Trip plans for Joburg SA, to Botswana, to Zimbabwe for Giraffe Rally 2011

This blog interrupts the current trip to Cape Town blog, but is a one off description of one of our next trips, the details of which I will bring you in various future blogs on the topic, with pictures of the journey as it unfolds. The current Durban to Cape Town series will carry on again tomorrow after this plan is published today.

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

I have been invited on a wonderful opportunity of a ride from Johannesburg, South Africa to Chobe Game reserve, Botswana, then on to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe ruins and the Giraffe Rally near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. After that, back to Johannesburg again.

The bike riding part of the trip is all over a period of about 7 days, starting on the 25th July 2011. I live in Cape Town, which is some 1350km away, which means I have a double journey both there and back again, on-top of the 2500 odd km of the main trip to do. Due to time restrictions and to save the bike from long boring rides on tar, I'll do that part in the car, with the bike on a trailer from Cape Town to Joburg and back.

Since the group on bikes leave on Monday, I'll be able to leave early Saturday morning and get there with some time to spare on Sunday. On the return leg, leave eaither Sunday afternoon and get back Monday evening or leave Monday early and back early Tuesday.

Three Africa border crossings could be a bit testing, under some time pressure, but as in the past we should be Ok as it's on a Monday midday (not busy) and Sunday early too so not yet busy (hopefully).

This is our itinerary as it was about 3 weeks ago was lookign like this, however accommodation has still to be firmed up in some of the places.The chaps who invited me are organising all this so I am just taking my sleeping bag and hoping for the best! Nice not having to do all the hard work.

Date	Depart	Arrive	Distance	Accommodation	Comments
25th July Monday	Shell Ultra Midrand	Francistown	700km	TBC	Aim for Francistown as the best option for good accommodation. Quite a serious long haul today.
26th July Tuesday	Lodge Francis	Chobe	+- 490km	TBC	We need to book in at Chobe or somewhere close by in the general area.
27th July Wednesday	Lodge	Vic Falls	70km	TBC	We go in on the Zim side. Short ride giving time to enjoy the falls and take a bungy leap of faith. We need to book still.
28th July Thursday	Vic Falls	Bulawayo	438km	Hotel Rio	Leisurely ride through Zim to Bulawayo to spend the night on the town with some locals we know.
29th July Friday	Bulawayo	Todds Motel Giraffe Rally	+/-400km	Todds Motel	We still need to plan this part of the tour based on input from the locals. Want to try and get to the Zim ruins on route. Should not be more than 400km for the day.
30th July Saturday	stay	stay	Play by beer	Todds Motel	Whole day at rally there are some rides around and things to do. We decide on the day.
31st July Sunday	Todds Motel	Shell Ultra Services Midrand	+/-625km	Jhb	We need to leave the rally by 6am so that we clear the border quickly. We should arrive at the Ultra around 15h30.

We have a group of 5 or 6 people going so should be an excellent trip. I only know one of them Richard, but the rest are keen bikers so I can't wait!

I'll try and blog and tween on the trip, but knowing deepest Africa, don't hold your breath until the days afterwards. More route planning for future bike tours so all good fun and adventure from my perspective.

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries 
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events