4x4 TIPS ADVENTURE
Undoubtedly the best way to experience Zambia is with your own vehicle.
A self-drive adventure gives you the freedom to plan for your own interests and move at your own pace plus the thrill of spotting unexpected views, landmarks and wildlife at your leisure.
Kindly check your VISA regulations, this can be arranged upon arrival, or for most countries visa are no longer needed.
But always best to check yourself if you need one beforehand.
Our number one tip once you start your adventure;
Please…respect wildlife and other humans!
The country of Zambia covers various terrains and has large stretches or rural areas and natural habitats. For this reason road conditions vary dramatically.
As you move away from city centres, driving can be tricky as some roads are in disrepair or poor conditions. Paved roads also make way for dirt roads which require a certain amount of concentration and responsible driving – but slower speeds and alert drivers make for a much smoother journey.
4WD vehicles are generally recommended for dirt roads – but absolutely advised for dirt roads in the rainy season. Potholes often take up the entire road and during the rainy season, large sections of the roads simply wash away. Some more rural roads will even become completely impassable.
As with any roads through rural areas you must always be observant of pedestrians and animals wandering onto roads, as well as prepare for a lack of road lighting.
While traversing a new country – and especially if you are planning to explore its more rural areas – a GPS or downloaded map is a must! It is a great resource for navigating in national parks and on the more minor roads, and will also lists petrol stations, banks and accommodation options.
The best suggestion to navigate the alternating terrain would be to check out a mapping app such as Tracks4Africa or download Maps.me. The last one is free and a downloaded map of Zambia can be accessed without internet connections.
However, as a precaution – you should always take a map as well. A hard copy, or at the very least a downloadable digital map. This helps you to plan along the way, and to see ahead if you come across an impassable road. Especially when heading out of the main cities, or with a foreign network provider – internet and cell reception is limited.
Vehicles drive on the left side of the road in Zambia – and most other traffic laws are the same as you’d find in any country.
Speed bumps are used to slow traffic in populated areas – but be careful as these are usually not marked. On some of the major roads, speed bumps can pop up out of nowhere, even if you feel the area is not populated at all. Hence, we suggest to not drive fast or at night (or not at all). Please travel cautiously on un-gazetted roads or dirt roads and take excessive care where bad-tarred road conditions exist
Road blocks and police check points are common in Zambia, and officers are generally very friendly – so be sure to respond in a similar fashion and as a courtesy take off your sunglasses. Officers will generally either ask for cross-border papers (like 3rd party insurance) or your driver’s license. They will also check your vehicle from time to time to make sure everything is in working order, such as headlights, and an up-to-date licence disk. So know where the car papers are stored and check this upon handover of the vehicle.
Wear your seatbelt and don’t speed. True for any driver in any part of the world – but the areas around border crossings and going out of towns are particular hot-spots for traffic police. Passengers on the back seat should be buckled up too.
If caught for speeding, you will have to pay a spot fine, but be sure to compare the amount with that stated in the official police fine book, and be sure to ask for a receipt. You will most likely stand out as a tourist – which makes you automatically vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Be kind, polite patient and smile, it helps everywhere in the world!
In Zambia there are no Roadside Assistance Packages and very few ambulances, tow-trucks, or emergency vehicles of any kind. Given the circumstances, bush mechanics are extremely resourceful.
However, do know if the car breaks down it is your obligation to ensure as much as possible that the car remains safe. Contact the rental company immediately (numbers provided upon handover of vehicle) in the event of an accident and make no admission of guilt until the company has received advice from the insurer.
Check your vehicle often, a quick daily maintenance of the vehicle (i.e. oil checks, coolant level, tyre pressure, etc.) is part of your adventure!
Ensure you plan your trip properly before leaving for the day and pre-plan your accommodation where needed.
Personal Touch Safaris is happy to assist in pre-booking where needed or wished for.
Campsites and lodges are generally located around major tourist attractions and will be hard to find in towns, but we have some great tips we can give you!
Ensure you have enough time to travel between your destinations. You need to generally assume that driving anywhere will always take longer than you think it will due to bad road conditions. Distance in kilometres or miles really are not a good indicator, ask rather for the distance in driving hours.
We wish you a wonderful time in Zambia and look forward hearing from you.
Ben & Nathalie
We wish to emphasize our vehicles are NOT the Dakar rally type or any other heavy duty off-road vehicle you might have seen. Our vehicles are “normal” 4x4 vehicles which optionally can be booked with basic camping gear as specified. So please do not expect automatic tire pressure gadgets, no compressors, no mud/sand ladders, no kinetic towing ropes, no winches, no heightened chassis, super deluxe off-road tires, no WiFi or any other aftermarket gear. And with the various apps and downloadable maps even satnav is no longer needed as all found on our phones. The 4x4’s we offer make for very durable and reliable vehicles. Our vehicles ARE perfect for your road trip, exploring all the beauty Zambia has to offer. The roof tent and described basic camp kit is adequate to get you around and enjoying a night under the stars whilst cooking on an open fire