Is Africa really this dangerous?
 

I have spent the last 4 years travelling around Asia, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China and Vietnam and apart from the odd dispute or minor incident have had trouble free travels and a wonderful experience in every country. I am now planning my first lengthy bike trip from the UK to Cape Town. I have just been looking at the British Foreign Office website and it has informed me that I should probably stay at home and barricade myself into the cellar with a shot gun and a few years emergency rations. This being the first time I have ever bothered to check the site, I was suprised to find that almost every country I had planned to visit was on the 'don't ever go here you mad bastard' list. I would like to know from someone with experience of this trip, if this advice should be taken with a pinch of salt or not. Is it a question of relying on fellow travellers, word of mouth and common sense as to where to go...or, is it a question of following the travel suggestions of the foreign office closely, regularly contacting police for route suggestions and tips on where to stay or should I hide in my cellar?!!! The route has obviously been done before on more than several hundred occasions so 'Is it REALLY' that dangerous? Comments from anyone with personal experience would be greatly welcomed.

Cheers

Ed

Ed

If you were to look at the Foreign Office advice for the countries you have been travelling in, you will probably find they are not safe either.
I found in Vietnam that if you respect the locals, travel with a smile, don't do anything stupid and don't do anything to upset the authorities, things are fine. I have never travelled in Africa, but I presume most of it would be similar.

If you've spent 4yrs travelling through SE Asia, I'm sure you will have developed the instincts you need to spot trouble, wherever you are.
I came through Africa alone in 2003. Starting my trip just before the Iraq war started, most countries I went through were British Foreign Office 'taboo'. The only time I encountered trouble was when I decided to go through areas which were very obviuosly dodgy at the time. Keep an eye on the local news and listen to the locals, that should give you a good headstart.

Geoff

Did London - Cape Town 2002-2003 bike trip via Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namaibia, South Africa.

Amazingly I was never once shot, stabbed, kidnapped or even tortured! In fact for full 8 months of travelling we had a grand total of 2 petty theft attempts (1 in Casablanca, 1 Luderitz - Namibia) - neither was succesful or threatening.

We were stressed going through Nigeria but didn't have any bad experiences (besides hassle from police/military road blocks for small bribes - and there are lots of roadblocks in Nigeria!).

Like anywhere you need to be half alert in the cities and avoid obvious no go areas.

On the whole people went out of their way to help and were very curious about our travels.

As far as routes go ...
The route south from West Africa through Gabon - DRC - Angola is opening up again (there are a couple of threads on horizons covering this http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000049.html ).

Not sure what the current status is for crossing Sundan (Darfur) to get from West Africa to East - last I heard this was still difficult. That said most people love Sudan.

Definately the Libya/Egypt - Sudan - Kenya route is open (friends recently did this).

It's amazing how much up to date info you'll get from other travellers, locals and this site.

If you have the opportunity it would be a mistake to let it pass you!

[This message has been edited by tifua (edited 30 August 2005).]

[This message has been edited by tifua (edited 30 August 2005).]

[This message has been edited by tifua (edited 30 August 2005).]

How did you get from Cameroon to Kenya?

Our plan was to go south from Cameroon through Gabon-Congo-DRC-Angola at the time, but when we got to Cameroon the Gabon/Congo border was closed due to ebola virus outbreak.

Not having Sudanese visas (we didn't think we would need them so didn't apply when in Abuja, Nigeria) we changed plans a bit and squeezed the bikes into the back of a shipping container along with a landrover belonging to some Kenyan travellers we'd met who had finished their trip and were shipping back to Kenya. We flew across to Nairobi and spent a few weeks doing all the things in Kenya that you can't do on a bike (Masai Mara, camel trek near lake Turkana etc) before collecting the bikes in Mombasa.

A good friend of ours continued east across Sudan - said it was very tough riding but loved the place. A few weeks later Darfur kicked off and Sudan/Chad border closed.

I'm on my way to Cape Town and have done
Morocco
Mauritania
Senegal
Mali
Burkina
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Niger
(northern) Nigeria
(80 miles of northern) Cameroon
Ethiopia
Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania

so far. At no time have I felt remotely threatened (except when an Israeli embassy guard pointed a machine gun at me in Mauri)
and I've had nothing stolen since Portugal. I've given up locking my bike since Morocco (except in Nairobi and similar) - no doubt I will live to regret those words.
As long as you use your brain (if applicable) you'll be as safe if not safer than wherever you live now. Probably.

Simon

Your posting is like sweet music to me....
I,m of in 5 days on pretty much on the same route as you. Westcoast all the way I think....

I'm headed to Jo'Burg in a few weeks for a ride north to Morocco. Which countries will deny visas or hassle me over the Israeli stamp in my passport? Would you recommend replacement?
Thanks
Glen

Well I replaced mine for the same reason. I thought it might be a problem in (the Islamic Republic Of) Mauritania but they've got an Israeli embassy now so I guess not...

Simon