Morocco to South Africa
 

We are planning a trip from Morocco to South Afrika through the following countries: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and finally South Africa. Does anybody have experience with the borders, Niger/Chad/Sudan/Ethiopia? Can this be done, please advise us!

Thanks!

Tom and Laura
tom.laura@wanadoo.nl

bad news, dude. we came the other way December 2004 and had to fly over Darfur, western Sudan. we chose to fly from Addis to N'Djamena. that route was safe enough end '04, but see the sahara forum for news on the lake chad area. NDjamena is reckoned to be much less tourist friendly than it was - and it wasn't friendly end 04. you may have to go south from Niger into Nigeria and Cameroun. the toss up between Chad and Congo is up to you, but neither are as safe or welcoming as the majority of the west coast route.

for my money, I'd check out where ethiopian airlines fly to consider flying to Addis from somewhere other than Chad. they go to Mali and either Nigeria or Togo - I don't recall. be aware, tho, that their freight schedule is hard to guess and they use a 757 with something like 95/100cm max pallet height

good luck!

If you follow that route, I recommend to go through Niger (Zinder, Diffa), quickly across Nigeria (Maiduguri), and visit the north of Cameroon (don't miss Rhumsiki) before flying from Ndjamena to Khartoum. That's what we did 3 years ago. See the other threads at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-ethiopy-22382 and http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...had-area-22085

Your girlfriend might have to punch a cop or two to protect your stuff and her physical integrity at the border between Cameroon and Chad - like mine did - but otherwise it should be fine. Also make sure you have multiple-entry visas for Cameroon, just in case the plane thing doesn't work off Ndjamena.

Pierre (& Merritt too)
http://www.photobiker.com