Hi all
I find your posts on this thread this thread extremely helpful and I am amazed about how many people are faced with similar challenges as I am.
I am going the opposite direction as most of you, travelling from Kenya where I live to Brazil for the next Soccer World Cup (see
www.facebook.com/africa.tobrazil)
Originally, I was planning to drive up to Egypt and take a ferry to Turkey and then travel eastwards to Iran, but until I read this thread I had given up on this options as all ferry companies seem to have suspended their shipping connections between Egypt and Turkey. Reading this thread, however, I have already sent emails to Autoshippers, Unroro and Carshipping Company to get quotes for their services between Egypt and Turkey.
I have two back-up options in case there are no ferries from Egypt to Turkey:
1) Sudan - Egypt -ferry to Aqaba in Jordan - Israel - ferry to Iskenderun in Turkey -Iran
2) Sudan - ferry to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia - UAE - Iran
The main open questions/challenges I am facing are the following:
1) Israel stamps and entry into Iran
Will I have difficulties entering Iran after travelling through Israel. Even if the Israeli immigration officials don't stamp my passport, I will still have a trail of having travelled through Israel in my Carnet de Passage. Two questions here:
a) Will I have difficulties entering Iran if my Carnet de Passage shows that I have travelled through Israel?
b) Does anyone of you have any advice how to avoid this "trail" of having travelled through Israel in the carnet de passage?
2) Ferry Suakin/Port Sudan to Jeddah
I have contacted Baaboud but so far haven't received any response on the following questions:
a) What days of the week does the ship leave Port Sudan or Suakin?
b) How long does the ferry take to cross from Sudan to Saudi Arabia?
c) How long prior to the ferry departure should I deliver the car at the port?
d) What are the cost of shipping a 4x4 vehicle on this ferry?
3) Saudi Arabia Transit Visa
I will go to the Saudi embassy in Nairobi tomorrow to inquiry about the possibility of a transit visa. I will also check with them about the restrictions regarding right hand drive vehicles that some of you mentioned and will share what I find out on this forum.
I appreciate your time in addressing these questions.
Florian