Introduction viii PART ONE BEFORE YOU LEAVE 1 Chapter 1 The Basics 3 The budget 4, Route planning 6, Shipping your vehicle 13, Starting a trip from South Africa 14, Planning a motorbike trip 16, Planning a bicycle trip 16 Chapter 2 Overland Routes 21 Getting to Africa 21, African routes 23, Suggested itineraries 48, Out of Africa - the Asian option 50 Chapter 3 Vehicle Selection and Preparation 59 Selecting your vehicle 59, Vehicle preparation 64, Vehicle equipment 73, Spares and tools 81, Suppliers and useful contacts 85, Motorbike selection 86, Motorbike preparation 89, Bicycle selection and preparation 93 Chapter 4 Organised Tours and Public Transport 107 The routes 108, What to expect 110, Choosing a tour 111, Other options 112, Overland operators 112 Chapter 5 Practicalities 115 Red tape 115, Embassies and consulates 121, Money 121, Health 122, Security 133, Women drivers and travellers 134, Travelling with children 137, Accommodation 138, Post and telecommunications 139 PART TWO ON THE ROAD 141 Chapter 6 Your Vehicle 143 Driving techniques 143, Recovery techniques 147, Maintenance, breakdowns and repairs 148, Motorbike driving hints and repairs 161, Bicycle troubleshooting 163 Chapter 7 Day-to-Day Issues 165 Bureaucracy 165, Borders and police checks 166, Visas 167, Money 169, Where to stay 170, Eating and drinking 173, Shopping 178 PART THREE THE GUIDE 179 Chapter 8 Background 181 Geography, vegetation and climate 181, Natural history and conservation 181, History 182, People 187, Cultural interaction and respect 188, Religion 188, Festivals 190, Arts and entertainment 191, Travelling positively 196 Chapter 9 A-Z Africa Country Guide 203 Which country? 203, Notes on this part of the guide 203, Algeria 206, Angola 208, Benin 211, Botswana 213, Burkina Faso 215, Burundi 217, Cameroon 218, Central African Republic (CAR) 221, Chad 223, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 225, Republic of Congo 228, Djibouti 230, Egypt 231, Equatorial Guinea 235, Eritrea 236, Ethiopia 237, Gabon 240, Gambia 242, Ghana 245, Guinea 247, Guinea Bissau 250, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) 252, Kenya 253, Lesotho 257, Liberia 259, Libya 261, Malawi 263, Mali 266, Mauritania 270, Morocco 273, Mozambique 277, Namibia 280, Niger 284, Nigeria 286, Rwanda 289, Senegal 291, Sierra Leone 294, Somalia 297, Somaliland 298, South Africa 300, South Sudan 303, Sudan 305, Swaziland 309, Tanzania 310, Togo 315, Tunisia 317, Uganda 318, Western Sahara 321, Zambia 325, Zimbabwe 328 Chapter 10 Guide to Countries on the Return Route via Asia 331 India 331, Nepal 334, China 335, Kazakhstan 337, Russia 339, Ukraine 340, Poland 341 Appendix 1 Language 343 Appendix 2 Personal Details 346 Appendix 3 Checklist 347 Appendix 4 Visa Requirements at a Glance 360 Appendix 5 Further Information 362 Index of advertisers 367 Index
