Over a beer with Franz, we found out that there is a ferry from Mbilizi to Kariba. The Sea Lion takes 15 PWs, 3 higher 4x4s and 35 passengers on board. We have not been able to find out when she will next set sail from Mbilizi. Nevertheless, we wanted to give it a try because taking the ferry is fun!

After a very smooth border crossing from Botswana to Zimbabwe, we drove through an attractive area towards Hwange National Park. On the journey we met a large herd of elephants, kudus and antelopes who were enjoying the cool morning like we were. An hour later we came across the main road that leads to Hwange. Now we didn’t have to watch out for elephants but rather for the potholes, which are up to thirty (!) centimeters deep. If you hit one at 80 km/h, the front axle is destroyed!

Shortly after Hwange we turned east onto a «tarred road» that consisted more of potholes than asphalt. We wound our way around the holes and three hours later reached Mbilizi and the Safari Lodge, which is long past its best. But it has shady campsites on the banks of the Kariba reservoir and a big refreshing pool! What more do you want?

We learned from Marvie, the owner, that the ferry to Kariba left the day before our arrival. It’s a shame, because we would have loved to do the two-day trip, which costs around US$ 500.–. So, we had no choice but to tackle the 350 kilometers to Makuti the next day. This is the starting point for a visit to the Mana Pool National Park, which is one of the highlights in Africa. We were really looking forward to this second visit; the first one was 13 years ago.

PS: If you want to know more about the Sea Lion, read here.