Irishman cycling 12,000km from Cairo to Cape Town November 2018

[Tuckersears07]

Just a headsup: Zim is looking like it might go up in smoke shortly..Mugabe just fired his deputy and as a result, army and police are facing each other Not good

 

Fortunately the Tour d'Afrique route does't include Zimbabwe

[Tuckersears07]

Excellent tar all the way through Caprivi. Roads (both tar & gravel) in Namibia are of high standards compared to any in South Africa.

 

You might encounter taxi traffic to the Owambo-region, just plan ...

 

The Namib desert is spectacular, particularly Damaraland, with safe bush camping, or community camps.

 

The tar road is a huge incentive to take this route.... Thanks for the info!

 

Going through Botswana parks is not an option.First of all the will not allow you.the rangers will turn you around at the gate.

The sand is too heavy

The lions or hyenas will chow you

Makgadigadi pans is doable in the dry season.I have mates who do it every year.And you won't get eaten although I am sure there is the posibility of lion.

From Nata to Lethlakane past Kubu Island then on to Maun past Mopipi all on tar from Lethlakane.If you time it right you can see the zebra migration

 

Thanks for the heads up! 

 

Is there a road from Nata to Lethlakane via Kubu Island? Or do you have the take the long way around? 

[Kranswurm]

The tar road is a huge incentive to take this route.... Thanks for the info!

 

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Is there a road from Nata to Lethlakane via Kubu Island? Or do you have the take the long way around?

No you are crossing the Makgadigadi Pans.The remnants of a once huge inland sea

You branch off the Nata Maun road outside Nata and travel south along a ridge heading due south for Kubu Island which is an ancient Island conglomeration of knarled Baobab trees rocks and ruins where you camp.Very eery as spirits roam the ruins at night,or so folklore says.Very well known 4 x 4 stop.def mtb though.From there to Lethlakane you cross the pan and stick to the track.

If the Pans are still flooded from summer rains you cancel the whole idea and head for Maun

Get yourself a decent Michelin Map so you can get some perspective

There are 3 to make up Africa

[Kranswurm]

Brilliant, I'll meet you for sure to have a chat. Sometime after the New Year if that suits.

 

I actually haven't ridden the Mizen Malin... Not yet. I rode 3000 miles across America last year.

 

I pass through Arusha in Tanzania, But Moshi isn't on my route. Google maps says there is 118km between the two places A shame! But I'd still be interested on hearing your thoughts about Tanzania.

 

 

Seeing Elephant would be an incredible sight... But I heard they run after people if you cross their territory?

 

I will most certainly consider the Caprivi route. However Khorixas seems to be out of the way a little. After Etosha, I could head to Oujto and onto the B1 to Windhoek to get back on the Tour d'Afrique route.

 

 

I know, but there is so much to see in Africa, it's tough to fit everything in! I definitely want to do the Victoria Falls in Namibia.

 

 

I still have to look through their blogs. I've only started planning with a couple of weeks.

 

The Botswana route is as follows :

 

Victoria Falls - Kasane - Nata - Maun - Windhoek via the a3, a2, & b6.

 

What are your thoughts?

Great route with lodges all along the way with camp sites and a bar.All tar.Plenty of ellies buffalo and giraffe between Kasane and Pandamatenga on the way to Nata

Bots Elephant are fine.It's the Tuli Block ellies that don't like bikes.

And you have to do Vic Falls so you can do the white water rafting.Best grade 5 rapids in the world.whole day

Edited November 6, 2017 by Kranswurm

[Stretch]

P.s. also have a mate who was a game ranger in Tanzania and Kenya... He'll definitely be able to give you some top tips.

 

Be good to chat in the new year.

 

I'm super jealous!

[Kranswurm]

Fortunately the Tour d'Afrique route does't include Zimbabwe

Vic Falls is Zimbabwe....but it's fine....don't worry about it

[jagged_horizons]

You're dead right! Touring is a great way to see places & meet people. 

 

Could you explain a little more about the purification tablets?

 

 

Hey, I should have been more specific - I meant water purification tablets (Iodine or similar). There will be many times when your drinking water will come from seriously dodgy sources and you really don't want to risk gippo guts or worse....

[Pure Savage]

Do you have a website ?

 

Some mechanism of contact ?

 

March is a long way off - but not so long way off.

 

Would be be great to get regular updates on here.

What Slowbee means is, what is your instagram handle?

[Shebeen]

My cousin is busy doing this at the moment, but going to Cairo not down. On a Mecer steel bike too. He is/ was a hubber

HIJACK - I know a guy on a mercer going north, so surely must be the same guy. But Sam is(was) planning on riding to algeria. through mali and other crazy stuff!

[MphatiPyga]

HIJACK - I know a guy on a mercer going north, so surely must be the same guy. But Sam is(was) planning on riding to algeria. through mali and other crazy stuff!

Yup it’s Sam, he is taking a definitely overtrusting route. And annoyingly not much on social media besides what we get from Kate and some watsapps. I am amazed how fast he is going!!

[ricochet_rabbit]

Here is another resource to try make contact with. He rode most of Africa unsupported. His travel diary's will be worth reading. 

 

http://fatkidonabike.com/

 

https://www.facebook.com/afatkidonabike/

Edited November 7, 2017 by ricochet_rabbit

[Pure Savage]

Here is another resource to try make contact with. He rode most of Africa unsupported.

 

http://fatkidonabike.com/

Looks like he got lost

[FondTF2]

Another point of reference is:

http://www.afrikalegburn.com/

 

Guy rode Cairo to CT this year

[dev null]

I would definitely not do Zim at the moment.

[Baracuda]

This is a closer up picture of the Botswana route:

 

 

And this is what the Tour d'Afrique (I'm copying their route) says on their website about the Botswana stretch:

 

Botswana is home to some 110,000 elephants that roam through the Kalahari and Chobe National Parks. Don’t be surprised if you have to stop on a highway to allow a family of elephants or a solitary male Bull Elephant to cross at a safe distance!

After camping near the Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve you arrive at northern Botswana’s largest town, Maun, for a rest day when you can take a dugout canoe or a small plane ride into the Okavango, the world’s largest inland river delta. The cycling then continues along the Trans-Kalahari Highway, including “the Longest day” at 208 km, towards the border of Namibia, a country whose stunning arid landscapes are one of the world’s best kept secrets.

Would you say take the Caprivi Strip to Shakawe, and then come south to Maun?

 

There is some decent wildlife on that road north of Maun to the Caprivi. The last time I drove it, there was a guy on a bicycle who had stopped and was waving us down. I thought it was odd until I spotted the pride of 16 lions about 50 meters further up the road. I have never seen a pride that large anywhere before. And this was not in a 'park', it was just on the normal road about 20km out of town

Edited November 7, 2017 by Baracuda

[ShovaTours]

Hey Thomas.

I work for tour d afrique.i am currently leading one of their tours across Asia.I did the Cairo to CapeTown in 2012...a few things have changed, but I can help you out if you want information.

It is a classic route, you will love it. Asphalt 85% of the way, or 100% if you dont go off the main routes.

Shoot me up an email.

Doug