Maybe this message belongs in the Africa Forum... but anyway:
Sitting in Dar Es Salaam trying to let the scene to chill in Kenya so here's my plan
Dar -> Mombasa -> Arusha (through Moshi) -> Mwanza -> Kigali -> Kamala -> Kisumu -> Nakuru -> Nairobi -> Moyale (Ethiopia/Kenya Border) -> Addis Abeba -> Karthoum -> Cairo or...?

Questions:

1) South route under Lake Victoria to Kigali
I hear this is where Congo refugee camps are and some question as to safety? Also, I know I can't go through Serengeti so I'll find a truck to carry bike through the parks

2) Road north of Nairobi to Ethiopia Border.
Who's done this recently (ie last 6 months?) what is the road condition like and are convoys/escorts still necessary?

3) Road north of Addis Abeba.
How's the road north and what's the best route to Khartoum? Should I put the bike on a boat to south of Cairo? Or should I blow off Egypt and find a boat in Port Sudan? I want to go to Israel and Jordan.

4) Sand bothers me
I know it's a reality out there north of Addis, but where is the sand and what am I going to have to deal with?

5) Egypt Vehicle Permits
I've heard quite a bit about this. When I arranged my Carnet I was planning on going up the West Coast of Africa so Egypt wasn't a country listed. Not that I suspect anyone will even check as the last 5 countries I've used the carnet no one bothered to look at which countries were listed on the back. Also, do I need the Egypt Visa prior to arriving at the border on the river?

I'll post more detailed questions regarding barge/ferry and route in Sudan/Egypt on Africa forum:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...199#post175061

thanks

__________________
Allan - WorldRider
2005 - Adventure & Discovery - 2008 http://www.worldrider.com

I did the route you describe around 9 months ago. The road north of Nairobi is fine until Isiolo, then graded dirt until Marsabit. Things were rough after Marsabit, deep ruts in gravel. I had to go with an army convoy from Sololo to Moyale due to some folks being robbed by heavily armed bandits (shifta) the week prior to my ride there. There are some rough roads in the Tanzania section, though I encountered no sand. Road conditions change very quickly as graders and bulldozers are often at work smoothing things out- or sometimes making things worse in my mind! There are a number of refugee camps in Rwanda along the Tanzanian border. As I neared the border region I purchased fuel. A friendly man asked if I was going to Rwanda. When I said I was he told me "no matter what you see, no matter what anyone says or does, do not stop." He told me he would never stop along this stretch. There are armed bandits displaced from conflict along the border area, it gets worse the farther south you go. When I was there the UN only went south in convoys. Northern Uganda has some similar security issues. The roads in Ethiopia are in good shape overall. Between Gonder and the Sudanese border, there is a gravel stretch. I found it to be fine, but a German fellow I met in Khartoum took a fall there and broke his collar bone, this ended his trip. The road from the border through Wad Medani to Khartoum is paved and in good condition. From Khartoum I would suggest following the Nile river to Wadi Haifa. You will have to deal with some sand whether you follow this route or take the eastern route near the railway. You may, from time to time, encounter deep, rutted and sloppy sand/dust. These stretches were short in duration. This ride is beautiful, following the green palms lining the Nile. Every now and then I stripped off my gear and took a swim. If you do so, get out of the water within 10 minutes or you might inherit liver flukes. If you click on the Egypt tab on my website you'll learn about getting your paperwork to enter Egypt- I hope you get in in a more graceful fashion! The ride from Khartoum to Wadi Haifa along the Nile was one of my favorites of the trip, fantastic people there. As for the Egyptian visa, I had to have one to get my Sudanese transit visa. This is obtainable overnight in Addis. Good roads bro!

__________________
"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..." L.B. Armstrong. www.davesgreatescape.net
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readme...e&id=661274218

Allan, one more thing: I crossed from Rwanda into Uganda near Parc de Volcans after visiting the mountain gorillas. The road on the Uganda side was a mess (mud) due to heavy rains. There was another bad stretch in Kenya on the rode from Eldoret to Nairobi, it was being paved then, hopefully it's done by now. Love your site! Hook.

__________________
"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..." L.B. Armstrong. www.davesgreatescape.net
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readme...e&id=661274218

Hook - Great info! Thanks! I'll check out your egyptian section. Sounds like I need to go to Wadi, huh? I just don't want to wait five days sorting out bureaucratic minutiae in Egypt. Rather be riding or touring things...

Need to pull out my maps and check it out. So that route under the lake Victoria, I'm told there are gold mines there and likely the roads are decent and policed. How did you go from Dar or Arusha to get to Mwansa?

__________________
Allan - WorldRider
2005 - Adventure & Discovery - 2008 http://www.worldrider.com

Hook what route did you take from Khartoum to say the northern Nile stretch? Did you go to Abu Hamed? or Atbara? Or did you go from Omdurman north to Abu Dorn then follow the Nile there?

thanks!

__________________
Allan - WorldRider
2005 - Adventure & Discovery - 2008 http://www.worldrider.com

Hi, I have my bike in Arusha now and just rode from the Mara Region, Tarime. to Mwanza, Singida, and up to Arusha 2 weeks ago. The road from Arusha down to Singida is ok there is about 240 km of gravel. Well it should be now, it was mud when I come through but still passable. then the rest is blacktop all the way to Mwanza. I work on one of the mines near the Kenyan border and rode down through Kenya via Masabit, Isiolo etc in Nov 07. I believe that you can still go up through there as well have trucks coming from Mobasa all the time.

Mwanza's a good place to stop for a while for a look don't go swimming though. Too many parasites in the water and crocs.

If you want to know more I will PM my number to you.

Cheers
Ivan

Hi Allan,

There are five riders here in Arusha (Feb 24) and headed to Dar and then Zanazibar. If you are in Dar or on your way here, drop me an e-mail and we can hook up for a . There is another three riders currently on the Tanzanian coast and the whole group of us came down from Egypt roughly at the same time (within the last couple of months). Anyone one of us would be happy to swap lies and exagerations in person. I've sent you a pm as well, hopefully we can connect at a pub somewhere in between

Cheers.

Hey mate,

maybe I can meet you for the ride south, or a few s anyway.....haha. I have sent you a PM.

Cheers
Ivan