The Safari Rally is an exciting four-night journey across Zimbabwe from 5 to 9 May. Teams dust off their old cars and go on a fantastic safari through the bush.
The rally, created and organised by Taylors Africa Safaris, combines a Top Gear-style, Mongol-style and East African Safari Rally to create this adventurous event, creating an opportunity for teams to bond over a challenge. Participants bring their beloved cars back to life and traverse through the splendid African bush.
The older the car, the better. Four-wheel-drive cars have to be older than the year 1990 and any two-wheel-drive car is permitted as long as it is at least 12 years old. The rally is not a race, but it isn’t a walk in the park either. All participants need to do is get their car over the finish line at the end of the route.
Teams will fire up their engines in Bulawayo, and make their way to Hwange Main Camp for night one. The next few days will be spent navigating through the thick bush, down dusty and rugged roads to ultimately reach Victoria Falls, which is the final destination of the rally.
The best part? Contenders are allowed to theme and customise their vehicles however they want, which creates a whole lot of banter and fun between the teams and spectators.
Having a good navigator onboard is a bonus as the difficulty of the rally is decided by each team. There are three different routes to each checkpoint with varying levels of difficulty to choose between.
Taylors Africa Safaris donates a percentage of the funds raised each year from the rally to assist conservation efforts within the area. In 2021, after the first Safari Rally, $20 000 (R299 116) was donated to Friends of Hwange Trust.
This year, the organisers will again donate to Friends of Hwange. This organisation helps to maintain and conserve the iconic Hwange National Park.
The organisers have brought the Zimbabwe Professional Guides Association on board to ensure the safety of participants within the wildlife areas and share their wealth of knowledge on the wildlife and ecosystems within Hwange National Park. They will also ensure that the National Park is looked after during the rally.
To enter, vehicles have to be legal and roadworthy. Each car must also have a spare tyre, a first aid kit, a tow rope and ten litres of fresh water. Mechanics will be on standby at any point along the way to make sure that the vehicles are kept running well.
A ticket costs $250 (R3 739) per person, which includes a cocktail party at The Bulawayo Club, maps and information packs, mechanic support for teams throughout the event, medical support in the form of the ACE air and ambulance crew, a sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River in Victoria Falls, a final dinner, as well as a donation towards Friends of Hwange.
There is an accommodation package for all four nights at the different checkpoints for $600 (R8 976) per person. This includes dinner, bed, breakfast and packed lunches.
There is also the option to camp at each point which must be booked directly by the guest.
For more information, check out The Safari Rally on Facebook or email [email protected].
Taylors Africa Safaris also offers other experiences, such as boarding their safari train which departs from the famous Victoria Falls Railway Station and takes passengers to the iconic Hwange National Park. They also do mobile camping expedition-style safari’s through these national parks.
Check out their safari packages here.
Pictures: Supplied
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