Cape Town to Nairobi on a small budget, small bikes and little prep time!
 

Greetings!

Link to my member intro:

And a link to my trip:

If you could lend any advice, suggestions on what else I might need, don't need, anything...I would REALLY appreciate it. Also, I apologize in advance for the briefness of my posts as i am backpacking and couchsurfing in Cape Town (orig from California) to save $ for this trip and Internet Cafes are the only method for going online as of now.

Documents (have):

1. California/USA motorcycle license in paper form only, no picture (original was lost and could not be replaced unless i go in-person to a California motoring office)
2. expired USA drivers license
3. Liberian drivers license (auto only)
4. yellow-fever/immunizations WHO card
5. non-expired American passport
6. medical insurance
7. Peace Corps Liberia Volunteer ID card
8. Passport photos

Documents (don’t have, trying to obtain):

1. Trying to obtain an international driving permit (IDP) for my USA motorcycle license
2. Trying to obtain an international driving permit (IDP) for my Liberian auto license (will this even help me at border crossings/checkpoints?)
3. Carnet (as an American citizen but buying the bike here in SA, how do I obtain a Carnet?)
4. Need motorcycle insurance?
5. Visas and entry requirements research still needs to be done for an American entering: Botswana, Zambia or Zimbabwe, maybe Malawi?, Tanzania, Kenya (own research will be done yet still, can anyone shed any light/recent info on this?)
6. Photocopies of everything
7. (Am i missing anything else crucially important?)

Thank you HU and cheers,
Ken

For a carnet one option might be to apply to Canadian Automobile Association which also does it for Americans and even for bikes registered overseas...talk to Suzanne Danis at CAA.
I am planning trip from SA myself in Oct. heading up to Kenya and around Lake Victoria. Keep in touch.

Regards,
Larry Simpson

on the other hand I have often heard that you can get by without a carnet up as far as Kenya if you start in SA ...

cheers
Larry

Accommodation is surprisingly expensive. And, some places, a tent full of bikers equals packed lunch for wild animals.

It is a very easy trip if you stick to the main road. Fuel, accomodation and food will be available every day if you do not want to go camping and you are willing to ride very long some days. Not all fuel stations may have fuel...

Also, it can get quite cold at night and early in the mornings some places. At Prince Albert road we experienced frost in July...