Any sort of travel be it across town, from town to town, from country to country requires planning on how you are going to get from A to B. Whether travelling by road, air or over water for that matter, knowing details such as where, when, how, for how long, where to stay and so on and so forth work towards making the journey easier. All destinations are unique and in a way come with their own set of rules for visitors to follow and travel essentials to pack to make a visit more pleasurable.
Zimbabwe is facing a raft of challenges which include but aren’t limited to problems with the supply of power, water, money and commodities. All of these put together sees the country operating on a day to day basis in its own unique way.
Zimbabwe is open and welcoming to visitors and has plenty to offer its tourists. But, Zimbabwe’s daily challenges need to be kept in mind when planning a trip to the country. A slightly different set of travel essentials than when travelling to England, for example, would come in handy to make the trip easier. For example, you spend the day out and about using your phone to communicate, take photos, entertain yourself and the battery runs out. You then think to yourself that you’ll just wait until you get back to your accommodation but when you get there, there is no power. And then, you start thinking about the power bank that you have at home that you wish you had packed!
Being prepared and having the right bits and pieces with you can make a trip easier. A checklist is a good way to start preparing for a trip. On it, you can list down everything that you think you will need to do or get for a trip. It will also help you stay organised, in that you can tick items off as you complete them. This also gives you peace of mind as you get closer to departure date and tick more items off the list that all bases are covered.
Zimbabwe travel essentials packing list
Below is a list to serve as a guide and it includes some essential items that may make a visit to Zimbabwe a little better. It is split into sections with a few items listed within each.
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Documents
- Passport(s) – valid for at least six months from date of entry
- Visa(s) – to see whether or not you need a visa to visit Zimbabwe, visit eVisa Zimbabwe (if that site doesn’t work, visit IATA Zimbabwe travel documentation advice)
- Travel insurance
- Cash – low denomination US dollar notes are a good idea
- Credit/debit/travel cards
Clothing and footwear
- Clothing – season-appropriate and activity appropriate clothing. Ask yourself what you will need if for example you will be out and about on safari and exploring or you will be mainly confined to a city?
Sun hat – there is plenty of sunshine to be enjoyed in Zimbabwe but too much exposure can cause a range of issues up to and including cancer. If you plan on being out and about a lot, a sun hat is a very good idea. Consider the Columbia Unisex Bora Bora II Booney Hat or – If a brimmed hat is not your style, could consider an ELLEWIN Unisex Baseball Cap UPF 50- Hiking shoes – if you will be out and about exploring what the country has to offer
- Microfibre towels – ‘conventional’ towels can be bulky and heavy whereas microfibre towels are lightweight, very absorbent and quick drying. They off all that you would expect from a towel without the bulk or weight and are perfect for travelling where you want to keep weight down
Personal items
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturiser, etc.)
- Vaccinations
- Prescription medication
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- First aid kit – it is always a good idea to have a decently stocked up first aid kit whenever you travel. You could sustain an injury at any time, and something that you can treat yourself or at least self manage until you get to a medical centre. A 100 Piece Small First Aid Kit for camping, hiking, backpacking and travel should do the trick.
Water purification tablets – tao water in Zimbabwe and many other parts of the world for that matter is questionable. If there are concerns and you don’t want to run the risk of contracting a waterborne disease make sure to pack water purification tablets. Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets With PA Plus kills bacteria and Giardia lamblia making water suitable to drink in 35 minutes.
Electronics/Gadgets
Travel adapter – Zimbabwe uses type G (as in the United Kingdom) and Type D (as in South Africa) sockets. A universal adapter such as the JOOMFEEN Universal International Travel Worldwide All-in-One Wall Charger AC Power Adapter with 4 USB Charging Ports Plug is perfect for all for your travel needs as it can be used in 150 Countries.- Power bank – with current electricity woes, a power bank is a must to keep your devices charged up. The Anker PowerCore 20100mAh Portable Charger Ultra High Capacity Power Bank is a good option as it gives you up to 7 phone charges.
- Torch – you may frequently find yourself in darkness and in need of a torch. Consider getting an Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC40 Flashlight. It is compact, bright and best of all, USB rechargeable so, when it runs out of power, just connect it to a power bank.
- SIM card holder – if you will be swapping and changing SIM cards it is handy to have a SIM card storage case.
- Electronics organiser bag – to store all your charging cables, SIM card holder, power bank and other small electronic accessories, consider getting a cable and electronic accessories organiser bag.
Other
Fuel jiggler shaker siphon hose – This isn’t something that you would find on a conventional checklist. You could easily find yourself in a situation where you need to fuel up a vehicle and have a jerry can full of fuel but, no way to cleanly transfer it to the tank. With a fuel siphon hose on hand, you simply insert the pump end in the fuel vessel and the other in the fuel tank of the vehicle and shake the hose to get the fuel flowing.
This is in no way an exhaustive list of items needed when travelling to Zimbabwe. It lists out some items that you may not consider but may be necessary. It is sectioned out into categories of items to pack and the downloadable list has spaces in it for you to list out your must-haves. We hope you find this helpful and that it makes planning your trip to and stay in Zimbabwe easier.
Is there anything else not on the list that you think should be added it? If so, let us know by leaving a comment below.
DOWNLOADABLE TRAVEL ESSENTIALS CHECKLIST COMING SOON
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