Planning a trip in September/October 2007 to ride from England to South Africa (mates live there so you can leave your bike with them if you need to, e.g to plan a trip to South America after or no cash to transport them back).

Waiting to see if the border will open between Morocco and Algeria otherwise I'll be entering Africa through Tunisia via Italy. Either way, Im heading down the East coast with only 2 planned stops in Addis Abeba (brother flies into there so would be a cool place to meet up) and just South of Lake Victoria in Tanzania in a place called Geitz (mate works in the mining area there). Will be avoiding Zimbabwe, instead riding through Mozambique.

First point of call though after leaving England, is to spend a few weeks with a mate in North West France on the border of Spain for a few weeks down the beach.

This trip is perfect for anyone wanting to get their first long ride under their belt and for those who just want a chilled adventure. I am very placid and open minded to re-routing and stops. I estimate the trip will take a maximum of two months.

Ill be riding a BMW F650 Dakar bike with a 39litre tank (sadly from Touratech as its so expensive!). With Garmin Zumo 500 GPS and a couple of paper map books. Ill also be taking a Carnet de Passage. Obviously its up to you if you want to get one, although it may cost you more at the borders than it's worth. However, I dont mind spending 7 hours at the border as I see it as just part of the experience.

Estimate costs at around 20-30 quid a day = max 900 quid a month (obviously excludes repair/service costs).
Carnet de Passage (excluding Egypt as its 800%) will cost me around £750 on my bike valued at around 3 grand but only telling the insurance company 2 grand (uh hum..cough cough)...

Let me know if you would like to join, what bike you intend to ride and if you have any past experience of similar rides.

Ive started collecting information together here: Smellybiker :: View topic - Helpful Beginner Guides

Also, go talk to your doctor about what vaccinations you need as they can take up to 6 weeks to do! Let him/her tell you but some of the ones he/she should suggest are Hepatitis A,B, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, typhoid, Meningitus ACWY (Meningococcal meningitis), Rabies and Malaria. AND GET A CERTIFICATE AS SOME REGIONS MAY NOT LET YOU IN WITHOUT IT

Regards
Christian

Great,


I could join you if you want...


fre

yeah sure man. no worries.
what size bike, fuel tank have you got?
Have you also got funds to keep you topped up with fuel?
Have you done a long ride before?

I never leave anyone behind and always help when I can but I can't afford to pay too

Hi there,

Sounds like a good trip. I am also working in a mine in TZ but not Geita. I am also riding a bike and will be riding from Oman to here in August. I will be riding through Yemen though.

Send me a message as one of my collegues here worked for Geita and probably knows your friend there?

Cheers
Ivan

Hey Dingo,

I cant send you an email as you've disabled the feature so hope you re-read this forum page.

Mate works for Aggreko, his name is Dave Butler. Good lad.

I grew up in the Middle East. Lived in Dubai for the past 16 years. Abu Dhabi and Bahrain before that. Been to Oman many times but never ventured down to the mad soil land of Yemman. After SAfrica, I might ride back up and across into Yemmen as it's the only Middle East country I havent been to, and back to Dubai... One things for sure, Im never coming back to the UK! Its bloody crap and expensive!

All the best
Christian

Hey Christain

Wave as you pass us by. We are leaving for SA next month via middle east

__________________
If there's a will there's a way so I will anyway!
http://www.buyaikhaya.blogspot.com

haha, will do bossies!

just got word back from a fellow couchsurfer (http://www.couchsurfing.com/) who's going to let us crash at his place in Sudan!

Just had my first set of jabs too.. measles, mumps and rubella. Over the next 28 days I will have had Polio, Diphteria, Tetinus, Typhoid, Hepatitus A (not B as its only transferred via blood and seaman and takes 6 months to have the full treatment), Meningitus ACWY, Rabies, Yellow Fever, Cholera and started a course of Malaria!!!! Im going to be a walking.. sorry, riding drug bank!

Got my last Rabies jab yesterday. Final jab is a Hep A booster next week then all done.

You can do the accelerated Hep B course which takes 4 weeks. But as said you wont be coming across many Seamen in Sudan so long as you lock yourself into your cabin on the WH ferry.

At your pace you will most prob fly past and leave us in your dust somewhere around Egypt...

__________________
If there's a will there's a way so I will anyway!
http://www.buyaikhaya.blogspot.com