Algeria - Niger - Chad convoy

[wilco]

I'm looking at delivering a car from Spain to Cameroon commencing around Feb 7 2007. Proposed route is Algiers/Tam/border/Agadez/Zinder/Nguigmi/Ndjamena/Maroua, and I would like to know if anyone will be on that route and available to go in convoy.

Would also appreciate any up to date info on road/piste conditions on Tam - Arlit and Nguigmi - Ndjamena.

Cheers,

Dave

[luinomada]

Hi, Dave

I´m spanish female, 50. who like travel in my Toyota Land Cruiser, and have some experiencie in this kinds of roads.

I´m interesting in your route. Timing is Ok.
Go in convoy is better and cheap at moment to pay the obbligatory guide in Algiers.
I had read that Tam - Arlit route is easy to travel .
Also, I have a friend living in Ndjamena that sure can tell me about Nguigmi - Ndjamena road.

If you want, stay in touch...considerer to get entry visa in Algiers is not too easy, sometimes it delays on requirements.

Luisa

[wilco]

Thanks Luisa. I'm getting my visa in Alicante (fortunately have a friend to help smooth the way) and would be happy to team up.

Dave

[AmsterdamMaroua]

Hi Wilco,

We just came back from a trip from Amsterdam to Maroua, we took the following route: Genoa-Tunis-Taleb Larbi(near Nefta)-Hassi Messaoud-Djanet-Tamanrasset-Assamakka(borderpost Niger)-Arlit-Agadez-Goure-Diffa-Maiduguri-Banki/Limani(border)-Mora-Maroua-Yaounde.

I was curious why you would want to take the detour via Chad, you do not need to!

A full report will be on-line within the next few days, i'll post a message here.

Bye bye,

Martin

[noel di pietro]

It is indeed possible to go via Nigeria but keep in mind that the rainy season starts soon in Cameroun / Nigeria border area and the border crossing from Nigeria into Cameroun will become extremely muddy! When the rainy season has started full force, that road becomes almost impassable! But almost is not impossible and it can be a great adventure if you don't mind to get dirty don't mind delays and your car has good mud tyres ! :-)

I did too like the muddy streches in Congo and DRC during the rainy season.

By the way, the route around Lake Chad is not to difficult if you stay to the main roads but if you want to stay closer to the lake where you will find a lot of criss cross donkey tracks, you will need a GPS and waypoints!

About the Chad visa; there is realy nothing around Nguigimi. I would not take the chance.

Cheers,

Noel

www.exploreafrica.web-log.nl

[AmsterdamMaroua]

Hi Noel and Wilco,

Here is some more detailed information about the rain season in northern Cameroon and Nigeria. It will not start before may/june. If it starts it will start slowly with a short shower a week. In august it is full force, look at this table that is for NDjamena but also can represent northern Cameroon:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/c...ml?tt=TT000130

Cheers,

Martin

[wilco]

Thanks for the above.
I'm avoiding Nigeria because I don't have a carnet and am reluctant to get involved with the ripoffs by the Nigerian officialdom. The rainy season isn't an issue as the driving part of the trip should be over by the end of Feb. Of more interest is the visa situation. I've heard it may be possible to enter Chad by the lake route without a visa, providing you head straight for the immigration office in N'djamena, but I'm after confirmation of that.

Dave

[javierCarrion]

HI !!!!

I am just back from doing exactly the propposed route (Niamey , Zinder , Nguimi , -lake Tchad- NJamena Abeche - Banjui ->Bertua ->Yaounde

then I left the bike in the Spanish embassy at Yaounde and flown back home from Douala .


Visas :

1 Visa for Niger is defiitely posible on the very same Airport or on any entry point .
1 Visa for TChad is done in Niamey , on the spot for about 15.000 cfas
1 Visa for Centrafrique is done in the border , on the spot 5000
1 Visa for Cameroon is done on the border or on the Bangui Consulate . GRATUITE for stays lesser than 1 week

Security :

Every country was scaring the hell out of me regarding the next one (i.e. in Niger "here is safe , but in Tchad they are gonna kill you " , etc and so on .

so say the truth I didnt see nothing unusual .I didnt had any problem.

CHAD : I was scared about all these stories about maze sprays , arrows , stone trhowing in Bol . For me Bol was fantastic , I slept , drank and ate FOR FREE !!!! . Going in a motorbike makes people look at you different than in a 4x4 , but anyway ... I found Bol absolutely safe and welcoming , -not as terrifiying as most people say-

NJamena . After 7 PM is virtually a war-zone. Gangs (I mean armed gangs) patrol the streets robbing here and there. EVen locals rush to their homes at 7 Pm . It would be mostly stupid to be wandering in the streets at night . Also there is a big mess about militarys , pseudo military , rebels , etc... as easily 50% of the people carry some sort of military outfit. Guns and RPG everywhere. Be carefull / Expensive as hell . Big for 2000 - 2500 CFAs minimum . Non-existant places to sleep for cheap . Only option is camping in the Novotel parking , althought it is kind of a scam . First they say is "for free" and later -when you leave- they show you a tariff (?) of 20.000 CFAS PAX -camping- which I didnt pay .



Cameroon : They say is dangerous . I found it safe as UK . probbably more . Cheapest in Africa (650ml of "33" -local brand- can be bought for 450 CFA) . Cheap fuel , and good vibrations everywhere . _People are happy to see you -as opposed as in chad in which people are jaleous of your money/vehicle -

Carnet de Passage :" As ussual I dont carry it . I dont have now even papers for my motorbike and they dont give a $hit . They were too lazy to give me a new passavant so I was driving with the passavant from Niger , with just a Customs' stamp for every country .

Insurance : I have positively no insurance for the motorbike. I think that insurance is "optional" for motorbikes ... if you have an accident you simply pay the damage. For cars... Id go for it . For a motorbike .. any damage I cause is going to be insignificant compared to the damage/ wounds I can suffer in the same crash .,.. so I simply don't pay insurance any more.

Police : I may have been lucky , but no police has stopped me from Niamey to Yaounde asking for papers , cadeaux , helps , money ,etc... Absolutely correct with me .

Tolls : Apparently motorbikes don't pay road tolls , but cars seems to stop and pay a LOT ... Most of the route is on toll-roads so this can be somehow expensive

Fuel : Zinder is the last place you can fill up with a petrol station (with a hose I mean) . Afterwards , until Cameroon there are no petrol stations (for petro I mean ) . For diesel I *think* there were some in NJamena but not sure about that.

buying petrol from jerrycanes ls kinda of a lottery .Even locals get rip-off with water on fuel . I ussually carry potasium permanganate which changes colour if ANY water on the fuel . really usefull , but it is a watched chemical in UK so you need to be "creative" to buy it .




Regarding the lake tchad route... dont understimate it . As Chriss Scott told me .. I found impossible to follow the car ruts with my trolley .. .so I had to abandone it . The finest sand I have seen in my life . Most 4x4 get deeply bogged down in the sand . Navigation is easy .. just follow the ruts -for 300 km- . I won't do it again on a motorbike . no water or fuel in the middle and lots of "intriguing" people . Bush Camping definitely not reccomended .


Hardest part fron Nugimi to Bol. From Bol to Massakuri is kind of a earth track , and frmo Massakuri to NJamena is a brand -new lovely tarmac .
Also , from Diffa to Nguimi (Niger side of the border) the road is so horrible that you can barely pass 10 km/h


well ,that is . I am just arrived home a few hours ago .. and need to sleep for a few days !!!

Happy new year to all
Javier

[AmsterdamMaroua]

Originally Posted by wilco

Thanks for the above.
I'm avoiding Nigeria because I don't have a carnet and am reluctant to get involved with the ripoffs by the Nigerian officialdom. The rainy season isn't an issue as the driving part of the trip should be over by the end of Feb. Of more interest is the visa situation. I've heard it may be possible to enter Chad by the lake route without a visa, providing you head straight for the immigration office in N'djamena, but I'm after confirmation of that.

Dave

We just drove a Landcruiser from Algeria to Maroua in Cameroun via Niger/Nigeria. We did not have any troubles at all without a carnet and were issued a laissez passer for free and did not need to buy insurance in Nigeria. We drove from Diffa/Damasak via Maiduguri to Banki/Limani and found only friendly people at road blocks and we have not paid anything to anybody (ok, we only paid for hotel in Maiduguri). At the roadblock at the city limit in Maiduguri an officer even joined us in the vehicle to show us to the hotel (which might have been impossible to find otherwise) and he refused a tip for a cab-ride back to the control post.

[wilco]

Excellent info - thanks a lot guys!

Dave