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Beitbridge

By on 1. July 2012 in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s Most Notorious Border Crossing

Lappet-Faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture (Torgos Tracheliotos), Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa

Lappet-Faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture (Torgos Tracheliotos), Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa

Being the only border crossing with South Africa it can hardly be avoided, though rumors have it that some tourists even drive a long detour through Botswana and enter Zimbabwe via Plumbtree, just to do so. No, we did not pay any of the “runners” who get your documents ahead in the long queue at customs, all under the watchful eyes of a so called security person. Besides, by the times we had figured out the scam, we were too angry for deals. Even without paying the touts we had to flash money left and right, all kinds of taxes, visa and insurance… Continue Reading →

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Zimbabwe Collapsing – Zimbabwe Reviving

By on 30. June 2012 in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe-151Once the bread basket of southern Africa and a country with a flourishing tourism industry, the economy of Zimbabwe collapsed between 1998 and 2009. Hyperinflation forced people to shop for bread with 100 Trillion Zimbabwean Dollar bills, the price tags in supermarkets could not be exchanged fast enough. Not to mention the massive shortage of almost all staple goods. Reasons for this disaster were manifold, but the widest international media coverage received Mugabe expelling white farmers and distributing the land to his cronies. Local farmers gained next to nothing from so these called “land reforms”, and actually the country’s black population suffered the most. When agricultural production dropped at an alarming pace and tourism came to a standstill, Mugabe started the printing press. In 10 years, the reserve bank cancelled 25 (!!!) zeros on bank notes. Continue Reading →

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Easy Driving in Zimbabwe

By on 29. June 2012 in Zimbabwe
On the way from Beit Bridge to Bulawayo... Roads in Zimbabwe are excellent!

On the way from Beit Bridge to Bulawayo… Roads in Zimbabwe are excellent!

Driving in Zimbabwe is extremely easy: we averaged around 90 to 100 km/h on excellent roads linking major cities and our GPS found even tracks within National Parks. Traffic in rural areas is minimal and even in cities like Bulawayo or Harare, traffic jams are unknown. Only the roads leading directly towards border crossings with Zambia and South Africa are busy with trucks, very modern ones though, none of the puffing, diesel-spewing wrecks often seen in many African countries. Gasoline is available in all major cities, although you still can see the old signs saying Gasoline: “Yes” or “No”, but those days are gone. Price for a liter is around 1.3 USD. Continue Reading →

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Zimbabwe: Preparing the Trip

By on 29. June 2012 in Zimbabwe
African Fish Eagle (Heliaeetus Vocifer), Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa

African Fish Eagle (Heliaeetus Vocifer), Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa

Already in 2010 we played with the idea of visiting Zimbabwe, but found very little information. The economic collapse and the surreal inflation rate made travelling there infeasible between 1998 and 2009. A few blogs raved about an amazing country and some travel guides pointed at some of the challenges, but did not provide answers. Ironically, prior to the dark years, Zimbabwe used to be major tourist destination, with more than 2 million visitors a year. Continue Reading →

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Flying the “Big Bird” Down Under

By on 28. June 2012 in Zimbabwe
Traveling on Miles... The new Business Class from Air France, Airbus A380

Traveling on Miles… The new Business Class from Air France, Airbus A380

Not that we got there any sooner, flying in the gigantic Airbus A380, but it was a great experience! Something that Gilles had wanted to do for a long time. The check-in in Paris was already quite a sight. Try to picture 516 passengers getting on board at the same time. To be honest is was very orderly, different utopian looking gateways, one for each class, take the passengers inside. Continue Reading →

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Travel Guide To East Rajasthan

By on 11. April 2012 in India
Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Eleven days was all we had to travel through the very east of Rajasthan in April 2012. With so little time at hand, we focused on a limited number of places, to have some opportunities to scratch below the surface. We allowed three days each for Agra, Jaipur and Ranthambhore National Park, and last but not least 1.5 days to explore Delhi. Continue Reading →

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Rajasthan – Budget

By on 10. April 2012 in India, Travel Budget
Witnessing one of the many processions (this time for peace in the world...) in Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India

Witnessing one of the many processions (this time for peace in the world…) in Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India

With only 12 days at hand, temperatures around 40 degrees and India being a rather cheap country, we opted against travelling low budget. Instead we frequented “mid-range” hotels and restaurants. This trip could definitely be done a lot cheaper than spending 44 Euros per person per day. This amount does not include the international flight or the visa fees. Continue Reading →

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Highlights Of Delhi

By on 9. April 2012 in India
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India

Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, India

Even after ten days of visiting Mogul architecture, we wanted more of it. So on our first morning we headed for Humayun’s Tomb. Once inside we understood why the Farsi word for this place is heaven. Built in the mid 16th century by his widow, this Mausoleum brought Persian architecture to Delhi. Majestically it rests on a platform, overlooking the huge walled-in garden. In the midst of Delhi’s traffic jam, an oasis of green and tranquility. It was so tempting to stay, away from the heat and hassle of Delhi’s street… We were already dead tired after wondering around this huge complex. Continue Reading →

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Delhi Transport

By on 8. April 2012 in India
Nizzamuddin Train Station, Delhi, India

Nizzamuddin Train Station, Delhi, India

We are not fond of big cities, so we planned very little time for Delhi. Something we regretted as soon as we realized how much there is to see and how easy it is to get around. Even the pollution did not bother us as much as on the day of our arrival. Continue Reading →

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