Hi, i'm traveling since July 2006 in africa with a little Honda Rebel 125 cc built in 1990. I've done 20 000 kms from France (excuse my english) to Kenya where i'm now (France, Spain, Moroco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Benin, Niger, Tchad, Central African Republic, DRCongo, Uganda, Kenya Tanzania, Kenya). I'm now planning to go back in France by the Nile, but i don't have the carnet (to expensive for a 400 euros second hand ephemer 125). My first problem was in Kenya but i success to chat to the customs who let me go without the carnet (no back Hand).

I've some question to ask :

- What about the carnet in Ethiopia, Soudan, and egypt (especially egypt). I eard that is very hard in egypt, but my motorbike is very little and look like a sahelian paesant's chinese motorbike and it's very easy to pass the border annonymous, even to tchat hours with the policemans, i use to do it. Also pass the motorbike without advise the autorithy... Once in the country it's good, and if you say when you exit that they let you go when you enter it's ok (i've done it for the Kenyans border when i first come here 2 months ago).

- I would have an idea of the price to shipping the motorbike from Nairobi to Cairo (by sea from Mombasa to Suez) or by air : 130 kilos and very little in a box (I would say not like a 1100 BMW), and may i need the carnet if i send my motorbike to Egypt ?

- I also want to have an idea about the price to send by my motorbike from nairobi to France. These 20 000 kilometers mostly on bad roads are been so rude for this city tarmac motorbike, "she" 's injured, and i just broke a choke (the suspension, i don't know how write "choke") between Isiolo and Marsabit in the bad "tole ondulee" road before the ethiopian border, so maybe i'll continue without my dear little Honda. But i can't sell her here, it's sentimentally impossible.

- Last question but not about motorbike, do you know if it's possible to take the Nile from Karthoum to the Lake Nasser by the water, i've some knowledge in sailshipping and i'm thinking to buy a verry little felucca or pirogue with sail or little engine in soudan (to a fisherman maybe, and if i have the motorbike put it inside). But i don't know if it is possible to cross the 6 cataracts with a litle woodboat.

I'm waiting for your answers before make a choice .

Thanks

Pierre

I don't think you will get into Egypt without a carnet. It is a lot of paperwork to get into Egypt and a carnet is part of it. Apparently a South African issued carnet is not valid in Egypt and I have read here of South Africans getting all the way to Egypt on thier way to Europe only to turn back.

When i went in 2003, Egypt required a carnet or deposit for 5 times the value of the vehicle. South Africa, like many other african countries, requires twice the value of the vehicle. Hence, South African carnets are generally issued for twice the value and are therefore not acceptable in Egypt.

I'm not convinced that shooting the rapids is a good plan, but good luck!

Elapsio, I will be be arriving in Nairobi on 6, February to continue riding through Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Are you staying at JJ's? I plan to spend at least a month in Kenya obtaining visa's for the ride north. I plan to visit Mombasa and do some touring in Kenya while waiting on the Sudanese paperwork. My motorcycle is at Jungle Junction now. I'll try to get in touch with you on the 7th. The owner of JJ's knows ALOT about the required paperwork. I'm getting my carnet through the Canadian Automobile Association. Hope to see you next week, it would be nice to have someone to work on these with! Later, Dave.

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South African AA issued carnet that is stamped as valid for Egypt is ok, as I have entered and exited Egypt with one. Egypt requires a carnet, and any carnet should be sufficent PROVIDED the issuing body does not stamp it as not valid for Egypt (ie you must pay the highest rate of deposit). The quantum of the deposit is not the issue as you can enter Egypt on an SA issued carnet that only requires a 200% deposit or a UK issued carnet that requires a 500% deposit, provided both are stamped (or more accurately not stamped as not being valid for Egypt) as valid for Egypt. The only difference is that the AASA needs less of a deposit to take the same risk as the UK RAC.

The more important question is - can you enter Egypt without a carnet. Never tried without a carnet, so can't specifically say, but general consensus seems no.

Ethiopia is fine with no carnet and only a temporary import permit. Had my carnet stamped in Sudan but heard you can get a TIP instead.

good luck

Wow Matt, some good info there...I spoke with the South African AA and was amazed to find how easy/fast it would have been for me to obtain a carnet in South Africa. This, of course, was after waiting weeks in Buenos Aires for a carnet from North America. It would have been quicker/easier/cheaper to: 1)fly the bike to South Africa. 2)fly myself to ZA. 3)go to the ZA AA and request an expedited carnet...something like 3 days I think(via overnight to Joburg). Oh well, live and learn!

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I have personally traveled through egypt without a carnet. it was very difficult and a long process to get in (waiting at borders and calling customs officials in Cairo). Eventually we were permitted in with our motorcycles. Some supporting documents I had were a fax from the egyption embassy in Washington stating that a carnet was no longer required. We were at the border for more then a week to get in and it took annother 2 days of talking to leave as it is also difficult to leave without a carnet for them to stamp.

I would not recommend running the border as they provide you with egyptian license plates while you are in th ecountry (or used to). Police will immediately know that you are driving an unregistered vehicle and you will probably experience trouble.

If you are still looking to go and trying to work this out, I can try to get you the name of the contact person in cairo customs and this document we took to enter. I think some of our trouble was due to the fact that we were entering from israel and there are always strained relationships there.

No papers were required for Ethiopia or Eritrea. We did not go through Sudan, but I understand that this is now much easier then it used to be from those who have been in recently. Good luck and write if you are still looking for information. william

Ok, thanks a lot for all these answers.

First for Dave : I'm now in Nairobi and i think i'll leave for ethiopia around the 6. For the ethiopian visa, there is no problem at Nairobi but i've just seen people who try unsuccessefuly for the soudanese visa. In Addis Ababa it's the same. The only solution seems to be at Dar es Salam, Cairo, and maybe in erythree.

For myself, so tired about all these documents and chatting with the authority i'll ship back my motorbike in France and continue by myself, first to Addis Abeba to try for the soudanese visa, if it's possible by the Soudan and the Nile up to Cairo. I'll try to buy a little dinghy to navigate the Nile, and for the cataract i will make carry it. If i can't have the visa for Soudan i'll try to go to Djibouti and Erythrea to get it. If not again, i take the boat to egypt.

Some says that the transit visa for soudan is easiest to have, but it need to show the egyptian visa.

Thanks

Elapsio