TUNISIA (GMT+1, no DST)

 

Info gathered: October 2009

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Tunis/ Carthage (ferry from Palermo, Sicily see www3.gnv.it)

Visa requirements: Visa not required - stamp on entry

Entry requirements/border formalities: Easy. Recommend trying to be one of the first off the boat – go through customs check (cursory vehicle search – they literally opened the back and had a quick look) then go to booth at the end of the hangar with passports and Carte Grise, they give you a stamped piece of paper that you’ll need to show to exit the port. Approx. time taken - 30 mins.

Carnet stamp: Not required

Exit point: Ras al-jedir

Exit requirements/border formalities: 1 dnr needed per vehicle. Approx time – 1 hour

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time:  Northern/central Tunisia - best in Sep-Oct & South/Desert –Nov

Currency: Tunisian Dinar; 2.12TD = £1

ATM’s: available throughout

Money exchange on exit: many money exchangers in Ben Guerdane (last town before Libyan border)

General Prices: expensive for Africa but still cheaper than Europe

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 14 days (can be done much quicker!)

Our Route: Tunis – Cap Bon – El Kef – Cap Serrat – Hammamet – Tozeur – Tamerza – Douz – Ksar Ghilane – Gabes – Tataouine – Ras al-Jedir (border with Libya)

Roads: all good tarmac. Lots of opportunities for sand off road driving in the southern desert but we didn’t do this

Driving conditions: generally good, Tunis was a nightmare for us to navigate as the main roads don’t seem to connect or be signposted in any logical order (see top tips) but standard of driving is much better than Italy!

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: diesel 0.90 TD

Recommended garages: (we did not use these though)

Mechanic - Rue Ahmed Tlili, Tunis (N36 47.809 E10 11.113)

Spares – PTR, down the Rue Carthage, Tunis (GPS N36 47.561 E10 10.944)

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

- Cap Serrat/Cap Bon: good places to chill for a couple of days, off the tourist beaten track

- Dougga/Bulla Regia: impressive roman ruins & preserved mosaics (although if you are visiting Leptis Magna, can easily be missed)

- Chott el-Jerid: great drive across barren salt lake with freaky mirages

- Ksar Ghilane: nice first real experience of the Sahara desert on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental

- Ksar Ouled Soltane: four storey ghorfors (grain stores) around a courtyard that look like they’re off a set of Star Wars. Awesome at sunset and we bush camped in the courtyard

 

… or not

- Hammamet/Mahdia: Eurotrash holiday hell! Hammamet only worth a visit if you are looking for some hotel all inclusive R&R that doesn’t involve leaving the hotel – can get some good deals off-season.

- El Jem: Roman colosseum, lots of tourist touts and expensive entry fee - we just took pictures from outside

 

GENERAL NOTES

Travel easy (almost all French speaking) – there are police checkpoints everywhere but tourists are just waved through.  Not many official campsites in the Northern part of the country and we found bush camping difficult, but easier as you go south. There are some restrictions on travel in southern part of the Sahara (effective 1 Jan 2009).

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Tunis, Sidi Bou Said	N36°52.668’ E010° 20.568’	Hotel	Hotel Sidi Bou Said	Expensive 4*(?) hotel (TD140) – not worth the price but easy after a long ferry journey
Cap Bon, Kelibia	7km north of Kelibia	Campsite	Centre National de la Jeunes	Government run youth campsite, very basic but quiet beachside location– speak to Faisal (nice manager). Camping TD6
Cap Bon, Korbous	N36°49.005’ E010°34.185’	Hotel	Hotel des Thermes	Busy hot springs in Korbous – spa treatments look a bit like forms of torture (we didn’t try them!). Hotel not really worth the price
Central West, El Kef	N36°23.333’ E009°14.189’	POI	Dougga ruins	Impressively preserved roman ruins
Central West, El Kef	N36°11.017’ E008°34.551’	Camping/ POI	Hamman Mellegue	Roman Hamman and the lovely keeper allowed us to camp next to his house – beware of the sand flies though!
Jendouba	N36°33.420’ E008°45.293	POI	Bulla Regia ruins	Roman ruins with some impressively preserved mosaics
Cap Serat	N37°13.117’ E009°13.351’	Camping	Cap Serat beach	Free camping on the beach nr Restaurant le Pirate (beware of freak storms though!)
Madhia		Town		Package holiday hell
Tamerza	N34°22.937’ E007°55.981’	Camping	Les cascades	Tamerza waterfalls fairly pathetic but amazing drive up and good, basic campsite with hot showers
Gafsa	Main rd in town	Supermarket	Carrefour	Awesome selection
Tozeur	N33°54.838’ E008°07.458’	Camping	Camping Les Beux Reves	Not much space for vehicle camping
Douz	N33°27.187’ E009°01.516’	Camping	Desert camping club	Little shade but good facilities – popular with 4x4 desert expeditions
Gabes	N33°53.327’ E010°05.436’	Camping	Gabes Campsite	OK camping in centre of town in a sports academy
Ksar Ghilane oasis	N32°59.284’ E009°38.385’	Hotel	Hotel Pansea	Expensive luxury bedouin tented hotel on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental Desert – very cool but Euro prices (we splurged!). There are also 3 campsites in the oasis.
Nr Tatouine	turnoff from rd: N32°46.920’ E009°01.516’	POI/Camping	Ksar Ouled Soltane	Awesome Ksar with amazing colours at sunset – we arrived at sunset and they let us bushcamp in the Ksar

                                                                       

Tunisia – British Embassy contact details:

LIBYA (GMT+2, no DST)

 

 

 

Info gathered: November 2009

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Ras al-jedir

Visa requirements: Extensive and expensive!

 

Tourist visa required – need to apply for in advance. However, when we were in Cairo we met some French who had got a transit visa (so no need for a guide) both ways across Libya by going direct to the Embassy – their return leg transit visa was for 15 days! We were told these were not available so it is worth checking!

 

These were the formalities we had (warning – these change frequently):

- appoint local Libyan agent (as they need to write a letter of invitation for you and will provide you with a guide). We used a chap called Farhat (farhatgahuagi@hotmail.com;farhatgahuagi@yahoo.com) who seemed pretty responsive – he was at the border waiting for us.  There are also a couple of tour companies (Fessanno?) which have websites – all the prices are much the same.  

- you can currently pick up your visa at the Libyan/ Tunisia border

- arabic translation stamp in your passport (this is a free service which you can get from the passport office and then get someone to complete the translation)

- you need to be escorted by a guide in your vehicle or he can use his own car but more expensive. Our guide was nice but didn’t seem to have much experience (which seems quite common).

- you need to agree a rough itinerary with your local agent (we did this on the day of arrival)

 

Costs:

1-Visa formalities in Libya - 100 Euro per person

2- Car formalities at border - 150 Euro (incl insurance, plates automobil club carnet)

3 - New (Aug’09) government fee for vehicle - 160 Euro but some other overlanders we met didn’t have to pay this so it is worth checking with a few tour companies

3- Registration within one week - 15 Euro – this is actually only about 10 dinar so may be worth asking to do this yourself

4- Guide - 50 Euro per day plus food. We have heard stories from others that their guide insisted on staying in hotels and they had to pay for him as well. Ours was good and found local friends when we had to stay in hotels in Benghazi & Tunis – otherwise we camped and he usually stayed at the nearest house.

 

Entry requirements/border formalities: All done by our local agent. Approx time taken – 2 hours. We did not have our vehicle searched!

Carnet stamp: required

Exit point: Amsaad to Egypt

Exit requirements / border formalities: your guide should be able to do this for you -

- return plates in Musaad (last town before the border, 130km from Tobruk), building on right – your guide should know. You get 100LD back

- get carnet & passport stamped

Approx time taken: 1 hour

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Best in Oct- Nov. Avoid Ramadan (22 Aug-20 Sep ‘09)

Currency: Libyan Dinars £1: LYD 2 (approx.)

ATM’s: There is an ATM at the border, in Tripoli (although it is quite difficult to find one that works for international) and Benghazi 

Money exchange on exit: Available on the Egyptian side of the border at pretty good rates

General prices: Once you’re in the country, food/camping etc. is very cheap (we were often given free bread etc.)

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 10 days (can be done in as little as 4 days/3nights if you just drive solidly on the coast road – we choose to go to Ghadames in the south which added on an extra 4 nights)

Our Route: Ras al-Jedir (Tunisian border) – Ghadames – Tripoli – Leptis Magna – Sirt – Benghazi – Cyrene – Tobruk – Amsaad (Egyptian border)

Roads: Generally OK tarmac roads throughout but lots of roadworks (particularly on the road to Ghadames) where just track which slows the drive. Dust storms can be difficult in the Gulf of Sirt.  

Driving conditions: The Libyans are crazy drivers! They usually drive at a minimum of 80mph and use any available space to over/undertake (see top tips)!

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: Cheapest in Africa! Diesel 0.16LD/litre

Recommended garages/LR Dealers: (again, we did not use though)

Libyan Liaison Office, Buashi village, P.O. Box 91986, Saraq, Tripoli

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

- Leptis Magna: amazing Roman ruins – we were very lucky to have a great guide (guide obligatory) who really brought the place to life – if you only see one thing in Libya, this should be it (with a quick stop off at Tobruk on your way out!)

- Tobruk: amazingly well kept and poignant Commonwealth War Graves and nearby WWII trenches

- Ghadames: nice detour for a few days if you can afford the time, the old city is lovely but it’s a long drive south so adds at least 3 or 4 (expensive) days onto your time in Libya

 

… or not

-Tripoli: we didn’t spend much time in the capital so probably shouldn’t comment one-way or the other but there didn’t seem to be much there for us (and we were disappointed not to see more Qaddafi posters around the place!).

 

GENERAL NOTES

Despite what some guides say, bush camping is perfectly safe in Libya. There are official campsites near the main tourist attractions (i.e. Ghadames, Leptis, Cyrene) – the only places we had to get a hotel were Tripoli & Bengahzi. There are a lot of police check points but your guide will deal with them. Generally, the Libyan’s are lovely and very friendly people.

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Nr Ghadames	Right off rd from Derj-Ghadames. N30° 11.296, E9°52.980	POI	Magesham Lake	Lovely oasis lake nr Ghadames but spoilt by litter & flies!
Ghadames	N30°07.384, E9°29.588	Tyre Garage		Has good compressor
Ghadames	N30°07.875, E9°29.723	POI	Old City	Nice deserted old city
Ghadames	3rd exit from roundabout at: N30°07.690, E9°30.101	Camping	Al Waha	Good with basic facilities and hot showers – has restaurant but expensive!
Gharyan		Hotel	Funduq Rabta	Dark government run hotel – not worth the price (LYD75)
Leptis Magna	Opposite car park No2 (on the jct of main rd/Leptis rd)	Camping	No name	Good camping (LYD10) next to Leptis with friendly m’ment
Benghazi		Hotel	Hotel Uzu	A top hotel in Benghazi – UK = to 3/4*. We splurged!
Cyrene	N32° 49.420’, E21°52.765	Camping	Cyrene Resort	Free camping if we had dinner (which was very good) – no showers
Tobruk	N32°05.772, E23°43.150	POI/Camping	Knightsbridge Commonwealth war Cemetery	The caretaker (Mohammed Hanesh) let us camp next to the cemetery
Tobruk		Restaurant	Mat’am al-khalij	Good food and terrace overlooking harbour
Libya/Egypt border	N31°36.302 E025°02.972 (?)	Customs		Return Libyan plates here (before border) and get LD100 back

British Embassy contact details:

Main switchboard: (218) (21) 340 3644/5
Telephone: (218) (21) 340 3644/5 التليفون
(218) (21) 335 1084 Consular/Visa/Management
Fax: (218) (21) 340 3648 Chancery
(218) (21) 335 1425 Consular/Management
(218) (21) 335 1427 Visa
Website: http://ukinlibya.fco.gov.uk/en

Office hours:

GMT: Sun-Thurs: 0700-1400 / Local Time: Sun-Thurs: 0800-1500

EGYPT (GMT+2)

 

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Amsaad/Sallum

Visa requirements: Available at border (despite what some say) $15 for one month, also apparently easy to get in the UK by sending off your passports to Egyptian embassy. Do not do what we did and get at the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli – it cost us $60 and when we got to the border they did not recognise it and we spent 40 minutes arguing with them!

Entry requirements/border formalities: What a rigmarole! It involves going back and forth to an amazing number of offices but there are plenty of people hanging around to help – we gave a tip to our guy of about £1 and he seemed OK with that! Roughly the process was:

 

1. Drive through the gates, get welcomed to Egypt by the police and pay EGP17 to the man on the man gate (I have no idea what this was for but we got a receipt so seemed official)

2.  Continue and you will see a large hanger on the left which is the customs hall – go in, fill out a form and take to immigration folks to get passport stamped (if you need a visa there is a booth just beyond the passport hall on your left – there are porters there that will show you).

Now for the car ….

3. Drive to the searching bay which is beyond the customs hall on the right – have vehicle searched – this was not too bad and involved putting the clothes holdalls and rucksacks through an x-ray machine and a cursory search of everything else.

4. Continue driving into the hanger in front of the search area, a man will have a look at your carnet then direct you to another building further along on your right where police/customs issue insurance, driving licence and your Egyptian number plates – it was here we picked up a guide that helped us through the rest of the process which involved going back and forth between this building and the triptique man and cashier back in the main customs hall with various paper folders. Costs were approx. as follows:

 

“entrance fee”EGP17

Carnet stamp EGP502

InsuranceEGP545 (note we have heard from others that had UK 3^rd party insurance and they still had to pay this)

Plates EGP50

Copies EGP25

 

See also See www.sahara-overland.com for good info. There are money changes all around the border on the Egyptian side that will change Libyan Dinar into EGP at not a bad rate (particularly as we had LD100 from returning our Libyan plates).

 

They will take a rubbing of your chassis number and engine number so its handy to know where they both are – we have never been able to find our engine number so they just took a rubbing from where it is supposed to be and seemed fine with that!

 

Carnet stamp: required

Exit point: Aswan – ferry to Wadi Halfa, Sudan

Exit requirements/border formalities: The passenger ferry for Sudan leaves weekly on Mondays arriving in Wadi Halfa the next day. The vehicles go on a different barge and usually arrive the day after the passenger ferry (we were slightly different, because of Eid holidays they had laid on an extra barge which left on the Saturday before the ferry so our vehicle was waiting for us when we arrived in Wadi Halfa). Cost is EP489 pp for 1^st class cabin (we’d recommend going for this) or EP311pp for a space on the deck (which can be pretty hot during the day and cold during the night) and EP2002 for a Land Rover (vehicle cost depends on the length of your car).

 

You need to be in Aswan a couple of days before the ferry leaves to organise everything – speak to Mr Saleh who organises the ferry tickets (see GPS below, tel 00 20 183 160926/takourny@hotmail.com - it’s a good idea to tel/e-mail him a week or so before so he knows your coming). Before Mr Saleh will sell you a ferry ticket, you have to:

1. go to the Traffic Court to get a piece of paper confirming you have not had any traffic violations – the building looks just like a block of apartments (see GPS below) – there is a man outside that will do the paperwork for you, we paid him EP2 to do this although he was wanting EP20! Once done (took us about 40mins), they will give you a piece of paper.

2. Take the piece of paper from the Traffic Court together with your licence plates to the Traffic Police station (GPS below) who will then give you another piece of paper which you need to show Mr Saleh to get your ferry ticket – no costs and some have said that you can get your deposit back from the plates but it didn’t work when we asked. Keep the piece of paper as you’ll need it at the port.

 

At the port, we picked up a guide to show us what to do (no cost) but you have to pay EP25 to get your carnet stamped.

 

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Best all Egypt: Sep-Nov (avoid Ramadan Mid Aug-Mid Sep ’09 and Eid – end Nov ’09 – they cancel the ferry so you can’t get out!)

Currency: £1=EP9

ATM’s: everywhere – you can also change at the Libyan border at reasonable rates

Money exchange on exit: There are money changers on the ferry at reasonable rates

General prices: Generally cheap but hotels/camping relatively expensive

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 26 days (too long in hindsight but we got stuck b/c there was no ferry as it was Eid Holiday)

Our Route: Sallum-Alexandria-Suez Canal-Cairo-Sinai Pininsular-Cairo-Minya (Nile Route, note most people take the western desert route)-Luxor-Aswan

Roads: Generally good tarmac (watch out for speed bumps though) throughout the country – the police sometimes insist on convoying you though, our experience was:

Northern Egypt – we were convoyed from the border to Marsa Matruh which was a pian particularly b/c they took our passports and sped off (apparently a copy of your passport would have done). However, convoys are optional apparently, they think they are helping you so you can politely say that it is not necessary.

Western Desert Road from Cairo to Luxor – no convoys

Nile Road from Cairo to Luxor – part convoys, the next village trick works sometimes

Luxor to Aswan – now no convoys (this is a recent change I think)

Aswan to Abu Simbel – convoys leave at 4am and 11am only!

Driving conditions: bad – they are nightmare drivers, plus lots of donkeys! The Cairo ringroad in particular almost broke us!

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: diesel EP1.1

Recommended garages: We used MTI Land Rover (LR authorised dealer/service) about 60km outside of Cairo but I wouldn’t recommend them! Perhaps it was our bad timing as others have said they had a good job from them

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

Mount Sinai: good exercise taking the 3000+ “steps of repentance” up to the top and magnificent views when you get to the top. Most people set off in the middle of the night to summit for sunrise but it is usually very busy (500+ people not unusual apparently) – we started off about 9am and when we got to the top there were only 5 other people.

Dahab: nice place to chill for a few days

Pyramids of Giza: touristy but really is a must see!

Nile Delta: nice drive and scenery

Carrefour: in Cairo – awesome!

 

… or not

Valley of the Kings/Queens: very touristy and expensive and when we went, the most impressive tombs were all shut!

Alexandria: just a big, rather expensive dirty city with lots of traffic!

 

GENERAL NOTES

Egypt is a bit of a hassle – we were constantly stopped by the police and, in the main cities, hassled a lot by tourist touts. No options to bush camp as people everywhere!

 

We picked up our Sudanese and Ethiopian visa’s in Cairo – there is a taxi man at Salma camp who knows the deal and where to go. He charged us EP60 for the day which was a bit steep!

 

Sudan visa: need a (very stupid!) letter of introduction from the British Embassy first. All the letter states is that the British Embassy does not provide letters of introduction and they charge you for the privilege (I think it was EP27) – there is no personal information on the letter so if there is a group of you, just get one letter and photocopy it at the Sudanese embassy – they are fine with copies. At the Sudanese Embassy, you will complete a form, need 2 x passport photo’s and pay $100 pp. They will say come back the next day but apparently, if you are persistent, you can pick it up the same day.

 

Ethiopian visa: $30 pp for a multiple entry valid for a 1 month stay in 3 months – need to fill in form and leave passport overnight and pick up the next day.     

 

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Marsa Matrah	N31° 21.730 E027°13.262	Hotel	Hotel Beau Site	Nice hotel with good food & beer but expensive (US$80)
Alexandria		Restaurant	The Greek Club	Awesome food and location overlooking the harbour
Alexandria		Hotel	The Four Seasons	Too expensive to stay but has Starbucks overlooking the harbour and a good supermarket!
El Alamein	N30°50.361 E028°56.852	POI	El Alamein Was Cemetery	Very poignant
Cairo	N29°58.223 E031°10.616	Camp	Salma camp	Only camping in Cairo – we’d heard pretty bad things about this place but were actually quite impressed!
Cairo	N29°58.542 E031°19.022	Supermarket	Carrefour	Awesome supermarket with starbucks and wifi
Nr Cairo	N30°17.353 E031°48.176	LR Garage	MTI	BUT see comments above!
Cairo		Restaurant	Sequoia	Very cool restaurant/bar at the top of Zamalek
Ismailia		Hotel	Mecure Forsan Island Hotel	4* hotel, not worth the money!
Al-Milga (Mt Sinai)	N28°33.857 E033°57.501	Camp	Fox Camp	Very nice campsite, good facilities and nice camp fire – v cold at night though!
Mt Sinai	N28°32.318 E033°58.495	POI	Mt Sinai	Worth the trek!
Dahab	N28°28.183 E034°28.654	5* Hotel	Le Meridien	Everything you’d expect from this 5* chain, can get a good deal on the internet in low season
Minya	N28°06.900 E030°44.685	Hotel	Aton Hotel	GPS point for turn off from main Cairo-Luxor Rd. We couldn’t stay here b/c it was fully booked but looked nice – we stayed at the more expensive and not as nice Mecure Nefertiti opposite
Luxor	N24°42.679 E032°38.918	Camp	Rezeiky Camp	Overlanders camp in Luxor, good facilities and location. Camping 70EP per night
Luxor		Pub	Murphy’s Irish Pub	Good place to watch the rugby!
Aswan	(turn) N24°08.833 E32°52.480 (Camp) N24°08.548 E032°52.301	Camp	Asraf’s Camp	small camp site but good alternative to Adam;s Camp which was closed when we were there – EP25pp for camping. On West Bank.
Aswan	N24°05.527 E032°53.773	hotel	Hathor Hotel	All the hotels much of a muchness is Aswan – very basic and dark but pool on the roof. EP90 per room per night
Aswan	N24°05.940 E032°53.973	Ferry Ticket Office		By tickets for the Aswan/Wadi Halfa ferry from Mr Saleh here
Aswan	N24°03.693 E032°53.153	Traffic Court		See above
Aswan	N24°05.043 E032°54.502	Traffic Police		Return plates here – see above
Aswan	N23°58.458 E032°53,816	Ferry port		Feery to Wadi Halfa

 

British Embassy contact details:

British Embassy, 7 Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City, Cairo

Main switchboard: (002) (02) 27916000 / Website: http://ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en/

Office hours: GMT: Sun-Wed: 0500-1230/Thurs: 0500-1100

Local Time: Sun-Wed: 0800-1530/Thurs: 0800-1400

 

SUDAN (GMT+3)

 

 

Info gathered: December 2009

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Wadi Halfa (ferry from Aswan, Egypt)

Visa requirements: Required – see Egypt info

Entry requirements/border formalities: For individuals: starts on ferry, there is an office around the back of the 1^st class restaurant. We had to: (1) get temperature taken (which we managed to avoid b/c their machine had broken!); (2) hand in passports; (3) when you arrive at Wadi Halfa, the immigration people set up office in the 1^st class restaurant and it is a complete bum fight to try and get seen but once in, fill in a form and get your passport back (no costs); (4) once in Wadi Halfa, you need to register with the police (see GPS below) within 3 days – cost SP60 (cheaper than paying in US$) – it involves going back and forth to a number of different offices within the compound but its fairly straightforward. There is no need to repeat this registration process in Khartoum.

 

For car: we paid US$50 to a fixer at Wadi Halfa who processed the car paperwork. We had heard of others trying to do the paperwork themselves but the customs would only deal with the fixer. The customs did a cursory search of our vehicle but didn’t look in the fridge (so we smuggled a few beers in)!

 

Carnet stamp: Required

Exit point: Gallabat (into Ethiopia)

Exit requirements/border formalities: At the border town, you: (1) register at security; (2) get carnet stamped – cost SP28; and (3) get passport stamped. We did have a guide that we gave US$1 to b/c he was helpful but not really necessary – see GPS points below

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time:  Best Nov-Jan / Wet April-Nov

Currency: Sudanese Pounds - £1: SDG 3.8

ATM’s: None – Sudan is a closed currency so we could not use ATM’s or credit/visa cards – we brought enough cash to last our stay

Money exchange on entry/exit: Money exchange on the ferry into Sudan at pretty reasonable rate and also on exit into Ethiopian Birr at Gallabat, at not so great a rate.  

General prices: cheap food (recommend the falafel), generally bush camping so free!  

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 10 days

Our Route: Wadi Halfa – Dongola – Karima – Atbara – Meroe – Khartoum – Gedaref – Gallabat (border)

Roads: All good tarmac new roads with very few cars on them, apart from when you near Khartoum.

Driving conditions: Good (see above)

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: diesel SP1.123

Recommended garages: Awab Motors: very good mechanics (used to be LR authorised before LR pulled out of Sudan) and very reasonable priced (hourly rate SP50). Speak to the manager, Islam. Don’t by parts from them though, even they admit their parts are expensive and will take you to the cheap parts shop around the corner (see GPS below)

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

We rushed through Sudan a bit as we thought there wasn’t that much to see!

Nile Route: there used to be a track that followed the Nile through the villages which people raved about but with the new tar road, we couldn’t find any track, nice drive though.

Karima/Moroe pyramids: not a spectacular as the pyramids in Egypt but lovely experience as there is no one there and no hassle!

… or not

Wadi Halfa: a hole! Luckily we did not have to stay there but most people have to stay one or two nights waiting for the ferry to arrive – the only saving grace is that the accommodation is cheap but there is a reason for that …

Khartoum: dusty city, difficult to find decent food and no beer!

 

GENERAL NOTES

A nice country, the people are friendly and they do not hassle you which is very welcome from Egypt but we just found it a bit dull (maybe it was the lack of beer J) – very easy to bush camp though, in fact it is the only option in most places other than Khartoum.

 

Note: can pick up Ethiopian and Kenyan visa’s in Khartoum but we didn’t. I got the following info from other websites before we left the UK: Pick up Ethiopian ($20)  [N15 34,953 / E32 32,126]– V friendly, apply between 9-11am and pick up same day; US$20 with 2 x passport pics

Pick up Kenyan ($50 – reduced to $25?) visa in Khartoum [N15 33,612 / E32 34,675] – SDG 101/person, open everyday 9:30am-1pm except Fri & Sat 1xpic, 1x copy p/port and ready in 10 mins

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Wadi Halfa	N21°48.043 E031°21.062	Immigration Office		Need to register in Wadi Halfa w/i 3 days (see above)
Nr Wadi Halfa	N21°30.164 E031°10.635	Bush camp
Nr Delgo	N20°03.711 E030°35.254	Bush camp
Karima	N18°31.978 E031°49.812	POI	Karima/Jebel Barkal pyramids
Meroe	N16°55.985 E033°45.141	POI/Bush camp	Moroe Pyramids	We bush camped behind the pyramids and you can walk in the back of the pyramids for free
Khartoum	N15°35.170 E032°31.215	Mechanic	Awab Motors	Very good mechanics  (see above)
Khartoum	N15°34.990 E032°30.697	LR Parts	LR Parts Shop	Very cheap genuine LR parts
Khartoum	N15°36.697 E032°32.076	Camping	Blue Nile Sailing Club	Not great, management unfriendly and cold showers! But it is the only camping option in the centre of Khartoum – we negotiated SP10 pp for camping. There is another campsite about 7 miles out of town which is apparently better and cheaper but we did not go there.
Khartoum	N15°33.577 E032°33.261	Shopping centre	Afra shopping centre	Expensive but good shopping centre with large supermarket and coffee shop that serves latte’s with free wifi.
Khartoum	N15°36.388 E032°30.829	5* Hotel	The Burj	V expensive, plush 5* hotel that looks like a sail but worth going up to the coffee shop to see the view of the confluence of the Niles
Khartoum	N15°36.443 E32°30.047	Hotel	Ex Hilton	Used to be the best hotel in Khartoum but Hilton have pulled out and now doesn’t look great and expensive – we didn’t stay here though
Khartoum		Restaurant	Panda Chinese	Fairly good Chinese restaurant – wouldn’t recommend the duck though, they just chopped a whole bird into small cubes, bones and all!
Khartoum	N15°34.929 E032°33.033	Restaurant	Steers/Debonairs pizza	South African fast food chain
Nr Gallabat	N13°35.172 E03536.059	Bush Camp		56 miles from Ethiopian border – we did Khartoum to here in one day then hit the border the next morning
Gallabat	N12°57.558 E036°08.909	Security	Gallabat Security post	Register here first – off the main rd slightly, on the right just before you hit the town (need your passports)
Gallabat	N12°57.555 E036°08.898	Customs	Gallabat customs	Bit further on from security on right, get carnet stamped (SP28) then get passport stamped in building a few doors down

                                                                       

British Embassy contact details:

Embassy contact details:

British Embassy
off Sharia Al Baladia
Khartoum East
(PO Box No 801) 
Khartoum

Telephone: (249) (183) 777105 
Fax:(249) (183) 776457 
(249) (183) 775562 


GMT:
Sun-Thurs: 0500-1200

Local Time:
Sun-Thurs: 0800-1500

 

ETHIOPIA (GMT+3)

 

Info gathered: December 2009/January 2010

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Metema (to Gondar)

Visa requirements: Visa required – we picked ours up in Cairo (see Egypt page)

Entry requirements/border formalities: Pretty painless – (1) go to a small hut on the right hand side immediately after crossing the border, they will look in a big book then stamp your passports. No costs and takes about 20mins; (2) on the opposite side of the road is the customs shack for the vehicle paperwork – see below

Carnet stamp: Not officially required – however, I think they are so used to people producing a carnet, they do try and insist on stamping it. This is fine if you are exiting Ethiopia into Kenya via the main border crossing at Moyale as there is a customs post there that will give you an exit stamp but if your are considering exiting via the Omo Valley, there is no one there that can stamp your carnet.  We explained this to the customs lady who, after about 40 minutes of arguing, agreed not to stamp our carnet and just gave us a piece of paper (which you need for exit).  

Exit point: We exited via the Omo Valley nr Omorate (only passable in the dry season). The alternative main border with Kenya is at Moyale.

Exit requirements/border formalities: In Omorate, there is a small office (see GPS below) where you can get an exit stamp in your passport and hand in the customs paper provided on entry – time taken, approx 30 mins. Omorate is not actually the border and a bit out of your way but there is a small police shack at the actual border who checked our passports so probably worth the detour to Omorate.

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Best = Oct-Feb; Heavy Rains = June-Sep/; Light rains = Feb-April

Currency: Ethiopian Birr £1 = approx. Birr 20

ATM’s: Daschen bank has ATM’s that accept visa in all the major towns/cities

Money exchange on entry/exit:  There are unofficial changers at the border but the rate they gave us was pretty poor (£1=Birr16). You can also change into Kenyan Shillings in Omorate at a good rate. 

General prices: Cheap i.e. Birr 6-10 for a beer, camping (mostly in hotel courtyards which OK if have rooftop tent but difficult if ground tent as often just concrete area) around Birr 50 outside Addis, basic hotel rooms around Birr 100

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 22 days

Our Route: Metema (border with Sudan) - Gonder – Northern circuit via Aksum and Lalibela – Bahir Dar – Addis – Awasa – Yabelo – Omorate (border with Kenya)

Roads: Generally mountains (we overheated a lot!) and lots of roadworks!

Northern circuit: very up and down, lots of hairpin bends plus roadworks pretty much the whole route when we were there so likely to be all tarmac in a year or so

Bahir Dar–Addis: tarmac generally but lots of potholes/uneven camber

Addis-Yabelo: good road (tarmac)

Omo Valley: unpassable if there has been rain, lots of dry riverbed crossings and sandy tracks, then you hit worse roads on the Kenyan side!

Driving conditions: watch out for cows, donkeys and people all the time! The buses are maniacs!

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: Diesel Birr 10.27

Recommended garages: Africa Lakes in Addis is very good, pro and gave us a good discount on labour as parts are quite expensive generally in Ethiopia (see GPS)

DO NOT USE: in Gonder, do not use the garage at the following GPS – the were recommended by the chap at Belegez Pension (not his fault, he was trying to help) as Land Rover experts (which they are not) and then completely ripped us off by trying to charge us $300 for 1.5hrs labour using all our parts!: N12°37.155 / E037° 28.026

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

Simien Mountain NP: awesome scenery and literally 100’s of Gelada (bleeding heart) baboons!

Lalibela Rock Churches: Glad we went but a bit steep entry fee at Birr300 pp but this does include all the churches

Omo Valley: if dry, recommend going out via the Omo Valley into Kenya, it is stunning scenery and some of the most challenging driving of the trip so far (although we’ve heard that the Kenyan side of the Moyale Road is pretty bad anyway). There last fuel available out of pumps on the Ethiopian side is at Konso but you can also get diesel out of the barrels at Turmi. On the Kenyan side, there is diesel out of the barrels at Loyangalani and then you reach pumps again at Baragoi or Marsabit.

Awasa: we could only stay one night but seemed like a nice town, very chilled on the shore of Lake Awasa

… or not

Addis: apart from Wim’s, there was not much for us in Addis and full of pickpockets!

 

GENERAL NOTES

You will get hassled everywhere in Ethiopia, whenever you stop (even in the middle of nowhere) people will appear within 60seconds of stopping shouting “you, you, you” and asking for pens, food, money etc. It can get quite tiring after a while! The kids do throw stones at the vehicle as well but no where near as bad as the stories we had heard – we got stoned twice both times on the northern circuit, south of Addis and in the Omo Valley, we had not problems with stoning.

 

Kenyan visa: We picked up our Kenyan visa in Addis – very easy process, $25 for a single entry valid for 3 months or $50 multiple entry – drop off your passport & 1x photo in the morning and it is ready at 4pm the same day.

Comesa Yellow Card: we got our in Nairobi but it is likely ot be cheaper in Addis - see Documents page.

If you can (prob easier if you’re going out via Moyale), top up with fuel in Ethiopia as its cheaper than Kenya

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Gonder	N12°36.634 E037°28.316	Hotel	Belegez Pension	Can (rooftop) camp in the hotel courtyard –Birr 50 for camping, good showers, laundry service and helpful management
Gonder	On main rd from border into Gonder approx. 5miles from piazza	Bar/Restaurant	Daschen Brewery	Great beer garden and beer on tap (Birr 6 for a pint) – can go on a tour of the brewery as well
Gonder	Overlooking main piazza	Restaurant	Ghara Hotel	Good pizza and breakfasts!
Debark	N13°09.159 E037°53.906	Hotel	Simien Park Hotel	Can (rooftop) camp in courtyard – Birr40, has beers and restaurant
Debark	N13°08.965 E037°53.694	Ticket Office	Simien Mountain NP Office	Get tickets and pick up armed escort for Simien Mountains NP –we paid Birr106pp for 6 people
Nr Adi Akra	N13°22.782 E37°58.903	Bush Camp		We did the Simien NP in the morning and headed toward Aksum but couldn’t reach any hotels before nightfall plus difficult to find bush camp on this road – this spot OK if get there at nightfall, we weren’t spotted!
Aksum	N14°07.498 E038°43.978	Hotel	Africa Hotel	Good basic hotel, clean and hot en-suite showers in the better rooms – rooms Birr90, beer Birr7. Has bar & restaurant.
Aksum	Just us the rd from Africa Hotel	3*Hotel	Remhay Hotel	We treated ourselves for Xmas – Birr400 for nice double/twin en-suite room but you have to pay extra for swimming pool & games! good restaurant
Mekele	N13°29.480 E039° 28.651	Hotel	Dallas Hotel	OK basic hotel, no camping but secure parking Birr 120 for twin en-suite room
Mekele	See Lonely Planet	Restaurant	Yodonos Bright Bar and Restaurant	Good Italian restaurant – don’t be confused with Yodonon Light Bar and Restaurant which is in the centre
Lalibela	N12°02.127 N039°02.826	Hotel/camp	Seven Olives	Camping (rooftop and ground) Birr 50. Good bar/restaurant and central location
Lalibela	N12°08.598 E039°04.270	Ticket Office	Lalibela Rock hewn churches	Ticket price includes entry to all (12?) churches but a bit steep at Birr300 pp
Debre Zebit	N11°46.284 E038°44.144	Hotel	Menafesha Hotel	Don’t stay here unless you really have to (we were having car problems so had no alternative). It is cheap though Birr20 to camp (rooftop only) or for a room
Bahir Dir	N11°35.823 E037°23.145	Hotel/camp	Ghion Hotel	Lovely spot on the shore of Lake Tana, camping (ground and roof) Birr75. Beer Birr9. They let you use a room for showers.
Fiche	N09°46.707 E038°53.807	Hotel	Abido International Hotel	Awesome hotel in what seems like middle of no-where, clean, bright en-suite rooms Birr100, good bar and restaurant
Addis Ababa	N09°00.593 E038°45.314 (T4A co-ords not great - need to go into the bus stn and take a left)	Camp/restaurant	Wim’s Holland House	Only place to stay/camp in Addis. Aimed at and v. popular with overlanders – good bar and restaurant but cold showers and a lot of dog poop! Run by Dutch Wim – v helpful guys. Camping is Birr90 per car, draught beer Birr10
Addis Ababa	N09°02.504 E038°45.767	Mechanic	Africa Lakes	V good LR garage – parts expensive, as they are everywhere in Ethiopia but labour is cheap and will do you a good deal.
Addis Ababa	N09°01.261 N038°45.621	5*Hotel	Sheraton Hotel	Arguably one of the best hotels in Africa – nice to check out for lunch!
Addis Ababa	N09°01.945 E038°46,994	Embassy	Kenya	Pick up Kenyan visa
Awasa	N07°02.371 E038°27.705	Camp	Norwegian Missionary – Peace-Neh Resort	Awesome place on banks of Lake Awasa, camp on the beautiful lawn near hippos and surrounded by colobus & vervet monkeys. Great showers, BYO food & beer.
Yobelo	N04°53.155 E038°08.417	Hotel	Yobelo Hawi Hotel	Basic place but warm showers. Birr50 for vehicle to camp. Good bar/restaurant next door at Yobell Motel
Nr Arbore	N05°01.473 E36°47.74	Bush camp		It’s pretty easy to bush camp anywhere in the Omo Valley – I wouldn’t recommend staying in Omorate as it’s a bit of a hole!
Nr Omorate	N04°46.554 E036°09.136	Bush Camp
Omorate	N04°48.336 E036°03.066	Immigration Office		Can get exit stamp in passport but no carnet stamp.
Nr Kenyan border	N04°44.892 E036°10.464	Road		Turn off from the Turmi-Omorate track for the border with Kenya

                                                                       

British Embassy contact details:

Comoros Street
Addis Ababa
Postal address: 
PO Box 858 
Addis Ababa

Telephone: +251 11 661 2354

GMT:
Mon-Thurs: 0500-1330
Fri: 0500-1000
/  Local Time:
Mon-Thurs: 0800-1630
Fri: 0800-1300
Consular/Visa Section: Mon-Fri: 0830-1200

 

 

KENYA (GMT+3, no DST)

 

 

 

 

Info gathered: January/February 2009

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Illeret from Omo Valley in Kenya

Visa requirements: Required – picked up in Addis (see Ethiopia page)

Entry requirements/border formalities: There is no Kenyan border post when entering Kenya from the Omo Valley so you need to get your passport and carnet stamped in Nairobi (see below) which didn’t cause us any problems.

Carnet stamp: Required

Exit point: Malaba – into Uganda

Exit requirements/border formalities: Carnet stamp and passport stamp – we paid KES200 (for the Kenyan side and the same again for the Ugandan side) for a fixer to help us which I think was worth it. Time taken; approx 30 mins

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Best generally : Dec-Feb. Best for wildlife: Jan/Feb (but high tourist season). Rains: Mar-May (long) & Oct-Nov (sht)

Currency: Kenya Shillings £1: approx KES120

ATM’s: available throughout

Money exchange on entry/exit:  We changed our Ethiopian Birr for Kenayn Shillings on the Ethiopian side at Omorate at a good rate and then there is an ATM at Maralal (about 4 days from border). [Exit info to follow]

General prices: Expensive! Food from the supermarkets in Nairobi is almost UK prices, beers are around KES90 from the supermarket and up to KES200 in bars/restaurants. The National Parks are also very expensive – eg Sibiloi NP (cheapest) = exit $20pp plus kes300 for the car; Aberdares NP (mid-range) = $50pp entrance, $25pp camping  and KES300 for car; Lake Nakuru NP (premier) = $60pp entrance, $25pp for camping and KES300 for car. NP entrance fees are valid for a 24 hour continuous stay in the park. Generally, camping costs vary from KES300-600pp.

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 32 days

Our Route: Omo Valley/Illeret – Sibiloi NP – Loyangalani – Maralel – Nairobi (via Nanuki, Aberdares NP and Lake Naivasha) – Tiwi Beach (nr Mombassa) – Nairobi – Lake Nakuru – Malaba (border with Uganda)  

Roads: generally pretty bad!

 

Lake Turkana (Illeret-Maralel): 4 days of probably the worst roads of the trip so far – sand, mud and massive bolders! From Loyangalani-Maralal is probably the worst bit and allow 2 days for this stretch.

Nanuki-Nairobi: generally good tarmac roads

Nairobi-Mombassa (A109): good tarmac road (although watch out for the concealed road bumps) but the lorries and buses are a nightmare, consistently overtaking on blind bends and hills at amazing speeds – we got into the closest shave of the trip so far on this road.

Nairobi-Nakuru: good tarmac road

Nakuru-Malaba: awful road – tarmac but potholes and massive rivets. They were working on parts of it though when we were there so may be better soon. 

 

Driving conditions: Generally pretty bad drivers in Nairobi especially the mutatus (minibus taxis) but at least they are slow, traffic is also a nightmare in morning and late afternoon in Nairobi. Outside Nairobi, save for the Mombassa Road, the driving is better.

Side of road: Left (yay!)

Fuel costs: Varies depending on where you are but generally around the KES75 mark (Navaisha = KES74.90 / Loyangalani = KES110 (barrel) / Baragoi = KES90 / A109-Mombassa = KES71)

Recommended garages: Bush Rover in Nairobi (see GPS below) are v pro and reasonably priced labour (KES 3,000 per hr) but their parts are ridiculously expensive. For parts, go to Impala Spares which have various stores but the one in Karen is most convenient if staying at Jungle Junction (see below). Chris and his team at Jungle Junction can also carry out repairs on cars and bikes.

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

Lake Turkana-Nanuki: the roads are a killer in the North but very remote and beautiful – bit of a bummer having to pay $20pp for Sibiloi NP b/c there is no game there (all poached) but further south between Maralal and Nanuki we saw a lot of wild game just from the road, even elephants and buffalo.

Nairobi: great food, beer and general civilisation – can stock up on everything you need and Jungle Junction is great for overlanders. We’ve never had a problem here despite its reputation as Nai-robbery but you should take the usual precautions as in any African city!

Lake Naivasha: nice camping spots on edge of lake surrounded by hippos and colobus monkeys.

Maasai Mara & Amboselli NP: we have done these on previous trips and therefore didn’t go this time around but I would say from our experience, these are the best Kenyan NP’s

… or not

Aberdares NP: although nice for elephant, buffalo and warthog, it is expensive and, at least when we were there, very green and mountainous which makes it difficult to spot game. There are probably better parks to spend your money on in Kenya.

 

GENERAL NOTES

Kenya is heaven after Ethiopia and Sudan, no hassle and good supermarkets - you can stock up on everything you need in Nairobi. Campsites are everywhere although that in turn makes it difficult to bush camp. It is expensive though!

 

We picked up our Comesa Yellow card in Nairobi – see documents page.

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Sibiloi NP		National Park		No game (all poached) but nice drive and good camp on the shore of the lake (see below). I think there is another way around if you want to avoid the NP as it costs $20pp plus KES300 for the vehicle.
Lake Turkana	N03°56.868 E036°11.183	Camp	Koobi Fora Camp	Lovely sport on shore of Lake Turkana. Can swim in Lake. Good showers/toilets but no other facilities. Camping KES200 pp
Nr North Horr	N03°19.346 E036°51,061	bush camp		Nice spot on dry river bed, we weren’t disturbed here which was good as the are is quite populated
Loyangalani	N02°45.430 E036°43.231	Village		Can get diesel from barrel here – KES110 per litre
Loyangalani	N02°45.385 E036°43.258	Camp	Palm Shade Camp	Nice spot but quite expensive at KES500 pp but part of this goes to the local villagers
Loyangalani	N02°45.467 E036°43.306	Hotel	Oasis Club	Ridiculously expensive to stay here (US$200pp full board) but can use swimming pool and bar for KES500pp. Interesting owner, Wolfgang, but we eventually managed to get a 3 course meal for KES1000 pp
Nr Baragoi	Turn-N01°34.256 E036°43.554 Camp N01°34.266 E036°43.210	Bush camp		The road from Loyangalani-Marlal is hard going (bolder road) and takes two days – this is a good spot to break the journey
Maralal	N01°03.528 E036°42.670	Camp	Yare Camel Camp	Lovely camping area bit out of town with good bar and games room! Cold showers though – KES200pp. In July-Oct you can’t get a space here apparently b/c of the camel derby
Nr Rumuruti	N00°21.666 E036°37.758	Camp	Bobong Camp	Excellent place overlooking the valley – run by lovely Kenyan family with their 6 dogs, a cat and a pet mongoose! They provided us with meat for BBQ and beer at really good prices, Camping KES350pp
Nanyuki	N00°00.845 E037°04.670	Town		First reasonable supermarkets we found in Kenya – also the equator town.
Nanyuki	N00°00.843 E037°04.977	Hotel/restaurant		Good place for lunch – we didn’t stay here so can’t comment on the rooms
Nanyuki	N00°00.850 E037°04.698	Supermarket	Settlers Store Supermarket	First good supermarket we came to in Kenya.
Nanyuki	N00°00.793 E037°04.644	Gas refill	Modsan Hardware	Can fill up gas bottle here
Aberdares NP	S00° 20.845 E036° 55.436	Ticket Office	Aberdares NP HQ	Buy ticket for Aberdares NP here. US$50pp entrance fee, US$25pp camping and KES300 for car –nice park but there are better parks to spend your money on in Kenya
Aberdares NP	S00° 23.259 E036° 49,053	Camp	Ruhuruni Camp	No facilities save for a long drop toilet but lovely camping in the middle of the NP with noone around. We gave the rangers a tip and they built us a fire that lasted all night to keep the animals away as there are no fences around the camp
Lake Navasha	S00° 49.548 E036° 20.095	Camp, bar and restaurant	Fishermans Bar & Restaurant	Lovely spot on the Lake with great little bar and awesome food. KES500pp to camp
Nairobi	S01°17.327 N036°45.636	Camp	Jungle Junction	Great for overlanders! Perfect location in Lavington on the road out to Karen, nr Nakumatt Junction, well stocked fridge, kitchen you can use, warm showers, wireless internet, laundry service and friendly management. Chris can help you with any vehicle problems as well. Camping KES600pp
Nairobi	S01°19.766 E036°48.025	Restaurant	Carnivores	Pricey (about £30pp) but great set menu of different meat that they bring to your table – have to experience this in Nairobi!
Nairobi	S01°19.197 E036°42.296	Restaurant	Rusty Nail	Our favourite restaurant in Nairobi – food is excellent, although again quite pricey for Nairobi. Great place to watch the rugby!
Nairobi	S01°17.890 E036°45.749	Mall	Nakumat Junction	Big Nakumat supermarket, cinema, Java coffee house near Jungle Junction
Nairobi	S01°15.434 E036°48.225	Mall	Westgate	Nice western style mall, popular with expats
Nairobi	S01°17.572 E036°47.263	Mall	Yaya Centre	Has a ridiculously overpriced camping shop (Extreme Outdoors) eg we brought a hammock in Nakumat for KES900, the exact same thing here was KES3,000! But good hair dresser next door called Touch of Class!
Nairobi	S01°22.660 E036°46.362	POI	David Sheldrake Trust – Elephant Orphange	See baby elephants being fed and playing football for one hour at 11am daily – suggested donation KES300.
Nairobi	S01°22.556 E036°44.767	POI	Giraffe Manor	Have giraffes eating out of your hand – literally!
Nairobi	S01°20.251 E036°46.827	POI	Nairobi Animal Orphanage	On the edge of Nairobi NP, if you give the keeper a tip, you can go in with the cheetahs – US$15pp
Nairobi	S01°17.291 E036°47.387	Bar/restaurant/club	Casablanca	Nice place – only gets going late though
Nairobi	Westlands	Bar	Gypsies	Great bar!
Nairobi	S01°18.199 E036°49.626	Spares/overlanding equipment	High Ratio 4x4	Good place for all your vehicle needs!
Nairobi	Nr Karen roundabout on Ngong Rd, left side as you approach Karen O from JJ in small shopping centre	Spares	Impala Spares	Great, cheap spares – very knowledgeable staff. There is also a very good canvas shop (Sabora Canvas) next door if you need anything made in canvas!
Nairobi	Nr S01°19.281 E036°43.070	LR Mechanic	Bush Rover	V pro garage with reasonable labour charges but v expensive
Nairobi	S01°17.432 E036°49.444	Customs	Times Tower	Get carnet stamped here if enter Kenya via Omo Valley. Take stairs on left as you go into the banking hall, go to 1st floor, ask and they will let you in the locked doors so you can go to 4th (?) floor for stamp.
Nairobi	S01°17.245 E036°49.098	Immigration	Nyayo House (?)	Get passport stamped here if entered Kenya via Omo Valley
Nr Voi (edge of Tsavo NP)	S03°22.237 E038°35.648	Camp/hotel	Red Elephant Lodge	Good place to break the journey between Nairobi & Mombassa although when we were there, v hot and lots of flies. They give you a room for shower & toilet. Camping KES500pp. Saw elephants on way out.
Tiwi Beach	S04°14.487 E039°36.138	Camp	Twiga Lodge	Nice campsite on beach – bit windy and fly problem. Cold showers but nice when it’s so hot! Good little bar/restaurant – beach boys come in the morning to sell you fresh fish and fruit but no hassle. Camping KES300pp
Diani Beach	S04°18.706 E039°34.528	Bar/restaurant	40 Thieves Beach Bar	Awesome beach bar!
Diani Beach	Next door to 40 Thieves	Restaurant	Ali Barbours	Awesome restaurant in a cave – quite pricey but worth it – best restaurant of trip so far!
Njero (nr Nakuru)	S00°17.990 E035°53.980	Camp	Kembu	Lovely campsite (one of the nicest on our trip) about 30km outside Nakuru. Overland trucks but separate area for private vehicles. 300KES pp
Nakuru		Town	Warning	Be careful – our friends had their vehicle broken into here while they went for lunch nearby – the thieves have dummy keys that can open almost any car!
Malaba	N00°38.311 E034°15.786	Border		Kenya/Uganda border

                                                                       

British Embassy contact details:

British High Commission
Upper Hill Road
P.O. Box 30465-00100
Nairobi

Telephone: (+254) (20) 2844000

GMT: 
Mon-Thurs: 0400-1300
Friday:    0400-1000
/ Local Time: 
Mon- Thurs: 0700-1600
Friday:     0700-1300


 

 

 

UGANDA (GMT+3)

 

 

Info gathered: February 2010

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Malaba from Kenya - Jinja

Visa requirements: Required for UK citizens – available at the border (Malaba and Busia) $50pp 

Entry requirements/border formalities: We paid KES200 (from the Kenyan side) for a fixer to help us – pretty straightforward. We did have to pay UGS52,500 Road User Tax but people that went through Busia (the alternative Kenyan/Uganda border) didn’t have to pay this. 3^rd party insurance is also required – Comesa covers this (note we had heard stories of the border officials trying to make you purchase separate insurance at the border – we didn’t encouter this but if you do just insist that comesa covers it!), if you do not have insurance there are many insurance sellers at the border. Time taken: 45 mins

Carnet stamp: Required

Exit point: Kisoro (into Rwanda)

Exit requirements/border formalities: Passport & carnet stamp, no costs – very quick and easy. Time taken: 20 mins

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Best for Gorillas: Jan - Mar

Rains: Mar-Jun & Oct – Dec. When we were there in Feb, the rains had already started in the South of the country

Currency: Uganda Shilling - £1: UGX 2,823.4 (Sep ’09 rates)

ATM’s: available in all major towns for visa

Money exchange on entry/exit: Entry - exchangers on both sides at OK rates – the rate was better on the Ugandan side. Exit – again, exchangers on both sides, we changed on the Ugandan side at good rate.  

General prices: Not too expensive but not particularly cheap – camping is around the UGX8,000 outside NP’s, inside NP’s is UGX15,000. Large beers UGX2,500.

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 10 days

Our Route: Jinja – Kampala – Fort Portal – Queen Elizabeth NP – Lake Bunyoni – Kabale (Rwanda border)

Roads: Mostly very good condition roads – particularly when you first enter compared to the shocking roads on the Kenyan side of the border!

Border-Jinja: Good tarmac, allow 3 hours though

Jinja-Kampala: quick good tarmac but traffic nightmare getting into Kampala

Kampala-Port Fortal: when we were there it was roadworks for first approx. 40miles, nightmare b/c speedbumps every about 10m! Took about 3 hours just to get 35 miles. Once thru, good fast tarmac.

QENP–Lake Bunyoni: track through Bwindi NP (no park fees to pay) – nice scenic drive but slow and bit of a nightmare in rainy season, then hit beautiful new tarmac!

 

Driving conditions: Usual story in Africa – watch out for the maniac trucks, matatus and buses!

Side of road: Left

Fuel costs: Diesel UGX2,050 per litre

Recommended garages: We did not use these guys though - Cooper Motor Corporation (U) Ltd., CMC Building, Katalima Loop, Nakawa, Kampala, Phone: 000256 41 286780/4 (LR Authorised)

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

Jinja: some great campsites on Lake Victoria and lots of activities such as rafting etc.

Kampala: good night out, big shoprite supermarket to stock up on supplies.

Chimpanzee Trekking: we did not do this in the end as we knew we wanted to do the gorilla trekking so saved the cash but apparently excellent in Kabale NP and also available in QENP. Note, if you have lots of spare cash (!?) there is Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary where you can take orphaned chimps for walks which sounds amazing. Unfortunately the cost is $850pp plus they have very rigorous medical requirements including a certificate from your Dr confirming you have had various inoculations plus they give you a swine flu vaccine (which amazingly is included in the price).

Gorilla Trekking: again, we didn’t do this in Uganda but went to Rwanda instead. Bwindi NP is supposed to be very good but it was booked up months in advance. Permits were available at Mgahinga NP when we just turned up at the office, but because it is a small group (9 individuals) we decided to go over the border to Rwanda. It costs the same wherever you go - $500 pp

 

… or not

Queen Elizabeth NP: Probably a bit harsh to put this in the “or not” category as it is a nice park but, in hindsight, considering the standard of the parks in other countries en route it’s probably better to save the entry fees for those. It is quite expensive at $30pp and $50 per car for 24 hours (note you do have to pay $30 pp for every 24 hours spent in the park – it does not decrease with each day as some of the guide books say, the $50 car fee you only pay once though). We had some nice elephant sightings but no lions (the park is famed for it’s tree climbing lions). It is possible to do the whole park in 24 hours including Ishasha in the south where the tree climbing lions, supposedly, are.

Malaria risk: Uganda is, arguably, the highest risk country on our travels for Malaria.

 

GENERAL NOTES

Uganda is heavily populated so bush camping, save for the South around QENP, is not really an option but there are plenty of good campsites. People are very friendly and it is a safe country, even in Kampala we never felt threatened.

 

Internet is shockingly slow in Uganda!

 

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Jinja	N00°32.564 E033°05.387	Camp	The Haven	Lives up to its name – lovely setting on Lake Victoria, great toilets/hot showers and bar. We splurged and went for $40pp all inclusive but we left very fat! Has cooking facilities for self catering.
Kampala	N00°19.208 E032°37.800	Camp	Red Chilli Hideaway	Popular with backpackers and the overland trucks but good location and OK facilities, bar & food, internet (if you have the patience!) – UGX 7,500 pp
Kampala	N00°19.572 E032°36.398	Supermarket	Lugogo Mall	Big Shoprite supermarket to stock up, good coffee shop
Kampala	N00°19.201 E032°35.454	Mall	Garden City	Big Mall including Alleygators Bowling Alley as well as a casino
Nr Fort Portal		Camp	Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse	Beautiful camp on tea plantation, lovely setting, very quiet – UGX8,000 pp
QENP	S00°10.466 E029°55.992	Camp	Camp 2	Camping in the NP – no fence, in the middle of the NP nr the river – fall asleep to the sound of hippos! No facilities. UGX15,000 pp. Camp1 up the road is a similar set-up. You can also camp in the main area at Mweya but lots of bugs and feels less like NP bush camping.
QENP	S00°00.620 E030°00.124	Ticket Office		$30pp for 24 hrs, $50 for foreign registered car (one-off fee)
QENP	S00°08.206 E029°55.695		QENP Main Gate
QENP	S00°11.381 E029°53.965	Lodge/restaurant	Mweya Safari Lodge	Expensive lodge but excellent splurge on all you can eat breakfast for about $10pp
QENP	S00°35.484 E29°43.977	Camp	Ishasha Ntungwe River Camp	Didn’t see any river but OK place to camp and nearest place to the exit of QENP at Ishasha. Pretty overpriced for virtually no facilities (cold showers, no food but drinks available) at UGX15,000 pp but paying for proximity to the park. Have luxury tents for a ridiculous price!
Lake Bunyoni	S01°16.297 E029°56.350	Camp	Bunyoni Overland Resort	Excellent place on the shores of Lake Bunyoni, beautiful location, good facilities and good bar/restaurant. Popular with overlanders but separate site for private vehicles - $6pp
Kabale	S01°14.889 E029°59.089	Office	UWA	Gorilla permit office for Bwindi
Kisoro	S01°20.447 E029°44.405	Border		Uganda/Rwanda border

British Embassy contact details:

British High Commission, 
4 Windsor Loop,
PO Box 7070, 
Kampala

Telephone: (256) (31) 2312000 
 General Enquiries
(256) (31) 2312281

GMT:
Mon-Thurs: 0530-1000 / 1100-1400
Fri: 0530-1000

Local Time:
Mon-Thurs: 0830-1300 / 1400-1700
Fri: 0830-1300

 

 

RWANDA (GMT +2hrs)

Info gathered: February 2010

 

ENTRY/EXIT FORMALITIES

Entry point: Cyanika (from Kisoro, Rwanda)

Visa requirements: Not required for UK citizens

Entry requirements/border formalities: None – passport and carnet stamped, easiest yet and completely free! Time taken: 15mins

Carnet stamp: Required

Exit point: Rusumo (into Tanzania)

Exit requirements/border formalities: Again, very quick and easy – passport and carnet stamp, no costs. Time taken: 15 mins

 

COUNTRY BASICS

Best time/worst time: Rains: Mar-May & Oct-Nov. Note rained heavily in Feb when we were there. Best (gorillas): June – Sep

Currency: Rwanda Franc - £1: RWF 912.66

ATM’s: Difficult – we found one in Kigali

Money exchange on entry/exit:  Money changers on both entry and exit at OK rates

General prices: Expensive! Particularly in Kigali – eating out is UK prices basically and even a very basic hostel type room in a hotel costs $60 plus.

Language: Kinyarwanda but many speak either French and/or English

 

ROUTE/ DRIVING INFO

Days: 5 days

Our Route: Musanze (Volcanoes NP) – Kigali – Rusumo (border with Tanzania)

Roads: Good tarmac throughout.

Driving conditions: Usual story again – watch out for maniac trucks, buses and people on the road

Side of road: Right

Fuel costs: Diesel RWF918-925

Recommended garages: we did not use any

 

HIGHLIGHTS … OR NOT

Gorilla Trekking: awesome - it is expensive at $500pp but well worth the price. We had heard stories that the Gorilla permits for Volcanoes NP get booked up months in advance. We took a risk and turned up at the ORTPN Office in Musanze – they were booked up but the ranger suggested going to the Park Headquarters at Kinigi for 6:30am the next morning (a bit before the trek starts) and the Head Ranger might be able to squeeze us on. This worked – they could have squeezed 3 of us on that day but we would have each have had to go in separate groups (they have 7 different groups of habituated Gorillas that you can visit – the Susa Group, of Dian Fossey and Gorillas in the Mist fame, being the biggest) so James and I waited for two spaces to be available together which was only the day after next.

Genocide Memorial Museum, Kigali: haunting but well worth a visit.

 

… or not

we rather rushed through the rest of Rwanda so we didn’t see much else!

 

GENERAL NOTES

Again, Rwanda is densely populated so bush camping was not really an option. There are other things to see such as the Nyungwe Forest NP (chimpanzees) but the main reason we were here was for the Gorillas and we rushed through the rest a bit.

 

Route points/places of interest (POI)/ campsites etc

Location	GPS	Type	Name	Notes
Musanze (previously Ruhengeri)	S01°30.089 E029