I may well get shot down in flames for suggesting this, but would it be possible for Willem to go through Morocco into Western Sahara and then Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Sudan before heading into Egypt and shipping his bike from there to Bandar Abbas in Iran? When I did my trip in 2007, I started in Tunisia but would quite happily have started in Morocco if it hadn't been for the Maroc/Algeria border being shut, however these people I met in Iran & Pakistan DID do the above route to avoid Algeria and Libya - Miles to go - Verhalen en inspiratie voor auto reizen (it's now all in Dutch - it wasn't the last time looked at it).

And, if I'd been aware in advance of what this guy ended up doing (he actually came and pumped me for information about the trip I'd just done before setting off on his own trip) http://www.across-then-up.com/
then I'd probably have started in Morocco and skirted south of the maroc-Algeria border and then up into Algeria. Or at least started in Algeria like he did, rather than wimping out and starting in Tunisia.

Or travel from South Africa north to Egypt?

As for the carnet, is there any other country eg Germany he can get one from? I did this for my trip and for the highest level (Egypt / Iran / Ind / Pak) it was a LOT cheaper than the UK but I am aware the rules have tightened now - maybe others will know more about this.

As I say, I did what I did in 2007 and a lot has changed since then, so I fully expect to get pooh-poohed but these are just thoughts.

Mark

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