Hello!

Trying to gather up-to-date safety and security info for a ride from Cairo to Gilgil in Kenya. Two lads and lass travelling there early next year.

Any comments and info greatly apprecaited.

Thanks in advance!

James.

Hello James, as no one else has answered... I traveled this route earlyer this year. Egypt is full of tourists and the main roads have a very heavy police presence I would have no worries about riding the route I did then, now. Sudan has problems, I was concerened about them before I left, the old troubles in the south, Dufar in the west. But the normal route Wadi Halfa to Dongoal to Khartoum is so far from those troubles it is not worth worring about, the little villages along the nile were so pretty and were genuinly the friendlyest people I came across in Africa, take time to stop and say hello. Eithiopia is not a safety concern, North Kenya has a reputation but along the Normal Moyale-Masabit route I think is fine now and has't been any trouble there for along time. The area aound lake Turkana there are bandits. I met a 4x4 who had been robbed there in Feb. When friends and I passed throught (2 weeks earlyer) there were bandits in the area and they clashed with the poilce. North Kenya is wild land, always has been and always will be. But for overlanders not really a problem, Im sure you will bump into other travelers along the way and often are happy to travel together for some sections.

Hope this helps, have a great time, I wish I doing again!

George

Thanks very much for your reply! Really useful info this, much appreciated.

Can I just ask what you did for accommodation? Did you camp much?

Thanks
James

Your welcome, this is what horizonsunlimited is all about! I had a tent and certainly recomend one, you proably could do it with out, but some of the accomendation I came across was bad my tent was much nicer. As there have been overlanders following this route for years there established places where people often stay, which are about a days ride/drive away. Be them camp sites or cheep hotels. Lonely plannet is a good start (esp their city maps), but I found that word of mouth from people comming the opposite direction is the most useful. Bush camping is the nicest way of staying in Africa, it is also a way to make the budget strech. If you are going to use a GPS, Tracks4Africa will provide you with a huge amount of info. I did't have one but a friend I traveled with did. It is nice to not have a GPS and use old fashioned maps, A gps in certainly not escential, but can be very nice espically arriving in a city in the evening and being able to just plug in the address and off you go, not spending hours searching around in the dark. I will be taking one around the world with me!
Enjoy!

George

Hello James,

I am based in birmingham, and i am also planning a trip to kenya for the 15th april 2010. i have had a lot of help from this forum and also a good friend who did this trip a few years ago. roughly when are you planning your trip for?

yaz