Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Regional Forums > sub-Saharan Africa
sub-Saharan Africa Topics specific to sub-Saharan Africa. (Includes all countries South of 17 degrees latitude)
Photo by Daniel Rintz, Himba children, Namibia

The only impossible journey
is the one
you never begin

Photo by Daniel Rintz,
Himba children, Namibia



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Wheelie's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 658
Cairo to Nairobi - how fast?

Having done Cape Town to Nairobi, I would very much like to do Nairobi to Cape Town. My only problem is that, as always, I will be pressed for time and will need to travel fast. Leading me to the following questions?

-Flying my bike in and out from Norway - is it better to start in Nairobi and finish in Cairo, or the other way round? Please comment?

-Which is the quickest "safe" route?

-Riding 6-8 hour days on a f650gs Dakar, with no resting days, how long would this take and how many kms/day should I expect to average including border crossings?

-List of towns/places good for spending the night - so to help me "plan" legs and contingencies.

-Time expected to spend at various border crossings and suggested towns to spend the night on each side of the border to avoid riding after dark

-Considerations regarding ferry crossing? I.e. special time tables, etc?

-What pace I should be able to expect on various stretches?

-Is three weeks possible without being overly ambitious? Please comment.

-Any particular time of year that I should avoid, i.e. muddy roads in Ethiopia?

-Time I should expect for the logistical nightmares of getting my shipped bike out of storage, and then getting it shipped home. Last time, getting the bike on the road after having it shipped to South Africa only took a couple of hours. Sorting the shipment it out of Nairobi on the other hand took three days, even though it was all supposedly sorted out before hand.

-Riding Cape Town to Nairobi was a breeze. Even on a classic Vespa scooter it only took three weeks... I expect this to be tougher. Then again, I will be riding a much more suitable bike with more grunt, longer range, better reliability, better comfort, etc.

-Any good ride reports?

-Any advice and comments would be highly appreciated...
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Banned
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 973
Hi,

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wheelie View Post
Having done Cape Town to Nairobi, I would very much like to do Nairobi to Cape Town.

-Any particular time of year that I should avoid, i.e. muddy roads in Ethiopia?
You probably dont want to go back to Cape Town but rather go to Cairo dont you? Ethiopia has quite good roads so dont worry about mud only about animals on the road. The hardest part will be the 300 km Gravel road north of Kenya calles Marsabit Road. The road north of Sudan should be finished bay now so this will avoid you the three days of sand ride i had:

Transafrika - Motorbike travel tour through africa part 1

To get the Visa for Sudan and Egypt takes time also to cross the boarders you will lose at least one day each and from Sudan to Egypt you will have to take a two days ferry wich as far as i remember only goes once a week...

Have fun, Tobi
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 738
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a direction are the logistical pinch points that can dramatically alter your ability to finish your trip in your alloted time.. One, is the Aswan to Wadi ferry which only runs once a week. Two, is customs clearance through Cairo.

On the face of it, one would think that it would be easier to make a ferry that is at the beginning of your trip rather than at the end so starting in Egypt makes sense from that perspective.

The big wild card in all this is that clearing customs at the airport is something that you should really research. Stories abound about people having a terrible time clearing customs when arriving with vehicles as sea cargo, i.e. days. Strangely enough, when arriving by ferry from Jordan, it's a slow process but reliably can be done in a few hours.

The conundrum is that the exporting process from Cairo might be as difficult which means that you are simply postponing the unknown to the end of your trip. Leaving ahed of your bike is never a good feeling.

You may want to consider shipping into some other country such as Jordan instead and then taking the ferry across. At the other end, you have already experienced shipping out of Nairobi so you know how that will look like.

Perhaps someone will chime in and confirm that shipping by air into Cairo is doable and then all will be golden. However, Egypt is one place where clearing customs can be a huge wild card.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Wheelie's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 658
Your argument makes sense...

What about the Aswan-Wadi ferry... vehicles go on the barge that takes 2-3 days, plus up tp a day to unload if things go pear shaped...while passengers go on the passenger ferry that takes 18-24 hours??? Is it possible to get the bike onto the "people ferry" to shave off two days?

Here is a write up of the process by car (fantastic post by 2cvfred) http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...fa-ferry-32630
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Beirut / Lebanon
Posts: 197
Wheelie,

if you go North, the barge will "usually" go on Wednesday (no bet on this!), arriving in Aswan on a Thursday or Friday, meaning that you can only start your customs rallye on Sunday, probably not being able to leave Aswan before Monday. And you will have to be in Wadi Halfa as early as Monday night / Tuesday morning in order to do the paperwork.

The way Southward with the ferry leaving Aswan "regularly" on a Monday (again: no bet on this!) is therefore usually better, arriving in Wadi Halfa on Tuesday afternoon, making it possible - if everything works out - to leave Wadi Halfa on Thursday, before the weekend.

Greetings,
Achim
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 738
My impression is that bikes usually go on the passenger ferry. We loaded six on at once but that was the max. that they could squeeze on as they sit basically in the central passage way.

If the numbers were higher, I suppose they may try to make you put your bike on the car ferry, if one is running that week, but you would be pretty unlucky to rock up and have that many bikes leaving on the week you decided to go.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Wheelie's Avatar
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 658
MountainMan,

how and how early before departure did you go about getting the tickets. And, what is the risk not getting the bike on the ferry? Are there a lot of bikes going this way once a week?

Can anyone else confirm this?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 3 Oct 2012
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 738
We bought ours a day or two before, you have to return your Egyptian plates and stuff before you leave and that takes most of a day.

I would say your risk is low that you would not get on but when it's a week delay and you only have three I would try to secure/buy a ticket ahead of time. You can track down a number for the guy in Aswan and see how you can reserve a spot as best you can, but as you can imagine there's not really a internet site where you can pre buy your ticket.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cairo to Nairobi and back in 3 weeks - possible? brettsyoung sub-Saharan Africa 26 9 Dec 2015 16:07
Cape Town to Nairobi on small bikes, any suggestions?! kfukuda87 Route Planning 2 29 Jul 2012 16:27
Cape Town to Nairobi on a small budget, small bikes, and small experience/prep time! kfukuda87 sub-Saharan Africa 0 28 Jul 2012 10:24
Cairo to Capetown Motorcycle Expedition 2014 truman Tours 0 24 May 2012 01:13
Egypt - Bike friendly hotel in Giseh or Cairo olerbiro Sleep and Eat, North Africa 2 8 Jan 2011 18:13

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

HU Event and other updates on the HUBB Forum "Traveller's Advisories" thread.
ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

HUBBUK: info

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:18.