The Route

The route shown is a rough outline of where we anticipate travelling. This seems to be the route most overlanders take although in reverse. Many travel down from Europe, not many the other way round.

     We will pass fairly quickly through Sth Africa and Namibia once we have the visas for the first part of the trip. We have spent a fair time in these two countries in past trips. Angola sounds interesting but our length of stay depends on getting a tourist visa, usually all they offer is a 5 day transit. The DRC is very narrow in the western section and we should pass through in a few days. The route through Congo-Brazzaville or Republic of the Congo usually necessitates driving to the north then crossing into Gabon near Franceville.

     Cameroon follows. The timing of the whole trip seems to depend on getting through a short stretch of road in the west of the country near Mamfe before the rains set in. This stretch can be almost impassable once the wet starts. Just hit up 'Mamfe Road' on Youtube and you should get an idea. The trouble in the north of Nigeria means we will keep to the south and maybe spend not as long as we would like in the country.

     Then it will be into Benin and Togo before reaching Ghana, along with Nigeria two of the few English speaking countries on the route. We will head north into Burkina Faso then Mali where the Dogon Country is one of the trip's highlights. On to Senegal, Mauritania, Western Sahara then finally Morocco.

    Visiting the areas to the south of Mali: Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone may have to be missed as time may become an issue.