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sub-Saharan Africa Topics specific to sub-Saharan Africa. (Includes all countries South of 17 degrees latitude)
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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  #1  
Old 25 May 2011
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I travelled in West Africa in 2003, and more extensively in 2007 and 2008. I am LONGING to go back out there! Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote Divoire will be new for me so Im doing lots of reserach in anticipation! I am looking very forward to my journey next year (2012).

Inyang said he travelled on the road between Nzerekore and Man last year. He said there were some suspect bridges. We will be driving a 10 tonne truck, so am a little concerned if we can go along this road or not? Were there any bits of this road which would be impassable in a truck?

Thanks you so much for the information, and for the GPS attachment, I sure appreciate it
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Old 26 May 2011
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Originally Posted by Dave The Hat View Post
We will be driving a 10 tonne truck
The road is OK on the Guinean side. Boarder to Danané starts off pretty bad and gets progressively better. With a ten tonne truck... I don't know. With proper ground clearance and some bridge-building on your side... I'm a bad judge of that, I only know bikes.
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Old 26 May 2011
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Dave,

we got the Ivory Coast visa after a bit of begging (again ;-)) within 2 hours in Monrovia.

I am afraid that your biggest problem will be the Ghana visa. According to traveller reports it looks like at the moment they issue just in the country of origin and the embassies follow the guideline. So start early to look for the visa or bring it from home if possible.

I just can recommend taking their requirements for hotel reservation e.g. serious. Expecting a fairly developed and touristy country we did not and where rejected in Monrovia. They are ultra clerks and just used to NGO travellers. The idea of independent tourism didn’t reach their embassy / mind yet.

Regards
Bernd

Ps: Did you find any recent reports / information about travelling through the Ivory Coast at the moment?
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Old 26 May 2011
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Bernd, We have been told that we can still get the Ghana visa in Bamako if we become resident of Mali (a one day procedure). But we are going to save the hassle and get the visa in London before we leave. We will probably get the Cote Divoire visa before we travel also.

Eljulian, thanks for the information on the road. We have very good clearance on our truck as we have swapped the axles and suspension to raise her up she now sits very high. But it all depends on how bad the bridges are.....do you have any photos of the road?

Thanks so much guys I sure appreciate the information.
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Old 26 May 2011
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Originally Posted by Dave The Hat View Post
But it all depends on how bad the bridges are.....do you have any photos of the road?
Nope, sorry. No photos.

The bridges weren't too big though. If I remember correctly it was all only little streams, the bridges weren't longer than 1 meter or so, just very rickety.

Julian
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Last edited by eljulian; 26 May 2011 at 16:46. Reason: typo :)
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Old 27 May 2011
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Thnaks Eljulian, sounds promising. I had another email from another biker and he said he took an alternative road that was in better condition. So insha'Allah all will be ok! Worst comes to worst we should be able to drive through the rivers if the bridges are only 1 meter long (well, providing the drop is not too much)!
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  #7  
Old 17 Jun 2011
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In March/April I went from Banjul by Ziguinchor to Bissau. Then further on to
Gabu, Kandika and Labe. All the way by bush taxi. I spent 3 nights in Ziguinchor and that was too long. The city is not that exciting and I recommend you to combine it with Cap Skiring or an alternative. (And the visa for G.Bissau was done in 30 minutes.)

I saw many chinese on my way from Banjul to Ouagadougou but not alongside the road from Gabu to Labe. No sign of road work 10 weeks ago. Unfortunately. 9 meter long truck.. Definetely possible but it will be a hard journey. The road is not good, expecially between Kandika (border) and Koundara. Our bush taxi left Gabu at 15:00 and arrived Labe at 10:00 the next day. Then we spent 2-3 hours waiting where another car blocked the road in the middle of a creek as well as 3-4 hours in Kounsitel - for the driver to rest. And now the rainy season has started up...

Let me also mention that the road from Bissau to Gabu is perfect. High speed all the way.

Apropos Fouta Djalon, I recommend you to make a stop in Dalaba. A beautiful city on the top of some hills. More relaxed than Labe.
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