Thanks to Toby and Runner for their advice re Sudan. I guess I'll cross into Ethiopia about half way down. I'm also slightly concerned about all the stories of terrible red tape in Egypt. This idea is more complex than I thought. My idea was to buy a half decent 4WD LR, Landcruiser or something similar for around 15,000. Is it really true that I have to pay some enormous fee - somethiung to do with International carnets?? - if I don't want to bring the vehicle back to the UK???? the whole point of the exercise - besides the adventure - is to keep the vehicle in Kenya. Any advice on this one would be helpful too.

Thanks

Peter

See post under Sub-sahara section. Posted an answer there but had forgotten the bit about wanting to leave it in Kenya. Well there is two elements here, one the carnet, two the import costs.

If you can get it to Kenya without using the Carnet, it will make life easier. Ie use it in the countries on the way down. The deal with the carnet is it needs to be stamped out of each country its stamped in to. (if you get a real problem with getting it stamped out, as long as its stamped in further on its not a major problem).

So if you return the carnet once your in Kenay with it stamped in and out of Syria, Jordan, Saudi, Sudan, Ethiopia and you got into Kenya without needing it, then the Carnet will be discharged. Then all you have is the normal import process for Kenya. However if it gets stamped into Kenya on the Carnet, not only will you have to sort the import but you will have to sort the import body to stamp the carnet to release it which will be harder.

Providing you are going to pay the import costs in to Kenya, then either solution should work and won't cost you much. What could cost you is the import costs in to Kenya and thats what you need to focus on. The carnet just protects against you not paying the import costs, providing that you either show you have paid them or alternatively show you have still got the vehicle and have exited the country with it then there isn't a problem.

[This message has been edited by Toby2 (edited 19 September 2003).]