Hello Friends,
I'm new to the forum and eager to get involved and exchange via this valuable resource!
I'm currently planning a photodocumentary project that will have me travelling across West Africa by motorcycle. A friend and I will be traversing West Africa to share the stories of nomadic Fulani herders. This unique population of herders faces a diminishing frontier for survival, as development and desrtification infringe on their pasture lands. We'll be staying in Fulani camps (my buddy is Fulani himself) and sharing their stories via photo/video/ambient sound. Although this is basically a photography project on motorcycles, rather than a motorcycle trip with photographs, I'm eager to get involved with the HU community and share this adventure.
Please see our website to find out more:
PULAKU | the fulani photo project
We were selected as finalists by the National Geographic Expeditions Council, but in the end, we weren't chosen for funding. However, we've opted to go ahead with the project and fund it by selling printed images. That said, please visit our site spread the word about our little endeavor.
Now, my questions for the Forum:
I have a motorcycle permit from the US (Virginia) and an international driving license, but my friend Guida does not have a driving license because nothing is required to drive a motorcycle here in Benin. Will he encounter problems in other countries?
We'll be travelling in: Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Gambia, and Senegal.
Do we need a carnet, or can we just get "laissez-passer" at the borders? We'll most likely be travelling on small bikes: 125cc Yamahas or Bajaj (Indian, assembled in Nigeria and surprisingly tough).
Are there advantages/dissadvantages to buying the bikes and registerring them in Benin/Togo/Ghana/Nigeria?
If we buy insurance in one of these countries, is it valid in all of West Africa?
We both currently live in Benin, so we'll be organizing logistics from this end before we depart.
I'm looking forward to interacting with the HU as we move forward, and thanks in advance for your insights on these issues!
Christoph Herby
Pulaku - the fulani photo project
PULAKU | the fulani photo project