Trip Preparation
Route |
Navigation | Timing |
Visas | Insurance
|
Carnet de Passage |
Medical | Mechanical |
Off-road Driver Training |
Personal
There is no understating that an expedition such as this requires
vast amounts of preparation - definitely more so that we envisaged at
the beginning! It is nevertheless all part of the experience and lots
of fun.
Thank goodness for the internet though as this makes the process so
much easier. Starting as relative novices, we have had to learn a
great deal about all the multi-faceted aspects of the trip -
mechanical to technological, legal to medical.
Outlined below are some of the key considerations. We will continue
to update this as we progress with our trip preparation.
:: Route
There are basically two routing options through Africa – west coast
or east coast. These are largely dictated by political events, such as
wars, or practical considerations such as the existence of roads.
There are also limited options for crossing from the west to east
coast. This has to be done either through Chad and Southern Sudan (not
advisable at present owing to the conflict in Darfur) or much further
south from Namibia. Our choice has been the west coast route. This
is mainly because it is French-speaking and it has always been
Catherine’s dream to tour the French-speaking world.
The west coast is known to be a challenge
for those "qui ne parlent pas Francais" comfortably. It is especially
important to be able to gather on-the-ground information such as routing
advice and therefore being comfortable in the local language is
extremely beneficial.
The west coast route also requires overlanders to travel through
many more countries than would be required of the east coast route.
This has implications for visa costs as well as the hassle factor of
border crossings that can often result in days of additional waiting
time.
As for me, I just wanted to be able to travel through Gibraltar to
visit Patagonia’s steak restaurant one last time before we left
Europe. For this reason, the west coast route was a no-brainer.
The only other issue with the west coast route is that visas for
Angola are currently very difficult to obtain. Angola is unavoidable
and the only practical route around would be to ship the vehicle from
Gabon down to Walvis Bay at great expense. We have heard from recent
overlanders that options are improving and at last report, a 5-day
transit visa was obtainable in Matadi just across the border in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. We’ll just have to keep an eye open on
this one. We remain positive for now.
:: Navigation
Navigation will be a key element if we actually want to end up in
Cape Town. We’ll be using both a GPS and a good old-fashioned map and
compass.
While GPS is the easier and probably more convenient option, it
should be considered as a supplement rather than a replacement for
good reliable maps.
Our primary maps are the Michelin National Maps (scale 1:4 000
000). These map out the primary roads across Africa. There are three
available:
- National Map 741: Africa - North and West
- National Map 745: Africa - North East and Arabia
- National Map 746: Africa - Central, South and Madagascar
We will probably supplement these with other regional/local maps
of areas where we intend spending more time.
Our GPS unit is a
Garmin Colorado 300. This is a intended as an outdoor, hand-held
GPS. While this does have auto routing capability, we chose this
above a standard car sat nav as it has far more rigorous mapping and
navigational capabilities.
We will be loading the Tracks 4 Africa (www.tracks4africa.com)
GPS maps which will provide a vast array of up-top-date, safe and
eco-friendly routing options. In a nutshell the T4A concept is
fantastic and will be hugely useful on our trip. See their website
for more information. :: Timing
The timing of a trans-Africa expedition is also a critical
consideration. Get the timing wrong and you could hit the rainy
season and end up spending vast amounts of time digging yourself out
of muddy trouble.
We researched the rainfall and temperature patterns and basically
decided that we needed to get through central Africa by April/May
when the heavy rain starts. We hear that this can often make roads
treacherous and impassable.
We also want to make sure we get the last rays of summer in
Europe before we leave. Hence we have decided to leave in mid
September.
Below is some climate data that we have collated from the
internet showing temperatures and rainfall that we can expect.
Celsius |
Average Minimum Temperature |
|
Average Maximum Temperature |
Place |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Holland |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
12 |
14 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
|
5 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
18 |
14 |
9 |
6 |
Lyon, France |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
10 |
13 |
16 |
15 |
12 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
|
5 |
7 |
11 |
14 |
19 |
22 |
26 |
26 |
22 |
16 |
10 |
6 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
-1 |
-1 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
10 |
6 |
2 |
? |
|
3 |
5 |
10 |
13 |
18 |
22 |
25 |
25 |
20 |
13 |
8 |
5 |
Firenze, Italy |
1 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
11 |
14 |
16 |
16 |
14 |
9 |
6 |
2 |
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
18 |
23 |
27 |
30 |
30 |
26 |
20 |
14 |
10 |
Valencia, Spain |
15 |
16 |
18 |
19 |
22 |
26 |
29 |
29 |
27 |
22 |
18 |
15 |
|
5 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
12 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
17 |
13 |
8 |
6 |
Gibraltar |
11 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
16 |
13 |
12 |
|
16 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
24 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
21 |
18 |
16 |
Marrakech, Morocco |
6 |
8 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
16 |
20 |
20 |
18 |
15 |
11 |
7 |
|
17 |
19 |
22 |
23 |
26 |
30 |
36 |
36 |
32 |
26 |
22 |
18 |
Nouakchott, Mauritania |
15 |
15 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
19 |
17 |
15 |
|
23 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
26 |
23 |
Saint Louis, Senegal |
17 |
17 |
18 |
18 |
20 |
23 |
25 |
25 |
26 |
24 |
20 |
17 |
|
28 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
31 |
32 |
32 |
30 |
Bamako, Mali |
18 |
21 |
24 |
26 |
26 |
23 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
20 |
18 |
|
31 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
36 |
33 |
30 |
30 |
31 |
33 |
33 |
31 |
Bobo, Burkina Faso |
20 |
22 |
25 |
26 |
25 |
22 |
22 |
21 |
21 |
22 |
21 |
20 |
|
31 |
33 |
35 |
35 |
33 |
30 |
28 |
28 |
29 |
32 |
32 |
31 |
Accra, Ghana |
25 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
|
30 |
31 |
31 |
30 |
30 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
30 |
Porto-Novo, Benin |
24 |
27 |
30 |
31 |
29 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
26 |
24 |
|
24 |
27 |
30 |
31 |
29 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
26 |
24 |
Lagos, Nigeria |
26 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
24 |
24 |
23 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
|
27 |
30 |
30 |
28 |
28 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
26 |
28 |
28 |
Douala, Cameroon |
24 |
25 |
24 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
|
30 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
27 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
Libreville, Gabon |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
24 |
24 |
25 |
|
28 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
27 |
27 |
28 |
Brazzaville, Congo |
22 |
22 |
23 |
23 |
22 |
20 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
|
29 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
27 |
26 |
27 |
29 |
29 |
28 |
28 |
Huambo, Angola |
18 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
19 |
|
18 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
19 |
Windhoek, Namibia |
20 |
18 |
17 |
15 |
11 |
8 |
7 |
10 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
21 |
|
28 |
27 |
26 |
25 |
22 |
20 |
20 |
22 |
26 |
27 |
29 |
30 |
Francistown, Botswana |
21 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
12 |
8 |
7 |
11 |
15 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
|
29 |
28 |
28 |
26 |
24 |
21 |
21 |
25 |
27 |
29 |
30 |
28 |
Lusaka, Zambia |
20 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
17 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
23 |
21 |
22 |
24 |
28 |
29 |
28 |
25 |
Blantyre, Malawi |
20 |
19 |
18 |
17 |
15 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
|
28 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
25 |
23 |
23 |
26 |
28 |
31 |
31 |
28 |
Moshi, Tanzania |
17 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
18 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
|
33 |
33 |
32 |
29 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
26 |
28 |
31 |
31 |
32 |
Nampula, Mozambique |
23 |
22 |
22 |
21 |
20 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
23 |
23 |
|
28 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
24 |
23 |
25 |
28 |
30 |
31 |
29 |
Pretoria, South Africa |
19 |
18 |
17 |
14 |
10 |
6 |
6 |
9 |
13 |
15 |
16 |
18 |
|
27 |
27 |
26 |
23 |
21 |
18 |
18 |
21 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
Source: www.worldclimate.com |
millimetres |
Average Rainfall |
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Holland |
79.1 |
43.6 |
89.3 |
39.3 |
50.2 |
60.1 |
73.4 |
60.0 |
80.1 |
103.7 |
76.4 |
72.3 |
Lyon, France |
43.2 |
41.0 |
51.7 |
61.0 |
75.1 |
78.1 |
64.9 |
79.0 |
76.8 |
86.8 |
68.3 |
50.9 |
Geneva Switzerland |
55.3 |
53.3 |
59.7 |
62.8 |
75.6 |
81.4 |
71.6 |
89.7 |
90.3 |
90.9 |
81.0 |
66.0 |
Firenze Italy |
64.1 |
61.5 |
69.4 |
70.5 |
73.3 |
56.4 |
34.2 |
46.9 |
83.4 |
99.1 |
103.4 |
79.4 |
Valencia Spain |
32.3 |
30.2 |
33.8 |
35.2 |
34.8 |
22.4 |
8.6 |
14.8 |
63.8 |
96.3 |
53.5 |
41.5 |
Gibraltar |
121.4 |
106.1 |
106.9 |
65.7 |
37.7 |
11.0 |
0.7 |
3.5 |
26.2 |
74.9 |
149.4 |
132.3 |
Marrakech |
27.4 |
31.2 |
35.9 |
31.7 |
17.1 |
7.0 |
1.7 |
3.4 |
7.0 |
20.1 |
37.2 |
28.2 |
Nouakchott, Mauritania |
16.0 |
17.0 |
19.0 |
19.0 |
21.0 |
23.0 |
24.0 |
25.0 |
26.0 |
24.0 |
20.0 |
17.0 |
Saint Louis Senegal |
2.5 |
1.9 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
7.6 |
40.6 |
94.3 |
92.3 |
23.0 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
Bamako, Mali |
0.4 |
0.1 |
3.3 |
19.2 |
59.1 |
131.1 |
229.2 |
306.5 |
198.4 |
62.8 |
7.1 |
0.4 |
Bobo, Burkina Faso |
0.6 |
3.0 |
20.6 |
44.8 |
106.5 |
131.3 |
217.3 |
301.3 |
194.3 |
66.9 |
11.6 |
2.5 |
Accra, Ghana |
14.6 |
28.5 |
57.0 |
89.8 |
135.7 |
198.7 |
50.0 |
18.5 |
43.4 |
64.1 |
33.8 |
20.1 |
Benin |
0.0 |
10.0 |
9.0 |
37.0 |
103.0 |
146.0 |
195.0 |
283.0 |
205.0 |
44.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Lagos, Nigeria |
26.5 |
43.6 |
97.5 |
146.2 |
251.7 |
413.8 |
253.0 |
68.7 |
152.7 |
196.5 |
65.9 |
25.2 |
Douala, Cameroon |
51.6 |
81.5 |
195.1 |
226.7 |
306.3 |
498.9 |
701.7 |
717.1 |
591.8 |
419.0 |
153.8 |
56.3 |
Libreville, Gabon |
164.3 |
137.4 |
247.9 |
231.7 |
180.7 |
23.7 |
3.2 |
6.0 |
68.5 |
331.5 |
377.5 |
197.3 |
Brazzaville, Congo |
138.1 |
125.7 |
187.8 |
209.1 |
117.2 |
5.8 |
0.9 |
3.2 |
38.3 |
144.9 |
234.8 |
167.1 |
Chianga, Angola |
209.7 |
160.5 |
232.2 |
151.8 |
23.6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
2.5 |
21.3 |
128.1 |
208.1 |
249.6 |
Windhoek, Namibia |
78.1 |
80.3 |
78.7 |
37.7 |
6.6 |
1.2 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
2.8 |
11.8 |
26.9 |
41.7 |
Francistown, Botswana |
100.0 |
84.4 |
60.4 |
24.2 |
6.9 |
2.6 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
6.4 |
27.0 |
59.4 |
91.3 |
Lusaka, Zambia |
213.4 |
172.4 |
104.2 |
21.8 |
3.2 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.9 |
14.3 |
86.0 |
200.4 |
Blantyre, Malawi |
274.5 |
221.4 |
184.0 |
65.2 |
14.6 |
11.7 |
16.3 |
5.6 |
9.8 |
29.0 |
101.5 |
207.0 |
Moshi, Tanzania |
38.4 |
45.5 |
117.2 |
328.3 |
179.6 |
34.6 |
20.8 |
17.2 |
14.8 |
32.8 |
67.3 |
52.6 |
Nampula, Mozambique |
226.9 |
214.1 |
187.7 |
85.6 |
26.5 |
20.8 |
18.3 |
10.6 |
8.3 |
16.4 |
70.1 |
184.1 |
Pretoria, South Africa |
128.8 |
96.1 |
87.4 |
44.4 |
19.6 |
7.0 |
6.7 |
6.9 |
21.1 |
66.7 |
108.4 |
112.5 |
Source: www.worldclimate.com |
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Likely timing |
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Over 200mm - avoid |
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:: Visas
Visas are a significant trip expense. With one of us being on a
South African passport though, this should reduce some of the cost.
There are two approaches – get all the visas before we go, or get them
en route. We are thinking of a hybrid approach getting the
first 5 or 6 before we leave and arranging the rest as we go. This
will give us slightly more flexibility should we want to alter our
route.
Many African visas are also valid from the time of issue (not entry
into the country) which can make time schedules quite tight,
especially for the countries further south. As noted above, Angolan
visas are particularly difficult to obtain at the moment but we
understand that this situation is slowly changing.
We found very good visa information at the following sites:
:: Insurance
Vehicle and Medical
We are still investigating
insurance options. This will cover both vehicle insurance and
medical insurance. We have been directed towards Campbell Irvine who
apparently do both. We’ll update this page with our latest research
when this is sorted out.
Third Party Vehicle Insurance
Third party vehicle insurance in
African countries is a legal requirement and must often be bought at
border posts. For Southern and East Africa, the
COMESA Yellow Card scheme is insurance that covers multiple
countries and covers third party liabilities and medical expenses. I
think there may be similar schemes for West Africa but not certain
as yet.
:: Vehicle import considerations
As we will be taking a vehicle into numerous countries, we
obviously will not want to be paying import duties each time.
This is overcome by the Carnet de Passage en Douane. This
document is issued by motoring organisations worldwide allowing the
temporary importation of a vehicle into countries without payment of
customs duties and taxes. The document guarantees that if for any
reason the vehicle fails to be re-exported, the issuing club will
pay duties liable. The RAC is the only issuer of this document in
the UK.
Practically this means that we’ll need to pay an up-front deposit
and will need to be stamped in and out of each country in order to
claim the deposit back at the end of the trip.
Should we decide to stay in SA and keep the Land Rover, we’ll
have the option of following the SARS vehicle import procedures.
Given that we will have owned the car for a year before entry into
SA, and intend on using it for personal use, vehicle import duties
will not be applicable to us.
More information can be found on the
RAC and
SARS (see DA 304 A) websites.
:: Medical
Vaccinations
The best and most recent medical travel advice can be found on the
NHS Fit For Travel Website (link).
The following jabs are recommended for travel in countries that we
plan on visiting:
- Hepatitis A (plus booster)
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Poliomyelitis
- Typhoid
- Yellow Fever (plus certificate required for entry into most African
countries)
The following are recommended but not essential. Given the duration
of our trip we’ve decided to err on the side of caution and have
them.
- Cholera
- Hepatitis B
- Meningococcal Meningitis
- Rabies
- Tuberculosis
We’re both reasonably well jabbed up from previous trips so there
were only a few new ones and boosters that we need. However, one of the
bonuses of living in Peckham is that most of them are available free
through our local surgery. We understand that this is not common.
The only ones we needed to pay for were Yellow Fever (through our
local surgery), Cholera and Rabies (both through Nomad Travel in
Victoria). These were unfortunately the most expensive!
Malaria
Above all other dangers that we will be exposed to, we see Malaria
as our biggest concern. It is extremely dangerous, especially in parts of
West Africa, so we are not taking any risks on this front.
We are due to have a proper consultation shortly but will most
likely go for Doxycycline or Mefloquine (Lariam). However, these need to be
tested prior to use as side effects can vary.
The other option is Malarone. This is the best prophylactic on the market
as it has
almost no side effects, but it is very expensive and is also not
recommended for extended periods of use. Therefore, this is not an
option.
Another bonus of living in Peckham is that our Malaria tablets will
be free for the entire trip!
We have heard of alternatives such as Vitamin B and garlic that
are supposed to prevent mosquito bites. These have been
medically proven to have no effect and are just old wives tales.
Perhaps they’ll be recommended by the South African Minister of
Health. Maybe we'll just resort to using our solar shower when leaving
countries that are affected by Malaria!
We will of course be taking anti-mosi repellents and mosquito nets
for night time. We’re not taking any chances on this front!
In addition, to the preventative medications, we are also looking to
take some test and treatment kits.
There is an excellent Malaria page on
www.traveldoctor.co.uk covering all you need to know about
malaria.
Medical training
We did a two day first aid course through a company called
Expedition Wise (www.expeditionwise.com).
We found this incredibly helpful and feel much more comfortable
about the health aspects of our trip. Not only did we cover the basic
first aid procedures but also general expedition considerations such
as hydration strategies and advice.
Paul from Footloose 4x4 has also very kindly provided us with a
detailed list of medical supplies that he recommends taking.
:: Mechanical
The vehicle and equipment probably
required the most preparation. See our ‘Vehicle
& Equipment’ page for more details on the work done to the car and
equipment bought.
Given that we are placing so much
reliance on our vehicle to get us to Cape Town, I went in search of
a course where I could learn some basic motor vehicle maintenance
skills. In honesty, while I am an confident metalworker and reasonably
mechanically minded, I’ve never really ventured under a bonnet and I
felt this was a particular area where some time and investment were needed.
Quite amazingly, I stumbled upon the
City of Westminster College which is just 15 minutes walk from where I
work in central London. They offer a 10-week evening motor vehicle
maintenance course. It was perfectly suited and has given me the
grounding I was looking for. Thanks to Dale and Paul for your
excellent instruction.
For me, the main objective for the course was
to understand the car in a bit more detail and skill myself up to the
extent that we can keep the Land Rover running smoothly throughout the duration
of our trip. In reality, if anything went severely wrong along the
way, such as gearbox or engine failure, we simply would not have the
equipment and machinery even to fix it. Therefore, our approach is
prevention rather than cure. For everything else, there’s MasterCard,
prayer and the satellite phone.
:: Off-road Driver Training
We did a one day off-road driver training course with a company called
Protrax up in Corby (www.protrax.co.uk). These guys were excellent. The owner Vince is
clearly very passionate about Land Rovers and our personal one-on-one
tutor Ray was just brilliant.
We turned up and subsequently discovered that it was actually part of
the official Land Rover Experience. In addition, as we booked directly through Protrax and not Land Rover, it was half the price which was a
real bonus.
We used their vehicles at the start to learn the basics of off-road
driving. They then tailored the day at our request to
include some basic recovery training, i.e. winch and hi-lift jack use.
The day passed too quickly but we feel we are at least comfortable
with the basics. We've got a whole year to practice now.
:: Personal
To date, we have largely been dealing with the practical aspects
of preparation, which of course, has been lots of fun. A more
psychological aspect, however, is the personal preparation.
This trip will be more than just a two week holiday with the
knowledge of a comfy bed and a warm shower ready and waiting for us
in the not too distant future. This is expected to be a demanding
eight-month working holiday. Sure it will be fun and we will have some
amazing experiences, but we need to be realistic and appreciate that
life will not always be that comfy.
Spending a long time away from family and friends will be
especially tough. Equally tough is the fact that this trip may
result in our permanent departure form the UK which will of course
mean leaving so many special friends behind.
These emotional aspects also need to be considered as part of
the general trip preparation.
However, we feel that this is our time to go and we want to seize the
opportunity before finances become stretched and the produce of
marriage make projects such as this all the less feasible! So happy
and sad we’ll be, but ensuring we spend lots of time with family and
friends before we go is probably the most important aspect of our
trip preparation phase.
(Last updated: 24 August 2009)
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