Touring on a Motorcycle in East Africa

[jason99]

Touring on a Motercycle in East Africa Hi all, just going to post some info on an idea i'm toying with. Who knows maybe i'll get lucky and hear back from someone who has also thought of doing this or can give me some info.

On Jan 14th i'm flying into Nairobi, Kenya. The next morning i'm going to head south to Moshi, Tanzania. I have a couple contacts there that say they could hook me up with a bike. Actally they say you can get a new bike for $600. I'm thinking this must be something like they picked up in Mongolia on "long way round". (If you have not seen that series you need to! if your into biking and this site)

I have a couple concerns however:

1. I have been warned that the driving is terrable. That buses will come up behind you and honk 1 sec before they plow into the back of you.

2. Border crossings - I have been told that licencing the bike is not a concern and you can get insurance there but i'm not too sure what it would be like crossing borders. If I keep the bike my whole trip I will be crossing into Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and possibly DRC.

3. Travelling across the south side of Lake Victoria. The region from Mwanza to Kigali. From what I hear I don't know how much of roads there really are and how easy it will be to find Petrol.

4. I also don't have my motercycle licence yet (getting it in the spring) but from what I hear that is not a big deal in this region.

I like the idea of taking the bike for the freedom to go where I want to when I want to and the fact that I could stop along the way. If I take a bus I will just be going city to city and not getting to stop at great spots along the way to take photos or meet locals.

Love to hear back from anyone on tips/comments.

Thanks,


-------------------------
Jason Stein
www.jasonstravelblog.com

[Matt Roach]

2. Border crossings - I have been told that licencing the bike is not a concern and you can get insurance there but i'm not too sure what it would be like crossing borders. If I keep the bike my whole trip I will be crossing into Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and possibly DRC.

If the bike is registered in your name you should be able to obtain temporary import documentation at all the borders you have mentioned and a carnet should not be necessary. Insurance can be obtained via the Comesa scheme (search the HUBB for Comesa or yellow card and you will find further info) or else is available on a temporary basis at the borders you mentioned.

3. Travelling across the south side of Lake Victoria. The region from Mwanza to Kigali. From what I hear I don't know how much of roads there really are and how easy it will be to find Petrol.

The major roads in Rwanda are generally very good tar, although there are some dirt roads in rural areas. Most of the roads in western Tanzania are graded dirt, but can be tricky in the wet season when churned up by trucks. There is tar from Kahama to the Burundian border and some tar around Mwanza.

4. I also don't have my motercycle licence yet (getting it in the spring) but from what I hear that is not a big deal in this region.

I was never asked for my drivers licence, but this does not mean you will not be. Whilst you could probably avoid most of the adverse consequences of being caught without one with a bribe, that sets the expectation with local officials that all travellers are fair game for corruption - which is not a good precedent.

[Surfer]

Check the google layer "T4" maps. it has so many waypoints of petrol stations, where the roads are bad or potholed, where to stay, camp, drink!! It really is complete now for East Africa. It has also been verified by other travellers, so its not just one persons log!

We travelled extensively in East Africa. We never saw one fatal accident ever. Only things were trucks that veered of the muddy road into ditches ...the size of the truck. Aslo we were never hit or bumped once, but we did have 1 near miss which would not have been that bad. That was 4 vehicles we took so the odds were against us. As bad as they drive and honk their hooters its really a blast!!!!!

Also East africa is bad for the traveller there. The buses like to overtake you especially when u are overtaking a large truck around a blind corner doing a speed of something out of the matrix. Other than that the roads are potholed all the way from mombassa to Kampala. So good dodging skills critical, but thats the fun! Tanzania is ok now. Zambia is 50/50 Zim 20/80 bots..welll dirt and sand.

[jason99]

Thanks for your help guys! Sounds like it is do able. I probably won't know forsure if i'm going to do it untill I get there but thanks!

Jason

[hook]

Hi Jason, Just a few things: First, I'll be returning to Nairobi on 18 Jan, 2007. I left my motorcycle in Nairobi to visit the US for the holidays. Upon my return to Kenya I'll be heading south to Tanzania to visit the Serengeti N.P. and the crater before heading north to Cairo. I rode from Shinyanga to Kigali and found the roads to be reasonable- no major difficulties. The roads in Rwanda are better. From the Rwanda/Uganda border, heading to Kampala, the road was unpaved and in terrible shape as it had been raining, this was in november, 2006. Be advised: they drive on the right side of the road in Rwanda- I learned this the scary way! The roads are heavily pot-holed in Uganda. When a vehicle is overtaking another heading in your direction, you will rarely be given right-of-way and are expected to move out of the way- or off the road completely. This was very frustrating, like a game of "chicken" played over and over again. People told me Kenyan drivers were scary, but Uganda tops my list. Uganda was also the most beautiful country I've visited so far in Africa. Insurance can be purchased at every border, usually for $30-$50usd for 1 to 2 months. You will sometimes be told you can only purchase insurance for 2 months- when you politely tell the man you only need a 1 month policy and stand up to leave his office in search of another insurer, he'll probably change his tune. Also, any stated insurance rate is negotiable! There is a "yellow card" insurance policy available (mentioned by Matt). This card covers most countries in southern Africa- of course I didn't find this out until Uganda!! Despite what I was told by the Canadian Auto Assoc. Rwanda and Uganda wanted a carnet. DO NOT count on temporary import permits to travel through the countries you mentioned, these folks are comfortable/familiar with carnets and having one will make your travels simpler. In Uganda I was told I could obtain a temporary import permit at larger border crossings, but alas, I crossed into Uganda at a lonely post in the mountains. There are some aggressive drivers here and there, but it's not as scary as big city driving in Central/South America. Petrol has never been a problem in East Africa. Don't forget, BP and Shell ain't the only folks with fuel in these parts. Simply ask someone in any kind of town where you can buy fuel- it CAN be arranged, though it can be costly. If you're still worried, carry a 5 liter jug of fuel with you. Also, the road west of Mwanza is unpaved, this type of road can be rough in places (rain brings pain), simply slow down and expect some longer-than-expected days. If you don't have a place to stay in Nairobi, try the Jungle Junction. Hope to see you there on the 18th! H. Below is a pic of the road at the Rwanda/Uganda border.