Filming locations in The Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Special
Written by Beth
“Zimbabwe: We really did save the best ‘til last.”
Well, you got that right, Mr Clarkson.
The Grand Tour crew has achieved more in two hours than I have in the last 14 years of this blog.
They’ve shown that Zimbabwe is more than news headlines. Zimbabwe is lush forest and tumbling mountains; captivating cities and sand-drenched riverbeds; open savannah the colour of melted sugar; grand watery vistas; wilderness supreme.
In their last ever Grand Tour TV adventure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May head to the wilds of Zimbabwe in three cars they’ve always wanted to own; a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo, a 1974 Ford Capri 3-litre and a 1974 Triumph Stag.
The former Top Gear presenters embark on a joyous last road trip through some of the most stunning landscapes they’ve ever encountered, breezing past elephants and buffalo, and taking their chances crossing a crocodile-infested lake on three unusual car-carrying boats.
Keep reading for the list of filming locations in The Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Special. And start putting your bucket list together…
The Grand Tour – One for the Road Zimbabwe filming locations
Mtarazi Falls Skywalk and Skyline
Perched above Africa’s second highest waterfall, Mtarazi Falls, Jeremy Clarkson announces that the trio have ignored the request from their producer to drive around London, and decided to come to Zimbabwe instead. And who could blame them?
Aberfoyle Tea Estate
Among the rolling tea plantations around Aberfoyle, they outline their plan to drive 1,200 miles from the eastern side of Zimbabwe to the west. But first, they stop to smell the tea leaves. “Holy Moley, look at that view,” exclaims Clarkson in excitement.
Skydeck Mountain Retreat, Nyanga
With panoramic views over Mount Nyangani and the Honde Valley, Skydeck is an exclusive luxury retreat. “It’s pretty special, isn’t it?” they remark while the discuss how much they paid for their cars.
In the mountainous Nyanga National Park, which is sometimes likened to a mixture of Arizona and the Scottish Highlands, the backup car has its moment of glory.
From here, as they drive out of the Eastern Highlands, Clarkson sums up his appreciation of the landscape:
“God had done all of the other countries in the world and he got to the end of the alphabet.
He got to Zimbabwe, and he thought, ‘This is going to be my best work, this is going to be my greatest hits.’ ”
This is a big deal for Zimbabweans. No one has been this nice about our country in front of five million people before, ever.
The owners’ dog also has a starring role in the episode.
Mbare Market, Harare
Mbare Musika is the enormous market in Harare where May and Clarkson buy spare car parts and read about themselves in a newspaper.
Quote: “I have always loved driving into an African city. There’s a buzz in African cities that you don’t get anywhere else. Harare—wow, what a singing, melting pot of busyness and joy that was.” – Jeremy Clarkson in a press interview.
Highlands House, Harare
Their overnight stop at this “peaceful boutique hotel” is where May and Clarkson give Hammond a gift.
Milton Street/Leopold Takawira Street, Harare
Milton Street is in the centre of Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare. Together with the adjoining Leopold Takawira Street, they make what Hammond declares “the most beautiful avenue of trees I think I’ve ever seen”.
Fun fact: The Jacaranda tree only flowers in late September in Zimbabwe.
Mana Pools Road Baobab Tree
While the trio struggle along the washboard roads, they drive past a baobab tree that will be very familiar to anyone who has travelled to Mana Pools National Park. See this post to spot a photo of it.
Mana Pools National Park
This almost 500,000-acre national park is almost revered among safari-goers for its pristine wilderness, walking safaris and variety of wildlife. When the Grand Tour trio reach the Zambezi river, they have an extravagant dessert and do a craft project.
Fun fact: “Mana” means “four” in the local Shona language and refers to four permanent pools that are a mecca for game viewing.
Lake Kariba/Matusadona National Park
Lake Kariba is over 223 kilometres (139 miles) long, as such, is the closest thing Zimbabwe has to a sea. To travel via water all the way from Kariba Town in the east, to the village of Mlibizi in the west, most travellers use the company Kariba Ferries. Read about my overnight boat trip on the same route as One for the Road in this post.
Here, the companions acquire some rickety old boats, and Hammond imagines the water as “a solid lump of crocodiles”.
Fun fact: James May’s boat is a kapenta rig: used for catching small fish called ‘kapenta‘.
Mlibizi Zambezi Resort
It’s here that Clarkson, Hammond and May land on the far shores on Lake Kariba (with varying success), and Jeremy learns how to read both sides of a map. This peaceful resort contains the slipway on the western side of Lake Kariba where ferry-loaded vehicles can be transferred to dry land.
Victoria Falls Hotel
The crew finally have a good wash here after another bumpy, dirty journey. This hotel is an iconic location in Victoria Falls, full of history and breathtaking views.
Victoria Falls Bridge
The bridge across the Zambezi river is a historical icon, a viewpoint for Victoria Falls, a bungee jumping spot, and a border post – all rolled into 500 tons of steel [source]. Built in 1905, the original instruction was to “build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the Falls”. In One for the Road, the trio cross the bridge in a way that’s never been done before.
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world, with a combined width and height of 1700m by 108m. More than 50 blue whales could fit between one end of the Falls and the other [source]. It’s also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and has World Heritage Site status from the United Nations (UN). The town of Victoria Falls is known as the adventure capital of Africa, with an astounding number of outdoor and adventure activities on offer.
A joyous farewell
The first Top Gear Special was filmed in Botswana and aired in 2007. At the time the BBC had been banned from filming in Zimbabwe. Now, Clarkson, Hammond and May have been able to visit a country they’ve always wanted to, and say farewell to their lives together on The Grand Tour, in a place where it all started.
After leaving Victoria Falls, they find themselves on familiar ground, crossing the border into Botswana. Here they visit their favourite location from 20 years of travelling the world: Kubu Island National Monument and camp site in Gaing O Community Trust, Sua Pan, Botswana. Long-term fans of the series will enjoy the closing moments, especially photos of the crew who have stuck with the trio for so long.
What did I think?
The Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Special is a proper, heartfelt send-off for the trio. It isn’t about explosions and pranking – it’s simply about three old friends driving across Africa, and clearly loving it. I’d like to believe that Zimbabwe made this adventure the sweetest cherry on the goodbye cake.
As a Zimbabwean, I’d have loved to have seen more conversations with locals, more attention to the wildlife and communities, more time spent in each destination … but those things just aren’t what this show is about. The Grand Tour trio may, however, have paved the road (pun intended) for more people to venture deeper into Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe has provided the perfect backdrop for our final motoring adventure,” concludes Clarkson.
As the saying goes, “As one chapter ends, so another begins.” This may be a reflective TV departure for Team Clarkson, Hammond and May, but my hope is that it marks a new, action-packed beginning for curious souls to visit Zimbabwe.
Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Special launches exclusively worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on 13 September 2024. You can sign up here ¹.
Credits
Produced by: Amazon MGM Studios, Flat Four Films, W. Chump & Sons LTD. Executive Produced by: Andy Wilman. Cast: Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May
Would you like to go on your own Grand Tour across Zimbabwe?
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Mavros Safaris is one of our affiliates who I can recommend highly for bespoke, exclusive travel in Africa.
Related post: Read Quotes from The Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Final Special
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Related post: Read Quotes from The Grand Tour: One for the Road Zimbabwe Final Special
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