Seeking travel companion (West-Africa -> Europe)
 

Hi Horizons Unlimited,

My name is Jeroen Eggebeen, 22 years old, from the Netherlands. Last year I went to Norway on a motor-vacation and found out that I wanted to do something more adventurous: Traveling from The Netherlands (or a country closeby) to Ghana (or another West-African country). Or vice-versa. I am looking for someone to travel with (may be multiple persons as well), or people that can provide me with tips or information. The whole journey is still a rough sketch so I am open for input. It seemed favorable for me to start the trip in Ghana as I have built some contacts there. (Someone from Nurses on Tour, a dutch charity organisation, see: Stichting Nurses On Tour - Home).

The plan is to fly by plane to Ghana (The price for your motorcycle is a bit below the average person-price). Because I have never been in Ghana (Or Africa for that matter) it seemed like a good idea to travel along the West-African coast, bypassing Sierra-Leone and Liberia, and maybe Côte d'Ivoire. As stated above I have already had some contact with someone in Ghana and he went through Mali and Mauritania by car a few years ago (He went from The Netherlands to Ghana). But he advises against this due to the current situation in Mali and the Touregs. So any input is welcome.

My original routeplan was: from Ghana to Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Senegal again, Mauritania, the West-Sahara and Morocco and then back to Europe. This plan is completely subject to change, and as stated above, Mauritania and Côte d'Ivoire might not be such a good idea after all.

Because of the great deal of country's where French is the primary language, it would be a big advantage (if not a necessity) if my travelcompanion masters the French language, which I do not (at all).

What I can however:

- Some offroad driving (I am going to take an additional course for this though)
- Survival tactics (I have 8 years of scouting-experience, of which 4 years as staff member, and it lies in my general interest)
- The English language (be my judge)
- I can certainly do basic repairs to my motorcycle, but I am going to take an additional course for this as well, in order to really know what I am doing at all times.

So do you have any suggestions, tips or are you interested?

I'll be glad to hear from you.

Hello jeron, i´m from germany and want to start a big trip over 4 month´s with the motobike in the octobre 2013 from germany, down to capetown over the westroute. 3 years ago, i did the trip with my tenere on the eastside about 25 000 km and also in 4 month. if you think, it sounds got, just let me now this and maybe we can talk about the trip.

cheers thomas

Hi we are driving from gambia to Spain around end February 2013 if that's my good for you

Hello, Thomas


First, apology for the late reaction. I am not that constantly checking my email (I like the outdoors better).

I've been thinking about the offer, and it can be done, only there are some things that concern me a little, ofcourse you first have to know that I am not half as experienced as you are, I'm also 15 years younger than you are, haven't even seen reel sand or Africa or any other rough/off road riding, except for riding along the beach and the forest.

Otherwise I'm really glad that a guy with your kind of experience wants to go with me, but I really don't want to be a block on your foot (A dutch saying meaning 'liability').

But you're planning a trip that’s more than twice the size of my planning would be, organizing in six months and driving in 4 months, maybe that is a little to much for me, when I started my planing, I was thinking about leaving in December (also because the I would arrive in West-Africa after the raining season) and doing the trip in three months.

Regarding the planning of your east coast, I think is a really great idea, maybe bypassing Somalia. But still a great idea, especially because you have done this part before.

Well, thank you, lets see if we can work something out.

Kind regards,

Jeroen.

Hello, TheAfricaSchoolRun.

Sorry,

I believe this ain’t gonna work because it sounds more like a race, and I'm more searing for a holiday. And also my employer will kill me when I say that I'm going next month XD.

But thank for the offer.

Kind regards,
Jeroen.

Hello jeroen, thanks for the reply. it´s realy not easy to find someone in germany and so i try it here. i found some guys in germany, but they have maximum 8 weeks time and that´s a bit to short ... but i´m sure, on the way down, i can "find" a lot offer bikers, which ride the same way... if you want reduce the traveltime, you have to ge tall the importand visa before you start, because a big part of a transafrica trip is, to manage the paperwork ... and you need a very special tactic for the f... boarder procedure. my holiday (16 weeks) is fix now from octobre to end of january. the job now is: getting some injections, get the visa and fitting the bike and the equipment. if i have enough post´s here on this site, i can also writing directly to you.

cheers thomas

Hello, thomas,

Apology again for the late reaction, I'll really try to look once in the two or three days from now on.
There still are some concerns (if I'll return home halfway) like: flying me and my motorbike back to Holland from some remote country like Kenya or Tanzania, do you need an reservation for some kind of things?
How did you do that in South-Africa?

Where do you want to hit Africa, cause from Sicilia, you can ship out for Algeria, Tunis or Libya, but Libya, and Algeria (with the resent unrest) doesn't sound like real holiday regions to me. XD. Also Somalia isn't a real pleasant country to cross as I noticed from other travelers. Or is Greece some good idea, then ship to Egypt?

Bikes may be also a concern, cause maybe it's convenient to buy, or take both the same, to reduce luggage like tools, and reduce knowledge of motorbike repairs. XD. If we both take the same one, it will not be a 1200 gs for my concern, first because I don't have that amount of money, secondly, those bikes are just to heavy to drag through the sand.

Questions:

How many kilometers do you make a day, to get in Cape-Town on time, cause maybe I'm not that hardcore driver like you are, (maybe I am), was your planing to also pass a few days of driving, cause its holiday also, I don't know how much this is like a race to you? XD.


Good, that's enough for now.
If you really want to do this we can plan a weekend and meet, maybe I can come to your place, you can learn me some off-roading and see if we can get along, if that's all good we start the planning. :D


Kind regards,

Jeroen.

To south africa
 

To Thomas and Jeroen,

I,am wondering after reading all of this,Did! You ever meet and started planning the trip to South-Africa?

I,am planning on going there my self I spent a couple of weeks in Marroco at the begining of this year,and did a couple of countrys outside europe long time a go, I Like to here what the progress is.

Bert

Hello, Bert.

I never heard again from Tomas, after that messages I got from him, I found myself another group, and are allready in Dakar Senegal to sort out some visa's for the folloing country's

Kind regards. Jeroen

update trip and info
 

Jeroen thanks for the reply,

I have to folowing thinks te ask If you have the time or energy, Can you? or any one off your group keep me up to date on the route you taken, and the visa,s that you aply for at home ,Or get on route, If there are any problems during your trip, If you keep a blog or website please let me know ,trying to get all the info i can,Planing on leaving myself begining of December going south untill my feet get wet or run out of money or die of old age.

I wish you and your group well have a save trip.