This post is intended to capture some statistics, for those who appreciate them, and also to note some details of our vehicle, where we stayed, the places we visited, and the stuff we took along for the trip.
Initially however; a note of
thanks and recognition:
After 288 days and 44,694 Km we are now back in Bogotá, having spent every moment of the trip enjoying, learning, and meeting many people. In particular we would like to thank all those who have helped, advised, or welcomed us:
During planning:
In Colombia: Americana de Colchones
After 288 days and 44,694 Km we are now back in Bogotá, having spent every moment of the trip enjoying, learning, and meeting many people. In particular we would like to thank all those who have helped, advised, or welcomed us:
During planning:
In Colombia: Americana de Colchones
For Tanzania: Dennis
For the trip overall: Enzo,
Luke, and Shara
On the journey:
UK: Mark & Beate in Marlow
On the journey:
UK: Mark & Beate in Marlow
Kenya: Luke and Chloe, Patrick, Moses, Michael, and Kevin in
Karen (and in Kigali)
Zambia: Isaac, Sam, and
Kelvin in Livingstone
Zimbabwe: Raymond and Nelson
in Victoria Falls, Enzo, Stabile and Lawrence in Bulawayo
South Africa: Hilda and
Japie in Mapungubwe and Krugersdorp
Namibia: James and Vanya on
the road to Aus, Udo in Lüderitz, Charlie and Mark at Shamvura
Botswana: Jim and Sarai in
Moremi, Lilian, Sekule, KB, and Jacob at Tuli
Zambia: Armstrong, Gerrit, Tammy, & Wouter at Liuwa Plains, Paul and Julie at
various campsites (also in Malawi), Chris & Charlotte and Irwin &
JoAnne at McBride’s, Deborah & Andrés at South Luangwa (and in Uganda)
Malawi: Tom and Chloe at
Mulanje, Isaac in Livingstonia
Tanzania: Chris & Louise
and Hassani at Lakeshore, Tomas & Sabine in Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake
Manyara, and Dar es Salaam, Corrina & Saif at Blues
‘n’ Chutney, Dennis & Alice in Dar es Salaam
Rwanda: Mohamed at Bandag in
Kigali, Innocent and Frederick in Gisenyi
Uganda: Chan Kobuko
(Selisius) in QENP and Murchison Falls, Brenda, Martin, Eddie, Moses, and Stephen in Murchison Falls, Ineke, Max, & Ata at Fort Portal, Deborah & Andrés in
Kampala, Maria at Mabamba, Oscar at Kidepo, Terry & Brian at Jinja,
Patrick, Paul, Alfred, John, Ernestina & Hans in/around Mbale and Mount Elgon,
Kenya: Dick & Jane, So
Ra, Serge, and Jamas at Barnley’s, Rolf, Dennis, and Sophie at Lake Turkana
In particular, the warm
hospitality of Beate and Mark in Marlow, Hilda and Japie in Krugersdorp, and of
Deborah and Andrés in Kampala was unexpected and highly appreciated.
Besos
Alan and Marce
1) The maps:
- Our
route - African continent
- Our
route – Southern and Eastern Africa
- Countries
visited in Africa
The Africa trip compared with the South American
trip
It’s interesting that we
ended up covering about the same number of kilometres per month in the African
trip as in the South American “big trip”.
54,911 Km in South America
in 326 days – 170 Km/day (CORRECTION: 49,511 KM IN 326 DAYS - 152 Km/day (arithmetical error)
43,307 Km in Africa in 255
days – 168 Km/day
However in the former we
were driving approximately 5 hours a day on “driving days”, whereas in Africa
we were driving an average of 7 hours a day, simply since the average speed
possible was a lot lower.
2) Travelling
In Africa: 254 nights/ 255 days
Overall: 287 nights / 288 days (we went to the USA for the
Botswana visa, then to the UK for the Namibia visa and to visit friends and
family; on return from Africa we were again in the UK, then in Portugal on
business before returning home).
Kilometres driven:
- Our Land Cruiser - “Frodo”
– named by Charlotte at Macbride’s Camp
a. Start mileage = 177,560 mi
b. End mileage = 202,599 mi
Total mileage = 25,039 mi = 40,062 Km
a. Start mileage = 177,560 mi
b. End mileage = 202,599 mi
Total mileage = 25,039 mi = 40,062 Km
Plus 528 mi/845 Km, in NY
rental (NY to Washington and back)
Plus
1754 Km in a rented Ford Ranger (Namibia)
Plus
1491 Km in a rented Toyota Land Cruiser (Uganda)
Plus
542 Km in Mark's Saab Turbo (UK)
Total in Africa 43,307 Km
Total including USA and UK
44,694 Km
Ferries: multiple ferries ranging from the ancient Kazungula ferry
across the Zambezi to the modern ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar,
including various river and lake ferries in a range of displacements.
Air travel: Coastal flights from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam to Mafia Island
and back to Dar es Salaam; flights from Bogotá to New York, New York to London,
London to Nairobi, Nairobi to London, London to Lisbon, Lisbon to Madrid, and
Madrid to Bogotá.
3) Sleeping
In Africa:
70 nights in 48 campsites
23 nights in 11 bandas/fixed tents
52 nights in 31 lodges
32 nights in 13 guesthouses/BnBs
8 nights in 3 homes
69 nights in 40 hotels
Selected accommodation:
These
are places to which we would return without hesitation
Campsites:
- Forest Inn Campsite, Mkushi, Zambia – good restaurant, convenient from Great North Road, a good stopover from Lusaka to Tunduma
- Berg en Dal campsite, Kruger NP, RSA – excellent facilities, ideal for the southern area of Kruger NP
- De Hoop campsite, Richtersveld NP, RSA – Green oasis on the riverbank
- Omarunga Lodge Campsite, Epupa Falls, Namibia – another attractive riverside setting
- Olifantsrus Campsite, Okaukeijo campsite, Halali campsite, Nabutoni campsite, Etosha NP, Namibia - all of these campsites have very good facilities and good access to the wildlife
- Drotsky's Cabins campsite, Shakawe, Botswana – good Riverside location with sites in tall trees
- CKDEC02 campsite, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana – very remote, no facilities, however deep in the Kalahari providing a unique experience
- Khwai campsite, Savuti campsite , Botswana – well situated in the Moremi GR
- Ikithe Lodge campsite, Mongu, Zambia – campsite with outstanding facilities adjacent to the lodge in front of the lake
- Pontoon #1 campsite, Kasanka NP, Zambia – friendly staff, a perfect setting to see Sitatunga in the morning and evening.
- Wildlife Camp campsite, South Luangwa, Zambia – good facilities, set on the riverbank
- Chintheche Inn campsite, Chintheche, Malawi – excellent campsite on the lake shore, spacious with good facilities
- Special campsite, Mara River, Serengeti NP, Tanzania – on the Banks of the Mara River, no facilities, included to recognise the value of the “special campsite” option.
- Bwatherongi campsite #2, Samburu NP, Kenya – helpful staff, well-equipped campsite, with and amazing pool to relax in the heat of the day
Bandas/fixed tents:
- Shamvura Camp, West Caprivi, Namibia – outstanding hospitality
- Ghanzi Trailblazers' Camp, Ghanzi, Botswana – integrated into the Kalahari, provides an opportunity to appreciate the San culture
- 3rd Bridge Campsite, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana – the fixed tent is the same price as camping for two, and is you are in the midst of wild dogs, elephants and other wildlife
- Molema Bush Camp, Tuli Block, Botswana – outstanding friendly staff, excellent Riverside location, excellent guides
- McBride's Camp, Kafue, Zambia – a jewel in Kafue, overlooking the river, with comfortable central lodge, campsite available however we stayed in a banda.
- Chelinda campsite, Nyika NP, Malawi – basic campsite with very friendly staff and the opportunity to appreciate this mountain ecosystem
- Lakeshore Lodge banda, Kipili, Tanzania – an outstanding place to stay; friendly, with excellent food, wonderful staff, overlooking the lake. We stayed in a banda, with excellent facilities; there are also cottages and a campsite.
Lodges:
- Kayube Bungalows, Livingstone, Zambia – self-catering cottages overlooking the river, friendly and a great option close to Victoria Falls on the Zambian side
- Ilala Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – excellent rooms, great setting, helpful staff
- Mopane Bush Camp, Mapungubwe, RSA – convenient for the national park, excellent cuisine, set in the Bush but close to the main road.
- Mavela Game Lodge, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA – excellent site within Rhinoceros Reserve
- Gondwana Canyon Lodge, Fish River Canyon, Namibia – set in the rocky desert, fits well into the environment
- Duwisib Guest Farm, Namibia
- Cob House, Mushroom Farm, Livingstonia, Malawi – one of several options incuding fixed tents and a campsite; marvellous views over the lake in an eclectic setting
- Kinasi Lodge, Mafia Island, Tanzania – very good accommodation and a beautiful setting
- Cormoran Lodge, Kibuye, Rwanda – attractive cottages overlooking the lake
- Kyaninga Lodge, Fort Portal, Uganda – very good accommodation overlooking the crater lake, with friendly staff
- Lacam Lodge, Sipi Falls, Uganda – outstanding setting overlooking the lower falls.
- Eliye Springs Lodge, Lake Turkana, Kenya – friendly staff, good facilities, great location
Guesthouses/BnBs:
- Montebello Guest House, Windhoek, Namibia – friendly, good food, comfortable
- Blues 'n' Chutney, Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania – pleasant setting, friendly staff, good food.
- Rwenzori View Guest House, Fort Portal, Uganda – a welcoming home with legendary dinners
- Barnley's Guest House, Kitale, Kenya – a beautiful garden and home, with excellent traditional meals and hospitality, a wonderful place to relax for a while.
- Irish Welcome AirBnB, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya – excellent self-catering cottage in Karen
Hotels:
- Royal Hotel, Pilgrim's Rest, RSA – cosy historic hotel
- The Terraces @ Chambray, Franschhoek, RSA – excellent accommodation, breakfast on your own terrace, friendly staff
- Cresta Riley's Hotel, Maun, Botswana – the hotel is not particularly outstanding however Riley’s is an institution in Maun and the hotel is adjacent to all you need before setting off into Northern Botswana
- Huntingdon House, Thyolo, Malawi –a historic colonial house on a team plantation
- Kigali Marriott, Kigali, Rwanda – top class hotel well located.
With
some difficulty we came up with the following:
Best Three Places
to Stay:
(in chronological order in our trip)
- The Terraces @ Chambray, Franschhoek, RSA
- McBride's Camp, Kafue, Zambia
- Lakeshore Lodge banda, Kipili, Tanzania
Alan’s top five
- The Terraces @ Chambray, Franschhoek, RSA
- Molema Bush Camp, Tuli Block, Botswana
- McBride's Camp, Kafue, Zambia
- Lakeshore Lodge banda, Kipili, Tanzania
- Barnley's Guest House, Kitale, Kenya
Marce’s top five
- Mopane Bush Camp, Mapungubwe, RSA
- The Terraces @ Chambray, Franschhoek, RSA
- Drotsky's Cabins campsite, Shakawe, Botswana
- McBride's Camp, Kafue, Zambia
- Lakeshore Lodge banda, Kipili, Tanzania
4) Photos: 35,000 (after primary edit)
16,591 on the Macbook Pro
the rest on a Seagate 2TB
slim portable HD
Photo management -
Lightroom
5) National Parks, Game Reserves, National Monuments, Protected Areas:
We visited 65 parks, in various
categories from National Parks to Protected Areas: 4 in Zimbabwe, 12 in South
Africa, 7 in Namibia, 8 in Botswana, 6 in Zambia, 6 in Malawi, 7 in Tanzania, 3
in Rwanda, 7 in Uganda, 6 in Kenya
1
|
Mosi-ao-tunya NP
|
Zambia
|
2
|
Victoria Falls NP
|
Zimbabwe
|
3
|
Hwange NP
|
Zimbabwe
|
4
|
Matobo NP
|
Zimbabwe
|
5
|
Great Zimbabwe NM
|
Zimbabwe
|
6
|
Mapungubwe NP
|
RSA
|
7
|
Kruger NP
|
RSA
|
8
|
Golden Gate Highlands NP
|
RSA
|
9
|
Mavela (Manyoni PGR)
|
RSA
|
10
|
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
|
RSA
|
11
|
Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation
Area
|
RSA
|
12
|
Addo Elephant NP
|
RSA
|
13
|
Garden Route NP
|
RSA
|
14
|
Cape Point NR
|
RSA
|
15
|
Table Mountain NP
|
RSA
|
16
|
Augrabies Falls NP
|
RSA
|
17
|
Richtersveld NP
|
RSA
|
18
|
Quivertree Forest
|
Namibia
|
19
|
/Ai-/Ais and Fish River Canyon Park
|
Namibia
|
20
|
Namib-Naukluft/Sossusvlei
|
Namibia
|
21
|
≠Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy
|
Namibia
|
22
|
Etosha NP
|
Namibia
|
23
|
Mahango Game Reserve
|
Namibia
|
24
|
Tsodilo Hills WHS
|
Botswana
|
25
|
Makgadikgadi Pans NP
|
Botswana
|
26
|
Nxai Pan NP
|
Botswana
|
27
|
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
|
Botswana
|
28
|
Moremi Game Reserve
|
Botswana
|
29
|
Chobe NP
|
Botswana
|
30
|
Nata Bird Sanctuary
|
Botswana
|
31
|
Tuli Block
|
Botswana
|
32
|
Ngonye Falls Community Partnership Park
|
Zambia
|
33
|
Liuwa
Plains NP
|
Zambia
|
34
|
Kafue NP
|
Zambia
|
35
|
Kasanka
NP
|
Zambia
|
36
|
South Luangwa NP
|
Zambia
|
37
|
Majete NP
|
Malawi
|
38
|
Mount Mulanje Conservation Trust
|
Malawi
|
39
|
Liwonde NP
|
Malawi
|
40
|
Cape Maclear NP
|
Malawi
|
41
|
Nkotakhota NP
|
Malawi
|
42
|
Nyika Plateau NP
|
Malawi
|
43
|
Mahale Mountains NP
|
Tanzania
|
44
|
Katavi NP
|
Tanzania
|
45
|
Serengeti NP
|
Tanzania
|
46
|
Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
|
Tanzania
|
47
|
Lake Manyara NP
|
Tanzania
|
48
|
Tarangire NP
|
Tanzania
|
49
|
Mafia Island Marine Park
|
Tanzania
|
50
|
Akagera NP
|
Rwanda
|
51
|
Nyungwe NP
|
Rwanda
|
52
|
Volcanoes NP
|
Rwanda
|
53
|
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP (transit)
|
Uganda
|
54
|
Queen Elizabeth NP
|
Uganda
|
55
|
Kibale NP
|
Uganda
|
56
|
Murchison Falls NP
|
Uganda
|
57
|
Mabamba Wetland IBA
|
Uganda
|
58
|
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
|
Uganda
|
59
|
Kidepo NP
|
Uganda
|
60
|
Saiwa
Swamp NP
|
Kenya
|
61
|
Central
Island NP
|
Kenya
|
62
|
Shaba
GR
|
Kenya
|
63
|
Samburu NP
|
Kenya
|
64
|
Buffalo
Springs NP
|
Kenya
|
65
|
Meru NP
(*)
|
Kenya
|
In bold – national parks where we were the only visitors
(* almost - 1 other car
with 2 visitors)
6) The car:
Toyota Land Cruiser VX Limited Series 80 4.2 L turbodiesel – 1997
- Cruise control
- Leather electric seats -
leather
- Old Man Emu suspension
with 50mm lift, Rob's Magic dampers
- Tyres: 285-R75/16 - 5 x BF
Goodrich All Terrain T/A
- exhaust gas inflating jack
- wheel chocks
- Electric winch
(front)
- Rear tow hook
- tow straps with shackles
- Airtec Safari
Snorkel
- 2 sand ladders
- 3 batteries
- 12V Power outlet at rear
- basic toolkit
- Stainless steel work top
on rear lower tailgate
- Patriot roof rack
- Howling Moon Safari 2100 Awning
- Fitted kit rack for 3 x 20L fuel cans, 2 x 20L water containers, and kit trunk, 1 more 20L fuel can on roof rack (total reserve fuel capacity 80L – 100L in northern Botswana)
- Howling Moon Safari 2100 Awning
- Fitted kit rack for 3 x 20L fuel cans, 2 x 20L water containers, and kit trunk, 1 more 20L fuel can on roof rack (total reserve fuel capacity 80L – 100L in northern Botswana)
- Cooler/ice-maker between
front seats with 6 water bottles
- ARB 35L fridge
Added in Nairobi before starting:
- 1 new wheel rim with
Maxxis 980 Bravo A/T tyre (giving us 2 spare wheels)
- 3 warning triangles
meeting Zimbabwe requirements (available in USA only as far as we could
determine – bought at a truckstop between New York and Washington)
- fire extinguishers (1
mounted plus 3 in toolbox)
- heavy duty jumpleads
- crossbrace
- panga in case with
sharpening file
- plates, mugs, cutlery (2
sets), chopping boards, kitchen knives, other cooking items
-
Long torque bar
-
Socket set, spanner set,
screwdrivers, jeweller’s screwdrivers
-
Tyre repair kit
-
Additional compressor
-
10m climbing rope with
slings and carabiners
Maintenance: Mbeya, Capetown, Gaborone, Lusaka, Malawi, Dar es Salaam,
Kigale, Kampala
Repairs: an initial electrical fault was resolved in Victoria Falls, a
new radiator fitted in Lüderitz, a new air conditioning motor/fan was installed
in Gaborone, a cracked front differential housing was given first aid in
Ngorongoro and fixed in Fort Portal, a broken front differential was repaired
in Kampala and adjusted in Kitale, a failed front wheel bearing (fitted in
Kampala and not OEM however allegedly the only one available) was replaced
at the roadside in Moyok and permanently replaced in Kitale. In addition
various running repairs were done during the trip. The full story will be
posted separately.
Oil changes:
184,143 mi (Capetown)
189,308 mi (Gaborone)
194,655 mi (Lilongwe)
198,514 mi (Dar es Salaam)
Punctures:
In our vehicle – none
In the rental Ranger –
none
In the rental Land Cruiser
(5 (or 11 if you count individual perforations!)
Overall: our Land Cruiser did an excellent job of taking us 40,000 Km
around a very challenging part of the world, on roads ranging from excellent to
terrible, and off road in conditions which very few vehicles could handle.
About the only vehicles with as much capability AND comfort are the Montero and
the Patrol, both of which would need the same modifications as ours. Although a
Jeep Wrangler or an (original) Hummer would provide equal or better off road
capability, both would be far less comfortable on surfaced roads and neither
would permit the conversion to allow sleeping inside. Newer Land Cruisers would
have more sophistication however have lost ground clearance and approach &
departure angles and would hence be less capable. A Range Rover would be
capable in both highway and offroad conditions although would have been far
more expensive and difficult to maintain and repair outside major cities. The
Land Rover Defender is excellent off road, poor on highways, and has a very
poor history in terms of reliability, supported by both the fact that the
numbers of Land Rovers have dropped to their being a small proportion of the
4x4 vehicles everywhere we travelled. While pickups such as the Hilux are
common in the region, and have good capability, we did not consider a pickup
since it would not have met our primary needs in terms of conversion.
7) The toys:
Navigation: Garmin GPSmap64st with
Tracks4Africa loaded, Silva compass
Cameras: 2 x Canon 5D
bodies, 1 x Canon SX620 HS
Lenses: Canon 24-70mm f
2.8 Ultrasonic, Canon EF 70-200mm f 2.8 Ultrasonic, Canon EF 400mm f 5.6,
Canon 2 x converter
Tripod: Velbon FHD-52Q
Monopod: KEEP D’Classic
Camera bags: Sandstorm of Kenya.
Binoculars: Leica Trinovid 8 x 20 RCA, Alpen Wings ED 8 x 20, Nikon Akulon 10x50 and Nikon Akulon 8x42
Binoculars: Leica Trinovid 8 x 20 RCA, Alpen Wings ED 8 x 20, Nikon Akulon 10x50 and Nikon Akulon 8x42
Footwear:
1 pair Merrell Moab, 1
pair Columbia North Plains
2 pairs Tevas
iPod 120 Gb, Griffin FM transmitter
Personal tools/knives: Leatherman Wave,
Leatherman Squirt Ps4, Swiss Army knives (various)
Outdoor clothing:
Mountain Equipment Coop:
Hydrofoil Jacket x 2, Lippi: Jacarandá x 2, North Face Thermoball
Triclimate jacket x 2
Backpacks (Mountain Equipment
Coop):
Deuter Race EXP, Deuter Race EXP Air
Luggage:
Mad Rock climbing rope
bags x 2
Eddie Bauer Expedition 21
and 26 roller kit bags (2 of each)
REI kitbag
Added at trip end: 2 Kit
bags, 1 custom-made bag
Medical kit: designed for the trip.
Maps: International Travel
Maps, Vancouver (pdfs); Tracks4Africa (pdfs); plus a few paper maps acquired
locally.
Guide Books: Lonely Planet (pdfs)
Laptop: This trip we had only
one - Apple Macbook Pro (for photographs, also used for email)
iPad: for maps, guidebooks,
also used for email and general internet access.
If anyone is interested in
more specifics please comment.
Panga (machete), with scabbard made for us in Karen:
The Aeropress - brilliant! Our means of making espresso on the road (thanks Catriona & Nick):
Panga (machete), with scabbard made for us in Karen:
The Aeropress - brilliant! Our means of making espresso on the road (thanks Catriona & Nick):
Photos may be used for non-commercial purposes with credit to alanymarce@gmail.com
If interested in further travels,
look at www.alanymarcemoreexploration.blogspot.com
;
If interested in our South American “big
trip”, look at www.suramericacontraelreloj.blogspot.com.