Hi guys, Sorry about the rugger. But there you go. Anyways I'm thinking of a trip next year going to the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race it is the centenary next year. I'm not much of a race goer but I figure it is a street circuit and most people there will be motorcyclist so it won't be too bad and it is a good excuse for a ride. My present thoughts are to fly me and the bike to Johannesburg ride from there to Victoria Falls (via Mozambique) and back to possibly pick up visas for Angola.. ok more detail? Start say 1st Jan allow a week stuffing around to get the bike, possibly apply for visas etc. Then ride off through Mozambique to Zambia, coming back through Botswana. Yep .. I know it is the monsoon so will be wet .. but mostly the rain falls in the afternoon so riding in the mornings should be ok.. more or less. Flooding could be a problem .. alternative would be good for bypassing floods? E.G. if road to Zambia not possible - go through. Malawi, especially Mvuu River Lodge on the Shire River in Liwonde National Park, Southern Malawi. Anyways allow say 2 weeks to get to Victoria Falls .. should be slow enough to see some sights .. approx 3,000km + Leave Livingstone 20th Jan Botswana 23rd Jan then down to Cape Town and up to Namibia. About 4,000 km new tyres (and a service) in Cape Town .. Possibly do Fish River Gorge... Rent 4WD/car from Imperial Rental in Tsumeb? For tour of park. South of Tsumeb, go to "Okonjima guest ranch.? From there up to Angola .. visas available on the boarder? 1,500km On to Dem. Rep. Of the Congo .. 27 Feb 1,500 km 8 days. May go around DRC depending on the situation/s .. fly or boat? I believe DRC has some rule about money having all to be changed within three days of entry .. might try to make it through within the 3 days (400km)? Visas at boarder ? 1 day wait... Congo and Gabon 2nd March Congo visa at boarder 1,100 km 5 days Cameroon 2,000km 10 days new tyres? The problem 16 march .. Nigeria visa .. expires 3 months after issue .. so may go around via lake Chad .. sandy and has risky approach .. but does get us to Niger quickly .. so that is the present plan. 600km. 21st March Niger 1,500 km 7 days 28 March Mali 1,700 km 8 days Possibly Timbuktu from the sought and do a river boat to the west .. want to visit Dagon country. 5 April Mauritania 1,400 km 7 days bugger all research here .. sorry tired of reading! 12 April Morocco 2,900 km 14 days Will do some of Chris Scotts 'Sahara overland' routes here .. if not elsewhere... Want to see Fess, and at lest one of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt ... 19 th April 2 weeks 'spare' From there it is Spain (new tyres and service .. and some additional locks for the thiefs of Europe) ... Pyrenes ... and ferry to Britain .. then on to another ferry to the Isle of Man for a week of racing? 1 June to 9 June Then a week touring ? Wales? Lakes? What ever .. until the Horizons Unlimited meeting Have to check dates .. ?14 to 17 June? The rest well again I don't want to fly all the way back home so presently the plan is to ride through to India (Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey (more tyres), Iran (if every thing is reasonable then), Pakistan, India, Nepal, India, Bhutan, India and back home from there.... Ok that is the rough idea.. what I'm after is senary. I've listed the UN World Heritage http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31 as things to get to if possible. Good dirt roads are a bonus .. defiantly not autobahns .. unless there is no alternative. The average distance is about 200 km per day .. than has to include stops of all kinds .. and is an average, so those 60 km days will have to be made up for by close to 400 km days ... it should all balance out ? So far there are 3 of us me on the K75G/S, a DR650 and a BM R100GS (HPN mods). Remember we'll be carrying goods and chattels for the trip .. months long .. not some weekend away .. and we need to finish intact so as to get to the TT ... So some ideas for the south of Africa would be appreciated .. at the moment Jo burg - Maputo then along the coast Caia then inland Kaite Livingstone Kasan Mabahn Villiage (depending on floods) Maun Kung Joburg back to the coast Standerton Carlestown Ladysmith Durban Port Elizabeth Cape Town Ai-Ais-Hotspring Kotzenshoop Namibia Fish river canyon ? Windhoek Oshakati (visa for Angola?) Angloa Luanda Possible flight to ? Cabinda Solo boat to ? Point-Noire Congo? DRC possibly? Maquela Do Zombo Pioka Mindouli Mindouli Congo Bourma Dounguila Mouamba Gabon Bifourn Libreville? If required for visas. Oyem Bilam Ambam Cameroon Douala Baloussam Maroua N Djamena Chad Massakari Rig-Rig (I like the name, goes with Grong Grong) Lake Chad Nguigmi Niger Niamey Gao Mali Korogoussou Dagon country Tombouctou (spealt in many ways read 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom T.E. Lawrence!
Jeebers! What a trip. Got a few guys planning a WWR in South Africa for next year. Idea is to circumnavigate SA using dirt roads only. Lot of research already done by the Main Peanut. Try to get hold of him. Maybe he can give you some pointers on routes to follow from Jo'Burg doen to CT. Might not include the towns you mentioned. Round about Ladysmith is the Midlands Meander. www.midlandsmeander.co.za More a tourist destinantion with lots of farm stops and shops. A few Adventure activities listed as well. Lots of small dirts roads leading to little farms and shops. Can be done in a day if you identify the places you want to visit. Stunning scenery on the routes. Very green part of SA.
Another thing you must try and fit into your trip: Baviaanspoort www.baviaans.net http://www.baviaans.net/photoalbum.html
well Frank apologies accepted for the rugby youre goin big i see i can try to help out with some of SA and then i have been through moz to malawi and zim and zambia angola will be challenging i think ,dont have a clue not a whole lot of guys goin up the way you want to ,all the more reason to go that way i guess anyway you still have some time for planning suggest maybe a little more time for SA
amazing trip this ...wish i had the funds to join you ... as 07 is the TT centenary year you had better book now for accomodation/ferries etc cos i have heard there is nigh on buggerall left for TT 07. As for your trip in Africa ....cant help with too many details regarding Visas but this is africa and anything can be had for a price ,, and the "price"is not normally that high either.... are u australian ? if so best check with aus authorities for the various countries .. africa is a desolate place , plan petrol very very carefully and take as many bike spares as you can ... a lot of african countries now have mobile networks but i would look at a satellite phone as well $$$ and of course GPS. you will enjoy it though and have a great time .. another poster mentioned try and do baviaanskloof , dont try an do it ...u must do it , great ride and nice and technical to sharpen the skills a bit. cheers
I will have a detailed look at what you are proposing, it looks to me like there is room for some alternative (less back tracking) routing, to do Vic Falls then Cape Town is a bit ass about face IMHO. Welsh
howzit Welsh did you have a good trip ? sh*t hit the fan while you were away as you noticed i agree with what you say about there and back again i just figured maybe they want to see more of the country but there is a better route to follow to see all the same places
Good trip, 7 flights in 7 days, multiple cities lots of meetings, lots of beer (some great ALT its a local Dusseldorf beer) Humid and Warm, smelly drains and I think there is kak coming if the heat continues! I was trying to "log in" in Berlin, I was in an American style hotel, I assumed their fire walls were OTT. Did not now of the Kak. Welsh
The back trackin... not my ideal either... but the problem is Angola .. no embassy here so need to apply for one over there .. and don't want to wait around a week while the paperwork is done.. So application in to embassy Joburg/petoria then do the Victoria Falls loop .. the alternative is to apply for it in Nambia .. ruddy paperwork !!! Think you're thinkin of making a loop out of cape town then up to vic falls then back across to Nambia? Or you thinking of crossing DRC from east to west (errr... )? The are lots of paperwork problem is crossing Africa .. some you can go around using another country .. some you cannot due to err 'civil strife' ... Anyways wilddogs is up ... at the moment.. might leave it a few days before posting something there? Edit .. Oh the IoM TT .. booked that errr 7? months ago. As for more time - I wish! As it is - that is about a one year trip. And yes it is too fast..
Me and a friend of myne wanted to fly our bikes up to Egypt and come down through Kenia to SA next year (2007). But the costs is big and according to our research we need 200% the value of your bike and that AA insurance document thing. They also say that it is better to get visa for Kenia from top that coming up from bottom (Tanzania). Now we also look to go from Casablanca around the west coast back to SA. Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia is very easy to get in as long as you have all your bike papers. Well, this is all I can say. Appently Angola is also expensive to go in but not difficult.
Morning Frank, I do not know if you have seen these two links, may be of interest. http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/lifestyle/articles/display.asp?Id=221 http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/lifestyle/articles/display.asp?Id=313 Talk to the boys on WildDog, maybe someone can assist in doing your Angolan visa,s up front. Welsh
Baviaanskloof a must for any guy owning a bike where a beer can can fit between the front mudguard and the wheel! The following sites will give you an even beter intro. Lots of photo's and route descriptions. Enjoy! http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/Tour.../Baviaans1.htm http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/Tour.../Baviaans1.htm and the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve
Think a long neck would fit in mine ... Thanks for the links and ideas .. keep them coming ... I'll shortly be off on a small trip .. around 10,000 km and a few weeks (OCR, other side of the country) .. and a few beers .. so you'll pardon the lack of my activity here. Once I'm back I'll colate the ideas and incorperate them into the next 'rough plan' and put that up on the SA forum ... ( You may like to comment on the average speed difference between what I do here (at 'home') compared to there.. well I know a fair bit about here... and have already stoped and taken photos and looked around .. where as there I have not ... so stopages will be more than more frequent there) Edit Oh errr ... something I've come across before but it does not translate into OzieStrine .. what is a "vehicle's police clearance" .. that something to say it is not stolen? Or is it a roadworthy, registration thingy?
Police clearance means that the engine/chassis numbers indicate that the vehicles has not been reported as stolen. It does not mean that the vehicle is free of any encumbrance to a bank or other person