Itinerary for Bike Zambia 2013

“BIKE ZAMBIA” CYCLE CHALLENGE

Landlocked in Southern Africa Zambia is fed & shaped by its rivers, lakes & of course, its waterfalls, the most famous of which is the Victoria Falls which at 2kms wide and 103 meters deep are the largest falls in the world. Massive lakes, rich wetlands and breathtaking African sunsets all contribute to the country’s scenic splendor. In addition to its natural wonders Zambia offers a taste of its diverse tribal & cultural heritage through its craftwork, music, dance & traditional ceremonies.

This challenge takes place in south-eastern Zambia finishing at the Victoria Falls.

CHALLENGE HIGHLIGHTS:

Cycling in breathtaking scenery.
Passing through rural Zambian villages
Meeting the ‘friendliest people in Africa’
Finishing at the mighty Victoria Falls

ITINERARY

Day 1. 27 June
On arrival in Lusaka we will be transferred by road to a lodge on the outskirts of Lusaka city, approx 1 hour from the airport. Here we will have our bike fitting and a briefing on the challenge to come. Cyclists will have a chance to cycle and get used to their bikes in the lodge surroundings which is set in a bush camp setting.

Day 2. 28 June
Beneficiary event in Lusaka with World Bicycle Relief and overnight

Day 3. 29 June
Ride Day 1: Lusaka – Siavonga, ~119km (74mi)
We start the challenge as we set off on road transfer to Kafue, where we then get on our bikes for the descending, winding road to Siavonga, a small town on the shores of Lake Kariba. The exact cycling distance today will be determined by our cycle leader but the maximum distance there is to our destination is 119km, we do not have to cycle the whole way and most probably will cut the ride to 80 to 100kms.

Day 4. 30 June
Ride Day 2: Siavonga – Mazabuka, ~73km (45mi)
We start the morning off with a road transfer back up the escarpment to Kafue, we then set off towards Mazabuka, Zambia’s sweetest town & home to the country’s sugar plantations. The terrain is a mix of tar roads & good dirt roads and we cycle past local villages, baobab trees and plenty of sugar plantations. Today will give us a great introduction to the challenge and to this beautiful country.

Day 5. 1 July
Ride Day 3: Mazabuka – Monze, ~94km (58mi)
Today we continue south towards Monze. This is a challenging but fantastic day. Our first 20km is on tarred road but we then take a more adventurous route off road. From here the roads vary from good dirt roads to slightly sandy making it challenging cycling. However, this does take us through real rural Africa! There are many winding tracks through countless villages where we meet the friendly Zambian people.

Day 6. 2 July
Ride Day 4: Monza – Choma, ~104km (65mi)
We cycle out of town and today is on tar towards Choma, we pass through many villages and market sellers along the main road, it is amazing to see the busy life that relys on the traffic passing by. Crossing several railway lines we finally reach our lodging where we will be spending the next two nights.

Day 7. 3 July
Ride Day 5: Choma – Lake Kariba – Choma, ~110km (68mi)
A circular day today as we cycle down to Lake Kariba on a fantastic downhill tarmac road, near the lake the tarmar turns to dirt and the scenerary is amazing. We finish the day with cold drinks on board a boat house on Lake Kariba before having a road transfer back to Choma for our Overnight

Day 8. 4 July
Ride Day 6: Choma – Kalomo, ~78km (48.5mi)
Another challenging day as we tackle 70kms of off-road. The dirt roads are generally in good condition with just a few small sandy sections. Again, we pass countless small villages, seeing rural Africa at its best, as yet untouched by tourism.

Day 9. 5 July
Ride Day 7: Kalomo – Livingstone, ~76km (47mi)
The final stretch today as we tackle the last 76kms to Livingstone, our ultimate destination. We start the day with an early road transfer to a small “town” called Zimba, here we get on our bikes which will have been sent early on in the monring and will be waiting for us. This last ride is on brand new tarred road with lovely hard shoulder to ride on. As we head into Livingstone the tar becomes unstable so attention is needed. We cycle straight through the town and end our challenge at the Victoria Falls. What a spectacular end to the week!
Here we will have lunch and the opportunity to end the challenge with a bungy jump, bridge swing or flying fox! (not included). After the lunch we have a short 5km cycle back to our hotel, where we enjoy fantastic sunsets as we celebrate our achievements.
Tonight there will be a special African-style meal in Livingstone to celebrate our success and achievement and to reflect together as a team.

Day 10. 06 July
Beneficiary event / Relaxation day in Livingstone and overnight

Day 11. 07 July
Beneficiary event / Relaxation day in Livingstone
Road Transfer for those flying out back to Lusaka (numbers to be confirmed)
Accommodation in Lusaka (numbers to be confirmed) at Eureka Lodge

Day 12. 08 July
International departure back home. Flight details to be confirmed.

Please note this is a complex itinerary which is subject to change.

Please note what is INCLUDED:

THREE vehicles: A front car and rear car with trailer and a roaming car
BUS for moving the cyclists on road transfers
ACCOMMODATION in Lodges in Single / twin and if necessary for the largest groups triples (but we rarely have to put a triple)
One night at Siavonga @ Lake Kariba Inn, Mazabuka, Monze, Kalomo, Livingstone @ The Waterfront, two nights Choma @ Kozo Lodge, three nights at Lusaka @ Eureka, one night in Livingstone @TBD
MEALS: Full English Breakfast / Healthy fresh lunch on the road / snacks on the road / two to three course dinners with soup, main and desert
Celebratory Dinner on the night of arrival in Livingstone
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner are included on our travel day back to Lusaka
Breakfast is included on our day of International Departure
Bottled water seven (7) litres per person per day
Fruit fresh seasonal daily
Tour Doctor AND Ride Tour Leader place x 2- FREE for the ride. Not including international flights, extra activities and bar bills.
CHAMPAGNE AT THE FINISH
FANTASTIC ZAMBIAN BIKE MECHANIC
ROAD CREW / MEALS / ACCOMMODATION
BIKE HIRE AND SPARES

NOT INCLUDED:

LAUNDRY
PERSONAL SHOPPING
TIPPING
ACTIVITIES IN LIVINGSTONE
PHONE CALLS AND INTERNET
WINE – at the celebratory dinner or at the finish line
BAR TAB – along the ride we will have fizzy drinks, energy drinks and cold beers for which you can open a tab
COUNTRY VISA – If anyone wishes to go to Zimbabwe or Botswana while we are in Livingstone and then have to return for their flight from Zambia, they MUST get a multiple entry visa ! At the moment with a British passport, the visa fee is $50 per person
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX – This fluctuates but is about $30 per person payable upon departure

Bike Zambia Participant Update

Hi BZ 2013 riders and roadies,

I have a couple of good things to share with you.

First off, I know I’ve gotten several emails from people wondering about how to know who has donated to your personal fundraising pages along with some question about error messages when paying by check – and I explained to a few of you the issues we had with the outgoing email. So good news #1, outgoing email has finally been configured properly!! BIG, BIG thank you to fellow rider, Michael Fransen, for all his help troubleshooting! So now receipts will automatically go out to your contributors immediately following a donation, which will also be BCCed to you, that way you can keep track of who (and get email addresses) for your contributors. Though donors will be getting a thank you email from Chooda-Bike Zambia, I recommend that you still reach out to your supporters as these confirmation messages should not take the place of a personal message from you! Also, in regards to how checks will be working… I’ve included the ‘how to pay offline’ at the bottom of each contribution page, rather than including a ‘pay by check’ payment processing. The upside being that less tech savvy supporters will have it super easy! The downside is that these contribution amounts will not be part of your fundraising total until we receive the check and I enter it into the system. Hope that works alright for everyone, and let me know if you have questions about this!

In order to make sure that no one’s page got left behind in the configuration process, please forward me the receipt from admin-at-chooda.org when it comes to your inbox following the next contribution to your page.

Second announcement, past BZ riders are planning a meet-up reunion next Thursday and wanted to make sure that all future riders are invited, as they would love to share their stories!! Here’s the info, I’m definitely planning on going and hope to see some of you there!

Thursday, 4/11 at 6pm

Churchill - http://www.churchillsf.com/

Lastly, I know there are a few of you who have not set up your fundraising pages yet. I promise, fundraising will be much easier once you have this page up and running!! Feel free to look through other donation pages at http://www.chooda.org/fundraising.html/ to get some inspiration, and email me ASAP!!!

Thanks,

Jacqui

And about group airfare:

Hi BZ’ers!

For those wishing to lock in their flights, the following seems to be the best guidance:

JD has requested we all get in to Lusaka on or before the 27th of June.
The best rates are using Lufthansa (As low as $1805 roundtrip lately, depending on dates)
To use Lufthansa and arrive in Zambia on the 27th you need to book the flight leaving San Francisco on the 25th of June
This flight will most likely be the “Group Flight” with the most fellow BZ’ers on board.
Leaving SF: Flight 9127 Lufthansa leaves 7:15 pm Arrives 12:05 pm in Lusaka, two days later (27th), 31hours 50 minutes total trip time
7 hour layover in Frankfurt will allow leg-stretching and some beers
For those wishing to join the group flight from another city, Flight 9694 Lufthansa (operated by Ethiopian Air) leaving Frankfurt at 10:05 pm on the 26th of June is the flight to book.
Be sure to book thru to Lusaka (LUN) on Lufthansa; there is a three hour layover in Addis Ababba

The other options still exist on British and KLM in the $2200-2500 price range. Just make sure to check the time and day you arrive in Lusaka.

Returning, if you book Lufthansa, the flight generally leaves Lusaka at either 1:20p.m. or 3:30 p.m. depending on routing back to Frankfurt. Check out the details and pick what sounds best.

The earliest day to book, according to JD, is the 8th of July. Anyone staying longer can adjust their booking accordingly.

The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to SF arrives around noon.

About using Kayak to book your flight:

Pick your exact dates to get the true lowest-priced flight listed (if you use their “flexible dates option” the adjacent dates are deceptively priced)
If you’re considering different return dates, re-enter those exact dates to get the lowest price offered. Then once you’ve checked prices that way, go back to the date you want.
Once you’ve selected, Kayak has you pick which booking service to use: Generally it is best to use the Airline’s website, and book direct with them. If you have to change anything later it will make it easier.
If anyone has questions or wants some help booking, contact Chris or Harry.

Good luck and good riding!

Vaccination information for Bike Zambia 2013

Hi Everyone–

This is your friendly Bike Zambia doc sending you some info about vaccines.

Please remember many of these vaccines you may already have and a bunch are recommended not mandatory. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.

You should be getting a health form to fill out in your registration packet soon.

I also want to make sure everyone is keeping their cardio up and RIDING!

I’ve always been a bit sheepish about fundraising – but I’ve gotten my Donation Page up. I’m hoping to see ALL of our riders fundraising pages up by the end of the week – so we can be inspired by our group efforts. This really made a difference last year.

We have great causes to raise money for and fun trip ahead – get your image and story up there – so you can shine!

Heidi Queen MDMPH

Bike Zambia Doc

VACCINE INFORMATION FOR ZAMBIA

Where to get vaccines:

(In San Francisco) AITC Immunization and Travel Clinic,415-554-2625, travelshots.dph@sfdph.org. They do not bill insurance but will provide you with a bill to submit to your policy for reimbursement.
Check with your individual insurance company. They may have a travel clinic (e.g., Kaiser has a travel clinic).

Travel Insurance: Bike Zambia provides travel insurance for all its participants.

What vaccines to get:

The following vaccines are recommended by the CDC for your personal safety while traveling in Zambia. These vaccines will prevent you from getting sick on the trip , being miserable and missing the bike ride. MANY of these disease are fatal or have long term morbidity. Zambia does not require any of the vaccines

However, everyone must get either the Yellow Fever vaccine or sign the waiver. This is because SOUTH AFRICA does require this. If you need to be emergently evacuated from the trip for medical reasons, you will most likely go to South Africa.

RECOMMENDED VACCINES: (please check your medical records . You should already have many of these and may only need a booster.)

Measles/ Mumps/ Rubella ( MMR)
Diphtheria/Pertussis/Tetanus (DPT)
Polio
Varicella
Influenza 2013 ( flu shot)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B-need at least 2 months ahead ( shots 0, 1 month and 6 month)
Typhoid- live oral need to get at least 3 weeks ahead (pill on day 0, 2,4,6)
Yellow Fever
Rabies – need to get at least 2 months ahead (shots on day 0,7 and around day 21-28)

Depending on your present and past medical history, you may need:

Meningococcal
Pneumococcal

Everyone will need Malaria Prophylaxis: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html

Bike Zambia Participant Update – March 17th

Originally posted 17 March 2013:

Dear Bike Zambians–

Fundraising

Bike Zambia has already raised over $16,463 this season! We sent you fundraising tips on Feb 22nd and some of you have really stepped up your game! Thank you very much on behalf of our beneficiaries. I promise you that it will be effort well spent when you meet these incredible organizations and see the important work they’re doing in Zambia. As a reminder, here are the milestones you should be aiming for. Don’t worry if you’re a little bit behind, but please get your Donation Page up and send out emails now!

Here are some goals to aspire to:

March 1st – raise your first $500
March 8th – raise $1000+
March 15th – raise $1500+
March 22nd – raise $2000+
March 29th – raise $2500+
April 7th – raise $3000+
April 15th – raise the $3500 minimum
May 1st – surpass your personal goal!

Vaccinations

Dr. Heidi sent an email earlier today with information about your vaccinations. Please read through the information carefully!

Group Flight–Chris and Harry

Fellow riders Chris Clyde and Harry Pottash have kindly offered to help organize the group flight. If you are interested in flying with the group from SFO to Zambia, please contact Chris and Harry, cc’d on this email.

Volunteer(s) Needed–Donation Thank You Letters!

We are getting donations fairly regularly now and we could use some help sending out official Chooda acknowledgment letters. While we hope each rider is also thanking their individual donors, it’s important for Bike Zambia to say thanks too. This would be a perfect task for someone that’s good with MS Word and Excel, and perhaps Mail Merge. Please contact jd@chooda.org if you can spare some time for this important activity.

Volunteers Needed–Fundraising Events

Last year, some of the riders got together and organized two big group fundraisers, one at Public Works with DJs and dancing, and the other a more upscale night at Yoshi’s on Fillmore. We’d like to do at least one big fundraiser this year, but we need folks to step up and volunteer. Please let me know if you can help out.

Follow us!

Chooda page on Facebook

Bike Zambia group on Facebook

Twitter

This is the time of the year to push Bike Zambia way up on your list of priorities. It’s a big commitment and if you put in a lot it’s guaranteed to be a life-changing experience.

Be well,

JD and the BZ Planning Team

–

JD Bergeron | Джон Бержерон
Co-Founder, Chooda and Bike Zambia

Join us for a Bike Zambia meet & greet!

Hello past, future, and prospective Bike Zambia riders and supporters!

We are happy to dive into the planning and fundraising for our second annual Bike Zambia ride to raise awareness and funds for poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa, and will be holding a Meet & Greet info session on Wednesday, March 6th @ 6:30pm at the Bryant St. Sports Basement in SF. Just head to the downstairs event room and join us for drinks, snacks, and lots of talk about Zambia and the plans for this upcoming year’s ride! This is a great chance for anyone interested in joining or supporting the ride, as well as a time for already registered participants to come and meet your fellow Bike Zambia 2013 riders.

Please spread the word to anyone and everyone who may be interested, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Bike Zambia Update – Bike Zambia Registration & Fundraising Pages

Originally posted 03 March 2013:

Hi friends,

Hope everyone had a great weekend (and maybe got a nice training ride in with the warm weather on Saturday?!). Now that March is here and the ride is getting closer, we’re hoping to get moving on our fundraising efforts – as individual riders and as a group. We strongly encourage you to complete your registration asap so I can set up your fundraising page and you can start spreading the word to your friends and family!

As you may have heard Bike Zambia has already passed the 10K mark, thanks to 8 superstar fundraisers who have their personal fundraising pages started already!! If you want to look to theirs as an example and/or support and check them out please click on the following…

You can register online at http://www.chooda.org/blog/donate/. Just select the other amount option and submit a payment for $125. You should aim to complete this registration fee AND send me your fundraising page info by Wednesday, March 6 (either online or at our Sport’s Basement event!), as the registration fee will not be this low for much longer!

Once this is complete (or for those who have completed registration already but have not submitted fundraising page info), please email me with the following information…

a title for your page (for easier tracking and management purposes, please include your name)
a blurb about why you have joined Bike Zambia
a photo for your personal page (somewhere around 500 x 500 seems to work nicely)
a small 100 x 100 photo for the general landing page
your fundraising goal

…and don’t fret, the photo size guidelines are just there to speed things along. If you’re not too tech savvy and photo re-sizing is not quite your forté, I can definitely help you out with it!

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions!