Interesting... the last time I rode down through DRC and Angola to Namibia was in 2006. However, the 700 Tenere arrives next week and I want to go back!

When were you last in that zone?

__________________
Life is... the gap between one big bike trip and the next

I lived in the Republic of the Congo for two years a long time ago (when I arrived it was still the People's Democratic Republic of the Congo) and travelled within the country and into Gabon and Angola. Never actually entered DRC although you could listen to the gunfire in the evening from the poolside in Brazzaville.

We were at the Rwanda/DRC border in 2017 and considered spending a week however that was just after a number of Rangers had been murdered in the National Park, and the cost of getting visas plus accommodation led us to decide against a visit at the time (the idea was to look for Gorillas, however I had experienced Lowland Gorillas in (Republic of the) Congo and we then went to look for Highland Gorillas in Rwanda). I had looked into travel in DRC various times and had had each time decided against it.

I first saw Luanda in 1973; spent a lot of time there between 2001 and 2006, and was last in the country in 2017, briefly. The roads were improving, and things were returning to normaliy, however the aftermath of the war was very present. We went north of Luanda to a small seaside village and ate lobster for lunch. A group went to the same village a couple of weeks later, made the mistake of driving a couple of metres off the track and their vehicle set off a mine - very bad news! The national parks in Central West Angola had opened but there was little wildllfe. When we were talking with contacts who had recently been into Southern Angola they said that corruption was a major problem there.

We spent a month in Namibia in 2017 - entering from RSA and leaving to Botswana - we had a great time, travelling through the south, Fish River Canyon, Namib Desert, Damaraland, Kakaoland, Etosha, and Caprivi. The roads are excellent (although on a bike you'd have to take care on the gravel roads because of the risk ofloose gravel thrown up by passing tourists).

I don't think you'd have any problem riding the west coast from Luanda to Namibia, and Namibia itself would be great trip. If you take C27 south from Sesriem to Aus make sure you take highway D707 instead of staying on C27 - the scenery is amazing!

Africa DOES have a bloody history and more than its fair share of tragedy. And you've certainly witnessed some changes. For cultural reasons only, I yearn for the Africa of old. Seeing Macdonalds, KFC, cities where everyone is living on the phone and the invasion by China does not hold the same appeal. Then again, I did not witness any wars or disasters first hand.

You are going back quite a way. My first trip was in the early 90's. I was fortunate to get up close to the highland gorillas in Virunga, DRC (Zaire at the time). We had to cross Lake Kivu at the same time that the river was bringing down floating corpses from Rwanda.

You must have witnessed some profound changes in Angola. They were still reeling from the war in 2006 and bush camping did have an added element of excitement. We worked on the basis that if you were out in the middle of nowhere, far from villages, towns, cities, bridges and strategic locations, that there would have been no point in laying mines there. Also, recently dried up river beds were an option.

Angola and Namibia are countries I would revisit tomorrow if I lived in SA. So, as it is, I will have to wait a bit and plan a longer trip from the top down.

__________________
Life is... the gap between one big bike trip and the next

David, My name is Mark Wegener, from the US (Portland, OR). I have been planning a N/S venture from Paris to Cape Town along the west coast since early 2019, originally panning on departing the first week in September, 2020. I finally canceled the flight (with my BMW 1200 GSA) in late June last year. It is now scheduled for September 2021. I will have a passenger and one other rider (so far). I have done Prudhoe Bay, AK to Santiago, Chile in 2015 with the same passenger. Would be fun to join up. We are hoping to go to the HU in France, if they allow Americans (crazy times). Mark

Hi David and Mark (and everyone else).

I'm also eyeing at riding from North to South in September. My name is Sami, an (software) engineer from Finland. Would love to meet up and part or the whole way down.

What kind of timeline are you thinking? For me somewhere around 3 months would be optimal.

Hello everyone,
for the last 5 years I have been traveling the world with sailboats and on foot.
I now have a motorcycle and would like to leave Germany for Cape Town in autumn 2021.
I have little motorcycle travel experience, I don't even know Africa - that's why I want to do it.
But gladly with "experienced" people. And they seem to be gathering here in this thread?
Stephan

Hi, Stephan.

Yes there are a few of us going. Most of Africa is currently in lockdown so we are keeping an eye out. Might not be possible this autum. If it is possible. I am going 100%.

2017 (Namibia and briefly Angola, as well as RSA, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya).

My first time in Africa was 1973-1974 - lived in Botswana, travelled widely in Southern and Eastern Africa. In and out of North Africa from 1993 onwards, with the last couple of visits to Algeria in 2013 and 2015. Lived in Congo 1993-1994, and travelled throughout the region and to Botswana and Zimbabawe. Then from 2001 to 2006 in and out of Southern Africa (again) - RSA and Angola. In 2017 we did a long trip around Southern and Eastern Africa - Nairobi to Cape Town and back.

re changes - the first time I saw Luanda was 1973 - still part of Portugal, I remember lines of refugees crossing the border into Botswana in 1974/1975. Spent a lot of time there from 2001-2006 - with infrastructure in bad shape and lots of social stress. Once went exploring north of Luanda and found a fishing village where we ate lobster and drank on the beach; the following week someone else went to see the place and hit a mine... ! We had friends who travelled south trying to reach Namibia, and never made it - very tragic. Last time I was in Luanda it was slowly rebuilding - new high rise offices, new 'buses, but people were having to commute hours a day because they couldn;t afford to live in the centre. The Game Reserve closest to Luanda was open again, however no animals... Last in Angola in 2017, very briefly - lots of stories of corruption, however getting better.

My departure is scheduled for Dec. 2021.

__________________
One life - live it

Hi,
How firm is your planning. I am also interested in Europe -S Africa. I only want to if I have some one travelling together.

So, let me know.
Email: djinsital@gmail.com

Djin

Djin,
I'm serious.
However, .... nowadays it's not considered good practice to commit to something without watching the situation at the borders. Morocco will for sure reopen, but I don't know about Mauritania, Senegal, Mali.
I'll check again in Oct. We'll stay in touch.

Wauschi

__________________
One life - live it

I think I'm repeating myself, however thought that perhaps I had not answered the question... I was last in Namibia (and briefly in Angola) in 2017, as well as RSA, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya, on that trip. I've been in and out of Angola many times (first saw Luanda in 1973, visited 20 or so times from 2001-2006). I lived in Congo for two years, however it was a while ago now. Lived in Botswana for a year and a half, even longer ago, and have been back only twice since.

Hi Wauschi,

Yes let’s keep in touch.
I have about 3 month to travel.
How much time do you plan for this trip?

Djin

Open end.

__________________
One life - live it