New adventure upcoming: Trans Africa

[El-Dracho]

The next big adventure is knocking on the door. With two Defender 110s we will start the adventure Trans Africa! Until then, a lot of things have to be organized, planned and prepared. Many of you are probably asking now, how the exact route looks like. Well, we take the ferry to Morocco and then we just drive on the right side of the road until we are in Namibia, then a few more miles on the left side and we are at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, where I already stood in 2008 with a motorbike.

Of course, it is not quite like that. But an exact route planning is actually not very useful. Much information is outdated because of the C19 pandemic, the last usually from travellers from 2019, which gives clues, but is too old for rapidly developing countries. The situation, politically, economically, socially in many countries in Africa is changing fast. So, we quickly realized that a precise route planning has little added value. There is one direction - south - and a lot of ideas for worthwhile destinations and places. Adventure, that's what it is about.

I happy to give you here in this thread updates on the preparations, gladly share experiences to help other travelers and of course as soon as we are on the road happy to share pictures and travelstories.

Bjoern

 

[Alanymarce]

Excellent! I'll watch with interest. I know you need little advice however I'd be pleased to offer thoughts on anything if you have specific questions:

Morocco - limited experience (a lot more further east but you don't plan this)
Gabon - a little experience
Congo - lived there two years
Angola - visited many times over many years
Namibia - wide experience
RSA - wide experience
Botswana (if you add this) - wide experience, lived there 1-1//2 years.

 

[El-Dracho]

Excellent! I'll watch with interest. I know you need little advice however I'd be pleased to offer thoughts on anything if you have specific questions:

Morocco - limited experience (a lot more further east but you don't plan this)
Gabon - a little experience
Congo - lived there two years
Angola - visited many times over many years
Namibia - wide experience
RSA - wide experience
Botswana (if you add this) - wide experience, lived there 1-1//2 years.

Hi,

Thank you. That's very kind of you. Good advice from someone who has experienced something himself or has traveled or even lived in the countries are always good. And local contacts are of course always helpful. Do you still have some?

By Congo, do you mean the Democratic Republic of Congo or the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville)? Have you ever been to the Angolan enclave of Cabinda? We are thinking of crossing Congo and DRC to the west in that narrow strip and driving through Cabinda (multiple etry visa for Angola require, I know, but I got the info that it is easy to get). And what about Equatorial Guinea? Any experiences in this regard? Not many stories about it from travelers and for a long time it was not so easy to enter. Do you have any tips?

Thanks again,
Bjoern

 

[Alanymarce]

...and local contacts are of course always helpful. Do you still have some?

Most of my current contacts are in other bits of North Africa, Eastern Africa, and in Zambia and Zimbabwe. However I can no doubt dredge up some help if needed.

One gem in Namibia is Udo in Lüderitz - the best workshop in the country +264 632 04051.

By Congo, do you mean the Democratic Republic of Congo or the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville)?

Yes - I lived in Pointe Noire, and travelled frequently in the south of the country. I've only ever transited DRC.

Have you ever been to the Angolan enclave of Cabinda? We are thinking of crossing Congo and DRC to the west in that narrow strip and driving through Cabinda (multiple etry visa for Angola require, I know, but I got the info that it is easy to get).

Yes - once. At the time it had a lot of insecurity. It was easy to cross from Congo (Republic), however further south was a challenge.I don't know whether there's a way to cross the Congo River once you pass Cabinda. The "main route" is via Dolisie (if you go this way, stop in the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve which is beautiful) then to Madingou, Kinkenge, and Matadi. I have travelled the first part of this route, but not entered DRC, so this is not very useful advice. The roads in the area have a tendency either to appear on the map but have deteriorated to near non-existence (like Highway N6 in Congo Republic - when we travelled this one we did it with three vehicles and had to remove trees across the road and navigate heavily washed out sections).

And what about Equatorial Guinea? Any experiences in this regard? Not many stories about it from travelers and for a long time it was not so easy to enter. Do you have any tips?

I've never been there - sorry.

 

[El-Dracho]

Most of my current contacts are in other bits of North Africa, Eastern Africa, and in Zambia and Zimbabwe. However I can no doubt dredge up some help if needed.

One gem in Namibia is Udo in Lüderitz - the best workshop in the country +264 632 04051.



Yes - I lived in Pointe Noire, and travelled frequently in the south of the country. I've only ever transited DRC.



Yes - once. At the time it had a lot of insecurity. It was easy to cross from Congo (Republic), however further south was a challenge.I don't know whether there's a way to cross the Congo River once you pass Cabinda. The "main route" is via Dolisie (if you go this way, stop in the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve which is beautiful) then to Madingou, Kinkenge, and Matadi. I have travelled the first part of this route, but not entered DRC, so this is not very useful advice. The roads in the area have a tendency either to appear on the map but have deteriorated to near non-existence (like Highway N6 in Congo Republic - when we travelled this one we did it with three vehicles and had to remove trees across the road and navigate heavily washed out sections).



I've never been there - sorry.

Thank you very much. Very helpful!

 

[Alanymarce]

Thank you very much. Very helpful!

Safari njema!

 

[El-Dracho]

Thank you very much. Very helpful!

Safari njema!

Asante sana!

 

[El-Dracho]

The travel preparations are continuing with a very important topic. Thought of everything? Route planned. Documents. Visas. The vehicle prepared. Oil change done. Equipment checked. Vaccinations checked, refreshed and supplemented... Well, we all do all this and much more before we start a trip. But what about the first aid material and the medication in the first aid kit?

Often nothing happens while we are out on the trails and that's a good thing. But just in case, we should be very well prepared. This includes the right equipment on the one hand and good training on the other. I have been refreshing my first aid knowledge regularly for years. Because every one of us can get into the situation of needing and wanting to help quicker than we often think.

In preparation for the Africa trip, I have now thoroughly checked the first aid kit and the medications on board again, replaced where it seemed necessary and added one or the other.

There is very good information on this subject here on Overland Bound, for example in the First Aid Boot Camp forum section. Check it out and prepare well. This is extremely important when we go on a trip.

Safe travels,
Bjoern

 

[Alanymarce]

Good post - thank you.

One thing we've found is that although we've hardly every needed the first aid kit for ourselves, we've used it to help others often. For example a child with burns from a campfire, someone who had a cut on his hand doing some repairs: it's a good idea to take more of the basics than you think you might need, to have enough for these situations.

 

[El-Dracho]

Continued with the trip preparations. All spare parts unpacked, checked, added, inventoried and packed in two well stowable euroboxes.



On the lid of each box I have put a list of what is contained in the box. So I can see it at a glance and do not have to search long. The list includes quantity, original spareparts ID and name of part.



For electronic components such as sensors, e.g. mass airflow sensor, I have a small separate box, also labeled and additionally padded and provided with small silica gel packets to absorb any moisture.



In addition, there is a box with filters, i.e. oil filters, air filters, fuel filters.

 

[John and Mandi]

I'm getting excited about your trip. It will be fun to follow along.

 

[El-Dracho]

Just a little update. In the last few days I did a few minor things on the rig. New fan-belt, some pulleys replaced, got the wheels balanced, technical inspection renewed. In the next few days still a bit of paperwork such as foreign travel health insurance to do. The Carnet de Passage is also already applied for and should arrive in time. Everything is on track. It's getting real...

 

[4x4tripping]

I wish you a nice & safe journey - didnt know before that you will do such a trip :-)

In my transafrica-blog I did maintain a list of travellers on the westroute of africa who wrote a blog - between 2005 and 2021 - probably you can optain some useful informations there

Finger crossed - that you dont see closed borders because of ebola, covid or other situations. But as other did show - you will be able to ship out even then!

Dont load to much to the rig - the pictures let me guess - that you currently plan to carry a lot. A well maintained car shouldnt need so much spares for 30`000km.

trippin

 

[El-Dracho]

I wish you a nice & safe journey - didnt know before that you will do such a trip :-)

In my transafrica-blog I did maintain a list of travellers on the westroute of africa who wrote a blog - between 2005 and 2021 - probably you can optain some useful informations there

Finger crossed - that you dont see closed borders because of ebola, covid or other situations. But as other did show - you will be able to ship out even then!

Dont load to much to the rig - the pictures let me guess - that you currently plan to carry a lot. A well maintained car shouldnt need so much spares for 30`000km.

trippin

Thank you. Yes, weight often causes problems. But don't worry, my rig has about 2.8 tons ready to travel at 3.4 tons gross vehicle weight, plenty of safety buffer.

 

[El-Dracho]

These days also came my sim card for Africa. Cell coverage on the road is not very important to me, but sometimes it is quite practical. It is also practical that today you can get sim cards for various countries already at home and thus saves searching, registration on site and so on.

 

[El-Dracho]

Today the Carnet de Passage arrived. With it all documents are complete. The next few days I will load the rig, make a few checks and then it goes off into the next adventure!

 

[El-Dracho]

On the road now since about a week. Crossed France already, did a little detour to Portugal to see a friend, now in southern Spain getting ready to hop off to Morocco within the next days.

 

[El-Dracho]

Had a smooth ferrycrossing to Morocco. First stop in Morocco was Chefchaouen. Also known as the blue city. An exciting and interesting place.

The people are very friendly and helpful, some of them wave to us from the roadside. We feel very welcomed in Morocco. Great.

Justa few impressions:

 

[4x4tripping]

Congrats to the arrival in africa!

Wish you a nice journey, with adventure, socializing - and always with some luck! Safe trip to you!
trippin

 

[El-Dracho]

Followed some tracks along the border with Algeria today. The Sahara desert - what a beautiful place on earth. Just a few impressions: