hi there,
when I told some friends that I would like to drive down the East Coast of Africa by motorbike they replied that I would have to miss out on a lot of beautiful scenery and wild life as motorcyclists are not allowed in the national parks due to safety reasons for the driver. is that actually true? I am planning my trip on a low budget and do not want to end up spending hundreds of dollars for safaris etc... any thoughts?
thanks a lot
Mike

That is generally the case but it doesn't mean you have to miss anything, I met up with other people in campsites and hostels near to national parks and shared a lift with them offering to share the cost of petrol and in one case car rental.

I'm just about to do a trip through Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. I've been told that you can ride through the parks in Uganda but not in TZ. I assume it depends on the wildlife you might meet. The odd monkey and warthog is one thing but who wants to be chased by 400lbs of sexually frustrated lion?

Not sure about Rwanda.

It's right that you can visit (not just ride through) the parks in Uganda. Both Queen Elizabeth NP and Murchinsons fall NP have animals that might kill you.

In TZ you are allowed to pass Mikuni NP on the main-road and it's okay to visit the lodge.

In Botswana you can pass Chobe on the main road and it's also possible to visit parts of the Okavongo Delta.
There are also a lot of parks without (or with only a few) wild animals you are allowed to visit.

Also don't assume that self driving is always the cheap option. It costs $150 to enter a Ugandan park in a foreign registered 4x4. Plus $40 per person per day park fees plus camping fees.

A premium park like the Serengeti or the Mara is c. $250 per day for entry fees for a car and 2 people. Add an extra $200 fee to descend into Ngorongoro Crater (on top of park entry fees). Obviously fuel and food are on top of this. Again budget safaris are pretty competitively priced by comparison and in fact many overlanders end up leaving the car outside and joining a group trip.

In other words there isn't really a cheap way to see these places and so you aren't necessarily losing out financially if you're on a bike.

On a motorcycle the parks in Uganda are cheaper, I don't recall the exact amount, but I think its around $50 for the bike plus $40 per day. That's the only country where you get 'full access' and 'self-drive game drive' on a motorcycle. Its an interesting experience to say the least ...

There are plenty of parks where you can transit, but not enter regular game drive tracks, e.g. Chobe, Okavanga in Botswana, Katavi in Tanzania, Turkana in Kenya, Caprivi in Namibia etc plus some tracks that run along game park borders e.g. Masai Mara in Kenya and Etosha in Namibia.

Having said that I'm not sure if I'd necessarily want to visit parks on a bike even if it's allowed (and I'm saying that having spent 3 days in Murchinsons Falls NP on a bike). Heres why:

First of all, the big name parks are very, very expensive. Entry fees, vehicle fess and mandatory camping fees all add up.

Secondly, taking pictures of animals from a bike plain sucks. Usually by the time you have stopped and taken out your camera, they have made off. So unless you set up camp, taking pics on the moves is unlikely to get you nice shots of shy animals. And the ones that are not so shy ... well, I was chased by an elephant bull down a sandy track at some point. After that has happened to you, you consider twice if you want to fumble with your camera, or be ready for take-off instead ;-)

Thirdly, you can see most of the animals outside parks if you travel off the beaten path. I traveled down the east coast last year and had pretty much any antelope species you can imagine, lots of elephants, hippos, zebra, giraffe, crocs, austrich, buffalo, warthogs, chimpanzee, baboons to name a few. What might make you want to go to a park are cats and rhinos, those are not so easy to find outside. In addition there's places like S. Luangwa in Zambia, where you can stay outside the park and still see all the animals come to the river (park starts on the other side of the river).

So don't be put off by the 'cant go into the park', its a great route to travel (provided you figure out a way to get onto the continent without major headaches, ie Egypt). You'll see fantastic scenery and plenty of animals. And if for some reason at the end of your trip you still haven't seen enough, you can still tick the final box in one of the parks in S. Africa or Namibia ...

A final word on safety: the most dangerous animals in Africa are in order of deadliness:
1. Mosquito
2. Hippo
3. Buffalo
...

Well said. I also wouldn't feel bad for giving the parks a miss. Imagine all the great riding you can do in Kenya or Zambia for the price of one day in a park ! (and I'm not even trying to calculate how many liters of equal 1/2h of watching gorillas).

Also, if you've been to Etosha or Kruger, you'll learn that around every lion are a dozen or so 4x4 lined up with people firing off their cameras. Get off the beaten path in Namibia and get to see animals in the wild, I mean, watching them in total quietness and all for yourself.

my 2c.

Laurent

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2- and 4-wheeled explorer and photographer
Overland Aventure

Why don't do a lot of great riding AND visit the parks?
If you visit Murchinson Falls and go to Queen Elisabeth NP via Fort Portal you have done some of the best driving you can do in Uganda. You can then go directly to western Tanzania where there is a lot of space for driving (and some lions).


I didn't go to the gorillas. It's one of my few regrets. The money I "saved" are long gone, I have no idea where they went and today I sure would have paid a multiple amount to see them.

I haven't been to Kruger but I've heard it might be crowdy..
Etosha I've visited multiple times (in a car) and as everywhere else it's up to you if you follow the crowd or not.


Yes, I prefer to see animals outside of parks but after more then 10.000 kms in Namibia (both bike and car) I still haven't seen rhinos and lions outside the parks. I select BOTH wilderness and parks. Parks in Namibia is relatively cheap.


But I guess it boils down to your interests.. For me animals and making photos are a big part of Africa, other people doesn't share the interest.

Yes, it's not easy. I usually drive without a helmet and with the camera around my neck. It doesn't exactly increase safety.
Both Murchinson falls NP and Queen Elisabeth NP have ferry trips which are great for taking photos. There are a lot of animals, but you have to be very lucky to spot a cat.
It might also be possible to join some other travelers (with a 4x4) for a game-ride.

Getting a free ride in Nakuru NP:

I agree about taking pictures - I was trying to get some photos of the views up to Lake Kivu in Rwanda and by the time you've spotted a view, safely come to a stop, you could be 50 m down the road from where you wanted to take the shot.

Next time, I would seriously consider a Ewan and Charlie helmet camera with a big, easy-to-press button on the front so you could start/stop it. Bet they're not cheap though