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23 Jul 2017
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Hi Marcel,
Not too sure on SA plates. With my Ghanaian bike, I had Ghanaian insurance, through a company called Hollard. That cost GHS90 for 6 months (and was valid for Ghana). I then paid an additional GHS10 to get an ECOWAS Brown Card from Hollard. The Process was very simple, you just go to the office, pay the money and the Brown Card is printed for you immediately.
With that in mind you could try either seeing if Hollard can print a Brown Card against your SA/Global insurance. Or, if you could buy Ghanaian insurance on your SA registered bike and then get a Brown Card.
Hollard have offices in Accra (Airport Residential) but might be worth e-mailing them first.
Thanks,
Rory
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23 Jul 2017
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Perfect Rory,
Have a contact in Accra and he will inquire coming week.
Much appreciated,
Marcel
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24 Jul 2017
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Moossou, Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire
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Rory - you paid 20,000CFA to get your bike in at Elubo - Noe border (the main road from Western Region)??? This is TOTALLY illegal, you should never have parted with that money, if you still have any copies of documents from that crossing I would love to have a scan. I'm currently chasing up the CI Custom's authorities about this and more evidence would be wonderful!!!
Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire
Crossing: Elubu to Ehania
Visa: €58 for 90 days from Accra – takes 24 hours
TIP: XOF20k (£27) at the border
Insurance: ECOWAS Brown Card
Carnet Needed: No
Notes: This is the main crossing between Ghana and CDI so plan for some time and a lot of bureaucracy.
On the Ghanaian side (maybe as a result of living in Ghana and owning Ghanaian bikes), the officials were uninterested.
On the Ivorian side the process was thorough. We had to go through the police, customs and immigration and all had multiple forms to complete, that required speaking to multiple people. However, everyone was friendly (not always helpful) and the process seemed legit. You will need to pay XOF20k for a TIP – we were not 100% sure it was OK but the price was on the form and we got a receipt. FYI – your bike may be searched and it will be a lot easier if you can speak French.
Roads in Ghana to the border are fine. In CDI the road is being rebuilt so we were on mud for 20(ish) miles. However, it shouldn’t take too long to finish building and then the road all the way to Abidjan will be paved.
Roads in CDI are good in the South and up to Yamoussoukro. However, in the West, they turn to mud/dirt. Checkpoints are more frequent in the trouble areas (North East and West). We were never asked for a bribe, just show your documents and you should be on your way.
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24 Jul 2017
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I love your zeal, C -- when we got gigged in Man by some Lt. Colonel for a whopping 60.000 XOF, he entered all of our information and amounts into a computer and generated us a printout receipt. Surely if your official was serious about corruption with TIPs, he need only peek into their database?
I'll see if I can scrounge up the paperwork to fuel your campaign. Kudos. 
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24 Jul 2017
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Location: Moossou, Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire
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I want a copy of yours too then!!!
Unbelievable! This was at the Nzo border or???
I'm going to get this stamped out, I've done a lot of things to help travellers coming CI, this is my current bugbear that I'll get sorted! Ask DaveTheHat about getting non-existent visas for a group in Bamako ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by schmookeeg
I love your zeal, C -- when we got gigged in Man by some Lt. Colonel for a whopping 60.000 XOF, he entered all of our information and amounts into a computer and generated us a printout receipt. Surely if your official was serious about corruption with TIPs, he need only peek into their database?
I'll see if I can scrounge up the paperwork to fuel your campaign. Kudos. |
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24 Jul 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CREER
I want a copy of yours too then!!!
Unbelievable! This was at the Nzo border or???
I'm going to get this stamped out, I've done a lot of things to help travellers coming CI, this is my current bugbear that I'll get sorted! Ask DaveTheHat about getting non-existent visas for a group in Bamako ...
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You're doing good work for all future travellers everywhere.
Funny story on this one actually -- we started at the Nzo border, but the kid there didn't know what a Carnet was, nor what else to do -- and called (after numerous attempts at not getting a cell signal) for instructions. Then he ordered us to follow him on his motorbike.
Keeping up with a motorcycle on THAT road is a chore in a Subaru. He was super impatient with us. We felt like Indiana Jones.
Next town up didn't know what to do with us either, so on to the next.
Repeat twice more over 2 hours, and we end up in Man. Good news: We planned to be in Man a day later, so we saved a lot of time. The border kid just sailed through what must have been a dozen cop checkpoints, and we just sheepishly shrugged and followed him through. We got tons of dirty looks, but the kid had a better uniform, so that's how it goes.
In Man's Douanes office, The Lt.Col gets summoned for us at 4pm and is not pleased when he rolls in 45 mins waiting later. He grudgingly writes us out the TIP for the 60.000 and explains that he's doing us a huge favor. Then he sails back off in his gov't issue Hilux.
I'll dig up the paper, it's still somewhere in the car. Will happily share. Hopefully it's worth something since he attended to it himself personally. 
I hope you don't make too many waves. You're snatching  money out of a lot of official mouths with this. You're my hero.
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26 Jul 2017
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Location: Moossou, Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire
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You paid HOW much?!!!!!!!!!  I'm now absolutely FUMING ... I will be taking this to the Anti-Corruption squad and a Director Regionale of customs to get this sorted. The whole situation is crazy and I am FED UP with customs trying to screw tourism out of Cote d'Ivoire ... Please do find your document and check to see if there are any names/numbers written on the other side of the paper you might want to scan to me too.
This HAS to stop! 
The Police FB group got a real mixed reaction particularly when I told one of them (later found out he was a customs guy too) that there is NO fixed price for a TIP and that in law it's for free ... then went on to quote the different prices I know of! Other Ivorians were behind me with many saying that the Customs guys are the most corrupt bunch of govt. officials (I could tell you more but not publicly!!!) Your Lt Col was probably with his mistress for a siesta, then went to church on Sunday ... I'll say no more!!!
Yours is 10,000CFA more than any others, Niable, where I seem to remember you crossed into Ghana, east of Abengourou but you should have come to meet me; wanted 50,000CFA for it when I went to renew mine (their claims on $$$ last 2 minutes with me!)
When I get this sorted, I'll be asking all HUBB members coming through CI to buy me an evening drink 
Quote:
Originally Posted by schmookeeg
You're doing good work for all future travellers everywhere.
Funny story on this one actually -- we started at the Nzo border, but the kid there didn't know what a Carnet was, nor what else to do -- and called (after numerous attempts at not getting a cell signal) for instructions. Then he ordered us to follow him on his motorbike.
Keeping up with a motorcycle on THAT road is a chore in a Subaru. He was super impatient with us. We felt like Indiana Jones.
Next town up didn't know what to do with us either, so on to the next.
Repeat twice more over 2 hours, and we end up in Man. Good news: We planned to be in Man a day later, so we saved a lot of time. The border kid just sailed through what must have been a dozen cop checkpoints, and we just sheepishly shrugged and followed him through. We got tons of dirty looks, but the kid had a better uniform, so that's how it goes.
In Man's Douanes office, The Lt.Col gets summoned for us at 4pm and is not pleased when he rolls in 45 mins waiting later. He grudgingly writes us out the TIP for the 60.000 and explains that he's doing us a huge favor. Then he sails back off in his gov't issue Hilux.
I'll dig up the paper, it's still somewhere in the car. Will happily share. Hopefully it's worth something since he attended to it himself personally.
I hope you don't make too many waves. You're snatching money out of a lot of official mouths with this. You're my hero. |
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1 Aug 2017
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Kira,
I don’t have a copy of the TIP. The agent at the border near Tabou (leaving CDI) took the TIP documents from us when we were negotiating our bribe with him to leave the country! He seemed very funny about making sure he got those documents (we were reluctant to give them to him initially) from us. I wish we hadn’t but in the end we thought we had no more use for them.
In Noe, we paid on the second floor of the large building I think contained the customs officials. It was a large green and yellow building with the front half acting as a yard used to search vehicles. We were shunted about between a number of different offices – as a number of officials wanted to sign the TIP document. We did initially think it was odd as we had recently spoken to someone who didn’t pay for a TIP. However, the form looked legit – and had a price on, we were given a receipt and because so many people had signed/reviewed the form (without asking for bribes) we decided to pay.
If you are going to take up problems with the authorities please bring up the Tabou crossing. The border agent clearly worked for the government (he had a uniform and worked out a government building) but was very aggressive and openly corrupt. Moreover, he was in league with the boat owners in the village, which made it even more difficult to cross without giving him something. Which is why we ended up paying CFA5k for each bike.
Thanks
Rory
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22 Sep 2017
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Location: Conventry,UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pjmancktelow
I'll update a bit now I'm through Sierra Leone and Liberia for completeness on this excellent thread. Both are pricey. Moee expensive than Conakary
Sierra Leone was pleasant enough. Black market rate is way above the official rate. For all currencies. I was carrying CFA as my hard currency. Not a great deal to see and do but the beaches of freetown are spectacular. The roads are greay whe* good as their new. And atrocious wheb they are not new. The road around the Freetown peninsular is nearly complete and will be a fantastic ride in a year or two.
To Bo, the road is paved and good. South to Zimmi and the Liberia border gets worse and worse. Dry season for me a s was the worst road I've seen. Even the locals said terrible road
Liberia has equally not much to see. Monrovia is expensive with few if any camping. Its a bit unsafe after dark too. Still. I liked Monrovias vibe. Spent 6 days there over NYE. US dollar is the currency,* Liberian dollar serves as change of $1. 100 liberian dollars for $1. Bonus of this is you can withdraw US dollar from ATMs should you be in short supply of them
The road from the border through Monrovia to Ganta are excellent. After that. Piste to Cote D'Ivoire. Bad road. But not as bad as Sierra Leone.
In both countries people arw generally very friendly. Sierra Leone officials chanced their arm for money. Ofte* harmlessly. Except immigration on the way out
Liberia never asked for anything once. Refreshing!
As for Carnets. Sierra Leone didnt need one. I was with another biker. They asked for my carnet and stamped it. But aftet some talking they let him through with nothing. We split in Sierra Leone.
In Liberia I had them stamp my carnet but probably shouldn't have bothered. You get the vehicle permit with the visa. The customs did talk about a pass. But said as less than a week they'll not bother. I wasnt clear on what he was on about. I think he didn't understand the point of the carnet. But summary is you can do both without a carnet
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
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thanks for sharing this
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6 Dec 2017
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Does anyone know if the Guinea Conakry Embassy in Bamako is issues visas?
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8 Dec 2017
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Location: Freiburg, Germany
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The same procedure as every year ...
Hello seeb,
never saw a name of you nor a country, where you come from ... Alian?
The embassey "De La République De Guinée" is still there, where it is the last 20+ years ago in Bamako and still offers visa for a horrible price (120tCFA) for 1-3 months.
https://www.google.de/maps/place/Amb...1!4d-7.9703717
Greetings
Ferdi
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21 Feb 2018
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Recent update on Travel without carnet.
Bike is 2003 Bmw r1150GS valued maybe €1800.
Entered Ghana 2 week’s ago (2/2018) at main frontier from Lome, Togo. Given TIP without a problem but had to buy ecowas insurance as Senegalese insurance ‘not accepted ‘.
Entered Nigeria last week and was also asked for carnet but when I explained age and value they had no interest and let me pass but gave me no Customs paper.
Entered Cameroon yesterday and was asked for carnet but when explained age and value I was given a free 30 day passavant.
That’s all so far.
Simon
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30 Apr 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pjmancktelow
Also. Sierra Leone visa in Conakary. $100 US. 1 day but took time on the application
A friend did this here the last few days
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I got the S-L visa at the boarder: choise paying in € 150 in $100 (!!!)
No Carnet, just TIP
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30 Apr 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ferdi
The same procedure as every year ...
Hello seeb,
never saw a name of you nor a country, where you come from ... Alian?
Greetings
Ferdi
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Tip: you can get the visa for Guinea as well in Bissao (Guinée-Bissao) when coming from North, easy going, apply in the morning, pick up in the afternoon. I don't remember exactly the fee but think it was around Cfa 60.000 (March 2017)
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3 Jul 2018
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Facebook message on 03/July/18 of Nigeria denying entry into Cameroon. Will keep an eye out for updates
Facebook message reads as follows;
"We were denied entry into Cameroon today at Ekok crossing. They said it is too dangerous and the won’t allow tourists to cross.
We were there about 2 hours. We spoke with someone from the army who said that he was the one who gave the order to the consulates and embassies to stop issuing visas to overlanders. Everyone was extremely deferential to him so I think he was important. He said the situation is very bad. We went over the map with him to
Investigate alternatives. Importantly he said the Bissaula crossing is more dangerous than Ekok and Bot to take it. He said we could crossing near Gembu Nigeria which goes into the central region of Cameroon and said it would be safe. But that gets pretty far north into Nigeria which is certainly not safe.
Thankfully the Nigeria side let us go over and talk with Cameroon before stamping us out.
We rode down to Calabar and got a quote to take a ferry to Doulala for 350 USD each for our passage and motorbike. For a car the price is 1,000,000 cfa or about 1800 USD.
For us it’s not worth the risk to try up north. Also it’s been raining so much and I don’t want to ride in the muddy mountain roads haha.
Good luck to all."
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
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Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
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New to Horizons Unlimited?
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Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
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What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
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