Joburg to Paris via African West Coast - starting in January 2015

[SylvainFR]

Hi,

Around mid January 2015, a childhood friend (Pascal) and myself will be heading out (he's on a BMW GS and I'm on a KLR) from Joburg via the African West Coast up to France. Would be excellent to be able to share as well as meet up with bikers along the way. We'll try to give regular updates and indications on whatever cool stuff / issues will be thrown at us.

Cheers,

Sylvain

[levelo]

Hi Sylvain,

I just p.m.ed you.
If you need any kind of info regarding the western route heading north feel free to contact me. I have just ridden my bicycle the whole way from France to S.A. Didn't do the Lumumbashi-Kin stretch though, but Namibia to Angola to Bas-Congo in DRC.
Hope you already have your DRC visa cause it is a real drag getting it on the move...
Happy trails and best of luck,

Levelo.

[jc greyling]

Hi I just did London to Durban on my Aprilia. If you need any infor please contact me.
Regards

[Mrwood120]

Hi sorry to high jack this post, but how did you guys get on with obtaining a visa for Angola? Did you get it in a neighbouring country or at the border?
Thanks

[rndef]

Hey Sylvain, guys,

I heading south from Portugal to SA via the West Coast starting end of January, on a XT600E.
We are going oppositte ways but because of that we can maybe share info.
I'll let you know what happens going down and you do the same coming up and we will meet half way for !

Levelo and JC hope you don't mind if I pm some questions about the route down if needed! Cheers

Safe travels,

[levelo]

Rndef : feel free to ask anything you want.
Mrwood : I have already written a post on the Angola visa, do a search and it will pop up !

Happy trails.

[rndef]

Originally Posted by levelo

Rndef : feel free to ask anything you want.

Happy trails.

Cheers Levelo, will do.

Thanks and safe travels

[SylvainFR]

Hi - so we started our trip a week ago from Joburg - through Botswana, Zimbabwe and now Zambia.

To answer a question on this thread - no idea about Angola.

About DRC - wish that I had read Levelo s reply - we re currently in a pickle in Zambia where the DRC embassy refused to issue us a visa...

We re going to try going to the border tomorrow and see what happens...

Otherwise, we ll probably have to leave the bikes in Zambia and fly out to get visas... a drag of note...

In any case, we ll keep you posted.

Are any of you aware of other countries that play "hard to get into" visa wise - I mean from one country to the next. i.e. : in Gabon - you can do Cameroon ; in Cameroon - you can do Nigeria and so on. Come to think of it - with this DRC hurdle - I would imagine Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon and possibly Ghana to be an issue.

All in all - if we have to leave Zambia and come back I d rather stay as much as it takes to get the few visas that will be an issue and head back on the road. Possibly a month wasted but possibly worth the trouble...

Any insight welcome. Thanks.

[levelo]

Hi Sylvain.

Yeah, those damn visas...

Heading north last year I got my Angolan, DRC and Congo-Brazza visas in Windhoek. It was a lot of work ( sponsor and such ) for Angola, a tad easier for DRC ( although the visa I was given was not entirely valid since not issued in my country of residence ) and a breeze for Congo-Brazza.

In Brazza I got both Gabon and Cameroon. Very unfriendly but I succeeded.

For Nigeria you should try in all the capital cities of the countries mentionned above. Eventually you will get it but bear in mind that crossing from Cameroon still seems to be problematic...

West Africa is a lot easier. Only Ghana is a pain with the residency rule, but most travellers manage it in the end.

Good luck,

Levelo.

[jc greyling]

Hi guys, when I rode down from Ldn along the west coast in 2014 I just went to the borders for most countries and got the visa.
Most borders we were able to get visas even in Angola after being denied a visa at the Angolan embassy in Kinshasa.
Nigeria I got turned away and had to go to the embassy in Benin.
Depending on what passport you travelling, Benin, Nigeria, Angola and DRC visas should be obtained before getting to the borders.
Ghana visa can be bought at the border but it is only a 24hr transit visa and Ghana is about 1500km riding so I advise getting before hand.
Morocco & Mauritania visa for SA passport a must !
But remember, this is Africa and things change over night.
If you meet other travelers traveling in opposite direction swap info
Message if you guys need to know more
Safe travels.