Africa Overlanding – Routes, Borders & Practical Info

2 Years Overlanding Through Africa – Our Conclusion

TiKay — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:41:03 +0000

2 Years Overlanding in Africa

Who we are and how we travel

We are Fenny and Totti, a German couple, traveling the world since 1997. Since 2020, we have been traveling full-time, living and working from our 2004 Mercedes Sprinter 4×4.

We usually do not rush from one tourist attraction to the next. We prefer slow travel, remote places and authentic experiences over organized tours and crowded highlights. Most nights are spent in our van, often far away from campsites and cities.

Our journey is not about collecting countries. As photographers and overlanders, we are constantly searching for spectacular landscapes, unique natural scenery and places far away from the usual tourist routes. Along the way, we enjoy meeting local people and gaining a deeper understanding of everyday life in the countries we visit.

During the past two years, we have driven more than 45.000 kilometers across Africa, crossing deserts, rainforests, mountains, savannas, megacities and some of the most challenging roads we have ever encountered.

Everything in this article is based on our personal experiences and observations from life on the road.

What is overlanding for us?

Overlanding means different things to different people. Some focus on the vehicle, others on the destinations, the challenges, or simply the journey itself.

For us, Overlanding means freedom.

Whenever possible, we leave the main roads behind, get off the asphalt and head into the places, where few people go.
We are happiest, when parked in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by epic nature, with no fences, no schedules and no neighbors. These are often the places, where we stay for several days, simply enjoying the moment.

But Overlanding is not only about landscapes.

It is also about people, cultures and perspectives. We love stepping into worlds, that are different from our own, learning how others live, listening to their stories and sometimes questioning our own assumptions along the way.

Some of our most memorable moments in Africa happened far away from famous attractions. They happened during conversations with locals, around campfires with fellow travelers, at roadside markets or in small villages where curiosity quickly turned into friendship.

This is important to understand, before reading the rest of this article. Many travelers may have a completely different definition of overlanding and may therefore feel countries very differently than we do.

We have the watches, Africa has the time.

How it all started

Our African adventure began in Morocco in October 2024.

Originally, we planned to travel together with two other overlanders. However, things turned out differently. One couple decided to return home from The Gambia, while with the other traveler, we eventually realized, that our travel styles simply did not match. So, for most of Africa, it was just the two of us again.

The plan was simple: reach Nigeria and Cameroon before the middle of March. Anyone who has traveled through tropical Africa knows why. The rainy season can turn roads into mud pits, border crossings into endurance tests and entire regions into logistical nightmares. Trust us, nobody really wants to travel through large parts of Africa during the rainy season, if they can avoid it.

And this part of the plan worked perfectly. We reached Nigeria just in time. Only a few days later, the rainy season arrived.
For that reason, the first part of our journey was much faster than we would normally prefer. We kept moving south along the West African coast, always with one eye on the calendar and the approaching rains.

At the same time, I (Totti) was constantly working on my TRANSAFRICA TRAVELmap, documenting our route and publishing regular updates, so other travelers could follow our progress and benefit from our experiences.

Once we reached Angola, everything changed. OK, we had been robbed the 2nd time (1st time in Spain), but overall and at least we were able to travel much slower from now on.

From Namibia onward, we finally slowed down totally. The pressure seemed to be gone, the roads improved and we could once again travel the way we enjoy most: slowly, spontaneously and without fixed plans. Instead of racing against the weather, we simply followed it, staying where we liked and moving on, whenever we felt like it.

What followed, were a few months of relaxed travel through Southern Africa, eventually taking us all the way to South Africa and later north again through Tanzania to Kenya.

At least that was the plan.

As so often happens in long-term travel, reality had other ideas. Routes changed, plans evolved and some opportunities were simply gone. In the end, our carefully timed strategy stopped working and we found ourselves spending almost six months traveling during the rainy season. Not exactly what we had intended, but as it turned out, some of our most memorable (and remarkable) experiences happened precisely, because things did not go according to plan.

The Challenges of Overlanding Africa

Before we get to the individual countries, it is important to understand that overlanding Africa is not always easy… it is simply NOT.

Many readers expect every African country to feel completely different. In reality – from an overlanding perspective – many neighbouring countries share surprisingly similar challenges, infrastructure levels and travel experiences. This is one reason why some of our observations may appear repeatedly throughout this article.

Large parts of our route involved some of the worst roads we have ever driven. Traffic was often chaotic and exhausting, especially in West and East Africa. Until we reached Angola, wild camping was frequently limited to carefully selected locations due to security concerns, which significantly reduced the sense of freedom we usually enjoy.

There was also an endless amount of bureaucracy. Border crossings, permits, checkpoints, customs procedures and paperwork often required far more time and patience, than the actual driving. Corruption, requests for unofficial payments and constant begging were part of everyday travel throughout much of the continent. In every country we visited, these issues existed to some degree – sometimes only occasionally, sometimes several times a day. As a result, they were generally not a decisive factor in our “ratings”, unless they were exceptionally severe or had a significant impact on our overall experience.

That said, none of this should come as a surprise. We have already written extensively about these topics throughout our journey. This article is not intended to focus primarily on the difficulties, but rather on the countries themselves, the landscapes, the wildlife, the people we met, the experiences we had and how each destination compares from our personal perspective as photographers and overlanders.

How We Felt the Countries

Before we begin, one important note: these “ratings” reflect our personal style of overlanding. It’s more of a feeling rather than a rating.

The things that mattered most to us were freedom, landscapes, wild camping, wildlife, photography opportunities, local people, adventure, road conditions, costs and the overall experience of traveling through a country.

Because of that, some countries may rank much higher or lower than many travelers would expect.

Africa Is Not Really All About Countries

This may sound strange in an article that lists countries, but after two years in Africa, we came to that simple conclusion.
Yes, every country has its own character, culture and highlights. But many of the things that shaped our experience, transcended borders.

The memories that stayed with us, was the combination of all the things already mentioned above, that shaped our overlanding experience.

That is why these ratings should not be taken too seriously. They are simply an attempt to summarize our experiences in countries, that were often far more similar than different.

What We Did Not Consider

These “feelings” are not based on hotels, campsites, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, beach resorts or organized tourist activities.

The Gateway To Africa – MOROCCO 🇲🇦 (and western Sahara)

Morocco was our gateway to Africa and – looking back – one of the easiest countries to enter and travel. The ferry crossing from Spain is straightforward, immigration is efficient and mobile internet, water supply and infrastructure are excellent by African standards.

What really makes Morocco special, however, are its landscapes. From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara, the country offers an incredible variety of scenery and countless opportunities for wild camping, adventures and photographing. For many overlanders, Morocco is, where the feeling of freedom truly begins.

The people were mostly friendly and welcoming, although in some tourist areas they could be quite persistent. Police checkpoints were common, but generally relaxed and professional. Corruption was not a significant issue during our travels.

Morocco combines stunning landscapes, good infrastructure and a genuine sense of adventure. It is easy to understand, why it remains one of the most popular overlanding destinations on the continent.

Our Personal Highlights: Atlas Mountains, Medouar Crater, Erg Chegaga

Our Personal Feelings so far: Hell yes, our African journey has finally begun. We are absolutely loving it. We’d happily spend much more time here, but the clock is ticking. More of this on the rest of the journey, please.

MAURITANIA 🇲🇷

Mauritania was our first real taste of the Sahara and felt noticeably more African than Morocco. Crossing the border required patience, plenty of fiches and a certain tolerance for bureaucracy, but overall the process was manageable.

Road conditions were generally better than expected, although some sections were heavily corrugated and the tracks near the Diama border were among the worst we encountered so far. Fuel quality is often criticized, but apart from slightly increased fuel consumption, we experienced no major issues. Water was widely available and overnight spots were easy to find.

The people were mostly friendly, although children in particular could sometimes be quite intrusive. Corruption existed, but remained limited and easy to avoid, by simply staying polite and firm. Nouakchott, on the other hand, was one of our least favorite capitals in Africa, with heavy traffic, smog and little charm.

What makes Mauritania special, is not its cities but its vast emptiness. Endless desert landscapes, remote tracks and a feeling of isolation, create an atmosphere that is difficult to find elsewhere. While the country did not completely blow us away, it offered some unforgettable moments and a genuine sense of adventure.

Our Personal Highlights: The endless Sahara, the Iron Ore Train, the feeling of absolute vastness.

Our Personal Feelings so far: We definitely need to come back one day. This country has far more to offer, than we were able to see. That said, the constant attention and occasional intrusiveness of some people can become exhausting.

SENEGAL 🇸🇳

Senegal was the country, where we got our first real taste of sub-Saharan Africa. The landscapes were changing, the atmosphere felt different and for the first time we felt, that we had truly left North Africa behind.

The country was easy to travel. Road conditions were generally good, diesel quality and availability were no problem and we experienced no bribery attempts at all. Water was easy to find and wild camping was usually straightforward. Mobile internet, however, was disappointing, with weak coverage and often very slow speeds.

The people were friendly and generally less intrusive than in some neighboring countries, although curious children were never far away. Dakar was also one of our least favorite capitals, with heavy traffic, smog and a surprisingly high cost of living.

While Senegal never completely amazed us with its landscapes, it was a country, we genuinely enjoyed. For the first time, we experienced the hectic energy of African streets, bustling markets, chaotic traffic and the feeling of stepping into a completely different world. Everything felt more exciting, more adventurous and less familiar. Senegal was, where our African journey truly began.

Our Personal Highlight: The first real sub-Saharan Africa feeling, bustling street life and the excitement of entering a completely different world.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Okay?… so this is where Africa really begins? Everything feels different now. We are excited, curious and highly motivated for what lies ahead.

THE GAMBIA 🇬🇲

The Gambia may be Africa’s smallest mainland country, but it left a surprisingly big impression on us. Traveling here was easy, roads were generally excellent and we encountered some of the friendliest people of our entire journey. Corruption was virtually nonexistent and communication was effortless, thanks to English being the official language.

Known as the Smiling Coast of Africa, The Gambia fully lived up to its reputation. People were incredibly open, curious and welcoming. Conversations happened everywhere, whether at markets, roadside stalls or simply while walking through town. The country felt colorful, vibrant and full of life.

The Gambia River forms the backbone of the country and offers beautiful scenery, especially away from the larger towns. Along the Atlantic coast, endless beaches and palm-lined shores create a relaxed atmosphere, that feels very different from many other parts of West Africa.

For us, The Gambia was also, where we had our first real experience of African bush landscapes beyond the cities and villages. Combined with the lively markets, the colorful street life and the warmth of the people, it became one of the more memorable stops of our West African journey.

Our Personal Highlights: The incredibly friendly people, colorful markets, vibrant street life, the beautiful Atlantic coast, the Gambia River and our first real experience of African bush.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Finally the Africa we had imagined? OK, let’s go on, we are curious.

GUINEA 🇬🇳

Guinea was the country, where our journey started to become genuinely challenging. The landscapes became greener, more mountainous and considerably wilder. At the same time, the roads deteriorated dramatically. Some of the tracks we encountered here, rank among the worst and most demanding of our entire travels.

Traveling through Guinea required patience and flexibility. Finding fuel, mobile coverage and wild camping spots was generally not a problem, but everyday logistics were often more difficult than in neighboring countries. Food shopping was particularly challenging, with very limited availability and surprisingly high prices. In fact, Guinea turned out to be one of the most expensive countries we visited in West Africa.

The people were mostly very friendly and welcoming. Interactions with police and officials, however, became noticeably less relaxed than before. Corruption was a recurring issue and requests for money became increasingly frequent, occasionally turning into lengthy stand-offs.

Conakry deserves a special mention. In more than 17 years of traveling through more than 90 countries, it was the most stressful city we have ever driven through. Endless traffic, pollution, chaos and constant pressure pushed us closer to our limits than anywhere else on our planet so far. The first time we really felt exhausted!

Yet despite all these challenges, Guinea delivered exactly the kind of Africa, many travelers imagine. Burned fields, remote villages, rough roads, overloaded vehicles, red dirt and a constant sense of unpredictability created an atmosphere that felt raw, authentic and truly unforgettable.

Our Personal Highlight: The brutally challenging roads, that often tested our patience, but also showed us the Africa, we had imagined long before this journey began. We also saw some of our very first bigger waterfalls in western Africa.

Our Personal Downside: Corruption was the biggest issue for us. Several officers repeatedly demanded large sums of money and occasionally refused to return our documents unless we paid. One encounter escalated to the point where I eventually told them, they could arrest me, because I had no intention of paying a bribe. Fortunately, they backed down in the end, but it was one of the first really unpleasant experiences of our entire trip.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Uh-oh… things are getting serious now. Wilder landscapes, rougher roads, more chaos, more adventure and far more challenges. This is no longer easy travel.

IVORY COAST 🇨🇮

After the challenges of Guinea, Ivory Coast felt surprisingly modern and easy to travel. The border crossing was straightforward, friendly and completely free of corruption. Roads improved dramatically and the drive towards Abidjan was one of the smoothest we had experienced so far.

The country offers a good balance between infrastructure and adventure. Fuel quality was excellent, mobile coverage reliable and supplies easy to find, especially in larger cities such as Yamoussoukro and Abidjan. While prices were higher than expected, everyday travel remained uncomplicated.

People were generally friendly and welcoming. Police checkpoints were infrequent and professional. For the first time in a while, we could simply focus a bit more on traveling, instead of dealing with bureaucracy or road conditions.

Abidjan stood out as one of the most developed cities we encountered in West Africa. Traffic was heavy, but manageable and the overall level of infrastructure was noticeably higher than in many surrounding countries.

Personal Highlight: Reaching remote beaches through dense coastal bush and spending time completely alone on some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline, we found in West Africa.

Personal Downside: Like elsewhere in West Africa, requests for food were common. One particular incident, where donated food was simply discarded in front of us, left a lasting impression and ultimately led us to stop handing out food during the remainder of our journey.

Our Personal Feelings so far: It feels great to be here with our own vehicle. The motivation is still high and we’re looking forward to discovering, what lies further down the road.

GHANA 🇬🇭

After the stories, documentaries and reputation surrounding Ghana, we expected a country, that would feel noticeably more developed and prosperous, than much of West Africa. In reality, our impression was quite different.

While Ghana certainly offers some modern areas and functioning infrastructure, large parts of the country felt far less developed, than we had anticipated. Outside the bigger cities, everyday life often looked very similar to what we had already experienced elsewhere on the route. The roads ranged from excellent to heavily damaged, the villages blended into the familiar bush scenery and many landscapes failed to leave a particularly lasting impression on us.

People were generally friendly and respectful. Begging was less intrusive, than in some neighboring countries, but it certainly had not disappeared. Officials and police were mostly professional and corruption was not a significant issue during our stay.

Traveling through Ghana was straightforward. Fuel quality was good, supplies were readily available and infrastructure was generally adequate. One unexpected challenge was obtaining a local SIM card, as tourists officially require a Ghana Card, which is only available to residents. In practice, finding a helpful local was often the easiest solution.

Wild camping was rarely a problem in Ghana, just as it hadn’t been in the countries before. Sooner or later, there was always a track leading into the bush and usually a place to spend the night. What we increasingly missed, however, were the truly epic campspots, that make us want to stay for several days rather than just one night.

By this point, we were beginning to realize, that Africa is not a typical overlanding destination in the way we had experienced and loved elsewhere. The freedom was there, but the spectacular camps, dramatic landscapes and endless opportunities to linger, were often less common than we had expected.

For us, Ghana was neither disappointing nor exceptional. It was simply another chapter of West Africa, without the memorable highlights or unique character, that some other countries left us with.

Our Personal Highlights: Discovering Fufu at the Organic Beach Resort. Ghana’s famous traditional dish quickly became one of our favorite local meals during our journey through this country.

The International Stingless Bee Centre. Until then, we had never seen bees like these. Some species have no stinger at all, while others are so tiny, that they are smaller than ants. It was fascinating to learn about these unique pollinators and their role in the local ecosystem. Even more surprising was the honey. Unlike much of the heavily processed honey sold in supermarkets around the world, the honey produced here, turned out to be genuine, natural honey. We even tested it ourselves and were impressed by both its taste and quality.

Our Personal Feelings so far: A little more variety in the landscapes would be nice. Slowly but surely, the constant requests and begging are starting to wear us down a bit. But that’s still okay. More and more, we’re realizing, that the journey itself has to remain the destination.

TOGO 🇹🇬

After some of the more demanding countries further west, Togo felt surprisingly calm, organized and easy to travel through. The country may be small, but it immediately stood out through its friendly atmosphere, good infrastructure and welcoming people.

Roads were generally in excellent condition, including many dirt roads. Fuel quality was good, checkpoints were relaxed and we experienced no corruption, bribery attempts or other hassles. Mobile internet was among the best we had encountered so far, with fast and reliable coverage throughout much of the country.

The landscape became more varied and slightly hillier, especially away from the coast. While Togo does not offer the dramatic scenery of some other destinations further south, it provides a pleasant mix of villages, forests, mountains and rural life. Wild camping remained easy and safe and traveling through the country felt refreshingly uncomplicated.

What stood out most was the overall feeling of peace and stability. Togo almost felt like a chance to catch our breath.

Our Personal Highlight: Spending two weeks at Permatogo. It was exactly what we needed at that stage of the journey. A place to slow down, recharge and simply enjoy life, without constantly being on the move.

Our Personal Feeling so far:
Yeah, Togo is definitely a country, where we could have stayed a bit longer. Looking back, this was one of the first countries, where we really noticed, that our priorities were changing and we were just way too fast.

BENIN 🇧🇯

Benin was also an easy country to enter and travel through. The e-Visa process was straightforward, approval arrived quickly and the border crossing itself was uncomplicated. Roads ranged from good to excellent, diesel was readily available and of good quality and we encountered no bribery, harassment or other problems during our stay.

The people we met were friendly, welcoming and relaxed. Officials and police officers were professional and respectful, making Benin feel calm and uncomplicated. Water was generally easy to find at churches and fuel stations and overall logistics posed very few challenges.

Unfortunately, our time in Benin was very short, which means, we never really got the opportunity to explore the country in depth. As a result, Benin remains one of the countries, we know the least about on this journey.

Or Personal Feeling so far: Unfortunately, our time in Benin was far too short to form a deeper connection with the country. What we did experience was pleasant, uncomplicated and surprisingly relaxed. At the same time, our thoughts were already drifting towards Nigeria. Obtaining the visas had been ridiculously complicated and everything we had read beforehand painted a picture of a difficult and unpredictable country. For the first time on the journey, we felt genuinely nervous about what was waiting for us at the next border.

NIGERIA 🇳🇬

Nothing – really nothing – could really prepare us for Nigeria.

This was the country we had worried about the most, long before arriving. Obtaining the visa had been so difficult and almost everything we had read beforehand, painted a picture of chaos, corruption and insecurity. By the time we reached the border, we were already mentally exhausted from months on the road.

And then Nigeria delivered exactly that chaos – and so much more.

Roads ranged from decent to absolutely terrible, second only to Guinea on our route. Traffic was unlike anything, we had experienced before. Millions of people, endless noise, reckless driving, aggressive overtaking, overloaded trucks, motorbikes appearing from every direction and an overwhelming amount of activity, road blocks and police checkpoints, military checkpoints everywhere. The amount of litter was shocking, corruption was present almost everywhere and nearly every single checkpoint came with some form of request for money, food or gifts.

With the more than 200 checkpoints along our route, interactions with police and officials became a daily routine. Yet despite the constant attempts to extract something from travelers, staying calm, smiling and remaining friendly, always solved the situation.
We never paid a single bribe… and we do not know, how this was even possible.

Nigeria is one of those countries, that cannot really be explained. It has to be experienced. The scale, the intensity, the noise, the pressure and the sheer number of people, create an atmosphere unlike anything else, we encountered anywhere on the planet.

And yet, despite all of this, Nigeria gave us one of the biggest surprises of the entire journey.

Our Personal Highlight: Without question, the people. We met some of the funniest, kindest and most welcoming people of our entire African journey here. This includes police officers, soldiers and government officials. The corruption potential was enormous, but so was the humor, charm and friendliness of all the people.
Looking back, we still do not know, whether it was our healthy portion of masochism, but our time in Nigeria was quite literally breathtaking.

Our Personal Feeling so far: By now we were running on empty. We desperately wanted to reach Angola and leave the challenges of West and Central Africa behind us. But there was still a long way to go. Somewhere in Nigeria we realized something important: this was a route we never wanted to drive a second time. We would push through, but once was enough.

Additional Conclusion:
Despite all the chaos, the corruption, the traffic and the countless warnings, we received before entering Nigeria, we never once felt genuinely unsafe or uncomfortable.

Even the most corrupt officers never gave us the impression of being criminals or dangerous people. Most interactions felt more like a tiresome game, than a serious threat. As exhausting as the checkpoints and road blocks became, they were usually accompanied by smiles, jokes and surprisingly friendly conversations.

For safety reasons, we avoided wild camping and instead stayed at churches, hotels and other secured locations. Looking back, however, we believe, this level of caution was probably not necessary on our route. Based on our personal experience, Nigeria felt far less dangerous than its reputation suggests.

The country may be chaotic beyond imagination, but the overwhelming friendliness of its people was impossible to ignore. In the end, Nigeria challenged us mentally and physically, but left us with far better memories than we ever expected before crossing the border.

CAMEROON 🇨🇲

Cameroon was the only country on our entire journey that, in hindsight, we would have preferred to skip. Our experiences here were overwhelmingly negative from the very first day after crossing the border. Encounters with officials, military personnel and police officers were often stressful, confrontational and sometimes outright aggressive. It quickly became clear, that we wanted to leave the country as soon as possible.

That being said, our experience does not necessarily represent Cameroon as a whole. We are fully aware, that experiences can differ greatly from traveler to traveler and ours may have been unusually unfortunate. Nevertheless, the atmosphere we encountered, left a lasting impression. Even beyond our personal experiences, it became apparent, that there are underlying tensions within parts of the country.

Traveling through Cameroon required patience. Traffic was often chaotic, checkpoints frequent and interactions with authorities could be exhausting. Corruption was a permanent recurring issue, particularly in the French-speaking regions, where demands for money and attempts to intimidate travelers were not uncommon. Several situations became uncomfortable enough, that we remained constantly alert whenever approaching checkpoints.

The roads ranged from terrible to surprisingly good. While some sections were rough and slow-going, the route from Yaoundé towards the Congo border was among the best road conditions, we had seen in Central Africa so far.

The people themselves were difficult for us to connect with. Compared to previous countries, we experienced fewer smiles and less openness. Whether this was due to cultural differences, regional circumstances or simply bad timing on our part, we cannot say. However, it contributed to the feeling, that Cameroon was fundamentally different from the countries we had traveled through before.

Mobile coverage with MTN was good, fuel was readily available and obtaining water was generally possible through churches and fuel stations. Practical travel logistics were manageable. The real challenge was navigating the human and administrative environment.

Our Personal Downside: The constant confrontations with authorities created an atmosphere, that made us want to leave the country almost from the very first day.

Our Personal Feelings so far: We increasingly noticed that our patience and resilience were wearing thin… really thin. After months on the road, the constant begging, checkpoints and daily hassles were affecting us more and more. In Cameroon especially, we found ourselves becoming less friendly and more withdrawn than before. More and more, we were seeking peace, solitude and freedom, instead of social interaction. What we wanted most at this point, was to finally slow down again and return to the style of travel we truly enjoy.

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇬

After the exhausting experiences in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo things changed abruptly. The roads became excellent, traffic nearly disappeared and checkpoints became rare. For the first time in a long while, traveling felt easy again.

The country turned out to be one of the most relaxed and straightforward destinations on our entire route. Corruption was barely noticeable, interactions with officials were friendly and uncomplicated and we generally felt very safe throughout our journey.

The roads deserve special mention. Apart from a few rough stretches around Pointe-Noire, road conditions were outstanding. Combined with the low traffic volume, driving became enjoyable again after weeks of stress and constant vigilance.

One challenge, however, was fuel availability. Diesel shortages occurred regularly and finding fuel could sometimes become a real concern. Whenever diesel was available, we filled up immediately. The fuel quality itself seemed perfectly fine and never caused us any issues.

Interestingly, this was also the country, where we recorded our lowest fuel consumption of the entire journey. While Rossi usually consumes around 12–13 liters per 100 kilometers, consumption dropped to just 9.9 liters here. Several times and after several tests, we simply couldn’t explain how that could possibly have happened. Draw your own conclusions.

Mobile coverage was among the weakest we encountered during the journey. Outside larger settlements, internet access was often unavailable and data packages were relatively expensive.

Overall, the Republic of the Congo was a calm, pleasant and surprisingly easy country to travel through. It gave us a much-needed opportunity to recover from the stress and tensions of the previous countries.

Our Personal Highlight:
Taking a boat tour through the Congolese wilderness and seeing gorillas in their natural habitat, as well as visiting the Equator Monument.

Our Personal Feelings so far:
The Republic of the Congo helped us calm down again after some difficult weeks. However, we also noticed, that we were increasingly withdrawing from social interactions. We rarely sought contact with people anymore and mostly kept to ourselves. The desire to slow down and travel at our own pace was becoming stronger with every passing week.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇩

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was never really intended to be a destination for us. It was simply a transit country on the way to Angola, the country we had been looking forward to for months.

At the time of our journey, parts of the country were once again experiencing conflict and instability. However, our route was far away from the affected regions and we never encountered any security-related problems. For us, the plan was simple: keep moving and get to Angola as quickly as possible.

Traveling itself was manageable. Traffic was generally light and road conditions ranged from good to poor, but nothing exceptional. The major exception was Matadi.

Matadi was an absolute nightmare. The traffic, road conditions and general chaos made it one of the most unpleasant urban experiences of our entire route. Outside of Matadi, however, the country passed by without leaving a particularly strong impression.

Corruption was present, although generally manageable. We encountered various fees, taxes and situations, that felt quite questionable, but nothing escalated into serious problems. Officials and officers were mostly friendly, even though we often had the feeling, that someone was trying to extract a little more money whenever possible.

Fuel availability could become problematic. Many stations either had no diesel available or were unwilling to sell fuel. Filling up completely, before leaving Pointe-Noire, proved to be a very good decision.

Overall, our passage through the Democratic Republic of the Congo was relatively uneventful. Apart from Matadi and occasional logistical challenges, the country remained more of a transit experience, than a destination in its own right.

Personal Downsides:
Matadi. Without any doubt. The city was chaotic, exhausting and by far the most difficult part of our passage through the country.

Another thing, that slowly started to catch up with us, was the rainy season. More frequent downpours, muddy roads and grey skies became part of daily travel. It wasn’t a major problem yet, but it was a clear reminder, that the dry season was coming to an end and that conditions further south could become much more challenging.

Our Personal Feelings So Far:
By this stage, our focus had shifted almost entirely towards Angola. After months of challenges and constant movement, we were no longer interested in sightseeing, socializing or exploration. We simply wanted to keep moving south and finally slow down again.

Angola 🇦🇴 – A New Chapter Begins

Angola felt like a turning point on our journey. After months of challenges and constant movement through West and Central Africa, we finally crossed into a country, that allowed us to breathe again.

The landscapes became dramatically more impressive. Mountain ranges, canyons, escarpments and vast open spaces replaced much of the monotony, we had experienced before. For the first time in a long while, we were not just taking snapshots anymore. We were actually photographing again.

Traveling through Angola was generally straightforward. Traffic was manageable, roads ranged from acceptable to good and checkpoints were no longer a constant concern. Corruption was hardly noticeable and driving became enjoyable again.

Money, however, could be challenging. ATMs were often crowded, withdrawal limits were low and both VISA and Mastercard frequently caused problems. Exchanging money at the border proved to be the easiest solution.

Security was somewhat mixed. While we never felt seriously threatened, Angola was the first country, where we experienced repeated attempts to access our vehicle. We were robbed at a beach and on several occasions people tried to open our doors while we were inside. Even at a police station in Caxito, someone attempted to check the door handles. Basic caution is definitely recommended, especially at beaches and in urban areas.

The people appeared reserved, but generally friendly enough. Officials and police officers were mostly professional, although Angola’s bureaucracy can be spectacularly absurd at times.

Road conditions varied considerably. Main roads were often decent, while some sections between Luanda and Lubango could be rough. Diesel availability remained problematic in the north, but improved significantly further south.

One important note: Angola was experiencing a cholera outbreak during our visit. Water should always be filtered, disinfected or treated before use.

Our Personal Highlights:
The Tundavala Gap, the increasingly spectacular landscapes and finally having opportunities to create real photographs again instead of merely documenting the journey.

Our Personal Downside:
Spending two full days dealing with prosecutors and authorities, because we had once again become victims of theft. The amount of bureaucracy involved was almost beyond belief.

Our Personal Feelings So Far:

Finally.

We had made it through the part of Africa, we never wanted to drive a second time. The pressure was gone almost instantly. For the first time in months, we felt genuine relief and found ourselves enjoying the journey again, rather than simply pushing forward.

Angola felt like the beginning of a new chapter. The landscapes became more impressive, the travel became easier and our enthusiasm returned. With renewed energy and a great deal of optimism, we looked ahead to everything, that was still waiting for us further south.

Hell yeah, Southern Africa – we’re comin’!

NAMIBIA 🇳🇦

After the difficult and exhausting months further north, Namibia felt almost like coming home. We already knew the country from a previous journey and looked forward to reaching it long before crossing the border.

The biggest difference compared to West and Central Africa was the sense of freedom. Suddenly there was space again. Space to drive, space to think and space to spend a few days somewhere without constantly feeling rushed or observed.

We spent three months in Namibia and explored large parts of the country. While prices have increased noticeably since our last visit, the landscapes remain as spectacular as ever. Endless gravel roads – often heavily corrugated – mountain ranges, deserts, dry riverbeds and vast horizons constantly reminded us, why Namibia has become such a popular overlanding destination.

One thing we noticed quickly was, that wild camping is often portrayed as easier than it actually is. Large parts of the east are fenced farmland, while the west offers far more opportunities for remote camps and solitude. Once you reach those western regions, the feeling of freedom becomes difficult to beat.

Another thing we had missed far more than we realized, was the food. After many months in West and Central Africa, Namibia was the first country, where we could once again find many of the things, we genuinely enjoy. Good quality meat, liver sausage, proper cold cuts and well-stocked supermarkets suddenly became part of everyday life again. Everything was readily available and surprisingly affordable.

Henties Bay deserves a special mention. Not only did we discover, what was probably the best salami we have ever eaten, but we also stocked up on large quantities of biltong, something we had been looking forward to for a very long time.

For the first time in many months, we stopped counting kilometers. The pressure disappeared. We slowed down, stayed longer in places and simply enjoyed being on the road again.

Our Personal Highlights:
Sossusvlei, Deadvlei, Spitzkoppe, Fish River Canyon, Spreetshoogte Pass, Etosha National Park and its wildlife. In reality, much of central and western Namibia felt like one continuous highlight.
Perfect meat and the best salami in the world.

Personal Downsides:
Wild camping can be surprisingly difficult in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, due to fences and private land.

Our Personal Feelings so far:
Namibia felt like a reward after everything that came before. Good food, beautiful landscapes, freedom and a much slower pace finally brought back the kind of travel we enjoy most. For the first time in a long while, we felt relaxed again.

SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦 – When Dreams Collide with Reality

South Africa is undeniably one of the most spectacular countries on the African continent. The variety of landscapes, mountain ranges, coastlines, canyons, wildlife areas and scenic roads is extraordinary. It is easy to understand why millions of tourists visit every year.

Our plan had originally been simple: stay for six months, enjoy the country and use the time to avoid the rainy season further north. Unfortunately, reality quickly got in the way. The first major frustration began with the visa extension. Despite countless attempts, phone calls, visits to authorities and discussions with officials, we were unable to pay for the extension. The process was online only and neither banks, VFS offices, nor government staff could and wanted provide any meaningful help. The answer was always the same: it must work online.

South Africa also challenged some of our expectations about overlanding. Unlike many other countries, true freedom camping is extremely limited. Almost everything is fenced, privately owned, protected, reserved or part of a national park. “Millions” of kilometers of fenced areas speak for themselves.
While there are countless campsites, picnic sites and parking areas, finding those remote and epic places, that many overlanders seek, is often impossible or discouraged for security reasons.

Security was a constant topic throughout our stay. We personally experienced several attempted thefts and were repeatedly warned by both locals and police. During our time in the country, local news seemed filled almost daily with reports of murders, armed robberies, shootings and violent crime. Not far from one of our camps, a woman was raped and murdered. Elsewhere there was a fatal bar shooting and a young man was killed over a simple misunderstanding.
All of this happened within just a few days.
Whether these events directly affect travelers is another question, but they inevitably shape the overall feeling.

One experience affected us particularly deeply. We became first responders at a severe traffic accident and remained there from the first minute until the end. Despite many people standing nearby, hardly anyone helped. A young man eventually died. It was one of the most difficult moments of the entire journey.

What surprised us, was the contrast between the security situation and the people themselves. Most South Africans we met were friendly, helpful and welcoming. The police were equally professional and polite. We never experienced bribery, harassment or any serious problems with officers. The feeling of insecurity came far more from what was happening around us, than from the people we actually interacted with.

Another topic that became increasingly visible, once we spent more time away from the tourist routes, was the ongoing tension between different population groups. Conversations in rural areas often revealed strong racial resentment from all sides. It was a subject, that repeatedly surfaced during our travels and left us with the impression, that many wounds from the past remain far from healed.

Financially, South Africa was also much more expensive than we expected. Nearly every attraction has an entrance fee. Waterfalls, viewpoints, canyons, parks and reserves – all come with separate charges. For shorter holidays this is hardly an issue. For long-term overlanders, traveling for several months, however, the costs add up quickly.

For travelers with rental vehicles, comfortable campsites and a holiday budget, South Africa is fantastic. We felt exactly the same during our first visit in 2006. But traveling the country for several months as independent overlanders, gave us a very different perspective.

Our Personal Highlights: Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Drakensberg Mountains, Sani Pass, Mountain Zebra National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Knysna, the Wild Coast, Cape Town, Cape Agulhas and – not least – the excellent food and arguably the best biltong in the world.

Our Personal Downsides: Security concerns, limited overlanding freedom, expensive attractions, failed visa-extension procedures, increasing costs, constant fencing and restrictions on wild camping.
Another thing, we noticed repeatedly was, how sensitive many people reacted to criticism of their country. As long as we praised South Africa, conversations were easy and enthusiastic. The moment we raised concerns about safety, costs, bureaucracy or other issues, reactions could change dramatically. Some people became defensive, others ended the discussion altogether or dismissed our experiences. It often felt, as though criticism from foreigners was unwelcome, even when based on personal observations, rather than prejudice.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Not in any way good. We were genuinely disappointed. South Africa offered some of the most beautiful landscapes of the entire journey, but at the same time it gave us some of the least freedom. We found ourselves increasingly frustrated and were ultimately happy to leave. We ended up enjoying our time in Lesotho far more. For us personally, South Africa is not a good overlanding country. It won us over at first sight, but lost us somewhere along the road.

For six years, we have been carrying a bottle of wine around the world.
By now, it is more than twenty years old. We had saved it for South Africa – the country we had been looking forward to more than any other.
We never opened it.

LESOTHO 🇱🇸 – left us speechless

The rainy season had already begun and yet every single kilometer felt like a tribute to nature. Endless mountain ranges, deep valleys, winding passes and dramatic skies turned even the simplest drive into an experience. For us, Lesotho is the most beautiful country in Africa.

Wild camping is possible, but not always easy. Especially in the east, people are everywhere and privacy can be hard to find. The western part offers more opportunities and generally feels calmer.

The people are incredibly friendly, cheerful and welcoming. As elsewhere in Africa, privacy was sometimes difficult to find and curious locals, especially children, were rarely far away. Nevertheless, our overall experience with the people of Lesotho was overwhelmingly positive.

Our Personal Highlight:
Honestly? The entire country. Sani Pass, the mountain roads, the remote highlands and the breathtaking scenery around almost every corner. Lesotho felt like one giant highlight.

Lesotho made us forget the frustrations of the previous months. We spent more time looking at landscapes than worrying about logistics. If South Africa disappointed us, Lesotho did exactly the opposite. The only reason we left was that our South African visa days were running out.

Our Personal Feelings so far:
Shit! The rainy season is starting… and we are right in the middle of it.

ESWATINI 🇸🇿 – Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

Eswatini was one of those countries, that was pleasant to travel through, yet never quite managed to leave a lasting impression on us.

By the time we arrived, the rainy season had fully set in. Many tracks had turned into mud and venturing away from the main roads was often no longer an option. As a result, we probably saw less of the country, than we would have during the dry season.

In general, Eswatini does not offer the same concentration of major attractions as some of its neighbours. The eastern part is dominated by farmland and is considerably less accessible. We found the western regions far more appealing, with better scenery and a stronger sense of being out in nature.

The people were friendly, relaxed and noticeably less intrusive, than in many other countries along our route. Begging was minimal and interactions with police, officials and border staff were pleasant throughout.

Our Personal Highlight:
Phophonyane Falls and the mountain track to the Bulembu border.

Our Personal Feeling so far:
After everything we had experienced during the previous months, Eswatini felt more like a place to pause, than a destination in its own right.

It is very safe, easy to travel and certainly worth visiting. At the same time, it lacked that special something, that makes a country stay in your memory for years.

Nice to visit – not necessarily a place where we would spend months.
The rain sucks!

BOTSWANA 🇧🇼

Botswana became one of the biggest surprises of our entire African journey.

When we entered the country, we only planned to stay for a few days. There was no grand plan, no long bucket list and no expectation, that Botswana would become one of our favorite countries. Yet somehow, a few days turned into three months.

Unlike many other African countries, Botswana simply lets you travel. There is very little bureaucracy, almost no corruption and hardly any interference with your daily life. You drive, explore and enjoy the country at your own pace.

The real star of Botswana is its wildlife. Especially in the north around the Okavango Delta, animals are everywhere. Elephants casually walk through campsites, hippos appear where you least expect them and wildlife encounters become part of everyday life. Unlike many places where nature feels managed and controlled, Botswana still feels genuinely wild.

Landscape-wise, Botswana is not as dramatic as Namibia or Lesotho. You will not find endless mountain ranges or spectacular coastal scenery. Yet the country has something equally valuable: space. Endless open spaces. Vast pans. Quiet camps. Empty tracks disappearing into the horizon. It is a country, that grows on you the longer you stay.

Most importantly, Botswana gave us something, we had been missing for a long time: the feeling that travel itself was fun again.

Our Personal Highlights: Khwai River, Kazuma Pans, Kubu Island, Kukonje Island, Makgadikgadi Pans.

Our Personal Downsides: None. We even finally got Starlink here.

Our Personal Feelings so far: This is how African overlanding should feel. Freedom, safety, wildlife, friendly people and very little bureaucracy. If Botswana had a bit more epic scenery, it would probably be close to perfect. For us, Botswana is an overlander’s dream.

ZIMBABWE 🇿🇼 – Blew us away!

Zimbabwe took everything we already loved about Botswana and added another layer of adventure.

The freedom was extraordinary. Wild camping was not just possible, it was often spectacular. Night after night we found beautiful spots without fences, without restrictions and without somebody telling us, where we could or could not stay. After countries, where every square meter seemed to belong to someone, Zimbabwe felt refreshingly open.

What really surprised us was the diversity. One day we were overlooking the vast waters of Lake Kariba, the next day we were fighting our way along the infamous Binga Road, shaking Rossi to its limits. Then came Hwange National Park with wildlife encounters, that left us speechless and later the green highlands around Nyanga. Zimbabwe constantly managed to reinvent itself.

The country also arrived at exactly the right moment. The rainy season had not fully taken hold yet, temperatures were pleasant and many tracks were still accessible. Combined with affordable national parks and generally friendly people, travelling here felt easy and rewarding.

Of course, not everything was perfect. We caught a thief red-handed and had a rather annoying encounter with two female police officers. But compared to everything else Zimbabwe offered, those moments were little more than footnotes.

By now, we had already travelled through many countries and experienced all kinds of highs and lows. Zimbabwe reminded us why we started this journey in the first place.

Our Personal Highlights: Lake Kariba, the absolutely brutal Binga Road, Hwange National Park, Nyanga National Park.

Our Personal Downsides: Apart from the attempted theft and two particularly annoying police officers: none.

Our Personal Feelings so far: This is exactly how we hoped Africa would continue. Freedom, adventure, stunning landscapes, fantastic wild camping and just enough challenges to keep things interesting. Together with Botswana, Zimbabwe gave us the best time of our entire journey so far, but we’ll see, what comes next 😉

MALAWI 🇲🇼

Malawi was not really fair to us. By the time we entered the country, the rainy season had fully caught up with us. Floods, storms and weather-related disasters were affecting large parts of southern Africa. Hundreds of thousands of people had to be evacuated across Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. Many roads became difficult or impossible to use and several places we had hoped to visit, simply weren’t accessible anymore.

Lake Malawi was undoubtedly beautiful and became the main highlight of our stay. Apart from that, we honestly did not see enough of the country to form a complete opinion. The landscape never struck us as particularly ugly, but neither did it leave a lasting impression. Rain, mud and some of the worst roads of the entire journey dominated much of our experience.

What affected us most was the sheer number of people. Again on this trip, we felt, that we were just never ever truly alone. Whether on roads, in villages or trying to find a place to stop – there were always people around. Constant staring and the endless calls of “Mzungu” followed us almost everywhere. It was here, that we really felt East Africa beginning.

The people themselves were generally friendly and we never experienced problems with officials or police. On the contrary, officers were polite, relaxed and completely free of corruption in our experience. Communication was often difficult due to limited English, but friendliness was rarely an issue.

As the weeks passed, we increasingly moved towards campsites and lodges, instead of searching for remote wild camps. Partly because of the weather, partly because solitude had become almost impossible to find.

Our Personal Highlights: Lake Malawi

Our Personal Downsides: Rainy season, flooding, difficult roads, extremely high population density, very limited opportunities to be alone, surprisingly basic food supply.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Malawi arrived at exactly the wrong time for us. The weather limited, what we could see and the constant presence of people became mentally exhausting. We left with mixed feelings. Not because the country treated us badly, but because circumstances prevented us from experiencing much of what Malawi probably has to offer.

Rain still sucks!

TANZANIA 🇹🇿

Tanzania never really managed to convince us. Part of that was certainly bad timing. The rainy season was still in full swing, many roads were in poor condition and progress was painfully slow. Adding to that, Tanzania has an enormous amount of truck traffic. On some stretches, especially towards Dodoma and Dar es Salaam, it felt like we were driving through a never-ending convoy of heavy trucks.

Another thing that stood out, were Tanzania’s endless speed controls. Combined with the huge amount of truck traffic and long stretches of solid center lines, overtaking often became frustratingly difficult. For the first time in more than 40,000 kilometers across Africa, we were repeatedly stopped for alleged speeding offences.

Fortunately, we had developed a simple response:
“Could we please see the laser calibration certificate?“

That sentence became our best friend in Tanzania and every time we were eventually allowed to continue, without paying anything.

On top of all that: a thing that drove us absolutely insane, were the countless speed bumps and rumble strips. And we’re not talking about the normal kind (like in nearly all parts of Africa)

Many of them were so excessively high, that we constantly worried about damaging the underbody, suspension or even the axles. On some roads, where driving fast was physically impossible anyway, due to potholes and poor surface conditions, the sheer number and size of these obstacles felt completely absurd.

What made matters even worse was, that many weren’t marked at all. More than once we hit them unexpectedly and bottomed out. Every impact made us wonder, whether something underneath the vehicle had just bent, cracked or shifted.

Over time, it became mentally exhausting. Instead of enjoying the scenery, we often found ourselves scanning the road surface every second, searching for the next unmarked obstacle.

Ironically, these speed bumps often caused more stress, than the roads themselves and they played a significant role in turning both Tanzania and later Kenya into far less enjoyable experiences, than we had hoped for.

The people were generally friendly and officials were among the most relaxed we met. Police checkpoints were frequent, especially with speed controls, but every encounter remained friendly and often ended with laughter, instead of fines. Corruption was practically non-existent in our experience.

The coastline, which many travelers rave about, left us rather unimpressed. Away from a few highlights, much of the country felt like endless bushland with rolling hills. Not ugly, but rarely spectacular. At least not on the route we travelled.

What became increasingly exhausting, was the constant attention. Wherever we stopped, the familiar calls of “Mzungu” followed us. People stared, shouted after us and watched everything we did. Not hostile, just relentless. After months on the road, our tolerance for that had become rather limited. Mine was basically gone.

The biggest shock, however, was the pricing of the national parks. Tanzania undoubtedly has some of Africa’s most famous wildlife destinations, but the costs are staggering. Once vehicle fees, park fees and conservation fees are added up, a single national park visit can easily cost around 500 USD for two people and one vehicle per fucking day. Considering how many parks Tanzania offers, this quickly moves beyond, what many long-term overlanders consider reasonable.

In the end, Tanzania became more of a transit country for us. We pushed northwards faster than originally planned and found ourselves looking forward to Kenya.

Our Personal Highlights: Friendly police officers, some beautiful stretches along the route, surprisingly relaxed checkpoint experiences. Oh, I remember: The Dodoma Region is quite nice.

Our Personal Downsides: Endless truck traffic, speed bumps and rumble strips. rainy season, poor roads, extremely expensive national parks, constant attention from people, uninspiring coastline.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Tanzania simply wasn’t our country. Maybe different weather, different routes or a bigger budget for the parks would have changed our opinion. But during our visit, we mostly found ourselves wanting to move on and reach Kenya as quickly as possible.

Final Words: We hate the word “Mzungu“… we just hate it sooo much!

KENYA 🇰🇪

Kenya was a country we deliberately wanted to revisit.

Back in 2009, our journey through Kenya felt more like a survival trip, than a holiday and cost us an absolute fortune. Fenny never wanted to return. I did. Kenya deserved a second chance.

Unfortunately, it didn’t use it.

By the time we arrived, the rainy season was still at its peak. Roads turned into mud pits, tracks became rivers and our already struggling vehicle suffered further damage, when the rear axle shifted during one particularly ugly mud battle.

Wild camping was possible here and there, but never easy. There were people almost everywhere. Constant attention, endless “Mzungu” yellings and little moments, where you simply wanted to be left alone.

What struck us most, was the relentless focus on money. Kenya was another, but the hardest country on this journey where we constantly felt like walking ATMs. Whether it was campsites, restaurants, mechanics, batteries-stores or simple purchases, prices often seemed to depend entirely on the color of your skin. We learned very quickly to agree on every detail and every price upfront.

Then came the bureaucratic mess.
Despite carrying a valid Carnet de Passages, Customs issued us a TIP instead of processing the FVP (Foreign Vehicle Permit) correctly. From that moment on, nobody seemed to know what to do. No office could tell us how to extend it. Different officials gave different answers. Phone calls led nowhere.

At one point, we were told to pay around 200 USD for somebody to ride a motorcycle somewhere and sort out the paperwork. Even locals laughed and told us, this made absolutely no sense.

The story nearly ended at the border, where officials wanted to fine us, because of the unresolved FVP issue. Fortunately, we had documented everything and could prove, that the mistake had not been ours. After lengthy discussions, we were finally allowed to leave.
It perfectly summed up our experience: confusion, contradictions and nobody taking responsibility.

The shipping process pushed us even further in the wrong direction. Vague answers, vague prices, changing information and an attitude of “don’t be difficult” whenever questions became too specific.

“Hakuna Matata“

We heard countless stories from other travelers about corruption, officials and endless bureaucracy. Fortunately, we avoided most of that ourselves, but by then our decision had already been made.

We left Kenya without doing any real sightseeing.
For the first time in a very long while, we simply didn’t feel like exploring anymore.

Our Personal Highlights in the past: Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park, Mount Kenya, Nanyuki Equator Point, Amboseli National Park (when prices were still reasonable).

Our Personal Downsides: Endless rain, overwhelming truck traffic, again this million of speed bumps and rumble strips, inflated tourist pricing, constant Mzungu shoutings, bureaucratic chaos, shipping frustrations, difficult business dealings and the general feeling of being viewed primarily as a source of money. Tumbu flies: living larvae in our bodies for weeks. How disgusting this was.

Our Personal Feelings so far: Sometimes a country deserves a second chance. Sometimes it confirms your first impression. For us, Kenya was the latter. By the end, there was only one thought left: the ship is full. Time to leave asap!

ZAMBIA 🇿🇲 – Our last country for now

Zambia wasn’t really part of the plan anymore.

By the time we entered, the world around us seemed to be accelerating. Conflict in the Middle East had escalated, fuel prices were rising rapidly and reports about Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the DRC were spreading. For us, the decision became obvious: skip Uganda and Rwanda and head straight back south.

Our last realistic chance to ship Rossi, was waiting there. Otherwise, it would have meant thousands of kilometers all the way back up the West Coast – something we definitely didn’t want to do.

So Zambia became less of a destination and more of a transit country. That is a bit unfair, because we simply didn’t spend enough time here to judge the country properly.

What we saw, were generally friendly people, little hassle and a country, that felt calmer than many others around it. But we were travelling with tunnel vision by then. The goal was no longer exploration. The goal was getting south as quickly as possible.

The first impression wasn’t exactly encouraging. The border crossing from Tanzania turned into one of the most chaotic and confusing border procedures, we had encountered in years. Paperwork, counters, waiting and plenty of opportunities to wonder, what exactly was going on.

Once inside the country, progress remained slow. Large sections of the roughly 1,500 kilometers we travelled ranged from poor to absolutely terrible road conditions. Only towards the south-west did things improve significantly.

Apart from that, much of what we saw, consisted of endless bushland, interrupted by towns and a handful of famous national parks. Unfortunately, we neither had the time nor the mindset to explore them properly.

Looking back, Zambia is probably one of the countries we understand the least. And for that reason, we don’t want to do it an injustice.

Our Personal Highlights:
The friendly atmosphere, surprisingly uncomplicated encounters with officials, excellent wild camping and the smooth transition into Botswana after a rather chaotic entry.

Our Personal Downsides:
One of the most chaotic border crossings of the entire journey, long stretches of very poor roads and the fact that circumstances left us little opportunity to properly experience the country.

Our Personal Feelings so far:
Zambia may well deserve more time than we gave it. Unfortunately, timing is everything. We arrived focused on world events, shipping logistics and changing travel plans. Sometimes a country simply appears at the wrong moment in a journey.

At least the weather was finally improving. The rainy season was almost over and for the first time in quite a while, we could look forward to blue skies again.

Final Words – “The Bottle We never opened”

I (Totti) have been sitting with this final post for three days now, reading it over and over again🤯.
And while most of the text above was indeed written by AI under my clear instructions and based on our diaries, I simply couldn’t make it work, when it came to my “final words”.
So here we go:

How do I put into words two years, that were simultaneously so beautiful and so exhausting? How do I describe a continent, that gave us so much, yet also pushed us to our limits – without sounding too negative or overly romantic?

We’ve been traveling for nearly 20 years, visited 94 countries and driven more than 475.000 km behind our own steering wheels. We’ve seen so much, experienced so much and taken countless memories with us… but Africa… Africa is different.

Since 2006 we’ve been to Africa seven times. Two of those years we lived on the continent.

We’ve traveled through 25 countries – each one incredibly beautiful in its own way, yet somehow sharing the same intense spirit. Everywhere you go you find warm, friendly people, vibrant colors, soulful vibes and always pure nature.

At the same time, there’s this constant, often absurd chaos, that cuts into our nerves with a chainsaw, meter by meter, hour by hour. A level of chaos, that can be so relentless, it slowly wears you down, kilometer after kilometer.

As I reread this enormous report again and again and reflect on, what truly matters to us as overlanders, some questions keep coming back:
Where were all those perfect wild camps, that deep sense of freedom, we usually chase?
Where were the endless golden-hour photography sessions and the heartwarming encounters we love so much?

They existed – of course they did – but they were far fewer and farther between, than the challenges, that wore us down so often. The harmony between the “good” and the “difficult” was rarely balanced.

We often caught ourselves trying to make lemon juice out of lemons instead of genuinely enjoying the day.

We moved too fast. Not because we wanted to, but because of all these circumstances, that constantly had us under pressure. By the end – even when things calmed down in Angola – we were already exhausted – mentally and emotionally drained.

And there I go again – sounding negative. That’s not what I want!

What we missed most was: balance.

The kind of balance, where you can spend hours overlooking a waterhole, watching animals compete for dominance. Where you wait for sunset, because you know the light will be perfect for photography. Instead, there was often pressure. The next payment period in the National Park was approaching. Another campsite had to be found – in hope of finding peace and silence.

I missed photography enormously… these meditative moments, where I am with me… alone, controlling my breath for the next beautiful animal encounter to capture.

And yet, just when things became too much, I kept hoping, Africa would give something back. Another unforgettable encounter or another act of kindness… another landscape – so spectacular, it justified every kilometer.

I don’t know whether it’s our travel style, our expectations or whether we’ve simply seen so much of the world, that we’re harder to impress than we once were.

We made one clear mistake in Africa: we never allowed ourselves real breaks.

For two years we were constantly on the road, in the bush or surrounded by people. No real pause or just a tiny bit of distance. In hindsight, we should have taken a proper break after six months or so – flown somewhere else, reset and returned with fresh energy.

Instead, our fighting spirit took over. We didn’t want to give up. We didn’t want Africa to “beat” us.
The truth is that we love Africa deeply. Yet Africa often made life difficult for us. Eventually, we had to accept, that Africa simply isn’t designed for our style of travel.
Africa is incredibly demanding.

It taught us, that this continent asks for a different pace and approach, than what we were used to, from the rest of the world.

As tourists – flying in, renting a car, staying in lodges and booking safaris – Africa is and will be magical and unforgettable.
As long-term overlanders with our own vehicle, it was often much harder than we had anticipated.

Africa was also considerably more expensive than we had anticipated. That was something, we obviously had completely underestimated. Eventually, all those influences accumulate, until they become overwhelming, yet escaping them isn’t easy. We didn’t have the luxury of simply booking flights and taking breaks, whenever we wanted. And we never wanted to leave our vehicle behind.

And then there was this one moment we had been waiting for – the one that never came.

For six years of full-time travel, a 20-year-old bottle of our favourite wine has travelled with us: a “Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Auslese”.

This bottle had accompanied us through more than fifty countries. Across deserts, across the most rugged terrain, over mountains and across countless borders – sometimes even quietly smuggled. It was our silent promise to ourselves.
It wasn’t about the value of the wine, but it was meant to be opened on that perfect day – at an epic wild camp, during a magical sunset, in that rare feeling of “We’ve made it.” A moment of pure freedom and fulfilment.

After two years in Africa… it was still unopened.

Not even in South Africa – the country we had always imagined as the perfect place for this very moment. Because South Africa was the first country, Fenny and I ever travelled together – many years ago, when we were young and full of dreams.

That the bottle remained sealed at the end of this long African journey, hurt more than we expected. It became a quiet symbol of what we missed most here: not comfort, luxury or even the big adventures – but the deep, peaceful freedom to simply stop and say:
“Here. Now. This is our moment – This is perfect.”

Africa was perfect in its own way, but it wasn’t perfect for us. As an overlanding destination, it simply wasn’t the right fit for us.

But hey… that’s perfectly ok… it will be perfect for others, while we’re leaving with a heavy heart, but a grateful one🙏.

We will be back. Absolutely. Just differently.

Cheers
Totti (TRAVELcandies-On-Tour)

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Is Africa really an overlanding paradise?

How to Deal With Corruption as an Overland Traveler

TiKay — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:13:44 +0000

SUMMARY: Dealing With Corruption

Corruption is common in everyday travel situations
You will not change the system on the road
Stay calm, polite and non-confrontational
Know your documents and your legal position
Avoid escalation – time and patience are leverage
Decide pragmatically when to stand firm and when to move on
Personal safety always comes first

From Confrontation to Pragmatism

On this planet there are roughly 30 different personality types – better described as models.
Every human being is a unique mix of genetics, biography and context. No two are identical.
As a result, people act according to their character traits: often similar, rarely identical, usually intuitive – and when it comes to dealing with corruption: very often wrong.

Let’s start with us — Fenny and me.

Fenny is calm, relaxed and composed. She rarely gets genuinely angry, instinctively tries to de-escalate and saves her energy for what actually matters. She connects with people on an emotional level.

I – Totti – am very different. I’m not particularly easy to deal with, when things are pushed too far. In my professional past, the rule was simple: survive.
Everyone was trying to take advantage of you. Over the last forty years I built a thick skin, was often undiplomatic and frequently arrogant – because frankly – arrogance can get you surprisingly far and brought me, where I am now.

I can argue well, but I can also over-argue, derail discussions or destroy them entirely.
I rarely avoided confrontation, usually with my finger pointed firmly in the air.
My legal insurance was busy – courtrooms were familiar territory. And I won. Always.
Head-through-the-wall mentality :

“I’m right and you can fuck off”

Pretty much the worst set of character traits, when it comes to dealing with corruption!

But I learned. Age does that – if you let it.

Today it’s about energy and efficiency. I’m far less willing to engage in confrontation and instead look for pragmatic and – above all – fast solutions. Still, common sense sometimes trips me up and I fall back into old habits.

When it comes to corrupt situations, this is where I learned the most.
I developed my own way of communicating – a specific rhetoric that now works well in the vast majority of cases.
That said: no matter how calm, polite or friendly I am – push it too far and Pandora’s Box opens quickly.

Not everyone is good at talking. Not everyone has confident body language. Some appear introverted, reserved, shy or insecure. These people become – and there is no polite way to put this – easy targets for those trying to exploit them.

This guide shows how you never, ever need to pay money for something that does not exist, is not legitimate and therefore simply illegal. One thing is crucial to understand: not only the corrupt official commits a crime –

You Are Commiting Crime As Well!

Understanding Borders, Checkpoints and Corruption

We’ve lost count of how many borders we’ve crossed over the last thirty years, how many checkpoints we’ve passed and how many police officers we’ve encountered – and, quite often, pushed back against. In Nigeria alone we dealt with 202 checkpoints and several hundred officers. Most of them were ultra-cool, super friendly, but also: corrupt- nearly every-single-one!

Every border crossing and every officer comes with their own challenges and requires a different approach.

To handle this properly, you need to understand three things:
a) what corruption actually is,
b) where it comes from and
c) how officers think and operate.

Once you understand that, you build your strategies around it.

Three Levels of Corruption

Corruption comes in different forms and levels. Not every encounter is about money and not every officer operates the same way. There is a clear difference between informal expectations, subtle pressure and outright demands.

Sometimes corruption appears as vague hints, unnecessary delays or invented problems that suddenly require a “solution.” In other cases it is direct and blunt: pay or you do not move on. The level often depends on location, hierarchy, visibility and how much leverage an officer believes they have.

Low-level corruption is usually opportunistic and transactional. It relies on impatience, uncertainty and fear of consequences. Higher-level corruption is more structured, more confident and often protected by authority or distance from public scrutiny.

Understanding these differences matters. Responding to a subtle hint as if it were an open demand, can escalate a situation unnecessarily. Treating a clear demand as a misunderstanding, can sometimes defuse it.

The key is observation: tone, body language, setting and timing tell you more than words ever will.

These different levels often show up very clearly.

Level 1 – Indirect and informal
This is the most common and often the least aggressive form. It sounds harmless and is usually framed as a favor or a joke: “What do you have for me?” or “Do you have something to eat?”
The intention is to test your reaction. Nothing is demanded openly. If ignored or handled calmly, it often goes nowhere.

Rule of thumb: give them nothing, no matter how friendly the request may sound. Any attempt, any gift, can be interpreted by others as a bribe.
Kindly decline, smile and add a friendly wink – the kind that signals respect, not mockery:
“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to give anything. You know the rules better than I do – as a professional and respected officer.”
Or, if they ask for a gift, reply with a smile:
“I brought you a (German) smile.”
Laugh lightly and keep the tone warm.

Level 2 – Direct but still personal
Here the tone changes. The request becomes explicit and personal, often mixed with assumptions or pressure:
“Give me your money, you are rich.”
At this stage the officer is no longer fishing – he is asking. The situation is still reversible, but boundaries matter.

Rule of thumb: if you are asked directly for money, respond calmly and keep it light:
“Why would I give you my money, sir?”
Laugh gently – not mockingly! – and add:
“I’m just glad I managed to scrape together enough to visit your beautiful country.”
Stay friendly and humorous, but make it clear through your body language that there is nothing to be gained from you – not now, not later.

Level 3 – Coercive and definitely illegal
This is no longer subtle and no longer negotiable in tone. Authority is used as leverage:
“You will not get your passports back unless you pay.”
At this level, the situation has crossed from opportunism into outright extortion. How you respond now has legal and safety implications.

Rule of thumb: If for instance documents are withheld or payment is demanded, your reaction becomes decisive. Stay calm and confident – you are in the right.
Respond evenly:
“That surprises me. I’m not aware that I need to pay money ,to get documents back, that belong to the German state.”
If they do not back down, remain unhurried and composed:
“I have all the time in the world. Let’s have a coffee while you consider what should happen with the documents.”
As a final step – if drinking a coffee doesn’t help – keep your tone respectful and controlled:
“Respected Sir, I feel this is going in the wrong direction. If our documents are not returned… I’m sorry, what was your name again?… I’m happy to contact the tourism office, the anti-corruption hotline, or my embassy, just to verify that I’m not doing anything illegal or unlawfully refusing to comply.”
Then add calmly:
“I’m appealing to your professionalism, because I can see that otherwise you are doing your job very well.”

Important note!

Level-3 strategies are always situational. Visibility, time of day, location and the overall environment matter. What works at a public checkpoint during daylight, may be inappropriate in a remote area at night.
Use judgment. De-escalation and personal safety always come first.

Author’s note:

When a situation like this happened to me in Guinea, it escalated to the point, where I calmly held out my hands and said: “Then you’d better put handcuffs on me, arrest me and take me before a judge.”

The officer was visibly taken aback – and eventually let us go. USD 120 saved.

Understanding the Roots of Corruption

Not every corrupt officer is, by definition, a bad person. With a bit of empathy, it’s often possible to understand the situations: many of them are in low wages, irregular pay, family pressure, institutional decay and a system that quietly tolerates or even expects informal income.

In many places, corruption is not an exception, but a parallel system. It fills gaps left by weak institutions, poor enforcement and unclear accountability. For some, it becomes normalized behavior – learned early, reinforced daily and rarely challenged.

Understanding this context helps explain behavior, but it does not justify it. Empathy is not approval. Personal hardship does not legitimize abusing authority or shifting responsibility onto others.

There is a clear line between understanding why something happens and accepting it as normal.

Becoming corrupt out of personal hardship
does not legitimize an illegal act.

The Psychology on Both Sides

Encounters at borders and checkpoints are not primarily legal or administrative situations – they are human interactions. Two sides meet, each with their own expectations, pressure and instincts.

Travelers often arrive tired, tense or defensive, focused on rules and documents. Officers, on the other hand, seem to sense from a distance who is behind the wheel – almost as if they can smell the mindset of the person approaching. Confidence, insecurity, impatience or calmness are often read long before a single word is spoken.

Both sides react intuitively, often within seconds. Understanding this shared psychology matters. Many situations escalate or dissolve not because of law or authority, but because of tone, body language and perceived intent. Recognizing how both sides think – and how reactions influence each other – is key to navigating these encounters calmly and effectively.

The Psychological Perspective of Officers

Many interactions at checkpoints follow a simple psychological script. Officers constantly read people. Not documents first – people. Tone, facial expression, body language and reaction speed matter more than what is actually said.

If they sense tension, fear, irritation or hostility – no smile, no eye contact, a short or rude tone – the situation often tightens. What was routine suddenly becomes a “problem.” More questions appear, procedures slow down and authority is asserted more forcefully. Resistance, even passive resistance, is interpreted as disrespect or challenge.

If, on the other hand, they see people who wave, smile, greet them openly and appear relaxed, the dynamic often changes immediately. Friendly behavior signals: no threat, no confrontation, no drama. It lowers the perceived risk and removes the need to assert dominance.

Humor plays a key role. A light joke, a warm smile or an easy laugh humanizes the interaction. It shifts the encounter from control to conversation. Not because officers are naive – but because the situation no longer feels adversarial.

Officers are also sensitive to confidence. Calm, relaxed confidence without arrogance signals experience. It suggests that the traveler knows the routine, is not afraid and is unlikely to be pressured easily. This often leads to quicker resolutions and fewer attempts to escalate.

In short, officers respond less to what you say than to how you make them feel. Friendly, relaxed behavior reduces friction. Tension, defensiveness or rudeness increase it.

Understanding this psychology does not guarantee success, but it explains why some encounters dissolve within seconds, while others spiral into unnecessary conflict.

Friendliness and kindness are always the key.
And a smile disarms – every time.

The Traveler’s Psychology: Intent and Control

Our aim is to retain control from the outset by shaping the interaction early – using distraction, conversational redirection and deliberate engagement through friendliness and humor. Rhetoric and dialectical skill matter, because whoever defines the tone and structure of the exchange, often defines its outcome.

From our side, friendliness is intentional and sometimes deliberately amplified. Not fake and submissive, but proactive. We start talking immediately. An enthusiastic greeting, genuine appreciation for the country, how happy we are to finally be here. This shifts the dynamic instantly.

It distracts and breaks the expected script. Suddenly, the officer is reacting instead of leading.

Posture matters. Chest forward, upright stance. A calm, deep and friendly voice. Open, confident, without hesitation or fear. The message is clear: we are comfortable, we are experienced and we are in control of ourselves (and of the current situation). We lead the interaction and subtly guide where it goes.

If I need to step out of the vehicle, I do so confidently. Upright posture, a handshake if appropriate:
“Nice to meet you. How can I help you?”

We deliberately work with words, body language, humor and emotion.
Sometimes it’s as simple as saying: “Look, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about the fact that my wife, my car and I made it all the way here – to your beautiful country.”

In many cases, this approach disarms the situation almost immediately. Very often, it never escalates beyond “Level 1”. High-level corruption attempts simply don’t happen.

There is, however, another type: the aggressive officer. Friendly behavior has no effect. The goal here is provocation in pushing you until you lose control and make a mistake.

In these moments, composure is everything. Breathe. Do NOT get angry.
Because “the best statement is the one delivered without anger”.

We prepare mentally for these situations, especially when we know what kind of border or checkpoint lies ahead. I rehearse phrases, sentence fragments and remind myself to stay confident and grounded.

Authenticity, honesty, self-confidence and experience must be visible. Good posture. Clear speech. Respect the officer as a person of authority – regardless of his rank. Never accuse an officer of corruption. Never corner them into a position they cannot exit. Always leave them an exit strategy.

The underlying message is simple and unspoken: I travel long-term. I know how this works. Let’s keep this easy.

That combination – controlled friendliness, confidence and psychological awareness – is often more effective than any argument or document.

If none of this works, we wait it out. We stay calm, remain friendly and never (well… I should say “barely”) become irritated or loud. By doing so, we signal that we have time, patience and enough experience to see the situation through.

If an officer crosses the line, I set boundaries immediately and without detours. I state clearly how this interaction needs to proceed, while explicitly expressing respect for the officer as a person. I make it clear that the situation is drifting out of control.

My voice becomes firmer – still calm and respectful, but noticeably more authoritative than before. This is the officer’s final opportunity to step back before the situation escalates further and is going to open Pandoras Box.

As a final step, I sometimes use a psychological – and not entirely risk-free – approach. I make it clear that I will not pay, no matter what. I explicitly offer myself for arrest and state, that I am willing to be taken before a judge, regardless of how long it takes.

The message is unambiguous: this is the line. No further.

At this point, the officer needs an exit strategy. He has to act, but without losing face. I deliberately lower the tension again, return to a friendly tone and subtle offer a way out, that allows him to disengage without embarrassment.

This is difficult to describe in abstract terms, but at the end of this article, I provide concrete examples of how such exit paths can look in practice.

In the end, we always managed to get out, even when situations escalated and carried real risk.

When Not to Push Further

There are moments when psychology, confidence and patience stop being tools and start becoming risks. Knowing where that line is, matters more than any tactic.

We do not push further at night, in isolated areas or when there are no witnesses. We do not push when alcohol is involved or when the atmosphere turns unpredictable. And we do not sit things out when weapons come into play or when the balance of power is clearly no longer stable.

In those situations, the priority shifts. Safety comes before principle. Getting out clean matters more than being right. Walking away with your freedom intact is always the better outcome.

This is not weakness but sound judgment.

A Legal Reality Check

In real overland travel, corruption patterns vary greatly by region – like we documented in detail during our West Africa journey.

What you’re reading here isn’t meant as instructions or a handbook. It’s simply what we’ve learned over decades on the road – what worked for us, what didn’t and what we adjusted along the way.

Laws change from country to country, authority is interpreted differently and local realities often outweigh whatever is written down in regulations. Every situation is its own mix of people, place and timing. In the end, each traveler has to make their own decisions and live with the consequences.

This is not legal advice. It’s our very experience from the field, nothing more… nothing less.

But hey, let’s be honest – At the end of the day, it’s like this:

The officer at the boom gate is a small cog in the system, someone who rarely has real authority.
They demand respect and often make themselves more important than they actually are. Many of those we encountered, couldn’t even read or write (though to be clear: some absolutely can).

That said, they also have something to lose: their job.
That’s why many act very subtly and – because they’re clever – operate right at the edge of legality, but still on their side of the line.
Others, however, are blunt and rigid and seem to give little thought to the consequences, their actions might have for themselves.

I’m convinced, that as long as you’re not traveling in a country where no law applies at all (what I would call lawless states), travelers are – despite appearances – generally on the safer side and initially have little to fear. In the end, many countries depend on travelers and hardly any country wants a public incident once a traveler starts asserting their rights.

Even in Afghanistan, in February 2026, a corrupt official was arrested by the Taliban after being exposed, because travelers contacted the appropriate authorities. At many border posts, there are notices with phone numbers for “corruption hotlines.” We often subtly draw the attention of potentially corrupt officers to these signs or posters.

As travelers, we usually have little more to lose than time and nerves.
The officer, however, risks his livelihood. That’s just it!

When you’re traveling, the moment you pay, changes everything.

The Cost of Giving In

The moment you give in, you signal that you’re an easy mark. Word travels fast in these circles. By the next checkpoint, you’re no longer just another traveler – you’re a walking ATM. The bar drops instantly. Requests come quicker, demands get pushier and whatever patience existed before is suddenly gone.

There’s also a psychological cost that shouldn’t be underestimated. Every time you pay under pressure, you train yourself to fold. Your confidence takes a hit. The calm, clear-headed way you once handled difficult situations slowly gets replaced by a reflex to simply make the problem disappear. Over time, you stop dealing with situations – you start avoiding them. Travel begins to feel smaller, not freer.

Then there’s the cold legal reality most people prefer to ignore. In many countries, handing over that “little something” is a crime – not only for the officer asking, but also for you paying. What feels like a quick fix in the moment, can later turn into fines, court appearances, deportation risks or permanent marks on your record.

Yes, refusing to pay can cost time, nerves and discomfort. Sometimes it means standing around longer than you’d like, in the heat, the rain or the dust.

But paying almost always, costs more in the long run: to your self-respect, to the travelers who come after you and to the entire corrupt system, that keeps repeating itself, simply because it works.

This isn’t about being a hero or taking the moral high ground.
It’s about understanding, what you’re really buying, when you quietly say, “Okay, fine,” and hand over the cash.

Do NOT do that!

Are there exceptions?

No. Not Really.
Even though, as experienced travelers, we have a lot of understanding for less experienced travelers – especially those traveling with dogs or small children – who may be tempted to pay a small amount to save time or avoid tense situations, it remains a criminal offense. And it can have serious consequences for the travelers themselves.

The only legitimate exception is immediate danger to life or serious physical harm.
If a situation escalates to real, credible threat and paying is the only way to de-escalate and get out safely, survival comes first.

Especially when traveling with children, responsibility, good preparation and clear decisions matter most.

Bribery is illegal in many jurisdictions and not “just a local workaround” – the OECD provides a concise overview of how foreign bribery is treated internationally.

In the end, none of this is really about being “right” or winning some moral argument.
It’s about keeping going… together.

Over time, you learn, where it’s worth digging in your heels and where it’s smarter to let something slide. You also learn humility along the way. We misread situations. We push too hard, say the wrong thing or freeze up. We mess up, feel stupid for a moment, learn from it and try to do better next time.

You’re never going to fix the broken systems you run into. What you can do is, learn how to move through them without losing your own compass and without turning into someone you don’t recognize.

Staying calm when everything feels off, staying kind even when you’re angry and knowing, when to shut up and walk away – those things matter far more than any clever line or power move.

We wish all of you the very best on your journey – whatever your path may look like in the end.
Safe travels… and maybe we’ll cross paths someday, somewhere on the road.

Yours,
Totti & Fenny

(Everything written here was originally written in German by Totti, translated into English and then refined by AI to improve clarity and readability – so that browsers can also translate it more accurately into other languages..)

FAQ - Some Examples and Tips Of How We dealt With Such Situations

How to prepare properly to avoid such situations?

true costs of overland travel

TiKay — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:44:26 +0000

SUMMARY: True Overland Travel Costs

Total spent: €78,341.87
Average per month: €1,187
Average per person per day: €19.52
Covers: travel-related expenses (vehicle, fuel, food, internet, visas/permits, maintenance, accommodation, activities)
Not included: home base costs, taxes, mandatory health insurance and long-term savings/investing

Hey travelers from around the world – Fenny and Totti here.

Even though we have traveled to more than 90 countries since 1997 – as shown on the map above – during our 5+ year long-term journey we covered 119,066 km across 47 countries.
And now – after such a long time on the road – we feel it’s time to take a sober look at the financial side of long-term travel.

Countries we covered so far within this 5,5 years:
Germany, Austria, Italy w. Sicily and Sardinia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Moldova, Transnistria, Tunisia, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini.

WHAT DOES A LONG-TERM TRAVEL JOURNEY OR A WORLD TRIP ACTUALLY COST? – 66 MONTHS LATER

Back in 2020, we made the decision to leave everything behind. We sold all our belongings and invested the money in the stock market – without knowing if the plan would work out or what such a journey would really cost in the end.

Using the proceeds from selling our vehicles, we bought a Sprinter 903 4×4, converted it and set off after just 42 days. Originally, two years were planned. Two turned into five and five eventually turned into something open-ended.

We are overlanders and we travel in a very cost-conscious way, following a simple principle: “the less money we spend, the longer we can stay on the road”. We no longer work on a regular basis – only occasionally, when necessary.
Our philosophy is free travel, free camping and free living. We do not avoid hotels or campsites mainly for financial reasons, but because we simply sleep better and prefer living in our own vehicle.

Living cost-consciously has always been part of our lives. Even when we earned good money, we never lived beyond our means. Downsizing therefore came naturally to us. We are perfectly happy wearing second-hand clothes, buying used items or picking things up from the roadside, as long as they are still functional. Recycling or up-cycling – however you wanna call it – is something we genuinely enjoy.

We prefer to spend our money on diesel, on our vehicle and yes – this needs to be mentioned because it is a significant cost factor: we also smoke.
From time to time, a new camera, a laptop or other nerd gadgets are part of our lives and something we do not want to give up. Tourist hotspots, on the other hand, are not our priority. We are far more interested in places that are unknown or rarely visited.

Inside our van, we do not aim for a strictly minimalist lifestyle. A TV is part of it just like a stereo system, a shower with a instant water heater, a diesel heater, a large fridge, proper cooking and washing facilities and sufficient electrical power. Comfort matters to us, but luxury does not.

We do not drive routes twice. Our journeys are planned carefully. Not out of fear or excessive caution, but because we enjoy planning and want to travel efficiently. Detours cost diesel and wear parts – both of which we consciously try to avoid.

We do not eat out every day. Fenny bakes excellent bread, cooks a great goulash and her ribs are simply outstanding. Restaurants are rather rare for us, but we do enjoy finger food and street food from time to time.

So now you know us and our way of traveling. Pure luxury is not our thing, but we also do not travel on the absolute edge.

If you recognize yourself in this approach, you will likely relate much better to our costs than someone, who travels with an overlanding rig, but stays in hotels every night or visits every single attraction. Both approaches are perfectly legitimate – just not ours.

Let’s get started – The journey through our costs.

Pure FACTS:

The following costs do not include fixed expenses (such as taxes, insurances, etc.) as these vary greatly from traveler to traveler. Over the course of the past five years we have gradually disconnected ourselves from Germany, closed our company and reduced the associated costs. Around a year ago we also fully deregistered our vehicle, meaning there are currently no vehicle taxes or insurance costs.

We finance our travels entirely on our own through savings, that generate returns and dividends as well as through passive income streams. These cover a large portion of our expenses while also helping us stay below taxable thresholds, which are relatively high in our case. We consistently aim to remain below these limits and generally succeed in doing so. That said, we are still officially registered in Germany.

In the following section we are talking strictly about travel-related costs. So no “luxury” items included.
(Luxury items such as laptop, 2 smartphones, 2 Mini PCs, camera equipment, mobile power station, a canoe, a drone and other electronic devices, as well as less typical expenses like festival visits, amount to roughly €10,000 for us.)

Included Costs:

Fuel (Diesel)
Vehicle maintenance, repairs & spare parts
Accommodation (camping, lodges, hotels when used)
Food and Groceries
Restaurants and Street Food
National Parks and Sightseeing Fees
Visas and Border-related costs
Communication and Internet (SIM cards, Starlink)
Miscellaneous daily expenses
Cigarettes
PCR Tests
BRIBES? WE NEVER PAID EVEN ONE CENT!

And to keep it short for the impatient:

Overland Travel Costs After 66 Months (Total + Averages)

€78,341.87
Per year: ø 14.243,98
Per month: ø €1.186,39
Per person/ per day: ø €19,50

Let’s Go More Into Detail

On a journey like this some costs are simply unavoidable. Diesel is, of course, the biggest factor – the more you drive, the more you pay. Workshops and repairs are part of the deal as well. Every vehicle breaks down at some point, usually sooner rather than later. The more off-road you drive, the more often you will find yourself in a workshop. Visas have to be paid for, borders are not free and on top of all that we still need to eat, live and get from one day to the next.
But hey… take a look at the numbers and see how much money you could save by not smoking. Let that sink in for a second 😁.

Vehicle Costs (jump directly to the breakdown)	20,389.51€
Miscellaneous (jump directly to the breakdown)	15,897.33€
Food (jump directly to the breakdown)	14,991.99€
Diesel	11,369.33€
Cigarettes	11,087.73€
Internet & Communication	2,473.42€
Accommodation	1,085.90€
Entrance Fees & Sightseeing	1,046.66€

Vehicle Costs Breakdown

Spare parts¹	7,285.57€
Workshops²	6,111.07€
Maintenance³	2,495.99€
Ferries	1,387.57€
Insurance	1,005.11€
TIP (Temporary Import Permit)	512.95€
Toll roads	437.34€
Spare Parts Shipping	427.80€
Carnet De Passage	350.00€
Fees	156.90€
Car wash	153.78€
Parking	53.49€
Rest	11.94€

Go back to the Overview

¹Items we purchased and stored for later use.
²Over time we have drastically reduced these costs as, we now do most of the work ourselves.
³Operating fluids, tires and tools, that I did not previously have.

Miscellaneous Costs Breakdown

Health¹	5.308,46€
Visa	3.974,67€
Hardware Stores	2.750,61€
Shipping/Transport Of Goods	1.576,66€
PCR Tests (only during COVID)	803,99€
Cash / Banking or Exchange Fees	781,13€
Tips and gifts	370,88€
Clothes	366,71€
New Passports	323,90€
Solarmoduls	329,07€
Gas	258,92€
Washing Clothes	218,54€
Copyshops	48,07€
Rest	51.39€

Go back to the Overview

¹ Health also includes a portion of our health insurance costs, which would normally fall under fixed expenses, therefore the total amount here is higher.

Food Costs Breakdown

Food, Groceries etc	12.513,47 €
Restaurants, Street Food	2478,52 €

Go back to the Overview

Want MORE? Here We go:

Our five-year journey can be divided into several distinct phases: Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, for instance. Each continent, each region and each individual country comes with its own financial challenges. What is cheap in one region can quickly become expensive in another and planning assumptions often need to be adjusted along the way.
While travel in and around Europe was still relatively affordable, the sheer costs in Africa can really knock the wind out of you.

So let’s break down the regional costs in a bit more detail.

Anyone who assumes that Africa is a cheap continent to travel through, is seriously mistaken. Africa has the lowest average purchasing power and GDP per capita of all continents, yet for long-term travelers and overlanders it often turns out to be one of the most expensive regions. High border and visa costs, challenging logistics, vehicle wear and limited infrastructure, quickly drive expenses far beyond expectations. Not even touching on the cost of living yet

And to keep it short again for all the impatient:
Costs broken down per region, per year:

Asia
€10.555,80
Per month: ø €879,65
Per person/ per day: ø €14,46

From Turkey to Iran. Spareparts, as well as food and internet is quite inexpensive. Sometimes we only had 350€ per month.

Middle East
€12.501,25
Per month: ø €1.041
Per person/ per day: ø €17,12

In Saudi Arabia visas were very expensive, while diesel was almost free. Cigarettes were extremely cheap in Kuwait but expensive in Oman. Spare parts were often unavailable, so we had to order and ship them from Germany.
All in all, the Arabian Peninsula is not cheap, but it is also not excessively expensive if you set clear limits. Without those limits, this part of the journey can easily become costly as well.

Europe
€14.092,65
Per month: ø €1.174,38
Per person/ per day: ø €19,30

Some countries in Europe are extremely affordable, such as Bulgaria, while others are rather expensive, Greece among them. Overall, prices were largely what we were used to.

Africa
€15.019,75
Per month: ø €1.251,64
Per person/ per day: ø €20,57

Africa surprised us. Not because visas were sometimes very expensive – we expected that – but because of the often outrageous food prices. And we are not talking about “prices for white people”, because in supermarkets prices are the same for everyone. Coffee, chocolate and meat were extremely expensive, often five times higher or more than what we were used to.
Diesel was cheaper than in our home regions, but still relatively costly overall. Spare parts are prohibitively expensive if bought new and Africa is by far the most customs-intensive continent, when it comes to imports. Shipping often feels like it has to be paid for with a kidney.
Southern Africa improves in some respects, but there accommodation- and attraction costs start to hit hard(er).
Some fun facts from the road:
Out of the total €1,085.90 we spent on accommodation, €701.79 alone was spent in Africa.
We always avoided and never paid bribes. We do not know, how we managed that, but read here, why.
During nearly 40,000 km across the Middle East we burned 5,380.44 liters of diesel and paid just €2,028.22 for it. That comes down to an average of €0.37 per liter – numbers that still make Europeans blink twice.
All visas combined cost us €3,974.67, with a solid 62.24% of that spent on the West Africa route alone.
Asia turned out to be the cheapest region when it came to internet access – fast, reliable and surprisingly affordable.
And then there was Oman. We pushed our cost optimization a little too far and drove two detours of roughly 1,300 km each to Kuwait to “optimize🤷‍♀️😂” cigarette prices. Diesel in Saudi Arabia was around €0.16 per liter, while cigarettes in Oman and the UAE were painfully expensive. Not so in Kuwait. Here there cigarettes were amazingly cheap. The result: roughly €1,300 saved – and a strong case study in questionable financial life choices😂.

All in all, we can say that we probably travel less expensively than most – or at least a large part – of long-term travelers. Back when we started, we didn’t really worry about what traveling would cost, but in the back of our minds were always the prices from our old travel style: flights, hotels, rental cars and all that.

Almost every country surprised us – sometimes very positively, sometimes quite the opposite. For us and our way of traveling, it turned out that this is something we can comfortably sustain for quite a while.

Our goal? To keep traveling until God himself comes to pick us up.
Will it work? Let’s talk about that again in 30 years – and if you happen to find us sleeping under a bridge before then, feel free to leave a coin or a slice of bread 😉

Yours,
Totti & Fenny

ohhhhh… PS: If you feel any information is missing or if you have questions, wishes or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment. Much appreciated 🙂

FAQ

How much of the total cost was unavoidable?

transafrica travelmap by travelcandies

TiKay — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:22:04 +0000

“AFRICA’s NOT FOR PUSSIES”

… a common saying, how we learned 🤷‍♀️😂
This continent is not a place for improvised long-distance travel. You may have the watches – Africa has the time.

Unlike other continents poor planning in Africa doesn’t just mean inconvenience – it means getting stuck. Visas have fixed validity windows, borders open and close without notice and immigration rules can change from one week to the next. Miss a timing window and you don’t reroute – you wait.

Seasonality matters. Rainy seasons turn passable roads into impassable mud wash away bridges and cut entire regions off for weeks. A route that is straightforward in the dry season can become impossible a month later. Planning without accounting for weather is planning to fail.

Road conditions are equally unforgiving. Distances mean little, when average speeds drop to 20 km/h or less. What looks like a short day on the map, can destroy suspension, tyres and nerves. Vehicle choice is therefore not about comfort, but about survivability repairability and parts availability.

Costs are another common misconception. While daily expenses can be low, borders, visas, carnets, repairs, fuel detours and forced stops add up quickly. Without a realistic budget buffer, plans collapse fast – and yes Africa can be expensive. In our experience it has been the most expensive continent we’ve ever traveled.

Finally Africa demands time. Bureaucracy cannot be rushed. Repairs cannot be scheduled. Waiting is part of the journey. A tight timeline leaves no margin for reality – and reality always wins.

Targeted planning doesn’t remove uncertainty.
But without it, Africa doesn’t forgive.

So what’s the map actually about?

For whom this map exists – and what it is (and isn’t)

This map grew out of decisions made on the road. At borders, on broken tracks, in bad weather and sometimes late at night, when turning around was no longer an option.

It answers the questions, that matter once you’re already out there:
Where does this route really go? What will slow you down? What looks easy on the screen but turns into a problem on the ground? Where to sleep, where to get internet, how visas work and where patience matters more than speed.

The map connects routes, borders, delays, road conditions and logistics into one clear picture.
It supports decisions, it doesn’t replace them. Use it as orientation, not instruction.

What it is
. Driven routes and tested waypoints
. A realistic view on borders, logistics and road conditions
. A tool to reduce uncertainty and costly mistakes

What it isn’t
. A guarantee
. An inspiration map
. A fixed itinerary

Who it’s for
For travelers and overlanders who don’t just drive off and hope for the best. Many, many turn back – not because they lack courage, but because they misjudge timing, paperwork, weather, roads or costs.

Use it like a compass, not like autopilot.

What You’ll Find On The Map

Country Infos
Country-specific information for overland travel, including practical notes, local conditions and an info marker in every country we visited. Each country info includes photos and a linked YouTube video for real context beyond text.

Driven Routes (34,029 km)
Routes that have been physically driven, recorded with a GPS tracker and documented. Includes photos from the road to show real conditions.

Borders & Checkpoints
Border crossings and internal checkpoints that were actually used. Supported by photos and occasional videos to illustrate procedures, waiting situations and complexity.

Embassies, CDP & Immigration
Relevant embassies and immigration-related locations, including carnet de passage handling. Where useful, visual material is included to document locations and processes.

Logistics
Practical logistics such as fuel, supplies, repairs, SIM cards, water, LPG/gas, restaurants and several other usefull businesses and services. Many entries include photos showing availability and conditions on the ground.

Overnight Camps
Wild Camp spots or official camp sites used or evaluated during travel, including camps and practical stopovers. Most locations include photos to give a realistic impression.

DANGER
Areas or situations that require increased awareness. Visual material is included where it helps to understand context, without sensationalizing risk.

Road Conditions
Road quality, surfaces, seasonal problems and slow sections. Photos and videos are used to show what a road actually looks like when it matters.

Sightseeing POIs
Selected points of interest that are genuinely worth stopping for. Entries often include photos or videos to show what makes them relevant.

How TO USE the map properly

The map works on all devices. Appearance and behavior may vary depending on screen size and operating system. This is defined by Google, as the map is based on Google My Maps.

On the left side you’ll find the main menu. Google limits My Maps to a maximum of 10 layers, which is why some content is grouped. For example, all POIs across all countries are combined into a single layer.

Depending on your device, the menu may already be visible or collapsed. On some devices it appears when you swipe up from the bottom of the screen, on others when you swipe from left to right. This behavior is also controlled by Google and cannot be customized.

Layers can be shown or hidden by simply enabling or disabling the checkbox. This allows you to focus on what’s relevant at any given moment.

Some layers contain grouped points. A typical example is DANGER, where multiple entries share the same icon. These layers can be expanded or collapsed to show or hide individual points.

Sightseeing POIs are not grouped. Each location uses a specific icon that reflects what it represents, such as waterfalls, forests, viewpoints, or landmarks. This makes it easier to distinguish them directly on the map without opening lists.

The idea is simple: turn layers on and off depending on what you need right now. Planning, orientation, or problem-solving.

Additional notes for the icon cloud on the left of Africa.

The icon cloud highlights the key areas that shape long-distance travel across Africa. Each symbol stands for a specific field of information that becomes relevant at different stages of the journey, from early planning to daily decisions on the road.

Behind each icon you’ll find focused notes on topics such as health precautions, documents and visas, vehicle readiness, water and food handling, fuel and gas, finances, navigation, safety, waste and personal mindset.

Taken together, the icons reflect how many parallel factors influence progress. Travel rarely fails because of one big issue, but because several small ones add up. Addressing them early, keeps routes open and choices flexible once you’re underway.

On the lower right of the map (between Africa and Madagascar), you’ll see a temperature icon, representing a climate spreadsheet, which represents the temperatures and rainfalls based on the historical weather from 1991-2023.
(Source: Climate Knowledge Portal)

Final Notes, Limitations and Access

Update Status
The map is updated continuously while we are on the road. All information reflects real conditions at the time of travel and is adjusted when routes, borders, or procedures change. Still, Africa changes faster than any map can keep up, so critical points should always be checked shortly before reaching them.

Reality Check
Borders change rules overnight. Visas get reinterpreted. Roads disappear after a single rainy week. Security situations can shift without warning. This map reduces uncertainty, but it cannot remove it.

Technical Limitations
The map is built on Google My Maps and follows Google’s technical constraints. Google allows a maximum of 10 layers, which is why some content is grouped. Layout and performance may vary depending on device and operating system. Offline use is limited by the platform itself.

Responsibility
This map does not replace personal responsibility. Route choice, timing and decision-making remain entirely with the traveler. What worked for us at a specific time may not work the same way later.

Who this map is not for
This map is not intended for short trips, guided tours, or travelers who deliberately avoid planning. If you prefer pure improvisation, this tool will likely feel restrictive rather than helpful.

Access, donations and future pricing
The map will remain accessible and completely free of charge. A small donation as a sign of appreciation is welcome, but absolutely not required. As a thank you, donors receive the map as a KML file, which can be imported into their own navigation apps.

If you’d like to donate, you can do so via PayPal at:
𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗯@𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Use the map critically. Plan carefully and keep in mind that the road always has the final say.

Already interested?
Drop us a mail and we’ll be with you in no time😊

Totti & Fenny

The post transafrica travelmap by travelcandies appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

Through The Wild West Of Africa

TiKay — Thu, 08 May 2025 09:28:37 +0000

Why You Should Take A Journey Through West Africa – And What Awaits You

The decision to drive our 20 year “old” van along the West African coast to Angola is not a simple one. This is not an adventure you select from a catalog. Rather, it is a journey toward self-discovery, toward others and toward a continent that many know only from the media but few truly understand. It’s a yearning to experience authentic Africa – far removed from idealized notions and stereotypes.

Why undertake this journey?
What motivates someone to embark on such a trip? The answer lies not just in the desire for adventure, but also in the thirst for real experiences. West Africa is not a region of “epic landscapes” found on postcards. It is defined by its people, its culture, its resilience, its capacity for improvisation – and, above all, the reality that holds up a mirror to you.

This is not a challenge you take on simply to have a good time. Those who set out on this journey are in search of something real… at least we were. Mental fortitude, pragmatism and a profound willingness to embrace the unforeseen are essential. Every day on the road is an adventure that tests you and demands much of you.

As John F. Kennedy once said: “We don’t do it, because it’s easy, we’re doing it, because it’s hard“… or at least seems to be.
We didn’t take this journey because it was simple – we wanted to find out what truly awaited us. We wanted to confront the clichés, challenge urban legends (wherever they exist) and create awareness without sugarcoating anything. We aimed to remove fear where it’s unfounded – and face our own fears and preconceptions where it’s not.

For us – on the other side – the journey itself was never the goal, as we had long understood that West Africa is not a continent of pure beauty as we expect it. Our main destination was southern and eastern Africa, starting in Namibia. We simply aimed to avoid the rainy season in West Africa and pass through Nigeria as quickly as possible, since the rainy season here can last up to nine months.

Our plan worked perfectly. The October start was ideal, allowing us to travel through the various countries without undue haste. We saw, experienced, learned and felt a great deal. However, as time went on, we began to realize just how exhausting it all was. The need for recovery periods became more frequent and they needed to last longer.

Six months, then, turned out to be the perfect amount of time. It gave us enough space to take in the essence of the region – its people, culture and challenges – without burning out. We could dive deep into the reality of the journey while still maintaining a balance between exploration and the need to recharge. West Africa, with all its complexities, demands this balance, as it is not a place where one can simply race through. Time, patience and resilience become just as important as the experiences themselves.

Ultimately, the six months we spent in West Africa allowed us to engage deeply with the region and by the end, we understood the continent in a way that can’t be captured in photos or postcards. What we gained wasn’t just knowledge, but a profound transformation in how we view the world – and a recognition of our own limits, strength, and capacity to grow.

The Vehicle: 4×4 Not Required and Overrated! – But Endurance: Most Important And Often Underestimated

Choosing a vehicle for such a journey is more than a practical decision – it is part of the adventure… and it’s part of your life! If it breaks down, you’re stuck… and that might happen somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

We traveled in a Mercedes Sprinter 311 CDI 4×4. At first glance, one might think that a 4×4 is absolutely necessary, but that’s not the case! A good vehicle doesn’t need complex technology or specialized equipment. What it needs is a bit of ground clearance, robustness and… simplicity!
“Keep it simple, keep it stock”

Whether you’re traveling with a truck, a van or a micro-camper: the ideal car does not exist!

Truck: Offers maximum autonomy and off-road capability, ideal for extreme terrain and long isolation – but it’s expensive, bulky and always attracts unwanted attention due to its size and appearance.
Van: Strikes the best balance between comfort, mobility and discretion – spacious enough to live in, agile enough for narrow roads and border crossings and inconspicuous enough to park in urban or rural settings without standing out.
Mini-camper: Affordable, highly maneuverable and low-profile – perfect for budget-conscious travelers – but comes with serious compromises in comfort, storage and long-term livability, especially in remote areas.

For us personally – and especially on this tour – the van was the ideal solution: plenty of storage, not too big and not too small and – crucially – it provided the ability to retreat and lock ourselves in when needed. As the journey progressed, we came to realize just how essential that last point truly was.

As we drove a big part of this journey together with our friends Abenteuer-Campervan in a Sprinter 2×4, we were astonished, how capable this car was, apart from the fact that you don’t just “casually drive in” somewhere in this part of Africa, you often end up in compounds or deep jungle with no option to turn around.

Bring everything you might need and can’t easily find on the road – belts, hoses, sensors, diesel filters, seals, tools – because once you’re out there, you’re on your own.

Don’t count on garages: most repairs are quick fixes meant to get you 500 km down the road, if that. If you can’t fix it yourself, you’ll pay. Then you’ll wait. And you’ll hope.

Ordering spare parts? It’s possible – but slow, costly and nerve-wracking. Africa has some of the highest import duties worldwide. A €100 part can quickly turn into €300–500 with shipping, customs and bribes.

Your best bet: know how to fix it yourself – and carry what you need to do it.

The Roads and Diesel: The Invisible Challenges

The quality of the roads varies greatly – from well-paved roads in Morocco or Kongo to nearly impassable tracks in Guinee or Nigeria. A vehicle with less frills handles these conditions much better.
A crucial note: Every vehicle will suffer. Dust, extreme heat, potholes and dryness take their toll on every vehicle – from the bodywork, the transmisson, the suspension to the engine.

Road conditions are a recurring theme throughout this journey. Asphalt often ends in the middle of nowhere and what follows are corrugated dirt roads, potholes and impassable stretches. Even then the best 4×4 has its limits.

Diesel in this part of Africa is said to be of poor quality – often containing over 2000 ppm of sulfur, adulterated, diluted with water or simply contaminated with dirt and sludge. It makes no difference whether it comes from a bottle or a fuel station.
In our case, the diesel pre-filter never showed water or excessive dirt and we didn’t experience any loss of power, black smoke or misfiring. We were lucky.
However, since our vehicle has neither an EGR system nor a DPF, we can’t truly assess the fuel quality. If your engine has either component, it’s wise to remove them, deactivate them or have them reprogrammed.

Better safe than sorry – we’ve heard more than a few stories of engine damage from fellow travelers.

Hygiene and Health: Prevention Is Key

Health risks on this journey should not be underestimated. Malaria, gastrointestinal diseases and infections are widespread. But again, prevention is the key. We prepared ourselves with essential medications, vaccinations and a well-stocked first aid kit. The conditions require constant hygiene – from handwashing to careful water purification.

Water is generally abundant in West Africa – but not always in drinkable form. Filtration and chlorination should be considered to avoid health risks. As for food, cooking for yourself is often the best option. In cities, there’s fresh fruit and vegetables, but refrigeration chains aren’t always reliable – and you shouldn’t take that risk.

Roadside vegetables are often contaminated with fine dust, heavy metals or other toxins. In rural areas, pesticide levels can be extreme; in cities, fecal bacteria are more common due to irrigation practices. Many travelers wash their vegetables with bleach (no joke) or potassium permanganate – others avoid them entirely. We mostly did the latter.

Malaria is prevalent in many regions of West Africa, transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes and can lead to severe illness or even death if not treated promptly. Prevention involves taking antimalarial medications, using insect repellent, sleeping under treated mosquito nets and wearing long-sleeved clothing, especially during peak mosquito activity at night.
The mosquito population in this part of Africa is and was very high, though we never contracted malaria. We used Care Plus with 50% DEET as our primary protection.

Vaccinations: Yellow fever (mandatory), Hepatitis A/B, Typhoid, Meningitis, Rabies – strongly recommended in nearly every country in Western Africa.

Visa, Bureaucracy and Checkpoints: Patience And Kindness Are Essential

Obtaining visas is not easy – especially in the West African countries. Some countries require several weeks to process a visa (or you’ll need to pay a lot on extra “express fees”) and the requirements vary significantly. Many countries require an invitation letter, hotel reservations and bank statements. Anyone who thinks bureaucracy is only a European problem will be disabused here… Africa takes it just to a complete new level of bullshittery.

You’ll constantly deal with border formalities and corruption at the checkpoints. Crossing borders is rarely quick or straightforward – whether it’s through questioning, bribery or long waits. Corruption is present in every single country we passed through, up to Namibia. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes more aggressive – often starting with a simple request, then escalating to a demand. Many times, papers won’t be handed over without payment. Fees are often imposed that don’t exist or officials simply expect “gifts.” Being asked for nothing is the exception, not the rule. The absurdities of some situations will make you question the generic common sense.

Allow a lot for buffer time, be patient, always be friendly and never ever pay bribes. N.E.V.E.R!

Fun-Fact: On our route straight through Nigeria we passed 203 checkpoints. See the video here.

People In West Africa

In general, the people we met were very kind, friendly, always waving and smiling. Deep conversations were rare, but Nigeria really surprised us in that regard. Ultimately, though, it often boiled down to begging: for food, drink, or money. People were surprisingly selective when it came to food and beverages, but when it came to money, they almost always wanted euros or dollars.

The widely spread, urbanized and often romanticized myth that even Black people are frequently begged from, just didn’t match our experience. We never once saw locals begging other locals. This gave the whole situation a rather unpleasant taste, especially when we really wanted to connect with the people. In the end, it led to us retreating more and more, avoiding contact as much as possible.

The behavior of many people we encountered on this journey can’t simply be explained by “poverty” – because, at least in much of West Africa, hunger or severe scarcity isn’t the dominant issue. Food and water are often abundant and nature provides generously. As one local put it: “Africa allows us to be lazy. We don’t have to do anything for all this – it’s a gift from God.”

What we experienced was less true need and more a deeply rooted expectation toward white travelers: We give, they take. It’s an unspoken, one-sided arrangement – often without gratitude or reciprocity. It’s not openly demanded, but almost universally expected. Those who don’t play along are quickly ignored or met with disapproval.

That makes genuine connection difficult. Over time, you stop feeling seen as a person and start feeling like a walking wallet – smiled at only as long as you’re handing something over. When you realize that, you begin to withdraw – not out of arrogance, but for your own peace of mind.

That’s the reality and it’s one you have to face head-on, no matter how uncomfortable the pure truth may be!

Pricing Structure – “The Price Of Paradise”

Aside from the already high visa costs – often several thousand euros for two people – it’s the daily expenses that make West Africa surprisingly expensive. Diesel may seem cheap, but since it’s almost always paid in cash, poor exchange rates and high ATM fees quickly add up. Food can also be a financial trap: a can of chili con carne for €15, a can of ravioli for €11 or 1 kg of tomatoes for €13 – not rare, but standard in this region. Imported goods are outrageously expensive in general. Spare parts are even worse – sometimes up to twenty times the European price, if you can find them at all.

Campsites (if available) often charge European prices for African standards and wild camping is increasingly complicated by “expected gifts” or direct demands. Even internet is a luxury: in some countries, a single gigabyte of mobile data can cost up to €15.

Conclusion:
Africa – contrary to popular belief – is expensive. Looking back, West Africa has been one of the most expensive legs of our entire journey.

But look forward to Namibia – suddenly, everything gets so much better😉

Safety On The Road: Reality Over Hysteria

Despite all the horror stories and warnings, we rarely felt truly unsafe during our journey through West Africa. Yes, we were stolen from multiple times and occasionally harassed or mistreated – but let’s be honest: that can happen anywhere in the world. What matters is staying alert, trusting your instincts, avoiding risky places at night and securing your valuables. Most encounters were peaceful and many people treated us with basic hospitality.
Fear shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting these countries – but naïveté can be just as dangerous.

Wild Camping: A Challenge, Not a Problem

Finding a good wild camping spot in West Africa isn’t always easy, but it’s far from impossible. Sometimes it takes longer, sometimes you get lucky right away – but one thing’s for sure: you’re rarely ever completely alone. As we like to say, “There’s always someone who suddenly screws themselves out of the ground – and you have no idea where they came from.” Whether deep in the bush or behind a remote village, curious visitors are almost guaranteed.

West Africa: A Land of Details and Encounters

What truly defines this journey is not the landscapes, but the encounters. West Africa is not a land of “epic natural wonders,” but a continent shaped primarily by its people and cultural diversity. In each country, in every city, in every village, you meet people who improvise, who live, who fight and who share. Here, it quickly becomes clear that life goes on, no matter how bad the roads or the weather.

The true value of this journey lies not in the “epic” views, but in the changes it brings. West Africa challenges you – as a traveler and as a human being. You’ll place less importance on luxury and develop more understanding of life and the challenges faced by its people. You’ll become quieter, clearer, stronger. You’ll learn what really matters.

Conclusion: Should You Do It? Yes, absolutely.
This journey will change you. It will challenge you, push you to your limits and there will be moments when you won’t know how to move forward. But you’ll also discover just how strong you truly are.

Would we do it again? No, definitely not.
Not because it was bad – but because it demands everything from you. It’s a journey that you should experience only once in your life. But this experience will stay with you for the rest of your life.

We’re truly glad we had the courage to take on this journey – and deeply grateful we were able to do it. Even though it was often exhausting and became increasingly demanding, we wouldn’t trade this part of our trip for anything. It was breathtaking, adventurous, grand and unforgettable – yet also grueling, punishing and at times deeply challenging. An absolutely spectacular experience we’re now thankful has come to an end.

Along the way, we met quite a few other travelers – and we also heard countless stories about people who didn’t make it all the way through. Many turned back early or ended their trip halfway, not because they lacked passion or preparation, but because the stress simply became too much. The constant uncertainty, the never-ending logistics, the daily “what’s next?” pressure and the mental load of always having to stay alert can wear you down faster than you’d ever expect.

For some, it was the bureaucracy that broke them: borders that took forever, documents that suddenly weren’t “right” anymore, or rules that seemed to change from one hour to the next. For others, it was the vehicle – small issues turning into big problems, parts that couldn’t be found, repairs that took days and the realization that in some places you don’t just fix a breakdown… you live inside it until it’s solved. And then there are the costs. Even if you try to travel on a budget, West Africa can surprise you with expenses that feel completely disproportionate – visas, checkpoints, “fees”, overpriced accommodation when camping isn’t an option and the constant need to adapt your plans on the fly.

What makes it even harder is that there are no real breaks. You don’t get to switch off. Even on “easy” days you’re thinking ahead: fuel, safety, road conditions, weather, where to sleep, how to avoid trouble, how to stay healthy. You’re always calculating, always negotiating, always making decisions – and that continuous pressure is exactly what pushes many people to quit. Not because they are weak, but because the journey is relentless.

And honestly? We understand every single one of them. There were moments when we questioned our own choices, when we felt drained, overstimulated and just tired of having to fight for every little thing. West Africa doesn’t hand you comfort. It doesn’t care about your plans. It forces you to let go of control – and that is both the hardest part and the greatest lesson.

Finishing this route gave us a quiet kind of pride. Not the loud “look what we did” kind – but the deep feeling of having endured something real. We came out of it changed: tougher, humbler and far more grateful for the simplest things. And while we’re happy it’s over, we’ll always carry it with us – as one of the most intense chapters of our lives.

Our TRANSAFRICA TRAVELmap

From Morocco to Kenya – overland, unsupported and as raw as it gets. This route reflects 2 years of dust, diesel, detours and discovery.
Each marker tells a story: some beautiful, some bitter, but all real.
It’s not the fastest way, but it’s ours.

And if you’re planning your own journey through West Africa:
Help yourself!

This map includes everything you might need for your own adventure
– A fully recorded track through each individual country
– Accurate GPS coordinates for campsites and wild spots
– Border crossings with detailed notes
– Visa and bureaucracy info by country
– Road conditions with pictures
– Fuel stops and diesel quality notes
– Safety tips and checkpoint locations
– Mechanics, markets and supply points
– Personal comments and warnings
– Dozens of pictures
– Links to our videos on youtube

It’s not just a map – it’s a lived route. Use it. Adapt it. Make it yours.

The map is still a work in progress and I’m working on it every day. In August/September we’ll most likely be in Kenya and by then the map editing should be completed.
Until that time, the map is completely free to access – but donations are very welcome😌
(details you’ll find inside the map).

Just send me an email or click on the map. Google will then ask me to approve access for you.

Read the blog about the TRANSafrica TRAVELmap for further informations and many more details.
And hey… visit our traveler buddy “Lubo”, who set up another pretty good resource for Africa travelers recently. Whether it’s about Visa, Border Crossings or even accomodations : you’ll find some very helpful infos here.

Enjoy!
Yours Totti from TRAVELcandies-On-Tour

The post Through The Wild West Of Africa appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

Africa Overlanding – Routes, Borders & Practical Info

2 Years Overlanding Through Africa – Our Conclusion

2 Years Overlanding in Africa

In This Article:

Africa is not always about landscapes. Africa is about people and culture.

Who we are and how we travel

What is overlanding for us?

We have the watches, Africa has the time.

How it all started

The Challenges of Overlanding Africa

How We Felt the Countries

Africa Is Not Really All About Countries

What We Did Not Consider

The Gateway To Africa – MOROCCO 🇲🇦 (and western Sahara)

MAURITANIA 🇲🇷

SENEGAL 🇸🇳

THE GAMBIA 🇬🇲

GUINEA 🇬🇳

IVORY COAST 🇨🇮

GHANA 🇬🇭

TOGO 🇹🇬

BENIN 🇧🇯

NIGERIA 🇳🇬

And then Nigeria delivered exactly that chaos – and so much more.

CAMEROON 🇨🇲

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇬

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇩

Angola 🇦🇴 – A New Chapter Begins

NAMIBIA 🇳🇦

SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦 – When Dreams Collide with Reality

LESOTHO 🇱🇸 – left us speechless

ESWATINI 🇸🇿 – Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

BOTSWANA 🇧🇼

ZIMBABWE 🇿🇼 – Blew us away!

MALAWI 🇲🇼

TANZANIA 🇹🇿

KENYA 🇰🇪

ZAMBIA 🇿🇲 – Our last country for now

Final Words – “The Bottle We never opened”

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How to Deal With Corruption as an Overland Traveler

SUMMARY: Dealing With Corruption

From Confrontation to Pragmatism

“I’m right and you can fuck off”

You Are Commiting Crime As Well!

Understanding Borders, Checkpoints and Corruption

Three Levels of Corruption

These different levels often show up very clearly.

Understanding the Roots of Corruption

The Psychology on Both Sides

The Psychological Perspective of Officers

Friendliness and kindness are always the key.And a smile disarms – every time.

The Traveler’s Psychology: Intent and Control

When Not to Push Further

A Legal Reality Check

But hey, let’s be honest – At the end of the day, it’s like this:

The Cost of Giving In

Are there exceptions?

(Everything written here was originally written in German by Totti, translated into English and then refined by AI to improve clarity and readability – so that browsers can also translate it more accurately into other languages..)

FAQ - Some Examples and Tips Of How We dealt With Such Situations

true costs of overland travel

SUMMARY: True Overland Travel Costs

Hey travelers from around the world – Fenny and Totti here.

WHAT DOES A LONG-TERM TRAVEL JOURNEY OR A WORLD TRIP ACTUALLY COST? – 66 MONTHS LATER

Fuel (Diesel)

Vehicle maintenance, repairs & spare parts

Accommodation (camping, lodges, hotels when used)

Food and Groceries

Restaurants and Street Food

National Parks and Sightseeing Fees

Visas and Border-related costs

Communication and Internet (SIM cards, Starlink)

Miscellaneous daily expenses

Cigarettes

PCR Tests

BRIBES? WE NEVER PAID EVEN ONE CENT!

Overland Travel Costs After 66 Months (Total + Averages)

€78,341.87

Let’s Go More Into Detail

Vehicle Costs Breakdown

Friendliness and kindness are always the key.
And a smile disarms – every time.

¹Items we purchased and stored for later use.
²Over time we have drastically reduced these costs as, we now do most of the work ourselves.
³Operating fluids, tires and tools, that I did not previously have.

Asia
€10.555,80

Middle East
€12.501,25

Europe
€14.092,65

Africa
€15.019,75