I've done Cairo to Cape Town as the bike mechanic for the Tour d'Afrique in 2007. It's a fully supported bicycle trip in the southbound directionthat takes four months to cover 12,000ish km. Assume about 130km per day on average. Here are some thoughts.
- Do it. Don't be discouraged, don't let people start you second guessing.
- Travelling through Egypt, we took mostly paved roads. Despite being that far south (as compared to my Canadian home) the nights in January will still very cold in the desert. Time spent in Luxor and Aswan was really interesting. The ferry across Lake Nasser was like something out of Indiana Jones, and at that time only ran once per week. Be sure to book a first class cabin. There might just be enough room for you and your bike and gear. Barely. I had to share with two others, and ended up sleeping on a pile of duffel bags on the floor (which wasn't even as big as a single bed).
- When we crossed Sudan, South Sudan had yet to separate. That said, we stayed in the north east and crossed into Ethiopia. We did take three weeks in Sudan, mostly in crossing the desert. A 40km no-road sand crossing on the day southbound was a highlight. Much of this may have changed as oil companies were building lots of new roads for oil exploration. However, there's still plenty of sand to ride through. Be advised, we had a solo rider join our trip while we were in Sudan as he couldn't get a visa to travel alone through the country. Things may have changed, or may not have.
- Be prepared to carry a lot of water. On the days I rode, I would regularly finish 8-10 litres of water per day while on the road, plus another 2-3 in camp. That's drinking only. More for washing/cooking, etc.
- Going into the mountains in Ethiopia took a toll on many riders. One had to go on an IV to recover enough fluids. Take your time when the going gets tough. Also, kids throw rocks at cyclist. I think it's mostly a weird expression of excitement, but be careful and be sure to wear a helmet.
- Same goes for Northern Kenya, especially from Moyale to Marsabit. The "East African Highway" was actually little more than a road bed made of rocks the size of paint cans. It's also bandit country. We had to have roving police escorts.
- Tanzania was great, except for the Dodoma road, which was mostly clay, and it was very rainy. Trucks and bikes all got stuck many times per day. Bring some patience. We did a three day side trip with a company to the Ngorngoro Crater and the Serengeti. Well worth it.
- Zambia was good, easy going, though often still dirt roads.
- Malawi was beautiful. Pavement roads along the lake, but worth it. The views, the swimming and the beach camps make for a relaxing break in what can be a grueling trip overall.
- Botswana was wonderful for wildlife. Lots of elephants along the roads which are mostly paved, straight and flat. Be aware of warning signs from elephants and know what to do when you see them. One of our trucks was mock charged a couple of times. Quite hot too. take a safari to the Okavanga delta from the town of Maun, if you can spare the time.
- Namibia was an interesting place, with a mix of road conditions. The Fish river canyon was pretty remarkable (second only to the Grand Canyon), and we stayed in Ai-Ais, which would make a great place to spend a few days from which to explore.
- South Africa was pretty much a run down the west coast, which was really nice. After all the time in the desert and in arid countries, it was great to see an ocean.
A few other things to note.
- It might be worth considering starting in Cairo. Travelling south meant that as we got down into Namibia and South Africa the chocolate got much much better. Sounds dumb, but if you're anything like me, chocolate holds a special value after a long day/week/month on a bike. Also, other things get better - notably toilets. I'm not a high maintenance person, but it sure was nice to be able to sit down instead of crouching. Having those to look forward to on the trip were motivating. Depending on your tastes, I don't expect you'd find the same heading northbound.
- Put salt in your Coca-Cola. Sounds weird, but you need to keep your electrolytes and sugars up, and water alone won't do it. Also as a rough estimate, I was taking in between 5000-9000 calories per day (depending on if I was working or riding), and so enjoy being able to eat a lot. Make sure you're well stocked between towns.
- If you can carry some pens or pencils, the kids will love you, especially in the Sudan, where they need them for school.
- Locals were overwhelmingly friendly. Over the entire trip, only one person in our group was mugged. It happened in Livingstone, Zambia which is a rather popular tourist town because it sits on the Zambezi river. Take what you will from that. Rural areas were very safe.
- Carry all your spares. I can promise you if you use anything more sophisticated than early Shimano SIS 6 speed, you won't find parts. Even then, probably not. Either have packages mailed to you en route, or have plenty of spares. Be sure to get tires that can handle the heat - my Nokians which are great for trails at home fell apart pretty quickly in the desert. You might want to check in with Scott Felter at Porcelain Rocket. He did a fat bike trip in the Australian Outback and may have ideas about specific fatbike tires for hot, sandy routes.
- change money with black market money changers as you cross borders - you'll save time and money by avoiding banks, but be sure to carry US Dollars. Other major currencies will get you nowhere. Also, be sure to be up to date on which currencies you're getting in each country. Sudan used three different currencies when I was there, and none held equivalent values. There was even an Old Pound and a New Pound, one of which was worth 100 of the other. Maybe it was 1000.
- Don't take photos of any major infrastructure or border crossings. Don't take photos of people without asking. In Islamic countries, don't take photos of women. In Khartoum, don't take photos.
- Bring a lot of toilet paper. You are unlikely to find any between South Africa and Cairo unless in a major city.
- Have fun!
Here's a link to photos from my trip. Feel free to drop me a line if you have more questions. I can hopefully answer or at very least point you in the right direction.
If you are concerned about security, etc, consider talking with the folks at Tour d'Afrique. They've had to deal with multiple security issues in the 10+ years they've been operating, and to my knowledge have never had to cancel a trip. Also, you could join for portions, and then venture out on your own when things are more secure.
Africa photos
