SA to UK via West Africa?

[Tone & Andge]

If anyone has any advice on the following route/s we would love to here from you. S. Africa, Namibia, Angola,DRC,Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, or Nigeria, Niger, Mali, or Chad, Niger, Mali, - Mauritania, Morocco then back to Cardiff for a pie and a pint! We will be a tad pushed for time as we will only have 4 and a half months to do the trip, so any advice on visas etc would be really appreciated. Thanks.

[DougieB]

Hi,

I am going the other way, and am in Togo at the moment. I've come through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina, Ghana. Visa's haven't been a problem at all. Some take a few days though.

You tend to learn along the way which visas can be bought at the border and which you must get beforehand (at an embassy en route).

Are you on bikes? You may want to include Togo in your plan. It's about mid-way, and there's a KTM dealer who stocks Pirelli and Michelin tyres.

[Robbert]

Visa's are simpler the other way around. Check about your Marocan visa requirements. If you need one it might be difficult to impossible to get one in Mauri.

Rob

[Tone & Andge]

Thanks a lot for your replies. Good luck in your own adventures, maybe we'll bump in to you - but hopefully not literally!!!

[happyfingers]

dougieb, how long did it take from gibraltar to the senagalese / mali border? did you take it easy or really motor it?
cheers
h

[DougieB]

I took it easy...

entry to Morocco 24th Dec, entry to Mauritania 3rd Jan, entry to Senegal 12th Jan, entry to Mali 23rd Jan.

So that's about a month. But I easily spent two and a bit weeks not travelling overall. And my max speed was 40 mph, much slower over the rough stuff (Mauri/Mali). I took the ferry from Almeria into Maroc, and came across the Rif mountains (nice).

If time is short you can avoid Senegal altogether, which will save you cash and lots of hassle. Go from Mauri straight to Mali.

Cheers,
Doug