Zambia

The response to cyclists is good. The Zambians also cycle themselves, so you soon have a common ground. The Zambians speak reasonable to good English in the cities. English is also spoken in rural areas. Old villagers speak only the local languages. In that case, sign language helps, which works surprisingly well. Zambians are friendly and open to strangers and not pushy. Zambians are people with a lot of expressive facial expressions so you quickly understand what they mean. In 2012, almost everyone has a mobile phone, at least in the cities. It is very convenient to exchange your phone number with a taxi driver. They will even pick you up at 4.30 am to take you to the bus station, for example.

Most nationalities need a visa for Zambia.

Source: Wikipedia.

Marco and Lisette: “Some parts seem to be dangerous, but we didn't notice anything. Always ask the local population about the current situation because it can change quickly.”

At the market you can buy your own ingredients that a local chef will prepare for you without any problems.

The food in Zambia is not particularly interesting. Often there is a vegetable porridge with flour balls (or grain that is finely mashed). Sometimes you can get greasy fries and fried chicken.

Drinkable water

You only see bottled water in the big cities. Beware of drinking the water near livestock. The droppings often contain diseases that you really don't want to contract. Marco and Lisette always filtered the water with a Katadyn Mini Filter.

Water mainly comes from wells. The quality of the water is often much better than in other parts of the world. Not terribly many people live there, so the soil is not very polluted, so that the rainwater is reasonably filtered.

Beware of drinking the water near livestock. The droppings often contain diseases that you really don't want to contract. Marco and Lisette always filtered the water with a Katadyn Mini Filter.

Mandatory vaccinations

• A DTP vaccination is recommended
• Protection against Hepatitis A is recommended.
• Sometimes a Cholera statement is needed.
• Malaria occurs all year round.

Best time to cycle

The dry season is approximately from May to October. It is warm (maximum 35 degrees) but dry (except October-November) and so the heat is well tolerated. This time is probably the best because November is when the rainy season starts and the muddy cycling in Africa, although adventurous, is particularly tough.

Spare parts

You can't get parts for your ultramodern Western bike in Zambia. So-called 28" tires are only available in the 635mm rim size, identical to the Dutch grandpa bike. A wide variety of goods are transported with this type of bicycle, not to mention small livestock. There are no tires for 622mm rims. The quality of parts sold is poor. Most commonly used tires are intended for 559 and 571 mm rims. The last size is not known in Europe. Both used to be called 26 inch. Rims are made of steel. The tires also have the ETRTO size.

In case of breakdown you can always get a lift. But beware: in some areas it can take hours before you meet someone in a car.