Middle East Overlanding – Routes, Borders & Travel Info

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?

SAUDI ARABIA – road guide

TiKay — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:04:21 +0000

Initially, this blog was meant to be an extension of our recently published TRAVELmap, but I quickly realised it is way more than that. So from now on, I will simply call it “blog”.

Welcome to our Saudi Arabia blog. Saudi Arabia is a country with a lot of culture and a long history. Since opening its doors to tourism in 2019, it has been inviting travellers from around the world to explore the country. For a long time, Saudi Arabia was a destination accessible to only a few, but in recent years, the country has changed a lot and is becoming more welcoming for tourists. With huge desert landscapes, modern cities, historical sites and a friendly population, Saudi Arabia offers many different experiences for visitors.
In this blog, I am sharing useful information, insider tips and stories from the road to give you a real idea of what travelling in modern Saudi Arabia is like.

In 2022/2023, we travelled through Saudi Arabia, covering around 15,000 kilometres within six months in our 4×4 Mercedes Sprinter 311. During this time, we crossed the Saudi Arabian border eight times, starting our main route in Oman and making our way up to Jordan, trying to explore as much as possible. During our first attempt, the temperatures reached 52°C, which made it hard to travel, according to our plans. Because of that, we decided to stay longer and restart the route, with a few changes this time around.

It was such a great ride through a country, that has been isolated from the world for so long, that I ended up putting together an extensive map, showing the most amazing places in this huge and beautiful country.

:: A Brief Introduction Into Saudi Arabia ::

Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest country in the Middle East, spanning over 2.15 million square kilometers and therefore is 2,5 times bigger than germany, for instance. With a population of approximately 34 million people, it boasts a diverse cultural and ethnic landscape, predominantly composed of Arab inhabitants. Islam is the official religion of the country, greatly influencing its culture and societal norms.

The historical significance of Saudi Arabia dates back thousands of years, with ancient civilizations such as the Nabateans and Lihyanites having flourished in the region. However, the Arabian Peninsula gained prominence in the 7th century as the birthplace of Islam, playing a pivotal role during the Islamic Golden Age.

Saudi Arabia operates as an absolute monarchy, governed by the House of Saud, with the monarch serving as the head of state. The country adheres to a conservative interpretation of Islamic law, shaping its political structure and legal system, which are founded on Sharia principles.

Renowned as one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of oil, Saudi Arabia plays a critical role in the global economy. The country possesses vast oil reserves, contributing significantly to its GDP. However, recognizing the need for economic diversification, Saudi Arabia has embarked on initiatives like Vision 2030, aimed at reducing its reliance on oil and fostering growth in sectors such as tourism, entertainment, and technology.

On the international stage, Saudi Arabia holds substantial influence due to its strategic location, economic prowess, and its status as the birthplace of Islam. It actively participates in regional and global affairs, maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders. It is a member of prominent organizations such as the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a path of social reform, introducing measures to grant more rights to women, encouraging cultural activities and promoting tourism. These efforts are part of a broader modernization agenda, aimed at improving the country’s international reputation. However, Saudi Arabia continues to face scrutiny and criticism concerning issues related to human rights and freedom of expression.

:: People, Culture and Religion ::

Amongst others in many other countries, Saudi Arabians are some of the kindest and friendliest people, we ever met. They are interested, curious, peaceful and very, very welcoming.
They always offer their help, they like get photographed (not so much the women, but if you’re lucky, even women are lifting their Hijab and Niqab for you and a photo). Males are very open and always searching for a nice talk, but women are more shy to tourists and travelers. Once you smile at them, they come towards you and “bomb” you with questions (how cute😍).

Of course they’re muslims, but as most of them are from “sunni (sunna)”, they won’t try to “infiltrate” you. (Because it’s forbidden to them to convert people and they do not have any problem with christians, nor with atheists, but the last topic is always up to your own communication skills).

Their culture is pretty much “simple” nowadays, I would say. They like smells of perfume (don’t wonder, when they’re spraying you), hanging out in huge shopping malls, they go for camping (but not in that way, we are used to), they love the luxury and are using Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram a lot and: they might prey up to 8 times a day (whereas 5 times is mandatory). In the summer you won’t see so much while the daytime, as they affectionately call themselves “Vampires” ;).
Once the sun goes down, they’re flooding the beaches, streets, cities and markets. But there’s so much more to say about these “Saudis”, that I would suggest you find it out by yourself 😁.

Saudi Arabian food is tasty, but very monotonous for our personal taste: Kabsa and Sayadieh:
The first one is chicken with rice, the other one fish and rice. They eat it 3 times a day, at least this is, what Saudis often told us. Of course they got a few more dishes, but that’s it, basically.

The restaurants are nice so far and here you will get different dishes. All of them have been very tasty, but also very expensive. Not an option for everyday life.

If you wanna see more of the authentic life of the Saudi Arabian people, visit the gallery of our travel buddy Robert Klinger.

:: Dress Code ::

Saudi Arabia has a conservative dress code influenced by Islamic traditions and cultural norms. The dress code for both men and women in Saudi Arabia is modest and conservative.
In general one can say, that men are wearing a long white robe called a “thobe” or “dishdasha”, which is often worn with a headdress called “ghutra”, “keffiyeh” or “shemagh”, whereas women are required to cover their bodies in loose-fitting, modest clothing. The traditional Saudi female dress is called “abaya”, a black cloak that covers the entire body, sometimes accompanied by a “hijab” and/or a or face veil, called “niqab” .
Foreigners visiting or living in Saudi Arabia are expected to respect the local customs and adhere to the modest dress code.

But things changed a bit in Saudi Arabia, as Mohammed Bin Salman also changed the laws regarding the mandatory abaya for women.
Now they can choose if they wanna wear the abaya or not and you will see lots of women – especially in Jeddah – who often wearing western clothes and women who are showing a lot of skin and hair.

Nobody really cares, what foreigners are wearing. I for myself often worn shorts and Fenny prefered T-Shirts with short arms where of course a lot of skin has been visible. We never ever ran into any trouble or had conversations about our dress code, but we also saw women with hot pants or mini-skirts. We personally would avoid that though.

That said, you do not have to wear an abaya as a female foreigner, nor you really have to cover all your skin or your hair. This is western thinking and obsolete. There’s also no such thing like “cultural appropriation”. If you wanna wear an abaya or a dishdasha, just do so and Saudi people will really appreciate.

This all does not apply, when visiting mosques. Here’s a strong dress code and you will be asked as a man to wear long wide trousers, whereas for women an abaya and hijab is mandatory.

Sometimes it might happen, that you will be invited for dinner and people are asking you – as a woman – to wear an abaya. It’s up to you, if you accept or deny. We only have been asked once and we denied, because it was just way too hot.

If you respectfully tell your hosts, that it isn’t part of your culture, as well as there isn’t any law about it in the KSA, most people will understand and tolerate. But we just had it one time. So: nobrainer.

Just one thing for the “beach day”: If you’ll find a beach, you barely will see muslims swimming. We never saw them in the KSA. If you wanna swim, do so, but expect a lot of views from local men.
In a bikini or in a swimsuite you are basically nearly completely naked for them. I would advise to don’t do that. We also find it extremely offensive to the Saudi Arabian women.

:: Currency and Money ::

They are using “Saudi Rials (SAR)”. 1 Rial is 0,24€cents.
In every bigger city you’ll find dozens of ATM’s. Tiny buildings as a self-service machine, directly at the road side. Some ATM’s are only in arabic, which makes it pretty difficult to get your coins.
We highly recommend RAJHI ATMs, when these machines are directly located at a bank, because we didn’t pay any fees here and also, because the machine might suck your credit-cards.

The price ranges are a bit higher and sometimes so high, that you can’t believe your eyes. We found it more expensive than in germany for instance. On the other side the Diesel price is the second lowest on the planet: r.a. 16€cents per liter. Only Iran is cheaper (yes, a 16th of one liter in the KSA… you read it right🤷‍♀️)

:: Traffic, Fuel, Workshops, Spare-Parts::

I need to say, that Saudis are – amongst maybe Indians – are the worst drivers on the planet. They just drive like crazy, insane and without any common sense… and they do not care about foreigners (they’re like “Dr. Jekyll und Mister Hyde“, when sitting behind a stearing wheel).
Be very, very carefull while driving in cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Mekka, Medina, Hail and other bigger ones. No, be careful everywhere🤷‍♀️.

That brings us to another very annyoing point: Speed-bumbs, humps and rattle lines. Saudi Arabia has thousands of them, spread over the whole country. Sometimes it happens, that you pass a sign which says “100 kmh” and 50m further you’ll jump over one of these insane speed-bumps, which can be very tall. You might brake your car.

Spoken about the cars:
Once you enter the country, you will see thousands over thousands of kinda new cars, which are heavily broken. Saudi Arabia’s traffic fatalities are the highest on planet earth. Be very careful!

I really cannot give tipps how to drive, because it just doesn’t matter, if you are very slow, very fast or just doing nothing. They might get you, that’s just it🤷‍♀️.

I guess in the KSA are as much gas stations as in Turkey for instance and mostly you’ll find Diesel everywhere, even though it can be, that you may need to wait for some hours to get some fuel (mostly in the north east). The Diesel is very cheap and quality wise OK so far.
That means it might not be Euro-Diesel (maybe Euro 1 or 2?), but we never had any problems, nor did it emit a strong odor from the exhaust (which is an indication of poor quality). However, be cautious with any Diesel Heater. This one might get clogged. Fortunately, you won’t need it most of the time.

Talking about workshops, I need to say, that the standard is way beyond (!) the european one. Be prepared, very careful and never let your car alone.
Mechanics won’t understand the purpose of our car. They’ll just fix it for the next few hundreds of kilometers until it will break again. I could write books about it. Just sayin’😉

Driven cars in Saudi Arabia are Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai and some chinese brands. If you drive anything else: bring-your-spare-parts! If they need to order, it costs a kidney and takes months probably (we paid a lot and waited 2 months for ours).
They always will tell you, that they will find any spare-part here, but they definitely won’t. Don’t waste your time here🤷‍♀️.
If you drive a Sprinter for instance, I need to say, they do not have even one single piece for that car, but if you drive a Hilux, it’ll be heaven on earth for you. At Mercedes we should have waited 6 weeks for the parts to arrive. Do not even count on your luck, just saying 😉

Here you can read our (german) Facebook-article about our experiences, as well as a list of spare-parts, which you could/should bring, when traveling through the arabian peninsula.

:: International Shipping TIP::

If you need to ship your parts or anything else from another country to Saudi Arabia, I highly recommend avoiding Saudi Post. Despite being the national postal service of Saudi Arabia, it simply doesn’t work well. Their service is not just chaotic, but also unreliable. There have been several instances where we really had big problems receiving our packages.

There are multiple options available, but DHL Express stands out as the best among them. Yes, it is more expensive, and we have tried all three of their services (standard, priority, and express). With DHL Express, you can be confident that your package will arrive in Saudi Arabia after 5-7 days. However, the same cannot be said for DHL’s standard and premium/priority services, as they work in conjunction with Saudi Post (it costed us 21 and 27 days and the items always have been stuck at the customs). DHL Express directly ships to a connected DHL Express Service Station or Hub, and the shipment tracking works flawlessly until the end.

Fortunately, there is a reliable service available in Saudi Arabia called “Collect and Ship.” It is a package forwarding service, and we have used it several times without any issues.

Here’s how it works:

Create a free account with Collect and Ship.
You will receive a virtual address, which serves as the packing center of Collect and Ship. Additionally, you will receive an ID that must always be included in your address when ordering parts.
Once you place an order, Collect and Ship will receive the package. After a few days, you will find it in your account. They will take photos of the parts you ordered, and if you have multiple packages, they will repack them free of charge. Once your orders are consolidated and complete, you provide your physical address, and Collect and Ship will deliver your package anywhere in the country. This means you don’t have to wait for an extended period. You also can submit GPS-coordinates to a parking lot or a park or whatever, but we always chose a DHL Hub.

You will make the payment after that, which is very affordable compared to German prices.

Here’s an example:
We ordered spare parts from Germany, Aliexpress, and Amazon. All these items were sent to Collect and Ship. They repackaged everything, took photographs, and sent it to the nearest DHL station in Tabuk (we were in Jeddah at that time). A few days after our arrival in Tabuk, the package arrived without any hassle at the DHL Hub.

With Collect and Ship, you can ensure a reliable and hassle-free package forwarding experience in Saudi Arabia.

Just to clarify, we recommend the service mentioned above, but we are not affiliated with them in any way. We have provided this recommendation based on our own positive experiences and do not receive any payment for making this recommendation.

:: Security, Military and Police ::

First of all, they got lots of it – Security and Police.
Saudi Arabia is the best example for nearly 100% Security. The only issues they have, are some prostitution and drug-things, but overall a policeman has “nothing big to do” (we spoke to a lot of them). The police and military is all around, not as much as in Iraq, but you’ll notice them everywhere.
They are very kind and friendly and the police isn’t allowed to seize tourists or travelers (as they’re “sent by Allah”, something like that).
Of course this only applies, as long as you’re not doing something really bad.
They offer their help all the way, but might ask you also for your passports. Some travelers reported us, that they were followed by the undercover police for a couple of days. We found that very strange, as we never ever had any issue with them. We like them, nothing else.

Just to mention it in two sentences:
There’s no such thing as “morality police” anymore. At least not in the former constellation and their job is anything else. So do not be worried!!!

The KSA is so safe, that we always – also in the night – have been sleeping with wide opened slide doors and windows of our Sprinter. Even though there were lots of laptops, photographic equipment and all the other stuff with lots of value laying around. They rather would prefer to chop their hands, instead of robbing you.
On the one hand they just don’t need our stuff and on the other, they got quite archaic laws, especially when it’s about travelers and/or stealing.

You can feel 100% safe… and… we’re still alive

:: Visa, Border Crossing – Car and Passenger Registration ::

In short #1: nobrainer.
In short #2: NO Carnet De Passage (and if you have one: DO NOT USE IT PLEASE and care about other overlanders, who haven’t one)

The Visa you will get easily here: VisitSaudi
Costs: 500 Rial (incl. health insurance), approx. 122€ per person.

With a tourist (multi entry) Visa you are eligible to stay in the KSA for 90 days within 180 days.
In this time you can cross the border as often as you like. The Visa is NOT extendable tough!

The Saudi Arabian borders are one of the easiest and friendliest, we’ve been passing up to now.
Car Customs -> Passenger Registration -> Insurance -> Finished.

We crossed all the borders in the KSA from Kuwait, Jordan, Emirates, Bahrain and Oman 8 times and we never had any issue, nor it took a long time. Mostly our crossing took between 45-50 minutes.

:: Mobile Providers, WiFi, Internet ::

Zain, STC and Mobily are the main providers for SIM-cards and it mostly takes ages to finally get the contract.
STC works very well and has the best price-performance ratio. It’s expensive to get a good amount of data, but all of these solutions are working more or less good, even in the deserts. We didn’t have any bigger problems.

WiFi / WLan isn’t really present like in other countries, but of course cafes and restaurants will provide you with that. Here and there, they got these WifI-Pillars at the beach, but they barely work and maybe you don’t wanna spend your precious time at the beaches all the time.

:: Water And Gas Situation ::

Finding water is a nobrainer in the KSA.
We mostly got it from mosques or gas stations. Nobody will charge you for that, but if there are any persons, just ask proforma (nobody will deny). When driving in more remote areas you might see big white water-tanks in the middle of nowhere. At first we were in doubt, but their water is chrystal clear, tastes very well and at a certain point we thought, that it might be for people, who are coming along the road, as animals are using different water sources.
Mostly you’ll find a tap or a hose and we would say that you can drink the water without hesitation.
(Nevertheless a filter might be a good idea anyway)

If you’re uncertain about this type of water, of couse you can buy it anywhere, but we think, it’s not necessary, as we never had any issues (I am a bit more sensitive to food and water).

Cooking Gas is a different story though, as they have their own filling system.
That said, you won’t find any station, that can fill up your gas bottles from outer country.
In Bahrain we bought a common 3 KG gas cylinder (approx. 35€), which can be filled anywhere on the arabian peninsula for just a few bucks (between 1,80€ – 3€).

The separate bottle also had one big advantage. We used it outside of the van, mainly in the front of the Sprinter. Imagine cooking inside the housing, when it has 50°C outside. The inside would have gotten even hotter.

:: Saudi Arabian Attractions ::

In short: You might get disappointed here and there.
Some attractions are simply closed, due to renovation for the upcoming tourism and it could be, that you’ve driven hundreds of kilometers, just for standing in front of a closed entry🤷‍♀️.
Other attractions are only attractions for Saudis. Their way of life and entertaining is quite different. They might love hanging around in “family parks” and “entertainment parks”. They got lots of it.
It’s up to you. We didn’t visit even one.
On the other hand, they got lovely mosques, monuments and historical sites, which are worth a visit. Just check the map.

:: Saudi Arabian Landscapes ::

It depends on your favours, but we loved them all. From the Rub al Khali over Najran, by Al Abha up to the north of Tabuk and Al Ula. Breathtaking. There is so much more to see in Saudi Arabia and this map is just a fraction (even though it contains the most stunning points) and you could spend years in this country.

:: Wild Camping Freedom ::

In the KSA you can park and stay nearly everywhere. Nobody cares… really.
If you wanna camp in the middle of Jeddah – just do so. You prefer the desert – got for it.
It is common for Arabs to be present almost everywhere in Saudi Arabia. It is their land and they utilize it for their comfort. Even if you might think, that it’s not a good idea to camp here and there: as long as there is no fence, just do whatever you wanna do.

Unfortunately, the freedom I mentioned earlier does not apply to the beaches.
Staying there can result in a fine, as camping is not allowed on any (!) beach. The required distance for campers is 500 meters, or you can choose to stay at some of the beach parks (which is possible, of course), but you will likely find that it’s not to your liking. We drove along most of the coastlines and were always asked to leave😕
The police and military might say: “It’s for your safety”, but we do not know the real reason.

:: Do you need a 4×4? ::

Short answer: No!
I’d say, that you can conquer any country with just any car, no matter what size, what power, what drive-train, but a 4×4 will help in certain or uncertain situations and that’s the reason, why we always would choose a 4×4. Additionally it brings you to places, where even locals cannot go with their Sedan.

You might be stunned, when you’d see, with what kind of cars the locals are trying to reach their targets, but at the same time, they always have failures, they always get stuck and they always are in more or less trouble. But: they are chilled about that😉

Especially in the deserts, a 4×4 is essential and you will get stuck with a 4×2 in no time, no matter what. It’s just a question of time and you find yourself in a situation, where you’ll need to dig out your car. And then imagine, it’s 50°C outside.

So having a 4×4 will safe you from stress, from time and it will save your money, but as I said:
As long as you’re not traveling too much off the road, a standard car will also do a great job and you might see lots of interesting attractions.

:: Tips for Desert rides? ::

Sure. You do not need a super fancy Offroad-Vehicle, but if you keep these steps in mind, it’ll give you a good time in the deserts.

Most crucial – and for us it’s the “swiss-knife” is: deflating the tyres.
Depending on your car, you might deflate down to 0,8 to 0.5bars, which sounds a lot and some drivers might think, that the tyre will come off the rim and yes… that can happen, but you can avoid it, by carefully driving.

Let’s explain our strategy:
Our Sprinter is a manual 4×4 with diff-locks and it weighs approx. 3.5T.
When we drive into the desert, we don’t use the 4×4 initially. At a certain point we get stuck, obviously.
Then I turn on the 4×4 and we can drive further, but we get stuck again. Then we deflate our tyres down to 1,5 bar (3,8 bar is our generic pressure). Deflating helps a lot and we do not need the diff-locks (I always try to do not use them). If we get stuck again, I deflate further down to 1 bar, then to 0,8 bar, which is the lowest at this stage. With these settings we are able to drive most of the deserts, up to a certain extent. When it is getting too steep, we must give up. Even a diff lock wouldn’t help (but later I’ll come back to this one).

If we get stuck with 4×4 and 0.8bar, I’ll use the diff locks. This will help in 60% of the cases.
If it doesn’t help, I’ll need to drive backwards, searching for another route. If it works, it works, if not, then I’ll search for another trail. After 3 tries we always give up and drive back.

Power
What we do not like, is the less power of our Sprinter. 109 HP, 220nm isn’t much.
But it’s a big advantage in the desert, because: we can not dig ourselves in. It’s impossible.
When the Sprinter gets stuck, the engine shuts down more or less immediately. If I start it again, it doesn’t provide enough power to spin the wheels, which prevents the Sprinter from digging itself into the sand and this is super great.

So once the car is really stuck, the only way is the way back – and this works in 95% of all cases. If it doesn’t work, I’ll deflate the tyres down to 0,5%. And this – in combination with some digging – is the last stage as sandboards aren’t any solution for us (even though we have them). I’ll take my spade, dig a little bit and I’m done, but taking off the sandboards is way too much work and in some cases I’m really too lazy. I do not need to get into any desert, just for the sake of being able to say, that I was there🤷‍♀️.

Be carefull!
I advise to not take the Arabian deserts lightly. Of course it seems to be a playground for desert-and offroad enthusiats, but lots of people also died there. Many arabs warned us to never ever go alone and that the desert might come with lots of quicksands, especially the Rub Al Khali (which is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world).
Always take enough water and food and beware of scorpions and snakes. A UV-light helps to see the scorpions at night. If you wanna go alone – and I repeat myself, to don’t do it – give your last coordinates to friends and tell them, in which perimeter or circumference you plan to travel.

Dune-Bashing
I know it makes a lot of fun, but it also can crash your car. Try to read the sand and try to read the shape and expansion of the dunes. Some sands are really soft and even with the strongest 4×4 you’ll be lost, some of these sands are harder and probably could be driven with a standard car. But the devil is always in the details, so the sand can have a strong surface which holds you, but once you reach it with your car, you immediately stuck.

We didn’t do any dune bashing with our Sprinter, but we did it a lot in Morocco with our Jeep Wrangler. It makes fun but must be mastered!

:: Drone Flying ::

Well, this is a topic that is often discussed and I must admit that many places are best appreciated for their holy beauty when seen from above. That’s why I always find it worth taking the risk of using a drone.
In general I can say, that it is not always forbidden to fly in the most of the countries, but of course you’ll need to do some research for every single one.
For Saudi Arabia I wanted to register the drone officially (DJI Mavic 2 Pro). I found a website and wrote them an email. I never got any response, as I barely got any email-response from any Arab. They do not seem to like email, even though I wrote them in arabic. (ChatGPT did a great job on that 😉 )

If you cannot register your drone, you are not allowed to fly. That’s just it🤷‍♀️.
But as I have been flying in more than 50 countries – even without a registration – I’ll go on with that. If you’ll be aware of where you are flying, I wouldn’t make a mind, because nobody would say anything, when you’re using your bird in the middle of the Rub al Khali, where there’s just nothing.

As long as you do not photograph or film any official building and as long as you’re not flying inside cities, you’ll be fine, I would say. That means on the other side, that your lovely movies never will contain any kind of public life on the beaches, in the cities or at any viewpoints, when there are lots of people. I do not care, I just don’t wanna run into trouble and in this case, I only fly, when there are no or very less people around and I never fly inside a city or a village. I always try to keep a distance of a few kilometers and rather prefer to zoom in later on, if I’m too far away from what I wanted to film.

:: Drone importing, when coming by land borders ::

Since 13 years I’m using drones now and the biggest one has been a DJI Phantom.
I took it in my flight baggage or I brought it through the borders and I never ever had any single issue.
I do NOT lie, when they ask me for a drone, nor I hide it obviously, but I found my communication-ways to distract them from asking further and I got my places to store it, so that nobody ever could say, that I “smuggle” or hide it on purpose.

That said, it is just up to you, your self-consciousness and your communication skills, how you deal with that topic. If you are uncertain, just leave it at home, because you need to know, that if they catch you in a very bad moment, you might get arrested and the drone might get confiscated. Like in Iran, you also might get arrested for a couple of years!
We had it in Jordan and Armenia, that I got caught and in Jordan, they wanted to arrest me and wanted to confiscate our drone. Most important is here: stay calm, never ever get aggressive, be very friendly and try to catch them by emotions.
Do not exaggerate, but explain them in a very pragmatic way, what your purpose is, that you want to support their country, show them your movies, offer them a coffee and have a nice chat. For us it worked all the time. Alhamdulillah

What worked for us, doesn’t need to work for others!
Always import and use your drone at YOUR VERY OWN RISK!

:: LGBTIQ+ ::

I never would have imagined, that I would talk about it, because I just do not care, what people are doing, how they are living and what they are. People are people. Everything’s fine here.

Not so in other countries but: do NOT despair!
It is nor a secret, neither a mystery, that this topic is a tabu in a lot of our 192 countries. Live with that!

But there’s always a “but”: Never, ever be so stupid to believe in western media. Do NOT do that!
People won’t be killed in Saudi Arabia (Sharia-blabla) just for being gay, trans or whatever.

We met (forgive me the term) an “obviously-super-gay-couple” in Ryiadh (more conservative) and I was shocked, that their appearance have been that – let’s call it – straight to the point.

One of them made me an offer:
“I really would like to marry you” (and hugged me in the middle of the city-center).
I asked them: “You guys are cute, but it seems, that you are gay, r8?”
“Yes… is it visible?”, they smiled.
“And you don’t get in any trouble?”
“No, as long as we’re not kissing in public, everything is fine.”
“OK, you really never had any issues?”
“No, why we should? Homosexuality is spread all over the world. People here are not talking about it, but it’s existent. That’s just it.”

Look, how easy it can be! Be what you are, but of course, be with a bit of caution.
That means: Do NOT be woke. At first: it’s not your right, to teach people and at a certain point, you might run in bigger trouble. Secondly: They never will understand!
But when I talk about “teaching”, it doesn’t necessarily mean, that you shouldn’t try to make them understand. Sometimes it works, as I tried it a few times!

They do not care about any so called “wokeness” and they do not wait for their enlightment given by you, but they might tolerate and might show respect – also here: it’s just up to your communication-skill.

Do not speak about politics if you don’t know how and don’t get aggressive, when they’re digging bad ol’ Adolf, do not try to convince them of any ways of living and mind-sets of western people. In this case, they are NOT interested at all. Keep in mind, that Saudi Arabia runs through a big transformation, as Mohammad Bin Salman (crown prince and absolute ruler of the KSA) changed a lot (to what we call “to the better”).
They at first need to get used to their new rules, apart from the fact, that Saudi Arabia was nearly completely isolated from the rest of the world until 2019. Just give them time. Rome also wasn’t built in 3 days!
It’s on a very good way – thanks to MBS – but it is still a very conservative country.

:: Saudi Arabia In The Summer – Not A Good Idea ::

You might think, that 32°C are hot. And you are right. I never could have imagined staying in a country like Saudi Arabia, where temperatures easily exceeding 40°C in no time.
But this is what happend and this is what happens every single summer.
Due to our Visa-Schedules we hadn’t any other chance to try to get used to it or to leave the country immediately. We decided to stay… and we made it.
Our hottest temperature has been 52°C so far and we stood for 6 months in this unbelievable heat, in conjunction with many sand storms. When I say storms, I mean storms, because the KSA has lots of “Sandstorm Areas“.
Fortunately, nothing bad happened to us or our car. However, our friends sent us pictures from within a storm, and this beast shattered two windows of their Landy. They just broke, apart from the fact, that it destroyed the brand new varnish of the car.

Not even we had to suffer. A friend called us from Ryiadh and told us, that his iPhone cable just melted. A few days later, nearly every single battery from our cameras, drones and powerbanks started to blow up.
10 batteries got completely unusable. 3 batteries from the DJI drone, 3 smartphone and one tablet battery, 2 new goPro batteries, as well as a huge powerbank (for starting the car) just gave up.
On top of that our charging booster melted as well. It just melted without melting the fuse itself.
That was a desaster and I didn’t count the dozens of plastic gadgets, which melted or broke. My NIKE Sunglasses (with visual acuity), dozens of knobs, hinges, handles etcpp.

After a couple of weeks, my skin started to change. It more and more felt like an orange and I felt sick more often. I was sweating 24 hours a day and I spent more time on cooling myself down, than enjoying the country.
But hey… we found ways to deal with that. Batteries and smartphones have been placed in the fridge, we bought additional fans and we used the evaporative cooling effect, by wetting towels completely and using them as a shield for preventing overheating ourselves. It worked and we got adapted the sooner or later.

Tip: What definitely does not work, is just hanging a wet towel anywhere. You always will need an airflow, generated by wind or by a fan. If you’re using a wet towel for your body, you immediately feel, how cold it gets and in many situations I needed to take the towel away, because it was getting too cold. No joke!

That said, nothing is impossible, it’s just the will, but nevertheless we highly recommend not to come to Saudi Arabia in the summer. We would say that November to March is a quite nice time to fully enjoy the country. Everything else borders on masochism, naivety… or: lack of time.

:: Things to take into consideration ::

Of course not everything in the KSA is shining bright and Saudis won’t like, when I’m talking about it.

Saudi Arabia has unbelievable amounts of trash. “Every-single-fucking-where”😭.
You might get shocked, others might leave the country immediately. We can’t find words for their behaviour, when it’s up to clean up their camps or picknick-sites. They just throw their trash everywhere.
Please: DO NOT judge it. Just be the audience, but do NOT tell them to take their trash. That is presumptuous and arrogant.
After such a long time in this country, we got used to all this tons over tons of trash. At a certain point we even didn’t see it anymore. This belongs to all the arabian countries and there’s no exception. After having vistited 74 countries, this one is the second most trashed country so far.

Where there is a lot of trash, there may be a strong odor, but there are certainly a lot of mosquitoes and horseflies. I’m not sure if “horseflies” is the right translation, but in Germany, they are called “Wadenbeißer,” and these insects are extremely annoying.

While Ramadan and/or Hajj (Haddsch) and in the very, very hot summer, lots of localities are closed and might only open at night (I bought my new laptop at 2am at X-Cite). In this case you’ll need to prepare yourself and you may find it annyoing to buy stuff, because either the shop is closed until the night or they close it for praying or it is closed because it’s too hot or it’s closed because they just don’t wanna open it🤷‍♀️.

They barely have forests or greenery and you might miss green gras… because here it’s often artificial one. They do not have any bigger trees – or lets say “less”, nor you really find any shadow, when it starts to burn. It’s a desert country, and that’s what you have to be prepared for. But that’s also why you choose to come to a country like this, right?

When it starts to get really hot, you might search for shadow, but maybe you won’t find any.
Either you start to visit the malls, but then you’ll need winter clothes, because temps are going down to 16°C, or you’re equipped with an air-condition or – like we – you decide to survive. We never went into hotels or any other accomodation, as it is against our philosophy. OK, we have an air-condition, but not in our living space, rather than in front of the car.

Political Situation
Even though I don’t wanna talk too much about it, you need to know, where you are.
Saudi Arabia is ruled by an “absolute ruler”. We might call it “Dictactorship”.
The rules and laws are strong and talking bad about the Kings-Family might bring you in lots of trouble and I highly guess, your phone will be spied (you always will get messages by the former “morality police”, asking you to bring any kind of “bad words against the Kings-Family” to attention).

We never made any bad experience and Saudi Arabia seems to be very stable, but of course they still suffer from terroristic attacks. That said, stay away from any demonstration or bulks of shouting and complaining people. You never know, what can happen.

Many people are still very conservative. They won’t tell you, but you’ll get it the sooner or later, once you’re talking to them. In this case, be a bit more carefull.

:: Do’s and Don’ts ::

I won’t enumerate every single “do that” or “don’t do that”, as I highly count on “common sense”, but here are some things you’ll need to keep in mind.

The “Do’s”

. Camp wherever you want, but not on the beaches (it might work, but mostly not).
. Wear whatever you want, as long as it’s not too “eye catching”.
. Don’t be shy, wear their dresses, if you like. They love it.
. Take the things, Saudis might give you. They appreciate it.
. Take invitations of course, but listen, how often they ask.
. Make political conversations, why not, but keep in mind: You are being listened to 😉
. If the police might be too “enthusiastic”: Show them their limits, but be careful.
. Of course you can deny to do “this” or “that”: Tell them, that it’s not your culture.
. You can visit Medina. It’s allowed now, but keep in mind: they are very conservative.
. Learn just some arabic words. They love it and you’ll get new friends immediately.
. Of course ask them to take off their shoes, when coming inside your mobile home.
. Be somewhat cautious when coming from the LGBTIQ community, but do not hesitate to come here.
. As a woman: If men are getting “too close”, show and tell them their limits immediately!
. Live your life and live your dream.

The “Don’ts”
. Avoid camping on beaches and keep a distance of 500m to the coast.
. As a couple do not kiss or hug in public. Keeping hands could work, I dunno.
. Do not give hands to women, nor touch them. They’ll come to you, if they want.
. Do not wear super tight “disco”- dresses.
. Don’t go for a swim in a bikini or a swimsuite.
. Never ever go to Mekkah, do not even try. A friend got arrested for one day.
. Never ever be rude, disrespecteful or offending.
. Never ever talk bad about the islam, muslims and the government.
. Never ever insist on rights you might do not have (“it’s my place, I was here before”).
. Do not even try to be too woke and don’t tell them to take their trash for instance.
. Do not take their trash instead. Leave it where it is. It’s a lot wasted energy.
. Better do not try to teach them. Their history is rich and they survived without western ideologies.
. Do not smoke or eat in front of locals, while Ramadan.
. Do not try to invite them for dinner: they never will accept😉

:: Last and least ::

There are three ways to travel in Saudi Arabia.
· The “touristic” way: Chilling at the beaches, sleeping in hotels, doing some sight-seeings and having a good time.

· The “travelers” way: Listening, learning, experiencing and conquering the country as much as possible.

· The “empathic” way: Feel, what they feel, try to be them, try to understand their way of living and be as tolerant and empathic as possible and do not judge.

You might not understand everything and nobody will judge you for that. But showing empathy will bring you much more forward and at a certain point, you might even understand the “Philosophy of the Sharia” (which is NOT as bad, as it seems).

To us they said: “Saudi Arabia is your country” or “You are real Kuwaitis” (getting goose-bumps, while remembering).

Do yourself and your mindset a big favour, take all the knowledge (or the most) you got from western media and just put it here: To Trash!

It’s not only the landscapes and nature, what makes Saudi Arabia so special and sometimes you’ll get disappointed, but there’s so much more which doesn’t meet the eye and that will enlighten you to an extent you never would have believed.
This is, what we did. Never ever we have been in so much contact to locals. We met thousands of people and spoke to hundreds of them. We spoke about the “Holy Quran“, the muslim way of thinking, their traditions, about politics and about what is good and what is bad. We learned so much from them and I hope, they learned from us as well.

Saudi Arabia is different, it’s special, it’s interesting and mind blowing and at a certain point you’ll forget, what makes this country also so “bad”.

Yours, Totti from TRAVELcandies On Tour

(All that being said, this article is 100% based on our own personal experiences. We did not rely on media sources to gather this information, although there may be some links provided that can further support our claims. If that is the case, we can confirm their validity)

:: Finally here’s our Saudi Arabia Map::
(click upper right corner to expand and jump to Google)

· Free to use, share and embed
· Approx. 500 POis altogether
· 250 Attractions (most with images and description)
· Overnight Places
· Logistic POI’s like gas stations, water sources, etc.
· Our recorded driven route (~ 15.000 km)
· Route recommendation (7500 km)
· Different categories and recognizable icons

The post SAUDI ARABIA – road guide appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

Middle East Overlanding – Routes, Borders & Travel Info

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

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

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

Asia€10.555,80

Middle East€12.501,25

Europe €14.092,65

Africa€15.019,75

FAQ

SAUDI ARABIA – road guide

(All that being said, this article is 100% based on our own personal experiences. We did not rely on media sources to gather this information, although there may be some links provided that can further support our claims. If that is the case, we can confirm their validity)

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