South Africa--One Week, 200 cc, Where?
 

Hey Folks. I'm new around here.

The deal: I may have a free week all of the sudden over the holidays next month. I have my bike (a Honda CTX200 dual sport farm bike) and live in the Central Drakensberg. Given this (and that I don't want to spend much money, so backpackers or camping are it), where should I go? Down to the Cape? Or Karoo? Try to get all the way up to Bots or Moz or Namib? Into Zim and check that?

I don't mind some pretty long days, and like nature. I'm from the US and just starting to explore more.

Oh, and do I need any special documents (e.g. a carnet) to ride into any of the countries bordering SA?

I'm out for the next week, so chime in and keep the thread live and I'll see you then.

Adam

No disrespect to the global people here but ask the local people here:
http://www.wilddogtours.co.za/

Even better, meet up with the local guys in your area. Lokal is lekker!!!

How about doing Lesotho.

No you don't need a carnet to enter Nam, Bots, or Mozambique. and just get a 3 months tourist visa at the border.

I second Lesotho as a good trip for a week or so. Some really nice winding mountain dirt roads. Sani Pass is quite fun, although its several years since I have riden it....hopefully they haven't made any attempts to tarmac it yet.

Lesotho not enough
 

Hey, I like the suggestion about Lesotho, but I've done it. In fact, went from home, up Sani, across to Maseru, crashing twice, and then home on highways! Crazy, long day. What about Moz, Zim, Bots, Namib? I'm eager to do 500 or so hardish kms/day.

Oh, and I'm asking over on Wild Dogs, too, which I heard about from you on another thread, Bossies!

What about carnet for Zim? (Yes, I think I want to go there.)

Well from where you are based I wouldn't do Nam or Bots. With both countires the highlights are in the north so for example it will take you 3 days of 500km/day just to reach Windhoek, so there goes your week. And to get there you will have to ride through the rather dull north Cape and southern Namibia. If you were happy to do some serious miles I would do Natal North Coast, valley of 1000 hills etc and into Moz, then back via Eastern Transvaal (or whatever it's called nowadays)