Safe Travel in West Africa
 

Hello,

I am planning to ride from Ghana to the UK, leaving late Feb. My original research led me to believe the route was (relatively) safe, albeit with some areas best avoided. However, the more people I tell my plan to, the more horror stories I hear and the more people tell me not to do it / that I have a death wish.

With that in mind, I was hoping to canvas opinions/experience/thoughts about how safe this route is and what I can do to stay safe. I’m particularly interested to hear from people who have recently travelled in the countries I plan to visit.

My route was going to be; Ghana > Cote d’Ivoire (avoiding the South West corner) > Liberia > Sierra Leone > Guinea (avoiding the Mamou to Nzerekore road and surrounding area) > Guinea Bissau > The Gambia (assuming the current problems do not escalate) > Senegal (avoiding the bit between Guinea Bissau and The Gambia) > Mauritania (along the coast road only) > Morocco.

However, following so many negative stories about Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea Bissau, I’m not sure whether it would be better to blast through Mali (which isn’t exactly safe either) to avoid these places?

Any help/stories/thoughts welcome.

I’ve lived in Ghana for 1 year, so I’m somewhat skeptical of horror stories about Africa. Particularly from people who have never travelled in the region. However, I obviously don’t want to take unnecessary risks/would like to stay alive.

Also, if anyone has any hints/tips on travelling safely, it would be great. I know not to travel at night, stay in secure locations in particularly dodgy areas (Mauritania) and keep people up to date on where I am. However, any more ideas would be great.

Thanks

Hi in my opinion the route through Mali is safe thats why I also went there: http://afrikamotorrad.eu/?report=en_westkueste

Friends who traveled Siera Leone told me about corrupt police stops every few kilometers...not unsave but expensive. I just found this interesding article about Elfenbeinküste: http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/...d_6460891.html

Howdy,

We entered Ghana today -- on the insistence of Cote d'Ivoire gendarmes in Yakasse (east, north of Abengourou) -- they suggested the military is fighting bandits on all roads going north. We were planning to visit Comoe' park, but we verified the story with a local policeman, the drug enforcement, and a military dude. Frankly, our french isn't so amazing that we could ask people confidently, but they were all insistent that there was some sort of problem.

That said, we have done the reverse of your route, generally (see my sig), and we have had ZERO problems. Guinea was a breeze (a painfully rough road between N'zo and Danane, but if we can do it in a Subaru, anyone can do it), and we did the Mamou -> N'zerekore route and found no problems OTHER than a fuel shortage in Faranah due to the construction work on 2 of their 4 petrol stations plus a flipped tanker truck. Bring extra, they seem to be out of essence AND diesel, and show no signs of finishing their work for a month or two.

I can't speak to the Casamance region, nor Gambia, since we didn't do those -- nor Liberia/Sierra Leone.

The parts we HAVE done, however, have been super wonderful. Eastern Cote seems a little less professional, regarding stops and attempts at bribes. Guinea we only had a single incident in dozens of checkpoints over a week. Senegal didn't give us a single attempt. Mauritania gave us one or two, plus the borders are nonsenes. Morocco only had one incident, asking us for whiskey.

Tame stuff. I've been profoundly disappointed with the governmental travel info from US/UK/CA/Aus on West Africa so far, and frankly, we're sort of mad that we re-routed on the demands on the gendarmes, since we are now skipping Burkina/Benin/Togo and entering Ghana a month early -- but we have a standing "better safe than sorry" rule, so I'm curious what they're even on about. They even said the road to Bouake was no good, so either there is something flaring up, or we got trolled hard by the officials in eastern Cote.

$0.02 -- Hope it helps. :)

- Mike

(African newb + chicken)

Not sure why this means you necessarily skip Burkina Faso, Benin and/or Togo. All are easily accessible from Ghana, all visas are available in Accra, and all are worth visiting.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Passed through Ghana last November. Came through Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso . All good , stayed South in Mali passed through Kita and Bamako no hassle at all , Sleeping Camel in Bamako really good . Enjoy your trip

Our endpoint is Ghana due to a car shipment, and I don't want to figure out how to convert our single-entry Ghana visas to multi-entry just to play out the rest of our VTE visa (which may or may not get accepted as multi-entry now that we've left the VTE area)

We'll get them on the next trip. The juice doesn't feel worth the squeeze this time :)

Yes beside Gaboun, Burkina Faso was one of the nicest countrys in Africa. Dont miss it :)

Hi Rory,

Have any of the people telling you this actually been to any of the countries in West Africa? If they are saying you have a death wish I suspect they have not.

I have spent nearly 3 years of my life travelling and working in the region and own a company which operates overland trips there. Sure there are always a few issues along the way, but never anything serious.

There's no real reason to avoid Casamance, Senegal - in many ways this is the best part of the country and shouldn't be missed!

David

What a shame, you were minutes from me it was okay to come, there were some problems in the country but it was nothing violent

I'm annoyed because the police know me and you could have come south to Abengourou

I drove through Mali it was fine, at the end of December

Hi,
we just come back from Guine Bissau to Italy with our car and we do not have any problems with people and police.
Only in Guine Bissau they stop you (Guardia National) and check your car (Extinguer fire, water on glass, triangle....) looking if they can fine you and finally asking some money if they can't do it. If you get a fine (we got of 10000 CFA) ask for "a guia" (means a peace of paper that allow you to drive without other problems till the date on the glia...). We got for 5000 CFA and we finish with problems.
In Mauritania just to have copy of passport as well in Marocco.
Senegal no problems
Gambia just a lot of discussion about payments at the border (better to escape...)
Have a nice trip
Piero:D

Safety Guinee / Mali / Casamence
 

I'm just going back from that area, no problems at all! Just follow the news every day. In Casamence the problems are far over, Guinée is not an easy country to travel because of the extremely bad road conditions and no electricity and no internet, there isn't any safety problem! Extremely friendly people everywhere. I was invited everywhere! Even a visit to mister le Prefect, visited production facilities, homestay etc etc.
Sierra Leone: the police is so corrupt after several days I left the country! Nice people but the police officers and the border officers are so corrrupt that they destroy your voyage. I was even stoppet three times in one kilometer! I never ever paid. Same electrical problems as Guinée, also a lot of bad roads and a lack of information of the condition of the roads going up north (at least nobody could assure me anything).
Mali: only very good and easy experience, a lot of heavy armed soldiers to protect a national conference when I stayde there (end of march 2017).
In general the roads are good, way better than Sierra Leone and both Guinées. I had power everywhere. Internet outside Bamako is a challenge. Also in this country I had many contacts with the locals, very easy, they like to help you! I even participated family life in Nioro du Sahel, extremely friendly. Don't be afraid to travel there.
One warning in general: take some spare fuel, it was very difficult to find on my way back, especially in Mauretania and western sahara!! It took me one our to find it in Nouakchott!
Have a nice trip!

Edwin