Where to go in Africa?

Sideoff · 09-29-2009, 09:18 PM

Hey guys -

A friend and I are planning a month-long moto trip in Africa next February. Coming from the US. We're pretty open with respect to which country except for a few criteria:

Somewhere we haven't visited yet: so not South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, or Kenya.

A reasonably "safe" country with a functioning government and a police force/army that are on the same side as the government. Not worried about petty crime, just political shit.

A country with some interesting places to explore via moto: mountains, coast, views, nice people, dirt roads, culture, bars & nightclubs, etc... a month in a barren desert would kind of suck.

Big enough to be fun to explore for a month with lots of stuff to see. So the Seychelles, for example, are out... (no offence Seychelles!)

A place where we can buy bikes without too much trouble... probably just some locally-available enduros that can be fixed by local mechanics. China bikes or an XR400 or whatever. Maybe spend $2k max per bike and then ditch them at the end.

If there were some advriders who lived there who could point us in the right direction and maybe meet up for beers that would of course be awesome.

Some of the places we're considering: Uganda, Senegal, Morocco, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Zambia.

We were originally planning to rent bikes, but that pretty much meant we had to start in South Africa due to the lack of rentals elsewhere. And the SA companies wanted $4k+/bike for the month plus a $3,750 deductible/bike to take them out of the country. For that amount we figured we'd be better off buying and then we can go wherever we want and if we crash a bike we'll ditch it and buy another and still be ahead cost-wise.

Thoughts? Thx in advance for your help.

Pete

Gruebane · 09-30-2009, 12:08 AM

Botswana , Zimbabwe and Mozambique

All 3 great places to go to , beuaitful , cheap for 'mericans and a holidya you wont forget ....

Edit" And norhtern Namibia"

busybone · 09-30-2009, 01:17 AM

Come visit me in Pemba (former Porto Amelia) Mozambique

Sideoff · 09-30-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gruebane

Botswana , Zimbabwe and Mozambique

All 3 great places to go to , beuaitful , cheap for 'mericans and a holidya you wont forget ....

Edit" And norhtern Namibia"

Is Zimbabwe ok to visit now? I was under the impression (very possibly incorrect) that between the instability, inflation, and lack of petrol it was kind of sketchy right now.

Northern Namibia... interesting... I will take a look at that. Thanks!

Sideoff · 09-30-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busybone

Come visit me in Pemba (former Porto Amelia) Mozambique

Hey man: if mozi ends up being the destination, we will for sure!

Any other thoughts out there? Anyone done a trip in Uganda and/or Rwanda? Seems like good moto potential...

winterbikker · 10-03-2009, 11:12 AM

Two years ago four of us went on an organized tour in October to Namibia. It was a fantastic trip , especially Etosha National Park and the Namib Desert, along with many other extotic locations. Roads were mostly gravel which made for an real adventure. After the tour I watched Long Way Down and found that three months prior to our trip Ewan and Charlie preceded us along the same roads , stopped at the same sights, even ate the same places! We did 3500 km in total and I intend to go back next year for a much expanded tour and include South Africa , Botswana and Zambia. Once you have experienced Africa once is just not enough.

Gruebane · 10-05-2009, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideoff

Is Zimbabwe ok to visit now? I was under the impression (very possibly incorrect) that between the instability, inflation, and lack of petrol it was kind of sketchy right now.

Northern Namibia... interesting... I will take a look at that. Thanks!

Zim seems to be slowly getting its act together ...supermarket shelves are being restocked an petrol is avaialble. they now use the greenback or the ZA rand as official currency.

inflation has now been pegged at 1 % .... not sure how true this is but since giving up on the zim $ currency inflation figures are no longer available.

Seeing as you have a month to tour nambia, bots , zambia, zimbabwe and mozambique is ver y doable ... whatever you decide you are going to love it

Sideoff · 10-05-2009, 09:16 PM

Thanks for all the input guys. That's great info on Zimbabwe. Great pics winterbikker.

Even though nobody has chimed in on these countries yet, this week I did a lot of research on Uganda, Rwanda, & Burundi. I found a few contacts over there and I'm trying to get some pricing on bikes. Seems like an area ripe for moto exploring but there's not a lot of info available on the web and I haven't seen many RRs from that area. If anyone stumbles on this post and has some info please post or PM me!

Anyway... lots to think about. Wherever we go I will of course post trip reports on advrider as always!

Thanks guys -

Pete

Sideoff · 10-06-2009, 03:11 PM

And we're booked!

So exactly 7 days after posting this "where the f--- should we go" thread we just bought two tickets on KLM Dutch from Portland, OR to Kampala, Uganda. We're leaving Jan 30th 2010 and returning Feb 24th 2010.

(Cost was $1,388 apiece including taxes and fees. Just entering that in case someone stumbles on this thread later looking for info to help with their own trip planning).

Now we need to find two motorcycles. If anyone finds this thread before Jan 30th 2010 and can help with a contact in Kampala, Uganda it would be much appreciated!

Please PM me.

MOGGIE · 11-03-2009, 11:26 AM

Hi I am trying to do support for bikers in Africa. Start in Hoedspruit and then into Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. I use a Unimog with trailer. All equipment spares, food petrol etc. I bring with. I do a sweep behind the bikers. I have my own F650GS Dakar that I take with. How about a contact?

MOGGIE · 11-03-2009, 11:29 AM

Sorry Zim has now got more shit to handle, no one in his right mind will go there at the moment. Mozambique is the answer at the moment. It is a great bikers country if you stay off the main roads.

petefromberkeley · 11-05-2009, 06:50 PM

In 2005 they would not let me into Zim with a bike even though I had the carnet etc.

I agree with everyone else though. Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana.

I really want to go back to Ethiopia (and I may next year). That is what our German friends call "zee REAL Africa". Oh and Uganda too.

Oh yeah and Malawi and Zambia too!

Faceplant · 11-08-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOGGIE

Sorry Zim has now got more shit to handle, no one in his right mind will go there at the moment. Mozambique is the answer at the moment. It is a great bikers country if you stay off the main roads.

Well if your going as far as Moz then you could just as well come up to Tanzania, I'll expect to hear from you. Can arrange XR400's locally too.

MOGGIE · 11-10-2009, 07:54 AM

Hi Faceplant,
Africa is getting to small. I would like to get to Tanzania for a trip. Where do you stay and what is biking experiance like there?
REgards
D

uean · 03-02-2010, 10:25 PM

Dang, Feb 24th is when you returned? I just registered here but live in Uganda, about 4 hours from Kampala but I'm up there all the time. Hope you had a good time. Give me a shout sometime if you're ever in the area again as I am always good for meeting up.

09-29-2009, 09:18 PM	#1
Sideoff ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Hood River, OR Oddometer: 246	Where to go in Africa? Hey guys - A friend and I are planning a month-long moto trip in Africa next February. Coming from the US. We're pretty open with respect to which country except for a few criteria: Somewhere we haven't visited yet: so not South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, or Kenya. A reasonably "safe" country with a functioning government and a police force/army that are on the same side as the government. Not worried about petty crime, just political shit. A country with some interesting places to explore via moto: mountains, coast, views, nice people, dirt roads, culture, bars & nightclubs, etc... a month in a barren desert would kind of suck. Big enough to be fun to explore for a month with lots of stuff to see. So the Seychelles, for example, are out... (no offence Seychelles!) A place where we can buy bikes without too much trouble... probably just some locally-available enduros that can be fixed by local mechanics. China bikes or an XR400 or whatever. Maybe spend $2k max per bike and then ditch them at the end. If there were some advriders who lived there who could point us in the right direction and maybe meet up for beers that would of course be awesome. Some of the places we're considering: Uganda, Senegal, Morocco, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Zambia. We were originally planning to rent bikes, but that pretty much meant we had to start in South Africa due to the lack of rentals elsewhere. And the SA companies wanted $4k+/bike for the month plus a $3,750 deductible/bike to take them out of the country. For that amount we figured we'd be better off buying and then we can go wherever we want and if we crash a bike we'll ditch it and buy another and still be ahead cost-wise. Thoughts? Thx in advance for your help. Pete

09-30-2009, 12:08 AM	#2
Gruebane Pawn Star Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Johannesburg,South Africa Oddometer: 992	Botswana , Zimbabwe and Mozambique All 3 great places to go to , beuaitful , cheap for 'mericans and a holidya you wont forget .... Edit" And norhtern Namibia" __________________ I'm your IceCreamMan stop me when i'm passing by!!

09-30-2009, 01:17 AM	#3
busybone Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2009 Location: Aschaffenburg, Germany or Pemba, Mozambique Oddometer: 181	Come visit me in Pemba (former Porto Amelia) Mozambique __________________ In rust we trust I am not a native speaker, please try to understand my weird postings.

10-03-2009, 11:12 AM	#6
winterbikker Adventurer Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Eastern Ontario-best Sunday PM roads anywhere Oddometer: 44	Two years ago four of us went on an organized tour in October to Namibia. It was a fantastic trip , especially Etosha National Park and the Namib Desert, along with many other extotic locations. Roads were mostly gravel which made for an real adventure. After the tour I watched Long Way Down and found that three months prior to our trip Ewan and Charlie preceded us along the same roads , stopped at the same sights, even ate the same places! We did 3500 km in total and I intend to go back next year for a much expanded tour and include South Africa , Botswana and Zambia. Once you have experienced Africa once is just not enough. __________________ "It's the journey, not the destination" - Ensign Harry Kim

10-05-2009, 09:16 PM	#8
Sideoff ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Hood River, OR Oddometer: 246	Thanks for all the input guys. That's great info on Zimbabwe. Great pics winterbikker. Even though nobody has chimed in on these countries yet, this week I did a lot of research on Uganda, Rwanda, & Burundi. I found a few contacts over there and I'm trying to get some pricing on bikes. Seems like an area ripe for moto exploring but there's not a lot of info available on the web and I haven't seen many RRs from that area. If anyone stumbles on this post and has some info please post or PM me! Anyway... lots to think about. Wherever we go I will of course post trip reports on advrider as always! Thanks guys - Pete Sideoff screwed with this post 10-05-2009 at 11:37 PM

10-06-2009, 03:11 PM	#9
Sideoff ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Hood River, OR Oddometer: 246	And we're booked! So exactly 7 days after posting this "where the f--- should we go" thread we just bought two tickets on KLM Dutch from Portland, OR to Kampala, Uganda. We're leaving Jan 30th 2010 and returning Feb 24th 2010. (Cost was $1,388 apiece including taxes and fees. Just entering that in case someone stumbles on this thread later looking for info to help with their own trip planning). Now we need to find two motorcycles. If anyone finds this thread before Jan 30th 2010 and can help with a contact in Kampala, Uganda it would be much appreciated! Please PM me.

11-03-2009, 11:26 AM	#10
MOGGIE Adventurer Joined: Nov 2009 Location: Hoedspruit South Africa Oddometer: 14	Africa Hi I am trying to do support for bikers in Africa. Start in Hoedspruit and then into Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. I use a Unimog with trailer. All equipment spares, food petrol etc. I bring with. I do a sweep behind the bikers. I have my own F650GS Dakar that I take with. How about a contact?

11-03-2009, 11:29 AM	#11
MOGGIE Adventurer Joined: Nov 2009 Location: Hoedspruit South Africa Oddometer: 14	Africa Sorry Zim has now got more shit to handle, no one in his right mind will go there at the moment. Mozambique is the answer at the moment. It is a great bikers country if you stay off the main roads.

11-05-2009, 06:50 PM	#12
petefromberkeley - Joined: May 2004 Location: Berkeley, CA Oddometer: 3,261	In 2005 they would not let me into Zim with a bike even though I had the carnet etc. I agree with everyone else though. Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana. I really want to go back to Ethiopia (and I may next year). That is what our German friends call "zee REAL Africa". Oh and Uganda too. Oh yeah and Malawi and Zambia too! __________________ Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride. Hot as a pistol but cool inside.

11-10-2009, 07:54 AM	#14
MOGGIE Adventurer Joined: Nov 2009 Location: Hoedspruit South Africa Oddometer: 14	Africa Hi Faceplant, Africa is getting to small. I would like to get to Tanzania for a trip. Where do you stay and what is biking experiance like there? REgards D

03-02-2010, 10:25 PM	#15
uean n00b Joined: Mar 2010 Location: Rakai, Uganda Oddometer: 3	Dang, Feb 24th is when you returned? I just registered here but live in Uganda, about 4 hours from Kampala but I'm up there all the time. Hope you had a good time. Give me a shout sometime if you're ever in the area again as I am always good for meeting up.

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