Everything so far is just preliminary, and could change if I find a traveling buddy, even date of departure or itinerary.
I've been in West Africa in 2010 and now, at 38, it's time to do the other side, see my youtube channel for video's of that trip:
Tony's channel
Here's were I stand at the moment:
Start: august 2012 in South Africa
The month of august is chosen as a startdate according to a climate chart constucted by another blogger (Jammin) as published on the HUBB:climate africa Also, because this trip will last 6 months , I want to make sure I arrive back home just after the cold winter, and not just before it. There will never be a perfect time for doing this route as you pass several climates and rain and cold can never be completey avoided.
South Africa is chosen as a startpoint because riding down and back up is just too many kilometres, and starting at home would mean that at the end of the trip there would be the stressful shipping of the bike in the last days, I've read too many reports of things going wrong and people having to return to South Africa to get the bike sorted. Flying the bike over from here (I think shipping will take too long and is too unpredictable) has the advantage that I can do this relaxed and in my own language and as I live only 50 km from Brussels airport, it's should be easy. Also, I could send the bike a week or 2 before I fly after it, so that the bike is there when I land. I hope to get the paperwork and customs sorted there in less than 2 weeks (fingers crossed) and have a stressfree start of my trip.
Duration: 6 months
In Belgium we can legaly take a break in our career, and the goverment pays out a little amount each month, minimum is 3 months, but this time I want to take it easy and will take 6 months, so when I like it somewhere on route, I can stay for days or even weeks.
Itinerary:
East coast obviously: Namibia, Botswana,Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania,(Uganda) Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and then (hopefully) the ferry to Italy.
Visa:
Most of the visa I will get on the road as they will not be valid long enough to get them in Brussels. I will have a look at the more difficult ones before I leave (Sudan, Egypt?)
Carnet:
I will get the carnet from the Royal Automobile Club in Belgium for 100% of the actual value, which is 3000 euro at the moment for my Yamaha and hope the 100% rule for Egypt here in Belgium doesn't change to 200% or 400 % as it is in other countries.
Bike:
I will be using my trusty 2008 Yamaha xt660z with 40000 km on the clock, after giving it a big service of course . I will use a different setup as last time ditching the topcase, which will be replaced with 2 trax sidecases this time: see video for the last setup
Tyres: TKC front will last all the way hopefully and rear a K60 or Mitas07 and a spare one, or one tourance rear tyre for the whole distance.
only other spares will be a chain&sprocket set as I just won't make it on one set.
Cost: (estimate)
Airfreight of the bike : +1000 euro
Airline ticket for myself: 1000 euro
Carnet: 3000+350 euro
Living on the road: about 1000 euro /month = 6000 euro
Visa +500 euro
Cost to prepare bike + 500 euro
TOTAL: +12000 euro (ouch)
Travel Partner:
So, I'm looking for someone to do this with! I know from previous travels, it will be hard to find someone with exactly the same plan, but if I find someone to team up with for a couple of months or even weeks, that would be fine. Adventures are so much nicer if you can share them with someone, no? From this year on, I'm single, so at home there is noone to share my expierences.
Age or gender is not important as is nationality, as long as you are easy going, positive and motivated you are welcome to join me.
As I'm a biker I won't team up with 4x4 drivers. You should be completely self sufficient and independant, in case we have to split up (for whatever reason), you can do so. Although my moto is: what we start together, we finnish together, things can happen while traveling that make people decide to go their own way.
I won't make an exact route beforehand, just a general list of countries and highlights I want to visit and will be staying in cheap hotels and some camping (not too fond of camping).I don't take cooking gear, cheap food is available everywhere. I'm a half decent offroader by now and although most of the route is asfalted, I will seek out some nice offroad tracks (e.g. Turkana route) but never will take any risks that I don't have to take, it's supposed to be a holiday.
The best holiday ever, if you ask me, so come join me:
mail me with all your inquiries at tony-ontheroad@hotmail.com
