Right next to Lake Kariba you can still find quite a few lodges from the old Rhodesian times. Quite a few of these lodges were deserted, but some have been rebuilt or reopened again. One of them is Gachi Gachi Lodge with its associated and nearby own airstrip.
The Gachi Gachi airfield.
The manager of Gachi Gachi in his jeep on his way to the airstrip about 5 minutes drive away from the lodge and waterfront in the woods.
The runway is unpaved but flat and long. If needed the runway can be lighted with lanterns and customs officials can be arranged so you don’t have to clear customs first through one of the major airports in Zimbabwe.
Lake Kariba
The lake lies remote in Africa. You can rent houseboats in Kariba or through the lodge or you can stay in the lodge itself and explore the lake and its surroundings ideally by boat.
At night we had the most beautiful sunset over the lake and we could hear and see the crocodiles in the water and hippos a little further away.
This picture is not taken in the evening during sunset, but early in the morning while we spend the night on a houseboat. We docked the houseboat on one of the islands and were greeted by baboons early in the morning with the sun rising. We had to use slingshots to keep the baboons off the boat but enjoyed African nature at its best here in Zimbabwe.
There is an abundance of wild animals in and around the water from crocodiles, hippos to elephants and many more species.
One more image along Lake Kariba one early morning. Pretty cool to sleep on the houseboat and then to wake up in the morning and have this huge crocodile move alongside the boat. Seemingly I woke him up while going to get a coffee on the deck above. This really is a magical place. It reminds of colonial times and it doesn’t have the tourists as most think (read: think!) that Zimbabwe is not a safe place to go to. Too bad for them and a great opportunity for some adventure.
If you do plan or wish to go and land at Gachi Gachi airfield, please make sure you get permission to land from the manager of Gachi Gachi before you go. Also, make sure that you first clear customs through an Airport of Entry (AoE) of to arrange for customs to come to the airstrip. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us using the form below.
If you are interested in joining a guided self-fly adventure tour: https://www.africanflyingadventures.com
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