There is no scheduled riding on this day hence there will be an opportunity to go on a farm tour to learn more about the cultivation of the coffee plants and this nation’s rich coffee history.
DAY 14/17
Mbeya - Ifunda
ca. 186 miles
Day 14 is a ride to Ifunda from Utengule. This stretch is a bit longer than our previous day, as we traverse Tanzania’s large landscapes, through several small towns and villages. Ifunda our final destination is a small farming community just before you reach Iringa.
DAY 15/17
Kisolanza - Mikumi National Park
ca. 155 miles
The ride from Ifunda to Mikumi is vastly diverse, changing aggressively several times before we reach our final destination. The route has everything from savanna style landscapes, to a Baobab tree frost all set against the backdrop of some small rural communities. There are some twisty roads, leading up and down passes, perfect to enjoy with our bikes.
DAY 16/17
Mikumi National Park – Dar es Salaam
ca. 192 miles
Our final day’s ride takes us right through the Mikumi National Park, which is the 4th largest park in Tanzania. If you are really lucky you may encounter some game along the way. The route is taking us past quite a few smaller towns, before we hit the final stretch to our costal retreat in Dar es Salaam.
DAY 17/17
Tanzania
ca. 0 miles
This is officially the last day of our tour, but there are options to extend this journey. Please let us know in good time, if you would like to extend your holidays by visiting the Northern parts of Tanzania or if you are interested in travelling to Zanzibar, a small island off the East Coast of Tanzania.