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Must see places & contacts - East coast route to South Africa
Syria - Jordan - Egypt - Sudan - Ethiopia - Kenya - Uganda - Tanzania - Zambia - Botswana - Namibia - South Africa.
I am really looking for some cool traveller hot spots, contacts, must sees and secret gems along this route.. It's always great to have places to aim for, friendly faces to look forward to little gems off the tourist "gringo trail" to see. Can anyone help me out here ?? :thumbup1: Many thanks in advance... Ted |
Nice Thread
Hi Ted
I was thinking of also starting a thread like this for Africa, as I'm going next year. Haven't done any riding in Africa, only been to Tanzania. So for Tanzania my plan is to climb Kilimanjaro. Did it in 2006 and it is amazing, I get excited just thinking about it. After that I plan to ride to Zanzibar and chill out there for a week and just relax. That's my plans so far. I got a book "Wonders of Africa" with lots of information and places to visit, but it's all the usual tourist places. Would be nice to hear of some hidden gems of Africa, and there are lots. Safe Riding Rassie |
Heres some infor Mountainman very kindly emailed me...
Syria - we camped a couple of nights within the ancient abandoned cities like Rasafa. Very cool. > > Jordan - Camping in Wadi Rum. If you are a decent rider of sand, or can leaev some of your weight in the village, you can ride out and camp out wherever you like. > > Sudan - we camped near the Nile on the the way down after the ferry. I would go slow through this 400 km route as after this, you get to civilzation and there are few spots that will be as remote and rugged as this. Stick to the route along the Nile. > > Ethiopia - The road into see the rock churches of Lalibela is brutal, you could do it but it will eat your tires and be very rough on your bike but you should go by plane as they are worth seeing. > From Gondor, it is worth the ride to head up to the park entrance, 10 km past you have spectacular views. > In the southeast, definitely worth seeing the Mursi tribe and all the market days in the villages in that remote corner of the world. > > Kenya - it is full on civilization there but the most remote way to enter the country is down the Lake Turkhana route. You can't do it alone, but an amazing route. > > Tanzania - ride out to the village near the park gate for Ngorogoro Crater and start your tour from there. > > Zamiba - I went through Zimbabwe, very cool if it is safe at the time. You also get to come down through Malawi, the lake is great place to hang out for a bit. > > Namibia - If you plan well, you can enter the Sosuvlei park late and then stay after it closes. Bring your bivi sack, and camp on the big sand dunes. You can leave the park anytime you want as you can ride right by the closed gate via the sidewalk. > > South Africa - Baviaans Kluft is a great dirt track that can be accessed off the garden route. |
ted, rassie how do
firstly id like to say thank you, as you both know im also planning to cross africa next year and your posts have been very helpful and answered alot of my questions.ted i imagine you will be doing a blog itll be good to see how you get on as my route is quite similar (you crossing the salt flats in botswana? cant find much info on that) ras, hope our paths end up crossing. you still tryin to avoid egypt? as for places to go, i travelled round SA with the folks a few years ago, best bits of the trip natel, and the zulu battlefeilds of rorkes drift and isandlwana, truly incredible and well worth a visit. Sharka's rocks was a chilled out beautiful place and we went to a small lodge in the drakensbergs called cleopatras. only had electric for about 3 hours a day! was well off the beaten track and not well known. Nice place, the drakensbergs. never been anywhere else on the continent so can only comment on sa. happy planning boys Lorry |
Hi Ted,
I can comment on some of them - you'll pick up masses of info en route from other travellers. I assume you're on a bike, so the game parks are out - however, it is worth finding a secure place to leave it and pay for safaris into some of the better parks. Jordan - Petra is extraordinary. Ethiopia - My favourites are the Simien (also spelt Simyen) Mountains (spectacular); the castles at Gonder (also spelt Gondar), the monasteries on Lake Tana; the stone churches of Lalibela; the ancient city of Harar; and the Bale Mountains NP Kenya - Where to start? Lake Turkana; the Aberdare Mountains (here be lions and elephant); the Rift Valley lakes; the Maasai Mara (hire a safari); at the coast - Tiwi Beach is chilled; the creeks (Kilifi etc) are gorgeous; and if you have the dollars, leave your transport at one of the lodges in Malindi and fly to the island of Lamu, hire a dhow and spend a week camping on the islands of Manda Toto and Kiwaiyu. Uganda - Lake Victoria - the Sesse Islands; Murchison Falls NP; the Semliki Valley and the Great Ituri forest at the foot of the Ruwenzoris; Kibale NP for 14 different primate species; the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for gorilla trekking; Bujagali Falls on the Nile for white water rafting. Tanzania - Serengetti, Ngorongoro; Kili; Amani in the Usambara Mountains if you are into rain forests and birds; Zanzibar; if you're really after an adventure, take the coast road south of Dar to Mtwara, cross the Rio Rovuma, and then do northern Mozambique (Pangane, Pemba, Nacala) then cross into Malawi and do the lake, Zomba Plateau, Nyika Plateau, and then into Zambia at Chipata. Zambia - South Luangwa: leave your bike at Flatdogs in Mfuwe and hitch lifts into the park, or just sit and chill on the lawns with a cold Moshi and watch the game drift by. Kafue is also a great park, but impossible on a bike. Livingstone is a chilled party town on the Zambezi at Vic Falls. Botswana - again, difficult to do the wildlife areas on a bike, and the sand is very thick. Chobe-Moremi-Savuti-Linyanti is one of Africa's great wildlife areas, but you need four wheels. Otherwise head to Maun, find safe parking, and fly or pole in dugout canoes into the Okavango Delta. Namibia - Kavango, Popa falls area, Caprivi, anywhere on the river, Mamili if the water is low enough, the whole Namib Desert (incredible vistas, good gravel roads); the Skeleton Coast for a whole new meaning to the word bleak. The Naukluft gorge (watch our for thieving baboons); raft the Orange River. South Africa - Baviaans Kloof, Drakensberg, Garden Route, Cape Town; Namaqualand in August/September for the best flower displays in the world; etc etc etc Tony |
Thanks so much Tony....
This thread is going to be invaluable :) Keep it coming people ! |
Tracks for Africa
Ted - have you thought about buying Tracks for Africa?
From what I hear, loads of useful info on there. |
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Off the top of my head:
Dana National Park, Jordan. If the park is closed for the winter you can camp amongst the trees by the rangers' hut. They are there all year and you will have their wonderful hospitality all to yourself. Don't know what it's like when the park is open to the public. Wadi Rum - Climb up to Lawrence's Spring, get there alone if you can and spend a while. Mount Sinai, ditto I was lucky enough to be at both of these alone for quite a while. Ras Mohammed national park southern tip of Sinai. No tourists camped there (we camped for 4 days). Boats come in from Sharm but only to a few places, easy to avoid. The pyramids at Sakkara and Dahshur. The White Desert. Quite a few tourist 4WD minibuses but still a bit of fun. When we camped for the night at a designated camp place, there was no one else around. The Rest House at El Qasr (near White desert). Excellent host. Wadi Halfa is a NICE place, maybe plan to spend at least one night there. |
BUMP...
Keep em coming !! btw, Starting in Egypt now... |
Hi,
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You should not miss malawi...one ot the most beautifull countrys in africa :) Regards, Tobi |
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Lushoto, Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Camp on the (ex) golf course of the Lawns Hotel. Really chilled town.
Stop at the "Golden Shower" restaurant in Moshi, Tanzania, just to take photo of the sign... :blushing: Chris |
Must-see places - Namibia
Hi Ted!
Your trip sounds very exciting, good on yer! I've travelled extensively in southern Africa and NAMIBIA is definitely a country to linger in, it's awesome - and if you're keen on wide open spaces, it's definitely the place to go. The roads, even the gravel ones, are in really good condition, which means you'll spend more time admiring the scenery you're travelling through and less trying to keep the bike upright!! Others on this thread have already mentioned Sossusvlei, which is one of the most amazing experiences ever. I'd also heartily recommend the drive along the Caprivi Strip between Rundu and Katima Mulilo. There are some wonderful villages along the way and your chances of seeing elephants are extremely high - though obviously you'll be hoping they don't galomph out in front of the bike as you're spinning along! Jeanie:thumbup1: |
Take it easy...it's not a race
The "best" spots are those that we have each experienced in our own seperate ways. So that means that everywhere is special. Feel free to review our blog Buya Ikhaya for the places we stopped at along the way and would be happy to stay at / experience again. Many mentioned already.
Two per country: Turkey: Dalyan, Goreme Syria: Palmyra, Damacus Jordan: Dana. Petra Egypt: Solitude of the Western desert route. Magnitude of Luxor and Karnak Temple Sudan: Take 4 slow days from Wadi to Dongola. Blue Nile sailing club IS better than "National Camping". Weekly regatta on the nile, they are always looking for crew and sail to the confluence of the Blue/White and back. Ethiopia: The refreshing shock of Metema after restrictive/reserved Sudan. Ethio-German Lodge and Portugese bridge. Kenya: Remember to stop a few times on the Moyale-Marsebit section to reflect on where the "Hell" you have placed yourself and remeber to take a few photos to help recall the ordeal. Timau River Lodge on the foot of Mount Kenya Tanzania: Lushoto, Peponi. Riding through Mikuni National Park Malawi: Senga bay - Cool Runnings Zambia: Livingstone Botswana: Maun Our greatest regret was the rush from Wadi Halfa to Nairobi. You are nervous because of all the "horror" stories so you end up getting dragged along in a group. To be honest if we did it again we would say chaps, you go on ahead, we will see you when we see you. The road is now tarred pretty much all the way so it is up to you to force yourself not to rush past the many magic placed in Sudan and Ethiopia. Once you hit Nairobi you are in Southern Africa tourist country and end up lodge hopping and everywhere ends up feeling pretty much the same and you end up yearning for the rough north. Remember to set your camera to hi resolution and take many video clips. We had a number of requests for these and could not provide them. Also would love to have seen clips of Sudan/Kenya again where we were too pre-occupied with the road |
Loving this thread.. keep it coming !!
And yeah, my route planning has much to be desired. That's half the adventure though right ??? :rofl: |
Some excellent suggestions.
I will add: Syria - I know these are tried and tested, but Krak de Cheavilers really is a must see, what an awesome crusdaer castle. And Aleppo really is a magical city, shouldnt miss this. Egypt - St Anthonys Monastry. I was very impressed with this place. Sudan - Temple of Sulb. Thought this was pretty impressive as far as Sudans ruins go. Well worth a stop to break up the journey south from Wadi Halfa. Ethiopia - Debre Damos. Well worth it for the rope climbing. Wanted to get to the Darnak dperession too but considered "too risky" at the time, but the photos Ive seen look incredible. Its all pretty much tried and tested once in Nairobi, but for me the most fun national park was South Luangwa in Zambia. Flatdogs is such an awesome campsite by the river, highly recommended. South Africa - Im well into history and found the battlefields of Bloodriver and Isandlwana (sp?) really interesting. And of course, though a cliche, Tsitsikama national park is a special place, very beautiful. |
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We start a month ago same route from Bulgaria,currently in Jungle Junction,Nairobi.For the roads in Sudan-from Wadi Halfa down to Dongola,now newly paved.Dongola-Karima-Atbara same,asphalt brand new. For Ethiopian roads-from Woreta to Lalibela,except the last 60 km(which is nice gravel road) paved again,brand new asphalt. Kenya-Moyale-Marsabit....uufff,we spent 10 hours riding.The first 120km up to Torbe(or something like that) is good,but from there to Marsabit,really bad,big stones,some of them very sharp,so be careful avoiding flat tires,even broken rims.Thankfuly we passed without problems.From Marsabit there are onother 160km bad road,which is a bit better and 70-ish km before Isiolo start tarmac.So,we are heading down to Cape Town,through Tanzania,Malawi,Zambia,Botswana and Namibia and if you need further information,I hope I can report.Hope this help you! Regards, Simon |
Botswana: Magkadigkadi Pans, Baines Baobabs, Kubu Island - stunning. See these photos: Kubu Island Botswana and Botswana Tourism Board - Baines Baobab
You might need to book ahead to stay. Nata Lodge near Sowa is also a popular overnight stop. There's a small nature reserve there. You can get down to the edge of the pans, but watch out, the surface isn't as solid as it looks. I think the ancient bushman sites at Tsodilo Hills, Aha Hills and Gcwihaba Caves would be an amazing trip, but really really tough by bike due to the sand and extreme climate. |
Lushoto, Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Camp on the (ex) golf course of the Lawns Hotel. Really chilled town.
Why the Lawns Hotel? We were there recently and I thought it was really overpriced (US$8 per person for camping) for the crap showers and not so helpful staff. They do have satelite tv and table tennis though. Up the road close to the Kili park gate is Coffee Tree campsite. Also US$8 per person for camping and the best hot showers anywhere we've been travelling from Cape Town since Oct. Also Thomas the owner is a lovely guy who will take the time to make your stay enjoyable without being overbearing. |
MORE MORE MORE !!!
Less than 48 hours until deprature. I want to print this thread off !! :D |
Highlights for me heading north from Cape Town:
Richtersveld / Ais - Ais Transfrontier Park (SA / Nam) Van Zyl's Pass, Marienfluss (NW Nam) Chobe & Moremi National Parks (Bots) Vic Falls & Hwange (Zim) Ibo Island (Moz) Mushroom Farm / Livingstonia (Malawi) Zanzibar Maybe see on the road, have a good one. |
aw man! I just spent over half an hour listing loads of places and then my internet connection dogged out and the post was lost!!
Can't rewrite it over again, but in case it helps I have some photos and places on my website Range Rover expedition across Africa - UK to South Africa If you can squeeze one in, a small netbook is very useful and you can buy cheap USB 3G sticks as you go and pick up loads of useful info on camps, parks, fees etc etc. Zain is good as you get into sub sahara as you can use the stick in quite few countries. Oh, and absolutely get Tracks4africa and stick it on a garmin Nuvi or something if you haven't already - invaluable. |
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Cheers man !! Iv got the GPS maps :D I'll look over your blog too :thumbup1: |
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Ted Have a really great trip. You'll enjoy yourself. There was a lot of truth in you signature line about pleasure and dry farts en Afrique..... Hang loose Chris |
ok, so got a few mins free to get some of the info up for you - I don't have very precise data to hand but hope some of this comes in useful maybe.
Syria - Allepo is very nice, castle is well worth a visit and food in the town is grrrrreat! there is a very nice campsite about 20Km west of the town run by a Belgian lady - you may well pass it and there is a sign pointing to it from the main road. try a google see if you can find it or use T4A Damascus is also a very cool city and we spent a good few days there, again great food and loads to see. East side of Syria also very beatiful in a deserty way, wild camping in desert near Palmyra is good Jordan - Wadi Rum is superb, and there are a few campsites south of Aqaba on the coast, not the council run ones on the beach but on the other side of the road. Snorkeling is good here! Dead seashould also be visited - you can camp on a car park for a mountain top historic religious site (forgot name sorry!) you just need to ask the tourist police there. Lots to do in Egypt - worth going across Sinai to Dahab to do some of the worlds best snorkeling, you can camp at Crazy Camel White desrt is very cool, as is the rest of the Oasis circuit, but the police can be arses sometimes - they dont like wild camping and are obliged to provide tourist protection, so if you dont have the name of a hotel to go to or wont let them take you to one you may be chased out of town - we were twice. Sudan is a bit dry for campsites - after Wadi halfa there aint much, but we id some real nice camping in the desert in the north, had a shite camp in Blue Nile sailing Club, and stayed in a couple of cheap hotels after that. Ethiopia - gonder is a nice town, before you reach there head for Tim & Kims on the side of Lake Tana - real cool couple and a very nice place to chill. We camped in the car park of a hotel in Gonder also. We didn't get into the simian mountain nat. park as they insisted we took a guide, so drove a very long and very rough route round to the north of the country. It is a bit wild out there and nowhere to camp, so when you see an option, take it. Axum is a nice town and the manager of the Yeha hotel will let you camp in thier grounds - nice place. for the remainder of our circuit of Ethiopia it was hotels - quite a few of them, and again if you see soemwhere that looks good take the option rather than pass it hoping to find another as its very hit and miss there. In Addis Abbaba then you need to get to the train station and look for Holland House - very basic camp but ace pub : ) Addis is an interesting city and an eye opener. there are lots of historic sites to see in Ethiopia, but as mentioned by others, dont underestimate how bad some of the roads are and how long it can take to travel seemingly short distances! In kenya we stayed at a cool campsite near marsabit - swiss henrys - you'll need T4A to get you there. And further down near mount kenya there is a very nice camp/lodge at Timau lodge - it's on the road that curves to the east of mount Kenya after isiolo - great sofas, currys, beers there in a lovely setting. kericho was great - you can stay in the teea plantations at the Tea Hotel - dont miss this place as it's a gem - fantastically old fashioned british plantation hotel which was built by Brooke bond and they have a nice camping field next to the gardens. Masai Mara - crocodile Camp was the best we found. Twiga Lodge on Tiwi beach south of Dar Es Salaam was tres cool and you can camp on the beach. having to go quick now as battery going... In Tanzania, there is a camp site south of Tanga, Peponi beach - very cool and the countryside is beautiful. On to Dar and we are really enjoying Mikadi beach campsite which you have to take the local ferry across the sound to get to - again beachside camping. Easy 2 hour ferry journey (without bike I'm afraid) to get to Zanzibar where you should stay at the dhow place hotel in stonetown if you get the chance - cheapish and fantastic!! thats all for now from me I'm afraid, powers going and it's my round - HAVE FUN!!!! :D |
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