TRAVELcandies-On-Tour https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/ We Travel The World... no matter what Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:19:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TRAVELcandies_favicon-150x150.webp TRAVELcandies-On-Tour https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/ 32 32 How Do We Afford To Live Without A Paycheck? https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-do-we-afford-to-live-without-a-paycheck/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-do-we-afford-to-live-without-a-paycheck/#respond Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:17:51 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=3703 How do we afford to travel the world without a regular paycheck? No inheritance, no sponsors, no government support and no debt. This is the story of how we built financial independence through decades of smart resource management, saving, investing and developing a mindset that puts freedom before consumption.

The post How Do We Afford To Live Without A Paycheck? appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

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How Do We Afford to Live Without a regular Paycheck?

What’s in here?

We already had the right mindset – We just needed to evolve it

The question of how we can afford our life without a regular paycheck sounds simple. The answer is anything but. I mean, it’s simple indeed and of course no rocket science, but the explanation will take its time, because it was a progress over the years.
It is probably the question we get asked most often. And according to the questions people ask us and the search terms, that bring people to our website, there is one question that clearly burns under people’s fingernails:

“What do they actually do for a living?”
Fair enough.

Most people simply ask. Some hesitate, probably because asking about somebody else’s money can feel a little awkward. But we can usually tell, when the question is there. After all, we have been travelling for years, moving from country to country, carrying a frankly ridiculous amount of equipment and living a life, that doesn’t exactly look cheap from the outside.

Are we sponsored? Do we still earn a lot of money? Did we inherit something? Do our families support us? Are we dependent on donations, Youtube income?

No, no, no and no… none of all that.

Many travellers prefer to keep the financial side of their lives to themselves. Maybe that’s a German thing. We don’t. Sharing is caring and if our story can motivate somebody to rethink their own relationship with money, consumption and freedom, then why keep it secret?
At the end, we’re just answering a simple question: How’s that possible for us?

To understand, how we can live the way we do today, though, we have to go back several decades.

I was born in 1969 and didn’t grow up with much money. Fenny, born in 1972, had a completely different childhood. She grew up financially comfortable. But she is Swabian – and for those who aren’t familiar with Germany: Swabians have a legendary reputation for being “extremely careful” with money.
Let’s just say, that frugality is supposedly absorbed with their mother’s milk.

Our backgrounds were very different, but somehow we ended up with exactly the same basic principle:

The Main Key: We started to use our resources more wisely

That principle stayed with us as our professional lives took off. We had good jobs, earned good money and enjoyed a quite comfortable lifestyle. We had nice cars and lived in beautiful apartments with pretty much every modern convenience you could imagine.

And yes, we enjoyed it.. why not?… We worked hard for it and we didn’t want to just survive.
We wanted to live a good life. As everyone should be able to do – and everyone should be able to afford.

But we also knew, that none of it was guaranteed to last forever. Jobs can disappear, income can change and circumstances can turn around much faster, than you might expect. So we started asking ourselves a rather simple question:

How can we get more out of the money we already have?

Not by making our lives miserable, sitting in the dark to save electricity or wearing the same pair of trousers until they fall apart. Well… actually, the trousers part comes later😉.

We simply started looking at our resources differently. Why spend money on something, if we didn’t really care about it? Why throw something away, if it could still be used? And why waste perfectly good resources just because we may be able to afford to?

We weren’t trying to live like poor people, and saving money wasn’t the goal either. We just started asking ourselves whether the things we spent money on were actually worth it and whether we could make better use of what we already had.

And that mindset eventually found its way into almost every part of our lives.

Bathroom with a bathtub, toilet and bucket of reused bathwater, illustrating a water-saving habit

It All Started with a Bucket of Water

Our apartment was fully equipped with smart-home technology. Lights, music, blinds and pretty much everything else could be controlled by voice. Even the light switches were practically little computers. Not because I was particularly smart, but quite the opposite: I was too stupid to remember which button did what. Saying “Bathroom, lights on” was considerably easier than standing there trying to decode the bloody switch. And besides, we just liked that nerdy stuff.

One day, we had a friend who needed to use the bathroom. He didn’t know how to turn on the light, so I explained the sophisticated technology to him:

“Just say Bathroom, lights on.”
He did. The light came on. Technology worked. Humanity had advanced another tiny step.

A few minutes later, he came back. He had that slightly awkward grin people get when they have a question but aren’t quite sure whether they should ask it.

I looked at him: “You’re wondering about the bucket next to the toilet?“
“Well… yeah.”

“That’s for the bathwater… if you like, you can use it to flush the pee and poop down.”
His eyes got wider and he burst out laughing: “WHOTT?”

Fair enough. In an apartment with a smart home, two bathrooms and all the bells and whistles, a bucket of water next to the toilet does look slightly out of place.

The explanation was simple, but effective: we reused our bathwater to flush the toilet.

A bath used roughly 150-200 litres of water, so instead of sending all that perfectly usable water straight down the drain, we used it to flush the toilet. One flush can use around 5–8 litres of fresh drinking water. Why would we use drinking water to flush Kacka down the toilet if we already had 200 litres of perfectly good water sitting in the bathtub?

In Namibia, there is a saying: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, let it down.”
That made us think!

And I remember Afrikaners putting it even more bluntly, when talking about Europeans:’
“What problems can you possibly have? You even shit in drinking water.”

Crude? Absolutely. Wrong? Completely not.

So we did, what we tend to do, when we come up with an idea, that sounds slightly ridiculous: we did the math. After a year, we checked the actual numbers.

Our water costs had dropped to almost exactly half. We really hadn’t expected that. And this wasn’t some theoretical calculation. We had actually measured it – and there was more money left in our pockets.

And that was the funny thing about it. We simply didn’t see any contradiction between living comfortably and reusing bathwater to flush the toilet. To us, it was just common sense.

That little bucket turned out to be a pretty good symbol for the mindset that would eventually shape many of our financial decisions.

Yeah… it all started with this bucket🤷‍♀️

Smart plugs and an energy monitor beside a tablet displaying a household electricity consumption dashboard on a wooden table

Saving Energy, Not Comfort

The bucket of water got us thinking about what else we could do differently. We had never been the kind of people who left lights on, simply because we were too lazy to switch them off. There was no point heating rooms nobody was using either.

But we took it a step further. Whenever we replaced an electrical appliance, energy consumption became part of the decision. It wasn’t just about what the new appliance could do or how much better it was than the old one. How much electricity does it use? became an equally important question.

From the coffee machine to the Dolby Atmos system, we gradually made our home more energy-efficient without giving up comfort. And because almost everything was connected to our smart-home system, we could turn things on and – even more importantly – turn them off automatically or remotely when we weren’t at home.

That made a surprisingly big difference. We weren’t sitting in the dark or freezing just to save a few euros. We simply stopped wasting electricity when we didn’t need it. Pocket said “Thank You” again.

It was the same principle as the bucket:
we used what we needed, but didn’t waste what we didn’t.

Totti’s old shoes shown alongside a skydiving photo, highlighting that they lasted 20 years from 2005 to 2025

A Revival of Old Fashion

Once we started questioning one thing, we began to notice how many things we bought simply because we were expected to.

We opened a cupboard and found a pair of jeans that were 20 years old but still looked almost new. So why throw them away? Nobody knew how old they were or whether they had cost €1 on eBay or €100 in a jeans store. They were just jeans.

The same applied to technology. We didn’t need the latest smartphone the moment it hit the market. We were happy to wait until the prices had dropped and buy a phone that was still bloody good – it just wasn’t fashionable anymore. And second-hand? Our wallets love second-hand. Stereo systems, drones, cameras, smartphones, clothes, spare parts – if it worked, why pay full price?

Fenny takes this idea even further. She still wears her mother’s leather jacket, which is almost 50 years old. It has become one of her favourite pieces and she has been asked about it countless times. Fashion has a funny way of coming back around and somehow this old jacket fits perfectly into the current style.

Instead of being forgotten in a cupboard, it was given a new life. And it has something no new jacket can offer: a history.

The more we applied that thinking, the more money stayed in our pockets. We just became more selective about what we spent our money on.

That money could then be used for something that really mattered to us.

❤️Travelling❤️

Damaged drone with repaired propeller arms shown in a three-panel collage

Repair, Reuse, Repeat

We have always had a hard time throwing things away if they could still be used. If something was broken, we usually tried to repair it before even thinking about replacing it.

Even something as ordinary as a rubbish bag could get several lives. As long as there were no food scraps or anything really dirty inside, we simply emptied it and used it again. We kept doing that until the poor thing finally gave up and fell apart.

Our drone was no different. If it broke, we fixed it. Glue, tape, epoxy… whatever worked. We kept patching it up until eventually there was a point where even we had to admit:

OK, this thing isn’t flying anymore.

And we had been doing this for years. Clothes, household items, equipment, tools – we repaired things for as long as there was anything left to repair. Throwing something away simply because it was broken was never our first option.

Repair It Until It Falls Apart

Of course, there were exceptions. Some things were simply too important to take chances with, especially anything we used to earn our money. Computers, tablets and other professional equipment needed to be up to date and reliable. In those areas, we didn’t mess around. We bought what we needed and didn’t try to save money at the expense of our work.

For almost everything else, we simply used things for as long as they were still useful and repaired them whenever we could. We only replaced something when there really wasn’t anything left to save.

Food btw, is a very sensible topic to us:

When it comes to food waste, we are pretty uncompromising: we never, ever throw food away simply because it is no longer perfect. Leftovers get eaten, ingredients get used creatively and something that might look a little past its prime to someone else is often still perfectly good to us. Food was produced, transported, bought and paid for, so throwing it into the bin just because we don’t feel like eating it anymore makes absolutely no sense to us.

And if something really has become inedible or has genuinely gone bad, we still try not to treat it as rubbish. Whenever possible, we return it to nature in a way that allows other living creatures to benefit from it. Composting, feeding appropriate scraps to animals or simply putting organic matter back into the natural cycle can give it another purpose instead of turning it into useless waste.

For us, it’s the same principle as with everything else: use it, reuse it and only get rid of it when there really is nothing left to save.

Blue Chevrolet Corvette C6 and red Audi 80 Cabriolet shown side by side

Cars: Where We Never Really Wanted to Save

There is a saying in Germany: “Das Auto ist des Deutschen liebstes Kind” – the “car is the German’s favourite child”. And there is probably more than a grain of truth in it. For many Germans, a car is much more than a means of getting from A to B. It is freedom, status, pleasure and sometimes a rather expensive part of the family.

We were no different in one respect. We were speed freaks and petrolheads. We loved cars. After all, what was the point of working our arses off if we never allowed ourselves to enjoy some of what we earned? Cars were definitely not one of the areas where we tried to save money.

But even here, there was a difference between spending money and wasting money.

Our 1997 Audi 80, for example, cost us just €700. We barely put any money into it and that old workhorse stayed with us for twelve years. It was the car for our jobs, while the sports car was the one for the soul.

And we couldn’t have cared less what potential clients thought when we turned up at their offices in that old car. In fact, it had one major advantage: it was the perfect understatement car. Nobody expected anything from a 1997 Audi 80, which meant nobody suspected what was sitting in the garage at home.

Overwhelmed Totti and Fenny surrounded by ideas for different income streams at a vanlife workspace

Looking for a Third Pillar

If you’ve made it this far, respect. You now have a pretty good idea of how we think about money and why we started changing the way we spent it.

All of this certainly saved us some money, but it didn’t actually make us any. It helped pay for the trips we were already taking, but it wasn’t going to turn 2- or 3-week holidays into the kind of travelling life we had started dreaming about.

We wanted to travel more. We wanted a little more financial freedom. And then there was something else we had managed to ignore for far too long: we should probably start saving some money, too.

So we started looking for a third pillar. Something that could put a few extra euros into the pot without requiring us to take on another full-time job. We already had regular clients who needed to be looked after, so whatever we did had to be manageable, flexible and ideally something we would actually enjoy. It would also be nice if we could do it in those quiet periods between projects.

We read blogs, watched videos and looked into pretty much every idea that promised easy money. There was no shortage of them, from “How to Get Rich with YouTube Videos” to “Sell Your Own T-Shirts”.

And I dare to say: quite a lot of this advice seemed to come from people who had probably never made any serious money themselves. Some of their ideas about how easy it would be to make a living from them were, frankly, rather optimistic.

Still, a few extra euros would have been a start. We just had to find something that didn’t turn our supposed side income into another job.

Email invitation to participate in a paid football app bug test in June 2014

Some Worked. Most Didn’t.

We tried quite a few things. T-shirt printing, selling our own designs on Etsy and similar platforms  – all of them sounded nice until we looked at the numbers. It quickly became clear that we weren’t creating passive income. We were buying ourselves another job. Designing, uploading, managing orders and dealing with customers was simply too much work for the money involved.

Writing was more interesting. We could do it in relatively little time and, compared with the effort, the income was… well, OK. But some of the requirements for supposedly simple texts were absurd. Even short pieces sometimes had to contain a specific number of keywords, turning perfectly normal sentences into something unreadable and artificial. That wasn’t our idea of good communication.

App and game testing was much more promising. Depending on the day, it was possible to make €70–100, with individual tests paying around €5–30. Finding a major bug before anyone else could bring in a particularly nice bonus. Since we already had years of experience beta-testing professional software, writing proper bug reports was second nature to us and we quickly climbed the tester rankings.

And that was precisely the problem. The higher we climbed, the more invitations we received. Staying near the top meant testing, testing and more testing. It was great fun and the money was good, but it was becoming another job. Great for someone without a job. Not so great for us.

Fenny also tried paid surveys. Some were actually quite interesting, such as watching short advertising clips and then being asked about their effect. Most surveys, however, involved a lengthy screening process before you were eventually told that you didn’t qualify. Earning a few euros this way was possible, but painfully inefficient. And for people travelling permanently, it gets even more complicated. Many surveys are restricted to certain countries, VPNs are often detected and product-testing programmes that send things to your home don’t work particularly well when your home happens to be wherever you parked the van.

Then there was advertising. Fenny knew Google AdSense inside out after running it professionally for clients for years. Technically, it was an obvious possibility for our website. But we rejected it completely. Whenever we visit a website covered in adverts, we usually leave immediately. Some sites seem to contain more advertising than useful information.

Our own website is non-commercial, and we will keep it that way.

Donations were another possibility, but one we didn’t want either. If a blogger, vlogger, traveller or overlander creates valuable content and people voluntarily want to support that work, that’s perfectly reasonable. But relying on donations to finance your own life is a different matter.
We didn’t want our freedom to depend on other people’s generosity.

So far, we had found plenty of ways to make a few extra euros. What we hadn’t found was something that could earn money without constantly demanding more of our time.

Then, in 2010, I happened to discover something that changed the whole picture.

Aerial view of Bryce Canyon’s colorful hoodoos with text about a USD 2,500 licensing payment

The Bryce Canyon: The Place That Led Us to Passive Income

In 2010, we were at Bryce Canyon in Utah. I was already filming our little cinematic country videos and had shot a time-lapse there. At the time, I was also active on Vimeo, where I regularly uploaded a potpourri of my footage.

One day, a Canadian agency contacted me. They were producing an advertising film for the then-new Jeep Cherokee and wanted to know whether they could license one of my shots.

I had absolutely no idea what something like that was worth. There was no AI to ask and certainly no experience on my side to fall back on. So I did what I always do: research.

I eventually let them make me an offer.

US$2,500 for 20 seconds of my time-lapse, of which they actually used only 8 frames

I was speechless.

That got me thinking. There was clearly a business opportunity here. A production company can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an advertising campaign. If they need one very specific shot and somebody already has exactly what they need, paying a few thousand dollars for the licence suddenly doesn’t seem so crazy.

And then it clicked: I was filming anyway?!

I was already travelling a lot, already shooting footage and already creating material for my own films. Why not sell those shots as well?

That was when I discovered Stock Footage.

The idea was simple. As a stock footage contributor, you upload your video clips to specialised agencies. Filmmakers, production companies, advertising agencies, broadcasters and other customers can then license those clips for their own projects. You receive a share of the licence fee.

The best part was that I didn’t have to find those customers myself. I filmed the material, edited it, prepared it, added descriptions and keywords and uploaded it. The agencies handled the marketplace, licensing and payment. One clip could then be licensed again and again to completely different customers.

And there was another advantage: I could distribute the same footage through several agencies. At the time, there were around 20 important players, including Shutterstock, Pond5, 123RF, Fotolia, Getty Images and others. One video could therefore be uploaded once and made available in many different marketplaces.

That was the beginning of what became our first almost genuinely passive income stream.

In the early years, the business was fantastic. Several hundred Euros or Dollars for a single 20-second clip wasn’t unusual. But as more and more footage flooded the market, prices inevitably came down. Today, you might get US$50 for a clip on a good day, while many licences pay only a few cents.

Some agencies eventually went too far. When I was offered €0.001 for a video clip, I was out. At that point, I felt less like a filmmaker and more like a prostitute.

So I gradually reduced the number of agencies I worked with. Many of the old players no longer exist anyway. Today, the major names include Shutterstock, Alamy, Adobe Stock, Getty Images, iStock and a few others.

I now have around 25,000 video clips available for licensing. Because the same clips are distributed across several agencies, that translates into roughly 100,000–120,000 potential individual income sources.

And this is what makes stock footage different from the side hustles we had tried before. The work happened when I filmed and prepared the footage. Once a clip is online, it can potentially earn money years later without me having to do anything when someone buys it. No customer service, no shipping, no production and no appointment.

A clip I filmed 15 years ago can still earn money today while I’m sitting somewhere on the other side of the world – and it can keep doing so over and over again.

That’s about as close to passive income as we have found.

I still do it today, although I now concentrate on roughly five agencies. The income currently covers around a quarter of our current travel budget. Before we started our long-term journey, stock footage paid for all of our trips and most of our photography and video equipment.

It all started with 20 seconds at Bryce Canyon and a US$2,500 licence.

Our first almost genuinely passive income stream was born – and it is still alive today.

Investment portfolio watchlist showing MSCI World, Emerging Markets and Nasdaq 100 ETFs

From Almost Nothing to Our First Investments

As we got older and started dreaming more seriously about travelling, we also started thinking about our financial future. And eventually, we realised that we had made a pretty serious mistake:

We had no savings.

Since we were both self-employed and ran our small 3D agency, we had never paid into the German statutory pension system. Based on what we had accumulated, our pension from the age of 67 would amount to roughly €400 a month – combined. Not exactly enough to live on. And even dying isn’t getting any cheaper.

I still had four life insurance policies: three smaller ones that were due to mature within the next few years and one much larger policy that wouldn’t pay out until I was 69. During one of those quieter periods, when I didn’t have much work, I finally had time to think about what this actually meant for our future.

Shit.

I had simply never thought seriously about it.

So I started researching. And researching. At some point, I remembered something my neighbour had once mentioned. “ETP”, “FTE”, “EFP investment” or something like that? I had no idea what he had been talking about. So I did what I was good at: research.

Eventually I stumbled across ETFs – Exchange-Traded Funds. To me, they were initially complete gibberish and I was sceptical. I wanted nothing to do with speculation on the stock market. But I started watching videos and reading everything I could find. For about three months, I did nothing but learn about investing, day after day. Fortunately, I had no major projects at the time. Looking back, that break may well have saved our financial future.

An ETF is essentially a fund containing a broad range of investments that can be bought and sold on the stock exchange like a share. Instead of betting everything on one company, you can spread your investment across hundreds or thousands of companies with a single purchase.

OK, I thought. Sounds great. But what exactly am I supposed to invest when there’s nothing to invest?

And then I looked at the garage.

Our sports car had been sitting there for quite some time. We simply didn’t have enough time to drive it. It still looked almost brand new and was worth a fair amount of money. I had no idea exactly how much, so I did something rather stupid: I put it up for sale… It was supposed to be just a test. We never actually intended to sell it.

It took only a few hours before someone turned up at our door with a large wad of cash and said he wanted to buy it. I called Fenny at work, practically shaking: “You know that Corvette we never wanted to sell? There’s someone here who wants to buy it right now.“

It was a difficult moment for both of us. But by then, my ETF research had progressed far enough and I had already been running some rather interesting simulations. For the first time, I could actually see that this might work.

So we sold the car and invested our first five-figure sum in the stock market. We bought a MSCI World ETF, an Emerging Markets ETF and a Nasdaq 100 ETF – essentially a version of the simple “slipper portfolio” based on the ideas of Gerd Kommer.

We deliberately didn’t invest everything. Our approach was roughly 75% invested and 25% kept liquid in the bank.

The funny thing was that we were now invested in the stock market without having the faintest idea what we were doing. We had, at best, a rudimentary understanding. Return, interest, compound interest, dividends – all of these were still pretty new to us.

And I was already 48. We had too little money to invest meaningfully and certainly nowhere near enough to live on in old age. But we wanted to see what was possible, so we left the investment alone and watched.

Then the numbers started moving. Month after month, we watched the value rise and the returns increase. That motivated us. A few new projects here, a bit of stress there, another project or two – and instead of spending everything we earned, we started putting money aside. Within two years, we had accumulated a respectable sum that was working for us every day.

But it still wasn’t enough.

That was when my motivation – and perhaps a little survival instinct – really kicked in.
I started building spreadsheets and running projections:

How much money does a person actually need in old age?
How much would we need, taking inflation into account?
How long could we live on a certain amount?
At what point would the money run out?
How long could we travel with it?
And how much longer could we survive abroad than in Germany?

The result wasn’t frightening. It was frighteningly positive.

I eventually calculated some complete scenarios for our life in Germany, still without seriously considering long-term travel or giving up our home and normal life altogether. The projections looked good. Not fantastic, but good enough.

Together with the future payouts from my life insurance policies, we would be able to live reasonably well. We wouldn’t be rich and we certainly wouldn’t be wealthy. But we wouldn’t be destitute either.

And then came our next trip.

That trip changed everything.

Totti and Fenny standing together in the Namibian desert landscape with mountains in the distance

Namibia 2019: The Trip That Changed Everything

Namibia 2019. What a trip – and ironically, one I had never actually wanted to take. When we returned home in early 2020, I made a completely spontaneous decision. I still have no idea what possessed me, but I simply suggested to Fenny that we should sell everything, leave Germany and go travelling. At first, maybe for one or two years and then we’d see where it took us.

Fenny agreed but quite reasonably asked: And financially? I had no real answer. I had no idea whether our money would actually be enough to finance such a life, but somehow I was determined and surprisingly confident that the stock market would continue to work in our favour. Over the following three years, my three smaller life insurance policies matured and Fenny cancelled her private pension plan. We invested all of it.

The speed of our decision was almost ridiculous. Just three days after I suggested leaving Germany, all our vehicles had been sold. 41 days later, we could have sitting in our van.
Our long-term journey had begun, even though it took us additional 4 months to finally get on the road: COVID came.

Our portfolio temporarily lost a five-figure amount, but there was an important distinction: it was a paper loss. We hadn’t actually lost any money unless we sold. As long as we didn’t sell, nothing had actually disappeared. That knowledge kept us remarkably calm and we continued planning our escape.

For the first year and a half, I still occasionally took on small projects from the road whenever something interesting came along. The money was divided between living expenses and investments, while we checked our overall finances every month. And gradually, something rather surprising became clear: travelling was actually much cheaper than living in Germany. Our life in Germany had cost us around €4,500 a month, whereas on the road we needed roughly €1,000. Of course, that €1,000 still had to come from somewhere, but suddenly the amount we needed to generate was dramatically smaller.

Meanwhile, the stock market recovered and continued climbing. Within about three months, we had recovered the losses from the COVID crash. Things were looking even better than before. Then came Ukraine and another painful market decline. But once again, the market recovered. We were beginning to understand something that had seemed almost impossible when we first started investing: markets go down, markets go up and patience matters.

After two years, we finally admitted to ourselves that this wasn’t going to be a 1- or 2-year adventure. We wanted to travel indefinitely. The problem was that we still had far too many ties to Germany, so we gradually started cutting them. We left professional associations, cancelled our chamber memberships, deregistered the van and got rid of virtually every remaining financial or administrative connection that no longer served a purpose.

Five years into our journey, the numbers still looked good. So after 5.5 years, we finally did the calculation we had been wondering about for a long time:

What had this entire journey actually cost us?

After offsetting everything we could reasonably offset, the answer was almost unbelievable: our 5.5 years of travelling had cost us less than €1,000 in total.

In other words, we had travelled for almost nothing. At the same time, our investment portfolio had continued to grow. Completely contrary to our original expectations, it hadn’t been eaten away by all the years of travelling.

Quite the opposite: at the time of writing, it had reached its highest level ever, despite COVID, the war in Ukraine and the war in Iran.

Even we find that hard to believe. 🤩 Long live ETFs 🤩.

They had performed far better than we had ever dared to expect when we first started investing.
But there is an important distinction we hadn’t fully appreciated yet:

investment returns are one thing, monthly income is another.

And this is where things get really interesting.

TRAVELcandies-ETF Portfolio overview showing the transition from growth strategy to dividend strategy, portfolio allocation and performance

Turning Investment Returns into Monthly Income

The longer we travelled, the more we noticed another problem emerging: travel was getting more expensive. Africa, which had been the most expensive continent for us so far, wasn’t dangerous to our finances yet, but over the long term, rising travel costs would slowly eat into the money we had invested. And that was exactly what we wanted to prevent.

A rising portfolio value is great. You open your account and watch the numbers grow, sometimes by thousands of euros without doing anything. But there is a catch: you can’t live on a rising portfolio value. You only turn that increase into usable money when you sell shares or ETF units. And every time you do that, you reduce the capital that is supposed to keep working for you. If we wanted our investments to finance our travels indefinitely, that wasn’t the solution we were looking for.

What we needed was income from the portfolio rather than constantly consuming the portfolio itself. That led us to look much more closely at dividends. And by this time, fortunately, AI was already available to help us with the enormous amount of research involved.

Return is the overall change in the value of an investment, including price appreciation and distributions. A dividend, on the other hand, is money a company distributes to its shareholders from its profits. With an accumulating ETF, those distributions are normally reinvested inside the fund. With a distributing ETF, they are paid out to the investor. So an ETF can increase significantly in value while paying little or no cash income, or it can generate a higher regular cash flow while having more modest price growth.

Our goal therefore changed. We weren’t looking for the ETF with the highest possible return anymore. We gave the AI a rather simple assignment: less return is perfectly fine if it means more reliable dividend income – but the ETFs should remain stable, ideally stagnate in the worst case and still have the potential to grow in the best case.

After a lot of research and a lot of comparing, we gradually began restructuring our portfolio around dividend-paying ETFs. We deliberately chose funds that weren’t necessarily the strongest performers in terms of capital growth but generated a more useful and predictable cash flow. We also structured them so that, as far as possible, money comes in during every month of the year rather than arriving in a few large annual or quarterly payments.

Without going too far into the technical details, we now have a relatively stable and comparatively low-volatility ETF portfolio focused on dividend income. And those dividends now cover a substantial part of our current travel budget.

But dividends were only the next piece of the puzzle. There was another source of income we could use – one involving tax allowances and the amount we can earn without paying tax – and that became part of our next strategy.

Laptop displaying a blurred ETF portfolio beside a Swiss Army knife, camera and travel journal at sunset

Making the Tax System Work for Us

Each of us has a basic tax allowance – everybody has. In Germany, the “Grundfreibetrag” ensures that a certain amount of taxable income remains free from income tax because it is considered necessary to cover the basic cost of living. In 2026, that allowance is €12,348 per person. For a married couple, that means €24,696 if both have taxable income within the allowance.

And because we were no longer on the regular job market and had no salary coming in, this became particularly interesting for us. Our annual travel expenses were well below the amount of income we could potentially generate before income tax became due. The question was simply: how could we actually make use of the tax allowances available to us?

There is a famous principle in the stock market: Buy and hold. Buy your investments, hold on to the damn things and let them work for you. Yes, you can absolutely do that – and for long-term wealth accumulation, it can make perfect sense. But in our particular situation, there was another possibility worth considering.

Look at a portfolio like ours and the value can move by several thousand euros in a very short time. It might be €5,000 higher one day and €3,000 lower the next. Those numbers are just examples; the point is that market movements can be substantial. We therefore don’t simply buy and hold blindly. When we see that the portfolio has made a significant gain, we can realise part of that gain by selling some ETF units and then buying them back.

Why would we do that? Because the sale turns an unrealised gain into a realised gain. Instead of leaving the entire increase sitting inside the portfolio, we can deliberately realise part of the gain and make use of available tax allowances. Buying the units back means we remain invested rather than taking the money out of the market.

Of course, the actual tax treatment of ETF gains is more complicated than this simple explanation. Investment income is subject to specific German tax rules and allowances, including the “Sparer-Pauschbetrag”, which is €1,000 per person or €2,000 for jointly assessed spouses. ETFs can also benefit from partial tax exemptions depending on the type of fund.

For us, the basic idea was simply this: if we have tax allowances available, why should we let them go unused? When the numbers and the tax situation make it worthwhile, we can realise part of our gains, buy the units back and effectively reset the acquisition price of those units while remaining invested.

It only takes a few minutes when the opportunity arises. Over the course of a year, however, this can create a useful additional benefit.

This became our second-to-last building block.

And there was still one more piece missing.

Travel calendar featuring Musandam, Oman, displayed on a console table between two black lamps

The Final Piece: Calendars

Now we are finally done demystifying the TRAVELcandies financial situation – and you are almost at the end.

The last piece is a simple one and actually follows exactly the same principle we have already talked about: create something once and let it work for you over time.

We sell calendars. Not through Etsy or other platforms we consider rather dubious but through a professional publisher that does a good job of marketing and distributing them.

I design the calendars and have them reviewed and approved by several curators while Fenny takes care of the rest. Once a calendar is finished, the publisher handles the marketing and sales.

There is another nice advantage to this model: the better and more popular a calendar is, the more likely it is to be continued in the following years. So instead of creating something from scratch every year, you can create a calendar once and potentially let it earn money for several years. Our calendars have all been accepted for continuation so far.

It works in much the same way as stock footage.
Create it once and let it work for you.

Of course, we’re not getting rich from calendars either. But we genuinely enjoy designing them and working with photographs and we often have plenty of time available for exactly this kind of work. So why not turn something we enjoy doing into another small income stream?

And with that, you have reached the end of the financial demystification of TRAVELcandies.

Bravo – you made it this far 😁

We are financially independent. We don’t receive a single cent from the government, our children or our parents. We do not rely on donations, we aren’t millionaires and we don’t own any real estate. We are simply two ordinary people who did their homework, made some sensible decisions and gradually built a financial structure that allows us to live the life we want.
And the most important thing to us: we didn’t borrow money to finance this journey either.
We are completely debt-free!

That’s really all there is to it – no rocket science 🤷‍♀️

Based on what we have calculated and under the circumstances we have today, we can travel for a very long time without really having to work.

But there is one important thing to understand: none of this income is guaranteed. Apart from the few hundred Euros we will eventually receive from the state pension and the payout from our life insurance, everything depends on what we already have and how long it lasts.

And that is probably the part many people don’t have on their radar. We are not living from a guaranteed monthly income that someone else pays us.

We are living from what we have – and what we have is supposed to last for the rest of our lives.

Totti and Fenny smiling beneath the illuminated Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

So, What Can You Take Away From All This?

Everything and nothing.

In the end, we have really only answered the question you probably had when you heard about us and started us following:
How did we actually create all this and how did we manage to make it work?

None of it is an ingenious strategy, a science or anything particularly innovative. We haven’t revealed some great secret that hardly anyone knows about. Maybe we simply took things one step further than most people do. Maybe we were a little lucky, too. And we certainly made our fair share of mistakes along the way.

One of those mistakes was simply starting too late. Our lives would probably look very different today if we had started putting a little more money aside ten years earlier. We can’t change that anymore. We can only work with what we have today.

And that is really all this answer is: an explanation of what we did.
It is not a handbook, a perfect strategy or a step-by-step guide showing you how to build the same life. We found a way that worked for us. We adjusted it whenever circumstances changed and so far, it has worked surprisingly well. Hopefully, it will continue to do so for many years to come.

But perhaps there is something else you can take away from our story.

You don’t necessarily need to become rich to change your life. You don’t need a million-euro portfolio, a successful startup or some revolutionary investment idea. Sometimes it starts much smaller. Looking at where your money actually goes. Questioning things you have always done simply because everyone does them. Saving a little here, wasting a little less there. Learning something you previously knew nothing about. Finding a way to earn a little extra money. And perhaps, most importantly, figuring out what you actually want your money to do for you.

For us, the answer was travelling.

For someone else, it might be spending more time with their family. It might be living in the countryside, working four days a week, pursuing a passion, starting a business or simply having enough financial breathing room to stop worrying about every unexpected bill.

There is no right way to live a good life.

We genuinely wish that every person on this planet could find a life that makes them happy. It doesn’t have to be a life on the road. It doesn’t have to involve financial independence, early retirement or giving up a regular job. If you love your home, your job, your community and the life you have built, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with staying exactly where you are.

What matters is that the life you are living is your life – not one you are living because you think you are supposed to.

We were simply lucky enough to discover what mattered to us and then, little by little, figure out how to make it possible. Maybe that’s the biggest thing we have learned along the way:

Money never was our goal. Freedom was!

And freedom can look very different for every one of us.
For us, it looks like waking up somewhere in the world without knowing exactly where we will be a few months from now. For you, it might look completely different.

🙏Whatever it looks like, we hope you find it🙏.

And if our story has given you even one idea, one new perspective or simply the courage to question whether the life you are living is really the life you want, then all the numbers, spreadsheets, mistakes and explanations were already worth sharing.

Cheers,
Totti & Fenny

AI Info: I wrote 100% of the original content in German; AI simply helps me turn my thoughts and experiences into better English and SEO-friendly text — real photos are real photos, and AI images should be obvious to every blind chicken 🤗

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

This is probably one of the questions we get asked most often, usually followed by some variation of how the hell we managed to afford all this travelling in the first place.

Fenny worked as a Project Manager | Coordinator | Line Producer, which sounds straightforward until you realise how much was actually involved. Her job was essentially to take a production from the first briefing all the way to the finished product and somehow make sure that all the people, departments, deadlines, budgets and clients involved didn’t completely lose their minds along the way.

She planned and organised productions, coordinated teams and external partners, kept an eye on schedules and budgets, communicated with clients and agencies, organised workflows and made sure everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing and when. When something went wrong – and on productions, something always goes wrong – she was usually one of the people figuring out how to fix it without bringing the entire project to a grinding halt.

Over the years, she worked across a surprisingly broad range of productions: feature films, corporate movies, computer games, advertising films and finally for the automotive industry. She worked for dozens of agencies and more than 170 clients worldwide, moving between completely different types of productions and adapting to whatever the next project required. Her job was not to create the actual images or animations, but to make sure that all the creative work could happen in the first place – and ultimately make it from the first meeting to the finished product.

I worked on the other side of that equation.

For most people, computer graphics artist was probably the easiest job title to understand without having to give them a 20-minute explanation. Over the years, my actual job titles varied considerably, but eventually the industry mostly settled on 3D/VFX Artist.

And that covered a hell of a lot of ground. Depending on the project, I worked as a Character Animation Artist, Facial Animation Artist, Motion Capture Supervisor, Set Supervisor, Character Modeler, Visual Effects Artist and in plenty of other roles. Basically, if something could somehow be created, manipulated or brought to life graphically with a computer, there was a good chance I had something to do with it.

My software toolbox was similarly broad. I worked extensively with the Adobe Creative Cloud family, including Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro and Audition, alongside my main 3D and VFX tools such as Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max and DaVinci Resolve, as well as Substance 3D, ZBrush and various other tools that came and went over the years.

Interestingly, our professional worlds overlapped quite a lot, therefore we always worked together. We both worked extensively in the genres already mentioned, although from different sides of the production process.  That was the reason we decided to start a small 3D agency together. 

Over the years, we worked on hundreds of projects, ranging from tiny jobs to large international productions, either as a subcontractor, freelancer or directly for clients on site. Some of the better-known names we worked for included Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, Sony and Intel, alongside more than 170 other clients around the world.

So if you ever wondered what exactly we did for a living, the short version is probably this:

Fenny made sure productions happened. I made pixels do things they couldn’t do on their own.

And between the two of us, we somehow managed to make a living from it for several decades.

Absolutely yes and absolutely no.

Yes… in the end, the whole adventure really did cost us just under €1,000. And no, we are not joking.

How does that work?

If you take all our expenses – literally all of them – and offset them against all the income generated along the way through interest, dividends, distributions, passive income and everything else, while at the same time our portfolio didn’t shrink but actually continued to grow, then the amount that effectively disappeared from the portfolio was surprisingly small. In fact, after 5.5 years, we end up at roughly €1,000.

That sounds completely ridiculous until you think about how money actually moves.

A funny example, which reads ridiculous as well:
Imagine a restaurant guest owes the owner €100 and pays the bill. The restaurant owner takes that same €100 and gives it to his mother because he borrowed €100 from her last week. His mother uses the €100 to pay the electrician. The electrician uses it to pay his mechanic. The mechanic uses it to pay his rent. The landlord uses it to pay his tax bill. The tax office pays a contractor who repaired a government building. The contractor takes the €100 to the bar because, well, apparently government contracts are stressful. The bartender uses it to pay the local farmer for the beer ingredients. The farmer uses it to pay the guy who fixes his tractor.

And eventually, somewhere in this completely ridiculous chain, the €100 finds its way back to the restaurant owner because he had previously lent €100 to the very same restaurant guest.

So what happened?

A whole bunch of people paid bills. Services were provided. Debts were settled. Someone got drunk. Someone fixed a tractor. The tax office got its money. And somewhere along the way, the €100 may even have paid for a prostitute’s services before continuing its grand tour of the local economy.

But there were never €1,000 changing hands. There was just the same €100 being passed from one person to another and settling one obligation after another.

The important distinction is between money flowing through an economy and money actually disappearing from your own pocket.

Our travel expenses worked in a somewhat similar way. We spent money on fuel, food, repairs, campsites, ferries, insurance, equipment and everything else. At the same time, however, our investments generated dividends, interest and other returns. We also had passive income from things such as stock footage and later calendars. Those streams kept putting money back into the system while our portfolio itself continued to grow.

So although we had spent a very substantial amount of money over 5.5 years, the amount of our original capital that was actually consumed was tiny in comparison.

That’s why we can honestly say that our 5.5 years of travelling effectively cost us around €1,000.

Not because we lived on €1,000 for 5.5 years. That would be complete bullshit.

We simply managed to create a system where the money kept moving, kept doing its job and, for the most part, came back from somewhere else before we actually had to destroy our capital to pay for the next adventure.

Dude… if you knew our situation and completely put yourself in our shoes, you would probably talk very differently.

Since we don’t have any more “real” money coming in, living in Germany is no longer an option for us either. Compared with what you need to live in Germany in old age and considering that we don’t have and won’t receive the necessary reserves, we are basically what you would call kinda “poor”🤷‍♀️.

Believe it or not. That’s just how it is.

That depends entirely on how you define poor.

We’ve often been told that we are living on the absolute limit. And measured against some people’s standards, perhaps we are. We can’t – and, more importantly, don’t want to – afford everything. We are perfectly happy with what we have, although there are certainly situations where we wouldn’t mind having a few hundred euros more available.

For us, time is the important factor. The longer we can make our money last and the less our portfolio shrinks, the better our financial situation will be in old age. The money we don’t consume today can continue working for us, and the longer it does, the more powerful the compound-interest effect becomes.

So we are simply waiting to see what the future brings. For now, we are still young enough to enjoy a relatively simple life and we are perfectly comfortable with it. Whether that will still be true when we are old is another question.

Maybe then our definition of enough will change.

Yes, I could. But I’m not a qualified financial adviser, and I wouldn’t want to take on that responsibility. Besides, the subject is far too complex to cover properly here. To do it justice, I’d probably have to start an entire blog series about ETFs and investing.

That said, when we’re travelling, I occasionally give interested fellow travellers what I jokingly call a financial refuelling stop – a concentrated crash course in what we’ve learned. Some of them get back in touch months later and tell us they actually followed some of the advice and are now enjoying the results themselves.

And honestly, that makes me very happy. If a few things we learned the hard way can help somebody else achieve a little more financial freedom, then that’s a pretty nice side effect of our journey.

But whether I would actually put all of that out there publicly in a blog?

I’m not so sure.

Yes, I could. And no, I won’t.

For one thing, I don’t want to turn this article into advertising for other platforms and for another, I don’t particularly feel like creating my own competition. I hope you understand.

The one thing I can share, however, is our original ETF portfolio (see the last ETF picture), including the individual ETFs we actually use – but obviously without the amounts.

Some of our friends have copied the portfolio, either in full or only partially, and they are very happy with the results so far. But as always: do your own homework and find out what fits your situation, your goals and your risk tolerance. What works for us doesn’t automatically have to be right for you.

Well, here too I have to disappoint you a little. This blog really only has one purpose: to answer a question we get asked again and again and to tell you, completely unfiltered, where we started, what we did and how we ended up where we are today.

It is not meant to be a guidebook, a financial advice column or an attempt to teach people how they should live their lives. We certainly don’t want to tell anyone what to do, how to spend their money or what they should change about themselves. If anything, we’d be happy if our story simply motivates someone to look at their own situation and ask: Could I do something differently?

And that’s probably where the problem starts. A lot of people simply won’t see themselves in our approach. Our way of dealing with money, possessions, work and eventually investments developed over decades and was shaped by our personalities, our mistakes, our circumstances and quite a bit of stubbornness. What worked for us is not automatically going to work for somebody else.

The internet is already full of so-called online coaches who seem to have discovered the secret formula for life. Apparently, all you need is the right mindset, the right morning routine, three hours of meditation and a subscription to their €997 masterclass. Somehow, the person selling you the course always seems to be the one who got rich from telling other people how to get rich.

We are actually surprised ourselves at how well our approach worked. But that doesn’t make it a guarantee, a blueprint or a universal recipe. There is no magic formula here and certainly no promise that you can simply copy what we did and end up with the same result.

And there is one thing I have learned with absolute certainty: people often ask for advice without actually wanting to take it.

You can sit down with someone for hours, listen to their situation, think through the options, discuss the advantages and disadvantages, suggest possible solutions and explain why you think one particular approach might work. They nod, agree, ask questions and sometimes even tell you how helpful the conversation was.

And then they go away and do exactly the opposite.

Not always, of course. But often enough to notice the pattern.

Sometimes they weren’t really looking for advice in the first place. They were looking for confirmation. They already knew what they wanted to do and simply wanted somebody else to tell them that it was a good idea. And when the advice doesn’t fit what they wanted to hear, they conveniently ignore it.

That’s perfectly human. We have probably all done it at some point. Asking for advice is easy. Acting on advice is the difficult part, especially when it means changing something we actually like about our lives.

So if you are looking for ten magical tips that will make you financially independent, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. We don’t have them.

What we have is a story about two ordinary people who made plenty of mistakes, changed their thinking several times and eventually found a way that worked surprisingly well for them.

Maybe there is something in it that works for you, too. And if not, that’s perfectly fine. At least now you know what we did.

Yes, of course. Just because we don’t have to pay any income tax in a particular year doesn’t mean the tax office suddenly forgets that we exist.

There is a very important difference between having no tax to pay and having no tax obligations. We still have to file tax returns, declare our relevant income and investment income and provide the information required by the German tax authorities. Depending on the type of income and where it comes from, there can also be different reporting and taxation rules that have to be taken into account.

Our situation is also not quite as simple as saying we have no income. We have dividends, investment income, passive income and occasional other earnings. Some income may be covered by allowances while other income can be subject to taxation under completely different rules. And then there are things like capital gains, withholding tax and the various special rules surrounding investment income.

So yes, we still spend time dealing with taxes. We simply don’t spend it paying taxes we don’t actually owe.

And that’s an important distinction for us. We are not trying to hide anything, avoid filing returns or somehow disappear from the tax system. Quite the opposite: we declare what needs to be declared and let the tax authorities calculate what is actually due.

If the result is that the final tax bill is zero, that’s not tax evasion.
That’s simply the result of the rules being applied to our particular situation.

Yes. And I mean full-time.

There are plenty of so-called full-time travellers out there who proudly claim to have been travelling for 10, 15 or even 20 years, while spending half of every year back in their home country  – sometimes even working there. That’s certainly a form of long-term travel, but for us, it isn’t full-time travel.

We don’t work anymore and we don’t take six-month breaks to return home, earn some money and then head off again. Since we left Germany, travelling has been our normal life. Full-time means full-time – without a built-in interruption.

That doesn’t mean we intend to drive around forever without ever stopping. In the future, we actually want to become a little more flexible about this. If the climate becomes unbearable somewhere, if we’ve simply had enough of a particular country or if we feel like taking a proper break from the road, we might leave the vehicle somewhere safe and fly somewhere else for a while.

Maybe we’ll spend a few weeks somewhere completely different, perhaps enjoy a city, visit friends or simply do absolutely nothing for a change.

We’ll see.

For now, though, full-time means exactly what it says: at the moment – 6 years on the road – 24/7

The first part of our life was great, and we genuinely loved it. We had good times, travelled whenever we could, built careers, enjoyed ourselves and lived a life that suited us at the time. But that was the first part of our life. It was good, it was ours and we have absolutely no desire to go back.

We don’t miss our former life. Not even a little. The second part of our life is what we are completely focused on now, and there is still far too much of it ahead of us to spend our time looking backwards.

But if you ask us whether we miss our jobs?

Yes.  Both of us. Very much.

I probably miss mine even more than Fenny misses hers. I took my original childhood dream, turned it into a hobby and eventually somehow managed to turn that hobby into my profession. For me, it was quite simply the best job on the planet. I loved what I did, I loved the creative side of it and I loved being able to make a living from something I would probably have done anyway.

So yes, I miss my job. Quite a lot, actually.

But there is an important distinction: missing something doesn’t necessarily mean you want it back. My job was part of the first chapter of our life. A bloody good chapter, too.

But it was still Part One. 😉

No. At least, we currently have absolutely no intention of going back to Part One.

But who knows what the future will bring?

We are getting older, after all. At some point we might need help, one of us might become seriously ill or we might simply run out of money. Any of those things could force us to change our plans. And if it is the last one, that would also be the first time we would accept help from the state.

We have paid a hell of a lot of taxes throughout our working lives. So if one day we genuinely need state support, we won’t feel guilty about accepting whatever we are entitled to. That’s what the system is there for.

But as long as we can avoid that situation, we will avoid it.

For now, Part Two is still the part of our life we want to live. And we’re not particularly interested in writing Part Three just yet😁

We sincerely hope that never happens. At the same time, we are very much aware that our portfolio will eventually be depleted — or may have to be depleted — at some point.

After hundreds of calculations and simulations, it is highly unlikely that money will become seriously tight before we reach official retirement age. But yes, the risk is there. Markets don’t always recover quickly after a war, and nobody knows how long our passive income from stock footage will continue. So far, things look pretty good. But we know better than to assume that they will stay that way forever.

Our rather ridiculous German pension doesn’t exactly add much stability to the equation either.

So what will we do?

Honestly: we don’t know yet. What we do know is that we’ll notice when things start getting tight, and we’ll adjust accordingly. Reduce expenses, change the portfolio, generate additional income or alter our travel plans — whatever is necessary at the time.

That’s about all we can do in our particular situation. As I said earlier, we simply started too late, and our level of risk is probably higher than it would have been if we had started planning for this much earlier in life. We know that.

But for now, the numbers still work. And as long as they do, we’ll keep going.

And at the very end, we simply stop travelling!
If we can no longer afford our travelling lifestyle, nobody else is going to pay for it.

Simply no… not a single cent!

We don’t make money from the blog – and honestly, how would we? – and we don’t make money from YouTube either. I deliberately keep both as small as possible for as long as I can. They are there because I enjoy sharing our experiences, not because I want to turn every click into another source of income.

And Patreon?
Asking people to donate money to finance my life while they are probably struggling with their own finances?

I’ll put it this way:
I’d rather stand on my head and catch flies with my arse.

I think that says pretty much everything. 😉

Honestly?

I don’t give a shit, and I don’t want to talk about it.
I’ve told my parents exactly one thing: Spend your money. You only get one life.

I don’t want to inherit anything. In fact, I hope my parents outlive every expectation.

We have also never included a potential inheritance in any part of our life planning. As far as our financial plans are concerned, that money simply doesn’t exist.

As for how Fenny feels about inheritance… I’ve never even asked. It’s a taboo subject between us.

Oh yes. Absolutely. And I’ve mentioned that several times already: there is risk involved.

I tend to see it a bit like Charles Darwin put it:
“It’s not the strongest who survive, but the most adaptable”

We know that our situation could change. Markets can crash, passive income can disappear, unexpected expenses can come along and our health won’t improve with age. That’s why we don’t simply assume that everything will continue working exactly as it does today.

Instead, we keep watching the numbers, stay flexible and adapt when circumstances change. We don’t have a perfect safety net, but we do have the ability to change our plans if necessary.

We are also willing to take calculated, manageable risks. That was part of our job, too. As freelancers working in a creative and technically demanding industry, we’ve spent decades making decisions where there was never a 100% guarantee of success. You learn to assess the risks, understand the possible consequences and decide whether they’re worth taking.

That’s pretty much how we approach our life as well.

For us, that’s the key difference between taking a calculated risk and simply being reckless.

Our entire financial planning is based on the assumption that we will both live to exactly 97 years old. Please don’t ask why – that’s a much longer story 😉

But what do I actually want for our old age, once we can no longer travel?

Honestly, not much.
I imagine a little mountain cabin somewhere, or perhaps a palm tree providing some shade by the sea. A bench, my wife sitting next to me, some good music playing and the two of us simply enjoying being together.
And when we get really old, one of us can clean the other’s dentures😁.

We don’t expect much more than that.

Hahahaha😂… Do you?
yeah… you really think I haven’t already done that myself?
Asked AI how big it thinks our portfolio might be?

You’re clever, but I’m cleverer. 😉

Jokes aside: go ahead and try it. I can tell you one thing, though: after giving this blog to pretty much every AI I could get my hands on and asking them to analyse it, the results were honestly quite frightening.

Which, in a weird way, is actually a compliment to us.

And no. No and no again.

Our portfolio is nowhere near as large as the AI seems to think it is. Not even remotely.

If it were actually as large as some of these AI calculations suggest, we’d be in an absolutely fantastic financial position and I could honestly say that we wouldn’t have to worry about money for the rest of our lives.

So there you have it.
I can take that particular dream away from you.
Sorry… for you and for us. 😉

The post How Do We Afford To Live Without A Paycheck? appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-do-we-afford-to-live-without-a-paycheck/feed/ 0 Afraid of Shipping? How We Shipped Our Mercedes Sprinter to South America https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/afraid-of-shipping-how-we-shipped-our-mercedes-sprinter-to-south-america/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/afraid-of-shipping-how-we-shipped-our-mercedes-sprinter-to-south-america/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:52:10 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=3533 Shipping our Mercedes Sprinter 903, 4x4 L2H2 to South America sounds straightforward - until you actually have to do it. We take you through the entire process, from preparation and paperwork to the port, the crossing and finally getting our campervan back on the road.

The post Afraid of Shipping? How We Shipped Our Mercedes Sprinter to South America appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

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When Options Run Out

The Decision to Ship

We never wanted to ship our vehicle. In fact, we had sworn we never would.

From Europe, most destinations can be reached overland and if one route doesn’t work, there is usually another. We have always travelled that way: there is always a Plan B and if necessary – a Plan C.
But we had also heard far too many horror stories about vehicle shipping. Friends and acquaintances told us what had happened to their vehicles and we read countless reports from people describing their experiences: vehicles broken into, windows smashed, interiors completely emptied and everything stolen. Some even reported people sleeping inside their vehicles – or worse, defecating inside and leaving the entire vehicle in a state of utter destruction.

Even the shipping agents we spoke to confirmed that these were not isolated incidents. One well-known German agency told us that break-in rates for RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) shipping could reach as high as 85%. WTF?

So we were absolutely certain: we would never ship our vehicle, at least not for a longer period and not RoRO – but eventually, you reach a point where there are no options left.

We were in Africa and wanted to continue to Mongolia, travelling through China and eventually into Southeast Asia. The plan sounded straightforward and – at least on paper – almost perfect:

Mombasa → Oman → Turkey → Silk Road → Mongolia → Southeast Asia.

Then the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States broke out. Fuel prices soared and suddenly our planned five-day sea crossing from Mombasa to Oman was going to cost €10,900.

Going back through the western route across Africa was not an option for us.
So, reluctantly, we made a decision we had spent years trying to avoid:

We would ship the Sprinter after all – to South America.

And that was, when the whole spectacle we had been so afraid of, finally began.

Comparison of three options for shipping a Mercedes Sprinter: RoRo, flatrack and a 40-foot High Cube container.

Choosing the Right Way to Ship

By the time we had made peace with the idea of shipping our Sprinter, we had also made one thing very clear: RoRo was absolutely out of the question. Not because it was necessarily the worst or most expensive option, but because we simply didn’t like the idea of handing over our vehicle and its keys.

With RoRo shipping the vehicle is driven onto the ship and parked inside the vehicle deck. The keys have to be handed over and from that moment on, other people can potentially access the vehicle. Depending on the port and shipping process there can be numerous people involved in handling, moving and loading the vehicles. After everything we had heard about vehicles being broken into and emptied during transport, this was simply not something we were willing to accept.

A flat rack wasn’t really an option for us either. The vehicle is secured to an open steel platform which is then loaded onto the ship. This is a common solution for oversized vehicles, that don’t fit into a standard container. It eliminates the problem of getting the vehicle through a container door, but comes with its own disadvantages: the vehicle is completely exposed to weather and seawater and the cost can be considerably higher.

For us the logical choice was therefore a 40-foot High Cube container. A standard 40-foot container has an internal height of only around 2.39 metres so our 2.75-metre Sprinter was obviously far too tall. A 40-foot High Cube gives you roughly 2.70 metres of internal height and is therefore much closer to what we needed. But there was a catch: the door opening is lower than the internal height. Depending on the exact container, the door opening is only around 2.58–2.60 metres high.

That was the problem.

We measured the Sprinter. Then we measured it again. With the roof vent. Without the roof vent. With partially deflated tyres. With the suspension compressed. We even considered the ridiculous idea of putting it on wooden wheels to gain a few centimetres.

Every measurement told us essentially the same thing: we could gain only a few millimetres to centimetres.

Eventually we realised, that the roof hatch would have to be lowered and the roof fan removed completely. All that work just to gain those final centimetres and get through the container door. Once inside the container, there was actually enough room. The real obstacle woule be the doorway.

It would be a ridiculous amount of effort for a few centimetres, but we were prepared to do it. You don’t ship your home on wheels very often and considering what we were planning to do afterwards, this was one of those occasions where the effort seemed justified.

Anything would have been better than driving all the way back through Africa to Europe.

At that point the exact cost was almost irrelevant. We already knew, that the different shipping methods and routes could vary by several thousand Euros. First we had to solve the much more fundamental problem:

How do you get a 2.70-metre-high Sprinter through a roughly 2.60-metre-high door?

Technical Mercedes Sprinter dimension diagram showing side and rear views with measurements, air suspension clearance figures and final height targets for shipping to South America. Title

Choosing the Right Shipping Agent

Technically, you can arrange an international vehicle shipment yourself. You can contact the shipping line directly, book the container, deal with the port authorities, customs, export and import documentation, insurance and all the other paperwork involved. You may also have to deal with a CDP (Carnet de Passages) or other customs requirements, depending on the countries involved. In theory, this can save money. In practice, however, it can become complicated very quickly, especially if you are doing it for the first time. A good shipping agent knows the procedures, the required documents and the people at the relevant ports and customs authorities. They can coordinate the different steps and, ideally, prevent expensive mistakes.

The problem is finding the right agent.

The right shipping agent is absolutely essential

We started looking in Mombasa because Kenya was supposed to be the final destination of our African journey. We contacted pretty much everyone who had a name in the business. Without going into the details of every conversation, it became increasingly clear, that we did not want to ship from Mombasa.

The quotes were difficult to understand, costs appeared to be hidden behind layers of unfamiliar terminology and every answer seemed to lead to another question. There was a constant back and forth without ever getting a really clear picture of what we would actually pay or what exactly was included. Then came the part that really made us question the whole thing: we were told, that even if we used a container, everything of value had to be removed from the vehicle before shipping.

That raised a very simple question for us: Why would I spend several thousand euros on a secure container if the vehicle has to be emptied anyway because apparently nothing inside it is considered safe?

At that point, the whole concept started to make less and less sense. We also noticed, that the prices had reached a level, where it became increasingly obvious who wanted to have their share of the cake. The actual shipping cost was only one part of the equation. Suddenly there were handling fees, documentation fees, port charges, customs fees and various other additions that were difficult to understand and even harder to compare between agents.
The prices quoted by five different agents varied by thousands of euros.
That seemed suspicious to us.

For us, that was a clear red flag. Not necessarily, because every agent was trying to rip us off, but because we had no transparent basis on which to make a sensible decision. We were first-time shippers and we wanted someone who could explain the process clearly, give us a realistic total cost and tell us exactly what will be done and what we were paying for.

Mombasa was therefore off the table.

We drove all the thousands of kilometres back to South Africa. Our last chance to ship the vehicle, before heading back to Europe by road.

Humorous cartoon comparing five shipping agents with different prices, confusing jargon and red flags while a couple struggles to choose the right agent for shipping their campervan.

One Last Chance – And We Got Lucky

While we were stoically driving hundreds of kilometres every day to make sure we would reach South Africa in August, we were also contacting shipping agents along the way. At the same time, we met other travellers who had exactly the same plan: getting their vehicles to South America. So we teamed up and decided to become “container buddies“.
Sharing a container roughly halves the shipping cost, which makes a considerable difference, when you are talking about several thousand Euros. There are even Facebook and WhatsApp groups, where travellers connect specifically for this purpose.

The results, however, were sobering. With one single exception, none of the agents we contacted ever got back to us. No answer, no quote, nothing.
So suddenly there was only one chance left – and as it turned out, that last chance was a very reliable one.

In our case, it was Duncan from African Overlanders, together with the Facebook group of the same name. From the very beginning, things felt completely different. Of course, he also told us, that we could trust him and that everything would be fine. But unlike many of the others, his communication felt authentic and relaxed, rather than like a sales pitch. His information was credible, understandable and transparent enough for us to make a decision without constantly wondering, what was hidden somewhere in the small print.

He also offered to have special steel shipping rims made for our Sprinter, so that we could lower the vehicle enough, to get it into the High Cube container. Naturally, that came at an additional cost. But by then we had learned one simple rule: nothing in this world is free. If the solution worked and saved us from much more complicated alternatives, we were happy to pay for it.

You could also tell that Duncan had been doing this for a long time. He knew the business, understood the problems and – importantly – still communicated in a way, that felt straightforward and professional.
Let’s just say he hadn’t become completely africanized yet – if you know what I mean😉

Another major advantage was, that he had plenty of space on his property, where we could camp while preparing the Sprinter for South America. He also runs a workshop with some very capable and resourceful mechanics, which turned out to be extremely useful, considering what we still had to do to the vehicle before it should go into the container.

And then there was the price. It wasn’t cheap, but it was perfectly reasonable, considering the circumstances and the fuel prices at the time. After everything we had seen and heard in Mombasa, we finally had the feeling, that we were dealing with someone, who was offering us a realistic solution, rather than simply trying to make as much money as possible from our predicament.

We had found our shipping agent.

Wide panoramic collage promoting African Overlanders in Atlantis, Cape Town, South Africa, featuring expedition vehicles, a Cape Town coastal landscape, an outdoor kitchen and a circular view of an overlanding campsite, with contact information.

Everything “Half So Wild”

At some point we decided, that this whole shipping business was getting far too much attention. We had made our decision, found our agent and there was no point in worrying about the process every single day. So we simply stopped thinking about it and concentrated on the things we could actually control: getting the vehicle ready and planning what we were going to do, during the roughly two-month waiting period. Flying back to Germany and sitting around there for two months was never an option for us, so we needed other destinations, flights, rental cars and accommodation, to bridge the gap until Rossi would eventually arrive in South America.

We also quickly realised how simple the whole process can actually be, when you get clear information and straight answers to straight questions instead of being buried under vague terminology and crazy shipping jargon. In principle, the entire process is pretty easy if you have the right agent. A good one takes care of everything, that needs to be done and I have to say: Duncan is a man who has seen it all. Flexible… very flexible… iykwim.
That gave us a tremendous amount of security and freedom. Our fear of shipping disappeared almost overnight.

Meanwhile, we spent almost an entire month working on Rossi practically every single day, preparing him for his next chapter in South America. Montevideo was the destination and – more importantly – the place where our new journey would begin. There was plenty to do, from removing, reparing and modifying things to finding solutions for the container dimensions in case, there were no similar rims for our van, which could be altered to fit.

Duncan’s property gave us a pretty good idea of just how much experience he had with this business. There were dozens of travel vehicles scattered around the place, either waiting to be shipped or waiting to be collected by their owners. For us, this was actually quite reassuring. This wasn’t some guy, arranging the occasional vehicle shipment.
He was dealing with this kind of thing all the time.

The only thing we had to keep reminding him about from time to time, was our Container Rims. They still had to be manufactured specifically for Rossi. That was pretty much the extent of our shipping-related stress. We left the rest to Duncan and got on with our lives.

The Day Had Finally Come

Duncan had ordered the containers and had them delivered directly to his property, where they were parked in front of the loading ramp together with the truck. Our custom container rims had been finished for quite some time and fitted the Sprinter perfectly on the first attempt. Even so, our loading process was considerably more complicated, than that of our container buddies, who simply drove their vehicles straight into the container. Their loading time: about 2 minutes.

For us, it took almost two hours. We had to jack the Sprinter up and down in several stages, until it was finally sitting on its special container rims. The loading ramp itself was far from level and there was also a height difference of around 10–15 cm between the ramp and the container entrance. I simply didn’t trust myself to drive the Sprinter across that uneven transition and into the container. That job was taken over by Dany, the head mechanic.

In total, between five and seven people were involved in getting the Sprinter into the container. It was precision work. Even though the new rims had gained us 16.5 centimetres in height and should have left us with around four centimetres of clearance, the uneven transition between the loading ramp and the container entrance made things considerably more difficult. In the end, there really were only a few millimetres of clearance.

Everyone worked with incredible precision and care. Duncan kept the entire operation under control, constantly checking everything and giving instructions. One of the helpers was actually lying on top of the container, carefully checking the clearance as the Sprinter moved forward. Once the vehicle was finally in position, everything was securely strapped (the so called “lashing”) down. Our original wheels were secured as well. The container was closed, locked and sealed and after roughly two hours the truck finally drove away with Rossi safely inside.

I have to admit, that I did have a bit of sweat on my forehead towards the end. Looking at that tiny gap between the roof and the container entrance was one thing. Watching our home on wheels being slowly pushed into it was something else entirely. But in the end, all’s well that ends well.

Now there is only one question left: Will we actually get Rossi out of that container again?

That part is no longer in Duncan’s hands. The unloading operation in Montevideo will be handled by the local staff there. But at least we can relax a little: we took out a new insurance policy that covers any damage that might occur during the entire process until we are finally sitting behind the wheel again.

Bye, bye Mr. Rossi – See us in Uruguay

Totti smiling and giving a thumbs-up while a mechanic works on a wheel to prepare special container rims for the Mercedes Sprinter. Title

Let’s Talk About the Preparation

For shipping a vehicle out of South Africa, you need the appropriate customs documentation, usually either a Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) or a Temporary Import Permit (TIP), depending on the circumstances and the destination. We already had a Carnet.
We handed it to Duncan before the vehicle was loaded and he took care of the necessary customs procedure. Once the Sprinter was in the container, he handed the stamped Carnet straight back to us. We could then send it back to the issuing organisation because, as far as our South American destinations were concerned, we didn’t need it anymore. That was the paperwork. Job done.

The vehicle itself was a completely different story. Apart from all the repairs and maintenance you might want to do before shipping a vehicle overseas, you should also think carefully about the destination.
Is the vehicle actually ready for the new environment? Are the diesel filters suitable? Do the operating fluids need to be changed? Is there any special equipment you should have on board? Are there spare parts or other items, that should be ordered and installed before the vehicle disappears into a container for several weeks? All of this takes time.
Fortunately, we had arrived at Duncan’s place almost a month before the container was due to leave, instead of the 7 to 14 days, we had originally planned. We ended up needing practically every single one of those days and even then things got tight.

Then there was cleanliness and hygiene.
We cleaned Rossi almost obsessively, because the last thing we wanted, was to send a few thousand uninvited passengers to South America in the form of ants, insects or other unwanted creatures. We used up our food supplies wherever possible. Anything that couldn’t reasonably be opened or emptied was left inside the van. The water tanks were emptied several days before loading and the hoses were blown out thoroughly. The objective was simple: eliminate as much moisture as possible and leave nothing behind, that could encourage mould or unpleasant smells during the voyage.
The gas bottles needed to be emptied… or not? 😉

And there is one thing that really matters: everything has to be completely dry. Even slightly damp clothing or other organic material can become a serious mould problem inside a closed container. Mould spores are already present in the air and on fabrics. Once you combine moisture, warmth and several weeks without proper ventilation, you have almost perfect conditions for fungal growth. What starts as a little residual dampness, can therefore turn into a very unpleasant surprise by the time you open the container again.

This would have been particularly difficult in Mombasa. With temperatures around 35°C and humidity approaching 98%, getting everything genuinely dry would have been a challenge in itself. At Duncan’s place this wasn’t an issue. The climate was much more suitable and we had enough time to make sure, everything was properly dry before loading.

A few days before the container arrived, we also started thinking about humidity inside the container. We bought conventional moisture absorbers from a hardware store and placed six of them inside Rossi. Duncan added another two in the driver’s cab and strongly recommended leaving the windows wide open during the sea voyage. The idea is to allow moisture to escape rather than trapping humid air inside the vehicle. A container is not an airtight environment, but ventilation and moisture control can still make a significant difference over a long voyage.

One small detail is easy to overlook, but can become very expensive: leave the vehicle key inside the vehicle. It might seem obvious to take it with you, but there are situations, where port staff may need to move the vehicle for inspection, loading or unloading. If the vehicle has to be removed from the container for some unexpected reason and nobody has the key, a perfectly avoidable problem can suddenly become an expensive one.

There are a few more things worth checking before closing the container: disconnecting or securing anything that could move during transport, checking that all external equipment is firmly attached, folding in the mirrors if necessary, securing cupboards and drawers inside the vehicle and making sure nothing can fall or leak. Gas cylinders and other regulated items also need to be dealt with, according to the shipping line’s requirements.
Last and least: disconnceted the batteries and all electric devices. (LifePO4 batteries are a nobrainer, btw *pssst*🤫)

Also, don’t forget to take all the things and clothes you’ll need for your onward journey with you. We packed our suitcases two days in advance because how often do you forget something that you desperately need later?

Finally, take photographs of the vehicle before it disappears into the container. Photograph the exterior from every angle, the interior, the dashboard and anything else, that could later be relevant for an insurance claim.

The general rule is simple: prepare the vehicle as if nobody will be able to touch it for the next two months. Because, essentially, that’s exactly what is going to happen.

… and in the Meanwhile?

Now comes the part where the sweating starts.
Where is our container? Which route is the ship taking? Where will it call next?
Fortunately, you don’t have to sit there completely in the dark. You can actually track the ship and, depending on the service, even the container.
VesselFinder.com offers both ship and container tracking. The free version is perfectly sufficient for our purposes and can even be integrated into your own website. With the map and the vessel’s schedule, you can keep an eye on where your container is and where it is expected to be next.

Of course, it would be nice to travel with your vehicle throughout the entire journey, but honestly: who wants to spend almost two months sitting on a container ship?
Many travellers simply fly back to their home country and wait it out. That wasn’t particularly attractive to us. There was nothing waiting for us in Germany, so instead we started looking for places, that were affordable to reach and inexpensive to live in.
At the same time, we deliberately looked for destinations that would be more difficult or expensive to explore with our own vehicle.

For us, the basic requirements were pretty simple: good climate, interesting destinations and reasonable costs. That led us to Indonesia and Malaysia.

A direct flight from Cape Town to Jakarta or Denpasar would have been considerably more expensive, so we split the journey into two separate flights: Cape Town → Singapore → Jakarta. That little detour saved us around €900 on the outbound journey.
We spent five days in Singapore and then a month in Indonesia (where we are right now).
Malaysia will be later squeezed into the itinerary, because Indonesia only allows us to stay for one month under our particular circumstances and requires proof of onward travel.

The final onward flight is something, we deliberately decided not to book yet. Malaysia also wants to see an onward ticket, but we wanted to wait until Rossi had actually left Bremerhaven and was safely on his way directly to Uruguay. At that point, we would finally know, that our vehicle was moving in the right direction and could plan the final leg of our own journey with much more certainty.

And this is where our two journeys really start to look rather different.

Rossi’s route:
Cape Town → Algeciras → UK → Bremerhaven → Montevideo

Our route:
Cape Town → Singapore → Jakarta → Kuala Lumpur → Montevideo

Two completely different routes, one common destination. While Rossi was crossing oceans and changing ships, we were hopping from one country to the next and trying to make the two-month gap as interesting as possible.

A group of travellers and mechanics smiling together after successfully loading their vehicles into shipping containers in South Africa.

Chapter One – Over and Out

And that’s where Chapter One ends.

For now, we’re simply going to wait, keep travelling and see what happens. Rossi is on his way and there isn’t much more we can do from here, except follow his progress and hope that everything goes according to plan.

We’ll tell you all about Chapter Two once we’ve actually got Rossi out of the container in Montevideo and are sitting behind the wheel again.

Until then: Stay tuned, stay safe.

Cheers, 
Totti & Fenny

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

For our Mercedes Sprinter, we paid USD 5,000 for the shipping itself, covering both ends: USD 3,800 to African Overlanders and another USD 1,200 to the agent in Montevideo. There will naturally be a few additional costs here and there, so realistically it’s USD 5,000 plus a little extra rather than less.

That said, this is generally considered quite expensive. We were told that the current circumstances and the departure and destination countries have a significant impact on the price. Uruguay apparently has some of the highest vehicle shipping costs in the region, which was one of the reasons our total came out higher than we initially expected.

This entirely depends on the payment options offered by your shipping agent. We would have preferred to pay by PayPal but that wasn’t possible in our case, so we made an international bank transfer instead. This cost us an additional €20 in bank fees.

Other agents may offer different payment methods, so it’s worth asking about this before booking.

One important point: our agent in South Africa required payment in USD and we were told that USD would also be required for the agent in Montevideo. Make sure you clarify the required currency and payment method in advance, especially if you are dealing with international bank transfers and potentially significant amounts.

Duncan found suitable used rims at a scrapyard that were close to the specifications of our original wheels. We provided the required wheel size and offset (ET) and his mechanic then modified the rims by hand to fit the Sprinter. The modification essentially involved drilling five new mounting holes and enlarging the centre bore with a small angle grinder.

The total cost was USD 200 for the set. However, if you have the tools and some basic mechanical skills, you can easily make these rims yourself and save the money. Essentially, you only need suitable rims, the correct dimensions, five new mounting holes and a way to enlarge the centre bore accurately.

Officially, both gas cylinders and lithium batteries are considered dangerous goods by shipping companies and can be subject to strict regulations. We had read that gas cylinders may require a certificate confirming that they are completely empty and that lithium batteries may not be allowed to travel with the vehicle at all.

In our case, neither was an issue. Our gas cylinders were already empty and nobody was particularly interested in the two lithium batteries we had installed in Rossi. In Mombasa, however, we had been quoted USD 400 just for shipping the lithium batteries. In Cape Town, nobody charged us anything for them.

So they simply stayed where they were and nobody asked any questions.

If you run into a problem with your lithium batteries, you could always get creative and label them as AGM batteries… 😉
But be careful: we have no idea how such a workaround would affect your insurance coverage. We certainly wouldn’t want to give anyone the impression that this is an officially approved solution.

No. Duncan handled everything for us. There was no customs inspection with us present and there wasn’t one without us either. As far as we were concerned, the entire customs procedure was handled smoothly and without any inspection of Rossi.

Things might have been different in Mombasa. We had already been told, that customs officers there were also known to have rather sticky fingers from time to time. Whether that’s actually true, we simply don’t know. We can only say, that we had heard it from several agents.

Yes, of course. You can be there for the entire loading process and have virtually full control over what is being done to your vehicle. We definitely wanted to be present, partly for security reasons but also because, quite honestly, we found the whole process fascinating. We wanted to see with our own eyes, how Rossi would actually get into that container.

Other travellers chose a different approach. They simply handed their vehicles over to Duncan and let him manage the entire process himself. Given his experience and the team he works with, that is also a perfectly viable option.

Generally, as much time as you need – or as much time as the team needs. There is no rushing and nobody is pushing you, to get the job done as quickly as possible. The container is delivered to Duncan’s property and can stay there for as long as necessary. If it takes an entire day, then it takes an entire day (but shouldn’t)

We needed around 2 hours to get Rossi safely into the container. Everything was done calmly, carefully and with precision. Given how tight the clearance was, we were very happy that nobody was in a hurry.

We do not know about Montevideo though, but we will update this information, once we know.

All the agents we spoke to, recommended booking roughly 4–6 weeks in advance. The earlier you book, the less precise the pricing tends to be, as shipping rates can change and the final costs are usually confirmed only a few days before departure.

We announced our shipment about 6 weeks in advance and made the booking final 4 weeks before departure. This gave us enough time to prepare Rossi properly, while still allowing the agent to provide us with a reasonably accurate final price.

Talk to other travellers. Check Facebook, Instagram, Blogs, YouTube and WhatsApp groups and see, what other overlanders have experienced with different agents. Many shipping agents have also built a reputation on iOverlander – some good, some bad. In the end, there is no perfect formula for finding the right one. Do your research, compare the information you get and then trust your gut feeling.

Ask everything you can think of and make sure you get clear answers rather than a cloud of shipping terminology. At the very least, ask what is included in the quoted price, what additional costs might occur, which documents are required, what exactly you are allowed to leave inside the vehicle and what has to be removed.

You should also clarify who handles customs at both ends, whether the vehicle will be inspected, who is responsible for loading and unloading, how long the container can remain at the loading location and what happens if the ship is delayed. Ask about insurance, the exact container dimensions and especially the door opening height if your vehicle is anywhere near the limit.

Personally, I pay very close attention to how my initial questions are answered. Some people somehow manage to answer only one question when you have asked five. I often make a point of saying: I’m a complete beginner. Explain it to me like I’m a five-year-old. If I immediately understand the answer and all my questions are actually addressed, that’s already a big step towards building trust.

And most importantly: ask for the complete price in writing. If the answer changes every time you ask another question or you still don’t understand what you are actually paying for, that’s probably a good time to look for another agent.

Since we can’t really judge an insurance policy before or after the fact – the real test only comes when you actually have a claim – we don’t want to name the insurance company.
What we can say is, that we took out something comparable to comprehensive insurance for the entire shipping process. The premium was €450.

The policy covers damage, that can occur in connection with the shipment, including damage during loading and unloading, handling at the port, transport inside the container and the actual sea voyage.
It also covers damage caused by accidents, mishandling or other incidents occurring while the vehicle is under the responsibility of the shipping process. In our case, the cover remains in place until we are back behind the wheel of Rossi in Montevideo.

For us, that was an important point. The vehicle is our home and contains considerably more than just a vehicle’s worth of equipment. For €450, we considered the additional peace of mind well worth it. But whether the insurance is actually as good as it sounds, is something we will hopefully never find out.

No, it doesn’t – and ours isn’t.
The vehicle does not have to be currently registered or have a valid road insurance policy in order to be shipped.

We insured Rossi and everything inside him for a total value of €50,000. To document the contents properly, we took photographs of every individual item. The insurance company itself only required photographs of the vehicle from the outside along with the relevant vehicle documents, as well as an approximate timeframe.

When declaring the insured value, however, you should use some common sense. Don’t deliberately set the value excessively high, as the insurance company may decide to investigate and request additional documentation. But don’t underestimate the value either, because in the event of a claim you want the insured amount to actually reflect, what you stand to lose. In our case, €50,000 seemed like a realistic figure for the vehicle and its contents.

Oh yes!

There is one thing about marine cargo insurance that many people – including us before we looked into it – probably don’t realise. If the ship suffers a major accident or even sinks, the consequences can go far beyond simply losing your vehicle. Depending on the circumstances, the cargo owners can be required to contribute to the costs of a general average claim. In other words, the financial consequences of a major incident can be shared among the parties whose cargo is being transported.

So, in the highly unlikely event that the ship sinks and you have no appropriate insurance, you could potentially end up with no vehicle, no compensation and an additional bill for your share of the general average costs. That’s not exactly the kind of souvenir, we wanted to bring home from our first shipping experience.

Our insurance included this risk, which was another reason, why we considered the €450 premium money well spent.

Better safe, than sorry, r8?

A 40ft High Cube container has the following approximate dimensions:

External Dimensions

  • Length: 40 ft (12.19 m)
  • Width: 8 ft (2.44 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.89 m)

Internal Dimensions

  • Length: 39 ft 6 in (12.025 m)
  • Width: 7 ft 9 in (2.352 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.585 m)
  • Capacity: 2,694 cu ft (76 m³)

Keep in mind that these dimensions are not necessarily identical for every container. Depending on the manufacturer and container type, the actual measurements can vary by a few centimetres. This is particularly important when you are dealing with a vehicle that only fits through the container door with a few centimetres to spare.

Always check the exact dimensions of the specific container before shipping your vehicle or make sure, your vehicle definitely will fit!

There are several Facebook and WhatsApp groups specifically for travellers looking for someone to share a shipping container. There are also groups dedicated to particular countries or routes. Here are a few examples:

Containersharing WhatsApp Group
WhatsApp Group – Containersharing

Panamericana WhatsApp Group
WhatsApp Group – Panamericana

Panamerican Overlanders WhatsApp Group
WhatsApp Group – Panamerican Overlanders

Container Buddy – Europe ↔ North and South America
Facebook Group – Container Buddy

Some shipping agents and agencies also offer a container-buddy matching service, so it is always worth asking them directly. On popular routes you will usually find someone looking for a shared container, especially if your travel dates line up. Many regions have particular travel seasons, when large numbers of overlanders are heading in the same direction, which makes finding a suitable container buddy considerably easier.

That happened to us when we originally considered shipping from Mombasa. We were planning to ship at a time of year when hardly anyone was travelling to South America, so there simply wasn’t anyone looking for a shared container. We were therefore prepared to pay for the entire container ourselves and had actually almost gone ahead with it.

Then our agent dropped the bombshell that we would have to remove all valuable belongings from the vehicle anyway and that the available High Cube containers weren’t available in the required length. That was the point where we decided to walk away from Mombasa.

If your vehicle is longer than 6 metres, you may have no choice but to book a container entirely for yourself anyway. And if you’re travelling to an unusual destination or at an unusual time of year and can’t find a container buddy, the whole thing can get expensive very quickly.

So if you are planning to share a container, start looking for your container buddy early. The more flexible you are with dates and routes, the better your chances of finding someone to share the cost.

Your shipping agent will provide you with the container number and the name of the ship carrying it. You can then enter the ship’s name into VesselFinder and follow its position throughout the voyage.

Container tracking is a separate service and usually costs a small fee. If your container is transferred between several ships during the journey, container tracking becomes much more useful, because simply following the original ship will no longer tell you, where your container is. In our case, the container tracking option cost roughly €7.

No. Our agent actually laughed when we told him, what we had been told in Mombasa. We were able to leave 100% of our belongings and inventory inside the van.

As far as customs inspections are concerned, our agent explained that customs cannot simply open the container on their own. If customs wants to inspect the contents, the agent has to be notified and be present when the container is opened.

According to our agent, this happens extremely rarely. So in our case, everything stayed inside Rossi exactly where it belonged and we didn’t have to empty our home on wheels before shipping it.

The most important thing is to place the moisture absorbers somewhere where their little collection containers cannot tip over. Once they are full, they can overflow and you definitely don’t want several hundred millilitres of liquid sloshing around inside your campervan.

We therefore took some 5-litre plastic containers, cut them open and placed the moisture absorbers inside them. This gave them a stable base and made sure they couldn’t wobble around or tip over. And if one of the absorbers did tip over, any liquid would simply run into the 5-litre container instead of spilling into the van.

The moisture absorbers themselves were distributed strategically throughout Rossi. We placed them where they couldn’t fly around during transport and also in places where we expected more moisture to accumulate, such as the cupboard containing the water tank. The idea was simply to create several independent moisture traps throughout the vehicle, rather than relying on one or two absorbers in a single location.

We also stood the two mattresses upright and arranged them like a tent, so that they wouldn’t be pressed tightly against each other. Any points where damp mattresses remain in contact for weeks, can become perfect places for mould to develop.

At the rear of Rossi, we placed six moisture absorbers throughout the living area. In the driver’s cab, we added another two, one in each of the footwells. If one of them happened to leak there, it wouldn’t cause any damage, because the liquid would simply collect in the recessed footwell and drain away, through the existing drainage holes, causing no damage.

 
 
 

In general, the quotation from your shipping agent should give you a reasonably reliable idea of what the actual shipping will cost. However, there always seem to be additional charges that even the agent cannot predict in advance. These can include customs scanning fees, additional port handling, storage charges, documentation fees or other local charges that, only become apparent once the vehicle reaches the port.

But all of that is still only the cost of getting your vehicle into the container and eventually into the destination country.

You also have to think about your own costs while the vehicle is travelling. Unless you want to spend several weeks sitting at home waiting for your campervan, you will need flights, accommodation and possibly rental cars or other transportation. These costs can quickly become a significant part of the overall bill and should definitely be included when calculating, what the shipping is actually going to cost you.

Of course, this depends entirely on your individual travel plans. In our case, the shipping itself was only part of the equation. With flights, accommodation, rental cars and everything else involved in bridging the waiting period, we estimate, that we will have spent around €10,000–€12,000 in overall expenses, that we wouldn’t normally have had.
That is the real cost of deciding to send your home on wheels halfway around the world, while you travel separately.

Yes. Shipping your own vehicle is certainly not the only option. The most obvious alternative is to sell your vehicle before leaving and buy another one at the destination. This can make financial sense if you are planning to stay in your desired country for a long time. You avoid shipping costs, port fees, customs procedures and the risk of damage during transport. You can also buy a vehicle that is already adapted to local conditions and spare parts availability.

The downside is that buying a suitable campervan in a foreign country can be difficult. Finding exactly what you want, checking the vehicle’s history and technical condition and dealing with registration and insurance can take considerable time. You also have to sell the vehicle again at the end of your trip. Depending on the country, importing or registering a foreign vehicle can be complicated as well.

Another possibility is to buy a vehicle in a neighbouring country where the market is larger or prices are better, then drive it across the continent. This gives you much more freedom than renting but you still have to deal with ownership, registration, insurance and potentially import restrictions.

Renting a campervan is the simplest solution from an organisational point of view. You arrive, pick up the vehicle and start travelling. There is no shipping, no customs and no long-term commitment. The obvious disadvantage is the price. For a trip lasting several months or years, rental costs can easily exceed the cost of shipping and owning your own vehicle.

You can also travel without a campervan at all, using buses, domestic flights, trains and occasional rental cars. South America has an extensive long-distance bus network and in many regions this can actually be considerably easier than travelling with a large vehicle. The downside is obvious: you lose the freedom and independence that comes with having your own home on wheels.

For us, none of these alternatives really made sense. We had already spent years building and adapting Rossi to exactly the way we travel. Selling him and starting again would have meant giving up something we knew and trusted. Renting for several years would have been enormously expensive and travelling without him simply wasn’t what we wanted to do.

So yes, there are alternatives. But for us, shipping Rossi was ultimately the least complicated solution — even though it was the one we had originally sworn we would never do.

 
 

Our shipment is scheduled to take 55 days from South Africa to Montevideo. However, we have heard plenty of stories from other travellers, who ended up waiting up to 3 months for their vehicles to arrive. The reason is, that the advertised transit time is not necessarily the same as the actual time your vehicle spends in the shipping system.

A container ship rarely sails directly from A to B. Depending on the route and the shipping line, it may call at several ports along the way. Containers can be unloaded, transferred to another vessel or simply remain in a port, waiting for the next available connection. Weather, port congestion, customs procedures, technical problems, schedule changes and missed connections can add days or even weeks.

This is particularly relevant when your vehicle is travelling on a route, with several intermediate ports. Even if the actual time at sea is relatively predictable, everything that happens before, between and after the ocean legs, can be much harder to predict.

So if you are planning your own trip around the arrival of your vehicle, don’t book your onward travel too tightly around the scheduled arrival date. Fifty-five days may be the plan. Your vehicle may have a completely different opinion.

That depends entirely on the countries, our desire to travel and how we feel along the way. Our current plan is to spend 5 to 6 years exploring South America, but it could just as easily turn into 1 or 2 years.

We don’t really plan this kind of thing too far ahead. We prefer to let ourselves drift, see what happens and let the countries and the people we meet along the way influence, where we go next☺️.

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]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/afraid-of-shipping-how-we-shipped-our-mercedes-sprinter-to-south-america/feed/ 2 DHL Express Shipping Tutorial: Step-by-Step Guide https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-tutorial/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-tutorial/#respond Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:26:21 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=3416 This step-by-step DHL Express tutorial shows you how to create an international shipment, complete every shipping document correctly and avoid common customs mistakes.

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DHL Express Shipping Tutorial – Step-by-Step Guide

DHL Express Shipping Tutorial

Creating an international DHL Express shipment isn’t difficult – but getting it right is essential. A small mistake in the shipping details or customs declaration can lead to delays, additional fees or, in the worst case, your parcel being returned.

In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the entire shipment creation process using the official MyDHL+ shipping portal. We’ll explain every important field, show you which options to select, and share the practical tips we’ve learned after shipping parcels all over the world.

Unlike our Ultimate DHL Express Shipping Guide, this article focuses exclusively on creating a shipment for you as the sender and receiver. We’ll complete the process together step by step – from the first screen to printing your shipping documents.

Let’s get started.

Annotated MyDHL+ Create Shipment screen explaining how overlanders should complete the sender and receiver details, including a DHL Service Point delivery address, EORI number, passport information and contact details.

Step 1: Sender & Receiver

Before creating your shipment, find a real DHL Service Point. Don’t trust Google Maps alone – many locations no longer exist. Call ahead or visit in person, note the contact person’s name and ask how long they’ll store your parcel.

Always enter your own name first as the receiver.

Example:

James Walker
c/o DHL Service Point
123 Example Street
4567 City
8910 Country

If you’re shipping to a private address, use the homeowner only as c/o. Not all address fields appear on the shipping label, so your name should always come first.

Passport

Some countries require the receiver’s passport type and passport number for customs clearance. If you’re shipping the parcel to yourself, simply enter your own passport details.

EORI Number

An EORI number may be required for some shipments to or from the EU. Most private individuals don’t need one, but if customs requests it, you can apply free of charge through your country’s customs authority.
We never used or needed one!

Private Use

Whenever possible, make it clear that the shipment is for private use only and will be exported again. Use phrases such as:

  • Private Use
  • Tourist
  • No Resale
  • Vehicle Repair
  • Will Be Exported Again

This helps customs understand that you’re an overlander receiving your own belongings—not importing goods for commercial purposes.

Annotated MyDHL+ shipment details screen explaining the purpose of shipment, item descriptions, shipment summary, invoice value, shipment protection and the Master Reference Number (MRN) for international DHL Express shipping.

Step 2: Shipment Details

This page contains the most important information for customs clearance. A few fields deserve special attention.

Purpose of Shipment

Always choose Personal, Not for Resale whenever you’re shipping your own belongings or spare parts to yourself while traveling.

This makes it clear that the shipment is not intended for commercial purposes.

Describe Each Item

Every item must be declared individually.
Use short but precise English descriptions and avoid generic terms like parts, accessories or miscellaneous.

In the next step, we’ll show you exactly how to describe your items correctly.

Shipment Summary

Summarize the contents of your parcel in one short English sentence.

Invoice Value

In most cases, you don’t need to enter anything here.
The total invoice value is calculated automatically from the items you add to your shipment.

Master Reference Number (MRN)

Most overlanders can safely ignore this field.

An MRN (Master Reference Number) is only required for certain formal export procedures from the EU, typically for high-value commercial exports or shipments that require an export declaration.

If you need an MRN, you’ll already know it before creating your shipment.

Shipment Protection

For valuable shipments, consider adding Shipment Value Protection. While DHL includes limited liability, additional protection can be worthwhile when shipping expensive spare parts or equipment.

Annotated MyDHL+ item description screen showing how to declare an individual item with its description, HS commodity code, quantity, value, weight and country of origin for international DHL Express shipping.

Step 3: Add Your First Item

Click Add Another Item to create a new item entry.

The item section will expand, allowing you to enter all customs-relevant information for that product.

To make things easier, click Create Description.

DHL will then open the description generator shown in the next step. It helps you create a customs-friendly item description that is far more precise than generic terms such as car parts or accessories.

We highly recommend using this tool whenever possible, as accurate descriptions can significantly reduce customs questions and delays.

MyDHL+ item description generator prompting users to enter the product name, brand, model, material and intended use to create an accurate customs description for international shipping.

Step 4: Item Description – Let AI Do the Work

This is one of the most useful features in MyDHL+.

Instead of trying to come up with the perfect customs description yourself, take a screenshot of this window and upload it to your favorite AI together with a link to the product (or the product page).

Ask the AI to fill in every field based on the product specifications.

The more accurate the information, the better.

Once all fields are completed, MyDHL+ automatically generates the final Item Description in the last field. 

We use this method for almost every shipment – it saves time, reduces mistakes and produces excellent customs descriptions.

MyDHL+ Commodity Code Lookup tool showing how to search for the correct HS commodity code based on an item's description, material and intended use before selecting the appropriate customs classification.

Step 5: Find the Correct Commodity Code

Every item shipped internationally requires an HS (Harmonized System) commodity code. Customs authorities use this code to identify your product and determine whether import restrictions, duties or taxes apply.

Fortunately, MyDHL+ makes this easy.

Simply enter:

  • What is the item?
  • What is it made of?
  • How will it be used?

Click Search and MyDHL+ will suggest one or more matching commodity codes.

Choose the code that best matches your product.

Do NOT ask AI here. It always generates phantasy-codes 😉

Taking a few extra seconds here is worthwhile. A correct commodity code can help prevent customs delays and unnecessary questions later in the shipping process.

MyDHL+ unit selection menu showing the available measurement units for declaring an item's quantity, such as pieces, sets, kilograms, liters and pairs during international DHL Express shipment creation.

Step 6: Select the Correct Unit

After describing your item, you’ll need to choose how it is packaged or counted.

For most overlanders, the most common options are:

  • Set – for items sold or shipped together as one complete set (e.g. brake pads, bearing kits, repair kits).
  • Pieces – for individual items such as a relay, alternator, water pump or sensor.

Only use units such as Kilograms, Liters, Pairs or Cartons if they genuinely describe the item you’re shipping.

Choose the unit that best matches the product. It helps customs understand exactly what they’re looking at and avoids unnecessary questions.

Value

Enter the actual value of one single item, not what you originally paid years ago or what you hope it’s worth.

If possible, use the value shown on the invoice or receipt. Customs uses this information to calculate duties and taxes.

Weight

Enter the weight of one single item as accurately as possible.

We recommend weighing every item individually on a digital kitchen scale before packing. This not only improves customs declarations but also helps if you ever need to file an insurance claim.

Small inaccuracies usually aren’t a problem, but avoid guessing whenever possible.

MyDHL+ customs invoice page showing the invoice creation options, invoice remarks, declaration statements and additional customs document fields for an international DHL Express shipment.

Step 7: Customs Invoice Details

This page lets you add additional information for customs.

Create Invoice

Select Create Invoice. MyDHL+ will automatically generate the Commercial or Proforma Invoice using the information you’ve entered in the previous steps.

Additional Invoice Information (Remarks)

This is one of the few places where you can communicate directly with customs.

We recommend adding a short remark such as:

Private use only. No resale. Tourist. Vehicle repair. Will be exported again.

Keep it short, factual and in English.

Declaration Statements

Most overlanders can safely ignore these options. They are only required for specific products or legal declarations.

Additional Parties

If you’re shipping a parcel to yourself, simply select No.

Additional Customs Documents

If DHL or customs has requested supporting documents – such as invoices, proof of purchase or other paperwork – you can attach them here.

For most private shipments, this section can remain empty.

Regardless of what you upload here, we always print every invoice and include two complete sets with the shipment: one set in a transparent document pouch attached to the outside of the parcel and another set inside the box.

We also include a separate printed note reading:

These items are for private use only, are not intended for resale and will be exported again when leaving the country as a tourist.

It takes only a few minutes but can save days – or even weeks- of unnecessary customs delays (and costs).

Once you’ve reviewed everything, click Next to continue.

MyDHL+ packaging page showing the package weight, dimensions and quantity for an international DHL Express shipment, where adjusting the parcel size can significantly affect the shipping price.

Step 8: Package Size and Weight

This is where you enter your parcel’s weight and dimensions.

Here’s a trick we’ve learned after many international shipments.

Play around with the package dimensions and weight before booking. Increase the dimensions in 5 cm increments and the weight in 500 g increments, then check the shipping price each time.

DHL uses pricing thresholds. As soon as you cross one of them, the shipping cost can increase dramatically. Sometimes just one extra centimeter can add €50 or more to the total price.

Every shipment has a sweet spot. Finding it takes a few minutes and can be a little frustrating, but it can easily save you a significant amount of money.

One more tip: plan ahead before ordering your spare parts. Keep a list of every item’s weight and approximate dimensions while shopping. Otherwise, you may discover too late that everything no longer fits within your target parcel size or weight – and suddenly your shipping costs jump into the next price bracket.

(For most of the countries we’ve shipped to, the first sweet spot was a parcel measuring 25 × 20 × 20 cm. A 2 kg shipment typically cost between €114 and €148, depending on the destination country and its zone. Exceeding one of these dimensions often increased the shipping price by around €50.)

MyDHL+ payment page showing the payment method, duty and tax payment options, and Incoterms selection for an international DHL Express shipment.

Step 9: Payment and Delivery Options

This is the second-to-last step before creating your shipment.

Choose your preferred payment method. We usually pay with PayPal, but any available payment option will work.

Duties and Taxes

If you’re shipping a parcel to yourself, we recommend selecting Receiver will pay. Customs duties and import taxes, if applicable, are usually collected when the parcel arrives in the destination country.

Incoterms

For most overlanders, DAP (Delivered at Place) is the right choice.

With DAP, DHL delivers the shipment to the destination, while the receiver is responsible for any import duties, taxes or customs fees that may arise.

Once everything is set up, click Next.

On the following page, MyDHL+ calculates the available DHL Express services, estimated delivery times and the final shipping price. At this point, you can still go back and adjust your parcel size or weight if you want to optimize the shipping costs before completing your booking.

MyDHL+ shipping options page displaying the estimated delivery date, transit time and shipping price before confirming an international DHL Express shipment.

Step 10: Review the Price and Delivery Time

You’re almost done.

Based on all the information you’ve entered, MyDHL+ now calculates the available shipping service, estimated delivery date, transit time and final shipping price.

This is your last opportunity to review everything before purchasing the shipment.

If the price is higher than expected, you can still go back and adjust your parcel dimensions or weight. As we mentioned earlier, even 1 cm or a few hundred grams can move your shipment into a different pricing tier and save you a considerable amount of money.

Once you’re happy with the delivery time and price, click Select to complete your booking.

Your shipping documents – including the Waybill, Custom-, Commercial or Proforma Invoice, Transport Label and Shipment Receipt – will then be generated automatically and are ready to print.

Collage documenting the preparation of a DHL Express shipment, showing individual spare parts weighed on a digital scale, followed by the completed parcel with its final shipping weight.

Step 11: Print Your Shipping Documents

Once you’ve completed your booking, MyDHL+ generates several PDF documents.

Waybill

Print the Waybill and attach it securely to the outside of your parcel. This is the main shipping label DHL uses to identify and transport your shipment.

Commercial or Proforma Invoice

Print at least two copies.

Place one set in a transparent document pouch on the outside of the parcel and another set inside the box. Customs officials may need these documents at any point during transit.

Customs Invoice

If a separate Customs Invoice has been generated, print it as well and include it with the other customs documents.

Transport Label

Attach the Transport Label to the outside of the parcel next to the Waybill. Make sure all barcodes remain flat, clean and fully visible.

Shipment Receipt

Keep the Shipment Receipt for your records. It contains your shipment details and tracking information and may be useful if you need to contact DHL support later.

One Last Recommendation

Before sealing the parcel, take photos of every item, the printed documents, and the finished package from all sides. These photos can be invaluable if your shipment is delayed, damaged or an insurance claim becomes necessary.

Two ecstatic overlanders celebrate beside their expedition camper in the African bush as a DHL parcel rockets toward them through the air with dramatic motion blur, symbolizing the arrival of urgently needed spare parts.

A Few Final Words

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read our guide.

Everything you’ve read is based on our own experience after shipping countless parcels across the planet. We’ve made expensive mistakes, spent weeks chasing lost shipments, argued with customs officials and learned many lessons the hard way. Hopefully, this guide helps you avoid at least some of them.

Shipping internationally can seem overwhelming at first, but once you’ve done it a few times – and with a little preparation – it becomes surprisingly manageable.

If this guide has helped you, we’d really appreciate it if you shared it with other overlanders or travelers who might find it useful. It helps us keep creating free, in-depth travel content for the community.

We wish you safe travels, unforgettable adventures, and – most importantly – that every parcel you send arrives exactly where and when you need it.

See you somewhere on the road!

Totti & Fenny
Travelcandies-On-Tour

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Creating a DHL Express shipment is actually quite straightforward. The real challenge is preparing it properly.

Before you click Submit, ask yourself a few simple questions:

  • Is the recipient address correct and actually reachable?
  • Have you described every item accurately and in English?
  • Are the declared values realistic?
  • Have you chosen the correct HS (Commodity) Codes?
  • Have you measured and weighed everything accurately?
  • Have you found the most cost-effective parcel size?
  • Have you printed all required documents?
  • Did you include invoices inside and outside the parcel?
  • Have you made it clear that the shipment is for private use and not for resale?
  • Have you photographed every item and the finished parcel?

Two final pieces of advice have saved us both time and money:

Keep the number of different items as low as possible. Every additional item on the customs invoice increases complexity. If the invoice ever has to be corrected or recreated, DHL may charge a service fee. We learned this the hard way—one correction cost us €78. As a rule of thumb:

As few items as possible, as many as necessary.

Also, don’t use valuable shipping space for unimportant things. Socks, snacks, souvenirs and other inexpensive items rarely justify expensive DHL Express shipping. Reserve the space for what really matters—essential spare parts, important documents or equipment that keeps your journey moving.

Absolutely. In fact, we highly recommend it.

AI can help you write accurate item descriptions, suggest suitable HS (Commodity) Codes (but take care, often enough they’re not working), summarize your shipment and even review your customs documents for mistakes or inconsistencies.

Our preferred method is simple: upload a screenshot of the DHL form together with a link to the product and ask the AI to complete the fields. It saves time and usually produces much better customs descriptions than writing them yourself.

Just remember: AI is a tool—not a customs officer. Always review the generated information before submitting your shipment. You’re ultimately responsible for everything you declare.

Yes.

MyDHL+ allows you to save an unfinished shipment and continue working on it later. This is especially useful if you’re still waiting for invoices, exact weights or package dimensions

In many cases, nothing will happen – but sometimes it can cause significant problems.

An incorrect HS (Commodity) Code may lead to customs delays, additional questions, incorrect import duties or taxes, or even a request to submit corrected paperwork before your shipment can continue.

Don’t worry if you’re not an expert. Even customs authorities sometimes classify products differently. The important thing is to choose the most accurate code possible based on the item’s material and intended use.

Yes. Every different item should be declared separately with its own description, value, weight and HS (Commodity) Code.

However, that doesn’t mean you should create dozens of individual entries.

If you’re shipping multiple identical items, you can simply increase the quantity instead of creating a new entry for each one.

We also recommend keeping the number of different items as low as possible. Every additional item makes the customs invoice more complex and increases the likelihood of questions, corrections or delays.

Our rule is simple:

As few different items as possible, as many as necessary.

Always declare the actual current market value of the item – not the price you originally paid when it was new.

Customs wants to know what the item is reasonably worth today. Declaring an unrealistically low value can raise suspicion, while declaring a value that’s too high may result in unnecessarily high import duties and taxes.

If you’re unsure, use a realistic second-hand value based on comparable items or current market prices.

Whatever value you declare, make sure you can justify it if customs asks for proof.

Sure, why not? As long as the box is clean, sturdy and in good condition.

Remove or completely cover all old shipping labels, barcodes and tracking numbers to prevent scanning errors during transport.

If the box is damaged, crushed or has lost its structural strength, use a new one instead. Remember, your shipment is only as safe as its packaging.

For valuable shipments, we recommend using a strong double-walled cardboard box and plenty of protective packing material. A well-packed parcel is far less likely to be damaged—and may also help if you ever need to make an insurance claim.

Pack them as if the parcel will be dropped, thrown and stacked under heavy boxes—because it probably will.

From what we’ve been told by DHL in the past, your parcel should be strong enough to survive a fall from approximately 70 cm (28 inches) without the contents being damaged.

Wrap every fragile item individually using bubble wrap or other protective material and make sure nothing can move inside the box. Fill all empty spaces with cushioning material to prevent the contents from shifting during transport.

Heavy parts should be placed at the bottom of the parcel, while lighter and more fragile items should go on top.

If you’re shipping used spare parts, make sure they’re clean and free of oil or grease, as some countries have restrictions on contaminated automotive parts.

Finally, seal the box with strong packing tape, reinforce the edges and photograph both the contents and the finished parcel before shipping. It only takes a few minutes and can be invaluable if you ever need to make an insurance claim.

I have to admit that I don’t know the answer to this one, so I’ll let AI take over.

Yes, in most cases you can cancel a DHL Express shipment after payment, provided it hasn’t been collected or entered the DHL network yet.

If the shipment has not yet been picked up, you can usually cancel it through your MyDHL+ account or by contacting DHL Express customer service. Whether you’re entitled to a full refund depends on your country and the stage of the shipment.

Once DHL has collected the parcel or it has already been processed, cancellation is generally no longer possible.

If you’re unsure, contact DHL Express as soon as possible. The earlier you act, the greater the chance that your shipment can still be cancelled or modified.

First of all: don’t panic.

Take photos of the parcel before opening it, especially if it appears damaged. Then photograph the contents and compare them with the photos you took before shipping.

If items are missing or damaged, contact DHL Express immediately and report the problem. The sooner you do so, the better.

This is exactly why we recommend:

  • photographing every item before packing,
  • photographing the finished parcel from all sides,
  • keeping all invoices,
  • saving all shipping documents and tracking information.

Without evidence, it’s much more difficult to prove what was actually inside the parcel and in what condition it was shipped.

If you purchased Shipment Value Protection, the claims process is generally much easier. However, even then, good documentation is your strongest evidence.

In our experience, preparation doesn’t stop when you close the box—it continues until the parcel has safely reached its destination.

Again, this is a question I can’t answer from personal experience, so I’ll let AI take over.

Yes – but only under certain circumstances.

If your shipment hasn’t been delivered yet, DHL Express may be able to change the delivery address. Whether this is possible depends on the destination country, the shipment’s current status and local customs regulations.

In many cases, you’ll need to contact DHL Express Customer Service directly. Address changes are usually easier to arrange before the shipment reaches the destination country or before it has entered customs clearance.

Keep in mind that changing the delivery address may result in additional charges or a delay in delivery, especially if the new address is in a different city or service area.

If you need to make a change, contact DHL Express as soon as possible. The earlier you request it, the better the chances that the shipment can still be redirected.

Yes.

One of our parcels went missing, so we opened a claim with DHL Express. Fortunately, we had documented everything thoroughly with photos taken before shipping and were also able to provide witness statements.

The claims process took a few weeks, but in the end, we were fully reimbursed for the value of the shipment.

That experience reinforced one of the most important lessons we’ve learned: always document your shipment. A few photos and well-organized paperwork can make all the difference if something goes wrong.

There are several ways to reduce your shipping costs without compromising reliability.

  • Keep your parcel as small as possible. Even an increase of 1 cm can move your shipment into a higher pricing tier.
  • Play around with the dimensions and weight. Increase the size in 5 cm increments and the weight in 500 g increments to find the pricing sweet spot.
  • Ship only what’s really important. Don’t waste expensive shipping space on socks, snacks or other inexpensive items.
  • Keep the number of different items low. Fewer items mean simpler customs paperwork and can even save money if documents ever need to be corrected.
  • Plan ahead. Record the weight and dimensions of every item before ordering so you can build the most cost-effective parcel.
  • Use the space you’ve already paid for. If you’re still below the next pricing threshold, fill the remaining space with additional important items or extra protective packaging.

Our biggest tip?

Spend an extra 15 minutes optimizing your shipment before booking. We’ve saved well over €50 on a single shipment simply by reducing one parcel dimension by a few centimeters.

First of all, don’t panic. Customs delays are quite common and don’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with your shipment.

Start by checking the tracking status carefully. If the parcel remains in customs for several days, contact DHL Express. In many cases, customs is simply waiting for an additional document or a piece of information.

Unfortunately, the tracking information often doesn’t tell you exactly what’s missing. From our experience, you’ll usually only find out by speaking to a real DHL support agent.

If everything has been declared correctly, there’s often nothing you can do except wait. In some countries—especially where bureaucracy is extensive—customs clearance can take days or even weeks, regardless of how well your shipment was prepared.

Our advice is simple: stay proactive. Call DHL, respond quickly to any requests and keep all your invoices and shipping documents close at hand. The faster you provide any missing information, the sooner your parcel can continue its journey.

Volumetric weight is the amount of space your parcel occupies, not how much it actually weighs.

For air freight, DHL Express charges whichever is greater:

  • the actual weight, or
  • the volumetric weight.

This is why a large but lightweight parcel can cost more to ship than a small, heavy one.

For example, a box filled with pillows may weigh only 2 kg, but because it takes up a lot of space on an aircraft, DHL may charge it as if it weighed much more.

We don’t know the exact formula DHL uses or how every pricing threshold is calculated. However, after many shipments, we’ve noticed some interesting patterns. In many cases, at least one side of the parcel should not exceed 20 cm if you want to stay in a lower price bracket.

Surprisingly, we’ve also seen situations where a 60 × 40 × 20 cm parcel was cheaper than a much smaller 25 × 25 × 30 cm parcel.

That’s why we strongly recommend experimenting with different dimensions before booking your shipment. A few minutes of testing can easily save €50 or more.

Yes. They can… and they probably will.

Customs authorities have the right to inspect any international shipment if they consider it necessary. In some countries, inspections are random; in others, they’re quite common.

We’ve had several parcels opened by customs. In every case, they were resealed and continued their journey without any problems.

That’s another reason why proper packaging is so important. Pack your parcel so it can be opened, inspected and closed again without damaging the contents.

Also, don’t be surprised if the package arrives with customs inspection tape, additional labels or signs that it has been opened. That’s perfectly normal and doesn’t necessarily indicate a problem.

As long as your documentation is accurate and your parcel is packed properly, a customs inspection is simply part of international shipping.

It happens.

Customs officers may open your parcel for inspection and, unfortunately, they don’t always repack it as carefully as you did. Packaging materials may be removed, bubble wrap may not be replaced properly and items can shift during transport afterwards.

If your parcel arrives damaged, take photos before opening it and document any visible damage to both the box and its contents.

If items have been damaged, contact DHL Express immediately and keep all packing materials, invoices and shipping documents until the case has been resolved.

This is exactly why we recommend using strong packaging, plenty of cushioning material and photographing both the contents and the finished parcel before shipping. Good documentation can make all the difference if you need to file a claim later.

First of all: panic😂 – like we did… and act quickly.

If DHL tells you that your parcel is being returned because it’s damaged, contact DHL Express immediately. Ask where the parcel is, why it is considered damaged, and whether it can still be intercepted before it leaves the country.

This happened to us in Saudi Arabia.

After waiting more than a month, we were suddenly told that our parcel had been damaged and was already on its way back to Germany. We immediately called friends in Saudi Arabia, who tried to intercept the shipment. Meanwhile, we contacted every DHL office we could, tracked the parcel from one facility to the next and eventually drove across Jeddah ourselves until we finally found it.

The surprising part?

The parcel wasn’t damaged at all. The cardboard box had a few scratches and dents, but the contents were perfectly fine.

The lesson we learned is simple:

Don’t accept “it’s being returned” as the final answer. Ask questions, call DHL, find out where the parcel is and, if possible, collect it yourself before it leaves the country.

Acting quickly may save your shipment—and weeks of unnecessary waiting.

The post DHL Express Shipping Tutorial: Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-tutorial/feed/ 0 The Ultimate DHL Express Shipping Guide: Everything You Need to Know https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-guide/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-guide/#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2026 08:24:55 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=3282 The ultimate DHL Express shipping guide covering international shipping, customs, tracking, delivery times, costs and practical tips from our real-world experience.

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The Ultimate DHL Express Shipping Guide: Everything You Need to Know

In This Article

Before we begin, one thing is important: this is not a sponsored article, and we’re not affiliated with DHL in any way. We pay for every shipment ourselves, just like everyone else.

Over the past few years, we’ve shipped countless packages, documents and urgently needed spare parts around the world. We’ve used different courier solutions and learned a lot along the way.

Is DHL Express perfect? No. Like every logistics company, they make mistakes. But compared to the alternatives we’ve experienced, DHL Express has consistently been the most reliable option. You might pay a little more (sometimes even way more), but in our experience, that extra cost is often insignificant compared to the value of receiving an important shipment quickly, safely and with minimal hassle.

Many people blame DHL Express when something goes wrong. Sometimes that’s justified. But surprisingly often, the real problem started long before the package entered the DHL network. Incorrect customs documents, incomplete addresses, poor packaging or unrealistic expectations are among the most common reasons for delays and complications.

The good news is that most of these problems are completely avoidable. This guide explains how DHL Express works, where the common pitfalls are and – most importantly – how to avoid them. If you follow the advice in this article, you’ll dramatically increase the chances that your shipment arrives quickly and without unnecessary stress.

Happy overlander hugging a DHL Express parcel after successful delivery during an overland journey through the Middle East.

Why DHL Express?

Before using any shipping company, we do our research. We don’t just compare prices, we evaluate the entire service.
We start with the website. Is it user-friendly, transparent and easy to understand? Can we quickly find the information we need, or is everything hidden behind endless menus?
Then we test customer support by asking a few questions. How responsive are they? Are the answers actually helpful?
Finally, we compare shipping costs. Surprisingly often, other courier services cost about the same or are only slightly cheaper than DHL Express. But that’s usually where the problems begin: limited international coverage, poor tracking, confusing customs procedures or unreliable local partners.

Is DHL Express perfect? Definitely not. We’ve had our share of frustrating experiences, and customer support isn’t always as helpful as we’d like. But after years of shipping parcels and vehicle parts around the world, we still consider DHL Express the most reliable choice.

DHL Express is the one-eyed king among the blind.

Sometimes paying a few Euros more is well worth it when you know your shipment has a much better chance of arriving quickly and safely.

Smiling Fenny holding a DHL Express parcel after successfully receiving an important shipment while traveling through South Africa.

What Is DHL Express?

Many people use the terms DHL and DHL Express  interchangeably, but they are not the same service.

DHL Express is the premium international courier service. Shipments are transported through DHL’s own global network, offering fast delivery, detailed tracking and integrated customs clearance. In many countries, parcels can arrive within just 1–5 business days.

DHL Parcel is the standard parcel service. It is generally slower, tracking may be less detailed and international deliveries often rely on local postal services once the parcel reaches the destination country.

DHL Express vs. DHL Premium vs. Standard Shipping

In many countries, DHL offers three different shipping options: Standard, Premium and Express.

Standard Shipping is the most economical option, but also the slowest. Delivery times can vary considerably, especially for international shipments and tracking is often less detailed.

DHL Premium sits between Standard and Express. In theory, Premium shipments receive higher priority than Standard shipments, which can result in slightly faster delivery. In practice, however, we’ve rarely seen a noticeable difference that justified the additional cost.

DHL Express is the fastest and most reliable service. Shipments travel through DHL Express’ dedicated global network, receive priority handling from pickup to delivery and usually clear customs much faster.

Based on our own experience, we’d either choose Standard if time isn’t critical, or Express if the shipment is important. 

Three-panel collage showing the DHL Express shipping process, from parcel collection and security inspection to final pickup by full-time overlanders.

How Much Does DHL Express Cost?

Let’s be honest: DHL Express is very expensive. In many cases, shipping costs exceed the value of the items inside the package.

A good example from our own travels: we once shipped brakes and an alternator to Saudi Arabia. The parts themselves were worth around €200, while DHL Express shipping cost almost €400.

At first glance, that sounds absurd. But when your vehicle is stranded hundreds or even thousands of kilometers from home, the calculation changes completely. Waiting several weeks for a cheaper shipment could mean paying for hotels, extending your stay (overstay-problem), changing travel plans or simply losing valuable time. In situations like these, the shipping costs quickly become the smaller part of the overall expense.

The price of a DHL Express shipment depends on several factors, including the destination country, actual weight, package dimensions, volumetric weight and additional charges such as fuel or remote area surcharges.
(Check out the DHL Zone Guide 2026: Download PDF)

Example: A parcel measuring 25 × 20 × 20 cm, weighing 2 kg and containing goods worth approximately €100, typically costs between €114 and €149 to ship with DHL Express, depending on the destination country.

One factor that surprises many first-time users is volumetric weight. DHL doesn’t always charge based on what a package weighs. Instead, large but lightweight parcels may be charged according to the space they occupy during transport. That’s why two packages with the same actual weight can have completely different shipping prices.

DHL Express isn’t designed to be the cheapest shipping option. It’s designed for shipments where speed, reliability and predictable delivery are worth paying for. In many situations, especially when traveling, that extra cost can save far more money than it adds.

Infographic explaining customs and import duties using a real DHL Express parcel that was opened and inspected by customs, highlighting bureaucracy, import taxes and potential shipping delays.

Customs and Import Duties

For many international shipments, customs clearance is far more likely to cause delays than DHL Express itself. In our experience, most problems are not caused by the courier, but by incorrect paperwork, incomplete information or misunderstandings about local import regulations.

Depending on the destination country, your shipment may be subject to import duties, VAT, customs processing fees or other local charges. These costs are determined by the customs authorities, not by DHL Express.

Another factor that shouldn’t be underestimated is the efficiency of the destination country’s customs system. In some parts of the world – particularly in parts of Africa – bureaucracy can be overwhelming, processes are often slow and unfortunately, corruption still exists. Even perfectly documented shipments can end up sitting in a customs warehouse for days or even weeks. These delays are entirely outside DHL Express’ control.

Before shipping, always check the import regulations of the destination country. Some items are restricted, require additional documentation or cannot be imported at all.

The good news is that many customs-related problems are preventable. In a separate step-by-step guide, we’ll explain how to correctly complete all required shipping and customs documents to minimize the risk of delays, additional costs and unnecessary complications.

DHL Express shipping workspace showing the DHL shipping portal on a computer screen and the four required shipping documents: Waybill, Transport Label, Commercial Invoice and Shipment Receipt.

Required Documents

Before DHL Express generates any shipping documents, you first need to set up your shipment correctly. This is one of the most important parts of the entire process.

You’ll be asked to enter information such as the sender and recipient details, package dimensions and weight, the contents of the shipment, its value and the purpose of the export. The quality of this information directly affects how smoothly your shipment passes through customs.

Once you’ve completed the shipment correctly, DHL Express automatically generates all required documents.

For a typical international shipment, you’ll usually receive the following files:

Waybill (WaybillDoc)

This is the most important shipping document. It contains the shipment details, sender and recipient information, barcode and tracking number. Attach it securely to the outside of the package so DHL and customs can identify your shipment throughout its journey.

Transport Label

The transport label is placed on the package and is scanned at every stage of the shipping process. It enables real-time tracking and ensures the parcel is routed through DHL’s global network.

Commercial Invoice

This document is required for most shipments containing goods. It tells customs what is inside the package, its value, country of origin and the purpose of the shipment. Customs authorities use this information to calculate import duties and taxes.

If you’re sending non-commercial items, DHL may generate a Proforma Invoice instead of a Commercial Invoice.

Shipment Receipt

This is your confirmation that the shipment has been created. It contains useful information such as the tracking number, shipment reference and booking details. Keep it until your parcel has been delivered.

All of these documents are generated automatically by DHL Express. While that makes the process much easier, the information you enter is still your responsibility. Incorrect descriptions, inaccurate values or missing details can lead to customs delays, additional charges or even the return of the shipment.

Because this step is so important, we’ve created a separate, detailed tutorial that explains exactly how to set up a DHL Express shipment from start to finish. It covers every field you’ll need to complete, explains the purpose of each document and highlights the most common mistakes that can lead to customs delays or additional charges.

Infographic illustrating DHL Express shipment tracking across the world with a globe, international flight routes, DHL hubs, tracking milestones and support tips for resolving customs and parcel delays.

DHL Express Tracking Explained

One of the biggest advantages of DHL Express is its detailed tracking system. Every important step of your shipment is recorded, allowing you to follow its journey almost in real time.

Typical tracking updates include:

  • Shipment information received – Your shipment has been created, but DHL hasn’t received the package yet.

  • Picked up – DHL has collected the shipment from the sender.

  • Processed at DHL Facility – The parcel has arrived at a DHL sorting hub and is being prepared for its next destination.

  • Departed DHL Facility – The shipment has left a sorting center and is on its way to the next hub or destination country.

  • Arrived at DHL Facility – The parcel has reached another DHL hub.

  • Clearance Event – Customs is processing the shipment. This doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem; it’s a normal part of international shipping.

  • With Delivery Courier – The shipment is out for delivery.

  • Delivered – The parcel has been successfully delivered.

Don’t panic if your shipment doesn’t move for a day or two. Tracking updates aren’t always instant, especially while a package is in transit between continents or waiting for the next available flight.

If a shipment remains on the same status for several days, especially during customs clearance, it’s worth contacting DHL Express or the recipient. In our experience, a quick phone call or providing a missing document can sometimes save days of waiting.

If the tracking status changes to “Parcel on Hold”, don’t ignore it. In many cases, DHL Express or the local customs authority requires additional information or documents before the shipment can continue.

Unfortunately, the tracking information rarely tells you what is actually missing. It usually only indicates that the shipment is on hold. In our experience, you’ll often need to contact DHL Express directly to find out exactly, which document or piece of information is required. Once you know what’s missing and provide it promptly, the shipment can usually continue without further delay.

Tip

Forget about the WhatsApp support. In our experience, it’s powered by a simple chatbot that isn’t even AI, particularly helpful and is unable to solve anything beyond the most basic questions.

Email support can also be hit or miss. It largely depends on the country you’re shipping from or to. In many cases, a phone call is the fastest and most effective way to resolve a problem, especially when a shipment is being held by customs or requires urgent action.

You can find all official DHL Express contact options here:

DHL Express Contact & Support

One final tip: Tracking tells you where your shipment is – but not always why it’s there. Customs inspections, flight capacity, weather, public holidays or local regulations can all affect delivery times without being immediately visible in the tracking history.

WhatsApp Desktop conversation with DHL Express Customer Service showing a shipment inquiry, customs clearance notification, and blurred personal contacts for privacy.

Common DHL Express Problems

Even with DHL Express, international shipments don’t always go according to plan. In our experience, these are the most common issues you’ll encounter:

Customs Requests Additional Documents

One of the most frequent reasons for delays is that customs requires additional information. This may include proof of value, invoices, identification, or other import documents. Unfortunately, the tracking information often doesn’t tell you exactly what’s missing, so you’ll usually have to contact DHL Express to find out.

Shipment Stuck in Transit

Sometimes a shipment appears to stop moving for several days. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s lost. It may be waiting for customs clearance, the next available flight, or local processing. If the status doesn’t change for an unusually long time, it’s worth contacting DHL.

Recipient Cannot Be Reached

If DHL cannot reach the recipient by phone or email, delivery may be delayed or the shipment may be placed on hold. This is especially common when phone numbers are incorrect or missing. Always make sure the recipient’s contact details are complete and accurate.

Incorrect or Incomplete Address

A missing house number, incorrect postal code or inaccurate address can delay a shipment or even result in it being returned to the sender. Always double-check every address before confirming the shipment.

Shipment Reported as Damaged

This is rare, but it does happen—and our own experience shows that it isn’t always true.

While traveling through Saudi Arabia, we waited more than a month for an urgently needed spare part. Suddenly, the tracking showed that the package had been damaged and was scheduled to be returned to Germany—without anyone contacting us first.

We immediately drove across Jeddah, visiting several DHL facilities until we finally intercepted the shipment.

The result? The parcel wasn’t damaged at all. The cardboard box had a few scratches, but the contents were perfectly fine.

That experience taught us an important lesson: never assume that the tracking status tells the whole story. Mistakes happen. Automated decisions can be wrong, and packages are sometimes classified incorrectly.

Whenever something looks unusual, don’t simply wait. Be proactive, contact DHL Express and ask questions. In many cases, acting quickly can prevent days – or even weeks  – of unnecessary delays.

Totti sitting on a fallen tree in the African bush, welcoming the viewer with outstretched arms while sharing practical DHL Express shipping tips for overlanders.

Practical Tips We Highly Recommend

After shipping dozens of parcels to countries across Africa, the Middle East and beyond, these are the lessons we’ve learned – sometimes the hard way.

1. Create your shipment online

Always create your shipment using the official DHL Express shipping portal:

https://mydhl.express.dhl/gb/en/auth/login.html

It offers the most options and gives you full control over your shipment.

2. Don’t use your smartphone

Create your shipment on a desktop or laptop computer.

The mobile version hides or simplifies several important options. On a larger screen it’s much easier to review every field before submitting your shipment.

3. Be extremely precise

Small mistakes can cause major delays.

Pay particular attention to:

  • sender and recipient details

  • phone numbers

  • email addresses

  • package dimensions

  • package weight

  • customs value

  • product descriptions

  • HS codes (if applicable)

  • complete delivery address

4. Use your own name first

If you are receiving the parcel, always list your own name first.

Use the location owner only as:

c/o John Smith

Never the other way around.

This makes it clear that you are the importer and recipient – not the hotel, campsite or business.

5. Avoid hotels and campsites whenever possible

This is probably one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned.

Shipping directly to hotels, lodges or campsites can easily create the impression, that the shipment is intended for a business.

That can result in:

  • additional customs charges

  • different tax calculations

  • unnecessary questions

  • DHL having to modify customs paperwork

  • additional DHL service fees

Instead, we almost always ship directly to a DHL Service Point.

We search Google Maps, verify with Street View that the location actually exists, call the office beforehand and ask how long they’ll hold the parcel.
Mostly we even visit the office personally before the shipment is sent.

Our shipping address then looks like this:

Your Name
c/o DHL Service Point
Full DHL Address

This has proven to be the most reliable solution during our travels.

6. Stay inside the DHL network

Whenever possible, choose a service that remains entirely within the DHL Express network.

As soon as a shipment is handed over to the national postal service, tracking often becomes unreliable and problems become much harder to solve.

We’ve experienced exactly this in Saudi Arabia, where the local postal service caused far more issues than DHL Express itself.

7. Include documents twice

Place one complete set of shipping documents inside a transparent pouch on the outside of the parcel.
Add another complete set inside the package.

If the outer documents are damaged or lost, customs can still identify the shipment.

8. Make it obvious it’s for private use

Whenever applicable, clearly state phrases such as:

  • Private Use

  • No Commercial Value

  • No Resale

  • Not for Commercial Purposes

  • Tourist Use

  • Vehicle Repair

  • Will Be Exported Again

If the items are only temporarily imported, make that absolutely clear.

9. Optimise package size and weight

DHL pricing often changes at specific thresholds.

Increasing a package by only 1 cm or a few grams can sometimes increase the shipping cost dramatically.

Experiment with different package dimensions and weights before confirming the shipment.

10. Don’t ship unnecessary items

International Express shipping is expensive.
Avoid sending inexpensive items such as clothes, snacks or souvenirs simply to fill empty space.
Almost every additional item increases paperwork, customs complexity and shipping costs.

11. Keep the number of different items low

Every different product may require its own customs declaration and tariff classification (HS Code).The more different items you include, the more complicated customs clearance becomes.

Whenever possible:

  • combine similar items

  • keep descriptions consistent

  • scan every purchase receipt

  • weigh each item individually

12. Pack professionally

Protect your shipment properly.

If DHL determines that damage occurred because of inadequate packaging, insurance claims may be rejected.

13. Use English only

Complete every customs description and shipping document in English.
If you’re unsure about wording, use AI to formulate accurate product descriptions.
Poor wording is one of the most common causes of customs questions.

14. Keep every document

Save:

  • invoices

  • emails

  • tracking history

  • customs correspondence

  • shipping documents

You’ll be glad you did if a dispute arises months later.

15. Photograph everything

Before packing:

  • photograph every item

  • ideally place it on a scale showing its weight

  • take one final photo showing all items together

These photos can be extremely valuable for insurance claims or customs disputes.

16. Let someone at home prepare the shipment

If you’re already traveling, have your spare parts delivered to a trusted friend or family member.

Ask them to:

  • collect everything

  • photograph every item

  • weigh each item

  • keep the invoices

  • pack the shipment according to your instructions

This makes the entire process far easier.

17. Don’t make the parcel bigger than necessary

Large and heavy shipments quickly become expensive.

Although DHL Express accepts surprisingly large parcels, oversized shipments may incur significant additional charges and are more likely to require special handling.

When possible, split very large shipments into two smaller parcels if it results in lower costs or simpler customs clearance.

Large pile of parcels at an informal freight depot in Africa, illustrating an alternative shipping network for sending packages from Europe to destinations across the continent.

Side Note: Local Shipping Networks

In many countries – especially across Africa – you’ll quickly hear about local shipping networks used by expats and long-term travelers.

These companies often consolidate shipments from Europe and charge by weight, making them significantly cheaper than DHL Express. In many cases, customs procedures also seem less complicated.

Can you use them? Absolutely.
For clothing, camping gear or other non-essential items, they may be a perfectly reasonable option.

Would we use them for critical shipments? No.
After years of traveling, we’ve deliberately stopped using these services for anything our journey depends on – especially vehicle spare parts.

The reasons are simple:

  • Limited or no tracking

  • Little transparency

  • Unclear responsibilities

  • No global support network

  • Often no one clearly accountable if something goes wrong

Many travelers will tell you they’ve never had a problem. That’s great – and we genuinely hope it stays that way.
But we’ve learned that it’s not the successful shipments that matter – it’s how a company performs when something goes wrong.

For us, transparency, reliable tracking and clear responsibilities are worth paying for.

As the saying goes:

If you buy cheap, you may end up buying twice.

That’s exactly why we prefer DHL Express whenever the shipment is important enough, that a delay, loss or damaged parcel could jeopardize our travels.

Fenny & Totti enjoying a sunset together during their full-time overlanding journey, smiling at the camera with the sun setting on the horizon.

One Final Thoughts

We know this probably sounds overwhelming.

Following all of these recommendations takes time, attention to detail and sometimes quite a bit of patience. It can even feel frustrating when all you want to do is simply get a package on its way.

But speaking from experience, every extra minute you invest before shipping can save you hours – or even days and weeks later. It can also save you money, unnecessary stress and countless emails or phone calls with customs or DHL.

We’ve learned many of these lessons the hard way. Sometimes it was simply a lack of experience. Other times, if we’re honest, we were just too lazy or rushed to double-check the details. More than once, we ended up paying the price and later asked ourselves why we hadn’t spent just ten more minutes preparing the shipment properly.

Better safe than sorry.

That’s probably the single best piece of advice we can give, after years of shipping parcels all over the world.

Good Luck
Cheers, 
Totti & Fenny

Last and least: Check out our “DHL Express Shipping Tutorial – Step-by-Step Guide“

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

DHL Express is one of the fastest international courier services available. Depending on the destination, most international shipments arrive within 1 to 5 business days.

However, the actual delivery time depends not only on DHL Express, but also on how well the shipment is prepared. Accurate shipping documents, precise customs declarations and keeping the number of different items to a minimum can significantly speed up customs clearance.

We’ve experienced both extremes ourselves.

A small parcel containing just a few spare parts was shipped from Germany to Agadir, Morocco, and arrived in less than 24 hours.

On the other hand, a shipment to Saudi Arabia took 31 days. The delay wasn’t caused by DHL Express, but by circumstances beyond our control after the parcel had reached the destination country.

No matter how well you prepare your shipment, customs authorities ultimately decide how quickly it is processed. If officials require additional documents, carry out an inspection or simply don’t know how to handle a particular shipment, a parcel can remain in customs for days—or even weeks.

The good news is that proper preparation greatly reduces the risk of unnecessary delays, even though it can never eliminate them completely.

It depends on the destination country.

In many countries, DHL Express delivers Monday through Friday, while Saturday delivery is available only in selected locations and may involve an additional charge. Sunday delivery is uncommon and generally not offered.

If your shipment is urgent, don’t assume weekend delivery is available. Check the destination country’s DHL Express services before shipping.

From our experience, the difference is usually negligible. Even if a shipment arrives at the destination over the weekend, it will often remain at the local DHL facility until the next working day—especially if customs clearance is still pending. For international shipments, customs processing almost always has a greater impact on delivery time than whether DHL delivers on a Saturday.

Yes, in many countries someone else can receive your DHL Express shipment, but the exact rules depend on the destination country and the type of shipment.

If the parcel is delivered to a private address, another person at that address is often allowed to sign for it.

If you’re traveling, we strongly recommend shipping to a DHL Service Point whenever possible. In our experience, this is the safest and most reliable option. However, the parcel is usually released only to the named recipient, who must present a valid passport or other government-issued photo ID.

If you know in advance that someone else needs to collect your shipment, contact the local DHL Express office before delivery. Some countries allow authorization, while others require the recipient to appear in person.

Our advice: Always assume that only the person named as the receiver can collect the shipment. If someone else is expected to receive it, clarify the procedure with the local DHL Express office before the parcel arrives.

Yes. In principle, DHL Express can deliver almost anywhere, as long as the destination has a valid and accessible address.

This includes hotels, campsites, lodges, guesthouses, private homes and businesses. In some regions, particularly outside major cities, DHL may use a trusted local delivery partner for the final part of the journey if there’s no nearby DHL facility.

However, just because DHL can deliver to a hotel doesn’t mean it’s the best option.

Based on our own experience, we no longer ship important parcels to hotels, campsites or lodges. These locations can sometimes be treated as business addresses, which may complicate customs clearance or even result in additional charges if shipping documents have to be amended.
Instead, we almost always ship to a DHL Service Point.

If you’re staying in a very remote area, DHL Express may not deliver directly to your location. In that case, it’s usually better to have the shipment sent to the nearest major town or city with a DHL Express office or Service Point and collect it there yourself. This is often faster, more predictable and much easier if customs or delivery questions arise.

Absolutely. DHL Express ships vehicle spare parts every day, and we’ve done so many times while traveling around the world.

Items such as alternators, starters, sensors, brake components, filters, bearings and many other replacement parts can usually be shipped without any problems.

However, accurate customs declarations are essential. Describe every part as precisely as possible, declare a realistic value and make it clear that the parts are intended for repairing your own vehicle, not for resale.

One important thing to keep in mind: Some countries have strict regulations regarding used vehicle parts. In certain destinations, importing second-hand spare parts is restricted or even prohibited. Others only allow them if they’re thoroughly cleaned and free of grease, oil and dirt for environmental or biosecurity reasons.

Before shipping used parts, always check the import regulations of the destination country. A few minutes of research can save you from having your shipment delayed, rejected or even confiscated by customs.

Yes – but with an important distinction.

DHL Express handles the customs clearance process, submits the required paperwork and communicates with customs authorities on your behalf. This is one of the major advantages of using DHL Express compared to many standard shipping services.

However, DHL does not make customs decisions.

Whether a shipment is approved, inspected, delayed or charged import duties is entirely up to the customs authorities of the destination country.

If customs requires additional documents or information, DHL Express will usually contact the sender or recipient and help facilitate the process. However, it’s still your responsibility to provide accurate information and any requested documentation.

In our experience, DHL Express does a good job of guiding shipments through customs. Nevertheless, if local customs are slow, highly bureaucratic or simply overwhelmed – as can happen in some countries – there is very little DHL can do to speed up the process.

That’s why proper preparation before shipping is so important. Accurate customs declarations, realistic values and complete documentation are the best way to avoid unnecessary delays.

If the required import duties, VAT or customs fees are not paid, your shipment will not be released by customs.

In most cases, DHL Express will contact the recipient and request payment before delivery. Depending on the destination country, payment may be made online, by bank transfer or directly to the delivery driver.

If the fees remain unpaid, several things can happen:

  • The shipment may remain in customs for a limited period.
  • Storage charges may be added.
  • The parcel may be returned to the sender.
  • In some countries, the shipment may eventually be abandoned or even destroyed if it isn’t claimed within the legal deadline.

Who pays the import charges depends on the shipping terms selected when the shipment is created. In most cases, the recipient is responsible, unless the sender has chosen to pay all duties and taxes in advance.

One important lesson we’ve learned: Don’t assume the recipient will automatically be notified. If you’re waiting for an important shipment, monitor the tracking regularly and stay in contact with the recipient. In some countries, customs or DHL may wait for the recipient to take action, and every day of delay can lead to additional storage fees or other complications.

Dangerous goods are items that may pose a risk to people, aircraft or the environment during transport. Because DHL Express mainly uses air transport, these items are subject to strict international regulations.

Common examples include:

  • Lithium-Ion batteries
  • Lithium Metal batteries
  • Power banks
  • Fuel, diesel and petrol
  • Engine oil, transmission oil and hydraulic oil
  • Brake fluid and coolant
  • Paint, paint thinners and solvents
  • Aerosol cans
  • Gas cartridges and compressed gases
  • Adhesives and certain types of glue
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Fireworks and explosives
  • Matches and lighters
  • Chemicals and cleaning agents
  • Corrosive substances (e.g. battery acid)
  • Flammable liquids
  • Flammable solids
  • Certain medical and laboratory materials

Some items cannot be shipped at all, while others can only be transported under special conditions, with certified packaging and additional documentation.

If you’re shipping vehicle spare parts, pay particular attention to components that contain oil, fuel or batteries. For example, a used engine component that still contains oil may be classified as dangerous goods, even if it appears to be empty.

When in doubt, ask DHL Express before shipping. It’s much easier to clarify the requirements beforehand than to have your shipment rejected or delayed after it has already entered the network.

Fun fact: In Saudi Arabia for instance, even supermarket flyers showing women in underwear will be classified as pornographic material. What seems perfectly normal in one country, may be prohibited in another – always check local import regulations.

Yes. DHL Express shipments are generally insured up to €500 at no additional cost (subject to DHL’s terms and conditions and the applicable country-specific rules).

If the value of your shipment exceeds that amount, you can purchase additional Shipment Value Protection to insure the parcel for its full declared value.

Keep in mind that insurance may not apply if the shipment was poorly packaged, incorrectly declared or contains prohibited items. That’s why we strongly recommend using sturdy packaging, keeping all invoices and shipping documents and photographing every item before packing. If you ever need to file a claim, this documentation can be invaluable.

Without a doubt, it was our shipment of vehicle spare parts to Saudi Arabia.

The package contained brakes, an alternator and several smaller replacement parts that we urgently needed for our Sprinter. DHL Express transported it from Germany to Saudi Arabia in just a few days. Everything went exactly as expected—until it reached customs.

Then the nightmare began.

The parcel sat in Riyadh for what felt like forever, without any updates from DHL. When we finally called customer support, we were told the package had been damaged and was already on its way back to Germany.

Panic.

We immediately called a friend in Riyadh and asked him to intercept the shipment. While he was driving to one DHL facility, the parcel had already been transferred to another. It was literally being driven back and forth across Riyadh, making it impossible to catch.

Eventually, the shipment was forwarded to Jeddah, where it was already being prepared for its return flight to Germany.

We jumped into a car with a friend and spent hours driving from one DHL facility to the next until, after several failed attempts, we finally found the parcel.

The whole ordeal had already cost us almost €400 in shipping fees, delayed our journey by more than 30 days, and caused plenty of sleepless nights.

And the best part?
The parcel wasn’t damaged at all.
Apart from a few scratches and dents on the cardboard box, everything inside was in perfect condition.

Looking back, it’s a funny story. At the time, however, it definitely wasn’t.

Sometimes international shipping is an adventure in itself.

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]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/dhl-express-shipping-guide/feed/ 1 2 Years Overlanding Through Africa – Our Conclusion https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/2-years-overlanding-in-africa-country-ratings/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/2-years-overlanding-in-africa-country-ratings/#respond Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:41:03 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=2861 After two years, 45,000 kilometers and 25 countries, we look back on one of the greatest adventures of our lives. From the deserts of Mauritania to the jungles of Central Africa and the wildlife of Southern Africa, these are our honest conclusions, country "feelings", highlights, disappointments and lessons learned from overlanding across the continent.

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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

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.

Fenny and Totti standing beside their 2004 Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 during their overland journey across Africa.

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.

Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 parked at a remote mountain viewpoint, overlooking a vast landscape far from roads, campsites and settlements.

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.

White Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 driving through deep mud on a flooded dirt road in Kenya during a heavy rainstorm. The vehicle follows a barbed-wire fence through water-filled ruts under dark, dramatic storm clouds. The scene has a cinematic, dystopian blue-toned atmosphere.

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.

Travel guides and maps of African countries spread across a wooden table in the savanna, representing two years of overland travel through Africa.

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.

Aerial view of the Medouar Crater in southeastern Morocco, a massive horseshoe-shaped rock formation surrounded by desert landscapes.

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.

The famous Iron Ore Train crossing the deserts of Mauritania, surrounded by sand dunes and vast Sahara landscapes.

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.

Busy street scene in Saint-Louis, Senegal, with cars, motorcycles, horse carts, street vendors and pedestrians sharing the road in a vibrant urban atmosphere.

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.

Fenny and Totti posing with a Gambian family on a beach in The Gambia, sharing smiles during a spontaneous encounter while overlanding across Africa.

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.

Rugged dirt road through a rural village in Guinea with traditional huts, smoke rising from cooking fires and a dusty Mercedes Sprinter driving through one of West Africa's most challenging overlanding regions.

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.

Cinematic view of a remote beach in Ivory Coast with dense palm forests, a lone overlanding camper and the national flag of Côte d'Ivoire.

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.

Cinematic banner showing traditional Ghanaian Fufu served in soup with fish, featuring the Ghanaian flag and the country's name on a widescreen title image.

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.

A white overland Mercedes Sprinter crosses a narrow bridge into a lush tropical village in Togo. Surrounded by green hills, palm trees and rustic houses, the scene captures the peaceful atmosphere and mountainous landscapes of one of West Africa’s smallest countries.

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.

Cinematic coastal landscape in Benin featuring a sandy dirt track lined with palm trees along the Atlantic Ocean. The travel poster includes the Benin flag, country name and official country designation in French and English.

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.

Cinematic view of a Nigerian highway checkpoint with multiple trucks, dense black diesel smoke, improvised roadblocks made of logs, police officers stopping vehicles and lush tropical vegetation surrounding the road. The Nigerian flag and country name appear in the upper left corner.

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.

Cinematic travel poster of Cameroon showing three men in a busy urban street scene. One man points emphatically while the others watch, with vehicles and city life in the background. The Cameroonian flag, country name and official country names are displayed in the upper left corner.

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.

Close-up portrait of a western lowland gorilla sitting in dense rainforest vegetation in the Republic of the Congo. The country's flag and title are displayed in the upper left corner of the cinematic travel poster.

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.

Rain-soaked street scene in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with muddy roads, dozens of motorbikes, crowded market stalls, pedestrians carrying umbrellas, and dark storm clouds gathering overhead. Country title and flag appear in the upper left corner.

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.

Selfie of a Fenny and me standing on a rocky mountain viewpoint in Angola, overlooking a vast valley with dramatic cliffs, rugged highlands and distant mountain ranges under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

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’!

Cinematic panorama of Namibia’s Spitzkoppe region with massive granite formations, golden desert grasslands and a white overland camper parked among the rocks under a clear blue sky.

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.

Panoramic view over the Blyde River Canyon in South Africa with steep mountain ridges, deep valleys and a winding river surrounded by dramatic landscapes.

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.

Panoramic view of the mountainous landscapes of Lesotho under dramatic storm clouds, featuring rocky plateaus, green valleys and scattered villages.

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.

White overland camper parked beside a dirt road in the green hills of Eswatini, surrounded by rolling mountains and lush grasslands under a blue sky.

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!

Two overlanders smiling for a selfie beside their campervan while an elephant stands at a waterhole in Botswana under a clear blue sky.

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.

Aerial view over Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe during sunset, with golden reflections on the water, scattered islands and endless horizons stretching into the distance.

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 😉

enny sitting beside Rossi in rural Malawi while a group of local children gathers around, watching curiously during a stop in the countryside.

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!

Nakapanya Rock towers above the endless bushland of southern Tanzania shortly before the rainy season takes full control.

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!

The iconic giant elephant tusks arching over Moi Avenue in Mombasa, Kenya, beneath a deep blue sky.

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!

A long straight road stretches through dry grassland and woodland in Zambia, leading toward rocky hills under a partly cloudy sky.

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.

Fenny and Totti stand arm in arm overlooking a vast desert landscape with distant mountains and a winding gravel road in Namibia.

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

For some people, absolutely. If you have a vehicle stored on the continent and can return regularly for a few weeks or months at a time, Africa can be an incredible destination.

For us, however, after a very long journey across the continent, the answer is no.

The reasons are simple: some of the worst, at times horrific traffic, excessive bureaucracy, high costs, long waiting times, high population density in many regions and surprisingly few opportunities to simply turn off the road and discover something unexpected. Most tracks exist, because there is a practical need for them and following them, often leads either into simply just bush or to yet another compound. Add to that the challenges of food supply, medical care, access to cash, reliable drinking water, waste disposal, private land, fences, frequent police and military checkpoints and the constant reality of people asking for money or gifts.

Then there are the less glamorous aspects of daily life: mosquitoes, biting flies, parasitic insects, seasonal rains, that can make tracks impassable for weeks or months, huge amounts of litter and widespread land-clearing fires. More than once, we found ourselves camping peacefully, only to discover, that somebody had started burning the surrounding area around us.

What surprised us most was that, despite all of this, we found relatively little of the kind of true epicness and freedom, that we personally seek in overlanding. 

In our opinion, destinations like Chile, Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia or parts of the Silk Road offer significantly more value for long-term overland travel.

That is not a universal truth. It is simply our experience and our opinion after crossing Africa from north to south to east.

Sounds like a list of complaints, doesn’t it? Yes, perhaps it does.
Is it the “uncomfortable truth” or just “beautiful chaos?, now?

It’s up to you what you make of it. 😉

I’m honest and would say, that Germany might be more dangerous in certain cases. Sometimes we felt a bit more “unsafe”, due to what people told us. At the end of the day we were really safe, but…

… we do not want to gloss over one fact – and many South Africans do not like hearing this:

Six of the most dangerous cities in the world are located right here in South Africa. There is a reason why this country has more fences, walls and barbed wire, than any other country on Earth.

Crime rates are often extremely high and – in many categories – significantly higher than those in the United States. While we never felt completely unsafe, the perception of danger was constantly reinforced by South Africans themselves. Time and again, we were warned about where not to go, when not to drive, where not to stop and what not to do.
Apart from the fact, that it happened more than once, that people tried to steal something out of our car.

In many ways, it was not the crime itself, that shaped our experience, but the ever-present awareness of it.

No! Not in this way. Driving the western route will be a one-time experience for me, but yes, I definitely wanna come back to Africa. Next time by shipping though.

In Cameroon, when we got harrassed by a drunken brigadier general at 2am. , who used physical force to prevent me from getting dressed and entering my van.

Botswana, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, in terms of freedom, overlanding abilities, landscapes and people. But there is not THE ONE 😉

Definitely Nigeria. The country where we found, it might be most dangerous, but had the greatest and most funny people of all.

Unfortunately South Africa, as it is not anymore the country we left 20 years ago.

To be honest: a lot, even though I wrote here and there, that corruption was less in certain countries. Yeah, it was, nevertheless it was present nearly every single day.
Read here, how we dealt with it.

Not a single cent.
Read here, how we dealt with corruption

“Africa is poor and people are starving”. This may be the case in the Sahel zone like Sudan, Ethiopia and others, but definitely not in these countries, where we’ve been traveling.
Poverty is always a matter of perception and once we learned it, we adjusted this misconception.

Bureaucracy and road conditions. The first one is very often totally absurd, the second topic is connected to permanent anxiety about your car being damaged.

Not having been able to see the condition of the cameroonian brigadier general, when he was drunk. If I would have known, I would have deescalated the given situation pretty fast, but in this case, I certainly started to play the bad guy… BIG mistake

As for now, we didn’t fully calculate the whole costs of our Africa journey yet, but will soon.
Meanwhile you can read here, about our Overlanding costs (incl. Western Africa).
What we definitely can say is, that it was our most expensive journey so far.

There is no perfect vehicle for Africa, but over the years we have travelled with different setups, including a Jeep Wrangler with a rooftop tent, various other capable off-road vehicles and, of course, Rossi, our Mercedes Sprinter 4×4. We also spent countless months travelling alongside expedition trucks, pickups with camper bodies and all kinds of overland rigs.

All of them worked.
That said, if we had to choose again, we definitely would pick our Sprinter 311 CDI (903) 4×4 without hesitation.

For our style of travel, it offers the best balance between comfort, size, off-road capability and practicality. Expedition trucks provide more living space and often more safety, but throughout Africa they are frequently too large, too heavy and too restrictive. Rooftop tent setups are far more agile, but they require you to live outside all the time.

A van sits somewhere in between.

The difference sounds small until you experience it yourself: when the weather turns ugly, when people gather around your vehicle or when you simply need a quiet evening, you close the door and instantly have your own private space.

As for four-wheel drive: yes, you can absolutely cross most of Africa without it.

Would we do it without 4×4?

Never.

Most of the time you won’t need it. But when you do, you really do. Whether it is deep sand in Botswana, muddy tracks during the rainy season or simply that extra margin of safety when conditions deteriorate, we would never voluntarily give up four-wheel drive again.

Along the way, we met plenty of travellers driving far more expensive and sophisticated vehicles, that suffered significantly more serious problems. Some spent weeks waiting for parts. Others spent fortunes on repairs.

That experience reinforced our belief that simplicity matters. 
The OM611 Sprinter is not glamorous. It is not the most powerful vehicle. It is not the most modern, but it is simple, robust, highly repairable and parts are often surprisingly easy to find as well as very inexpensive..

That is one of the main reasons why we intend to keep travelling with this particular Sprinter for as long as possible.

Sometimes the best overland vehicle is not the most impressive one – it is the one that quietly gets you home.

Absolutely not!
Apart from the fact, that we drove in 4×4 mode maybe 1% of the time, we also travelled with several people in 2WD vehicles. Even many locals can’t afford 4x4s and drive regular cars instead. We saw everything from Renault Clios and similar small cars to old sedans on these roads without any major issues.

What matters far more, is decent ground clearance and a good set of tyres. Four-wheel drive and diff locks are nice to have, but they’re only really an advantage in a few places, that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Yes, it survived and much, much better, than I ever imagined:
Over two years in Africa, Rossi gave us remarkably few problems. We had a broken gear linkage, a failed camshaft position sensor, a bent belt tensioner, a shifted rear axle after a particularly rough mud section and a wheel bearing failure, that was ultimately caused by one of my own installation mistakes.

It is and will be easy if you do expect nothing in terms of epicness. Whether it’s a parking lot at a church or a picnic area anywhere along the road.
These ones are kinda easy to find.
But for the real epic shit: No… it wasn’t easy at all.

In short: nobody never ever likes to drive it… and if: either they’re lying or they really having fun with not finding camp spots, permanently driving through water and mud filled potholes, sometimes bigger than a small car.

Rain season in Africa is the hell on earth and even the locals will tell you 🙂

Most of them have been kinda pain in the ass, even though some (less) of them have been pretty straight forward and smooth. 
The last one I remember, was the one from Tanzania to Zambia. Holy hell, what a mess of dellusion 😉

Really all african people have been friendly, no matter what, but the funniest and kindest have been in Nigeria.

TOP OF THE WORLD Viewpoint in Zimbabwe, Blyde River Canyon in South Africa, Fishriver Canyon in Namibia and Kazuma Pans in Botswana.

In terms of getting the VISA: Nigeria.
In terms of corruption: Guinea and maybe Nigeria (if you do not know, how to handle them)
In terms of overlanding/wild camping: Def. South Africa.
In terms of food availability: Malawi (and some others)
In terms of National Park prices: Tanzania
In terms of car importation: Kenya
and so on, and so on.
You see, it’s difficult to name THE most difficult one. Every single country has its difficulties.

South Africa, Tanzania, I’d say

Definitely The Gambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe

The kind one:
At Diani Beach in Kenya, a Maasai warrior once tried to sell me his handmade weapons. I explained to him, why I couldn’t buy them or take them along. Surprisingly, after a while, he understood and didn’t push further – something really rare. We continued talking and he shared, that he was soon getting married. The next morning, he returned – not to sell anything, but simply to give me a hug, wish me well and say goodbye. That simple act of kindness stuck with me.

The absurd one:
On the other hand, in Lesotho, I had one of the most absurd encounters. At a viewpoint, a van of local tourists arrived. One man, clearly well-fed and about 120 kilograms, walked straight to me and mimicked the gesture of hunger – hand to mouth, sad face, nearly mimicking crying. I was stunned. I asked if he was seriously claiming hunger or wanna joke me. Without hesitation, he nodded and kept at it. I stood speechless, trying to comprehend the sheer absurdity.

We’ve got tons of those stories to tell, one wouldn’t believe and in the end, it’s exactly these moments – whether absurd, heartwarming, or challenging – that make a journey unique and stay with you for a long time.

Read our posts and watch our videos on Youtube  😉
Speak to others whom you trust and do not fall into the trap of too sugarcoated speeches.
People tend to make Africa much, much nicer than it actually is (if you do not know, HOW to enjoy its beauty).

You also might enjoy or find our TRAVELmap helpful, as a lot others did.

Don’t just set off blindly without doing at least some planning. Many travellers end up cutting their journeys short because of it and that’s a real shame.

  • Development aid is fundamentally flawed.
  • People are not starving.
  • Africa is really expensive.
  • To many Africans, white people are seen as walking ATMs.
  • Africans may be friendly, but not all of them are kind.
  • Africa is “not” an overlanding continent.
  • Africa could be incredibly rich, yet the combined GDP of all 54 African countries is still smaller than that of France alone.

Even though it has nothing to do with Africa, we definitely enjoyed overlanding in Chile, Argentina, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the Iran.

But in terms of Africa: Botswana, Zimbabwe and parts of Namibia.

Ohhhh yes… definitely.

Whether for a short-term trip or even a long-term journey with proper planning and a reliable vehicle, Africa can be an amazing overlanding destination.

The thing is: people and travellers are very different. Many absolutely love overlanding in Africa, while others simply don’t. That’s something we had to learn along the way.

We personally enjoyed our time there, but looking back, our approach may not have been the best one.

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

As long as I never have to drive the western route again. 😂

That’s not an easy question, as it depends heavily on your mindset, resilience and motivation.

I would say: yes… if only for the satisfaction of having completed one of the toughest overland routes you can drive. Many consider it the ultimate challenge.

The route was never quite as difficult as we had expected, but it certainly wasn’t easy either. Mentally, it can be extremely demanding and stressful at times. That said, it is far from impossible and those who enjoy this kind of travel will likely feel right at home.

Without any prior travel experience, however, I might advise against it.
Everything can go right, but nothing has to.

“Africa’s not for Pussies” 🤷‍♀️😉
(wasn’t me, who said it, but locals did)

The post 2 Years Overlanding Through Africa – Our Conclusion appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/2-years-overlanding-in-africa-country-ratings/feed/ 0 Starlink Worldwide https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/starlink-worldwide-guide/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/starlink-worldwide-guide/#respond Fri, 15 May 2026 07:07:15 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=2607 Practical Starlink guide for overlanders and long-term travelers with real-world experience from Africa and beyond including roaming, setup, power usage and restrictions.

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Starlink Worldwide

In This Guide:

Starlink is a satellite internet system by SpaceX , that provides high-speed internet almost anywhere with a clear view of the sky.

Why do we use Starlink? 

Since we are traveling through many different countries, we constantly experienced the same problem: even with local SIM cards and supposedly full mobile signal, internet often barely worked or download speeds were painfully slow. Getting a SIM card can also mean bureaucracy, passport registration, unreliable apps, difficult top-ups or expensive data packages with very limited speeds. After a while this becomes exhausting.

Starlink is definitely not cheap, especially regarding hardware and power consumption, but for us it removed almost all the hassle. One system, one account and reliable internet in places where mobile networks often become unusable.

But the biggest advantage is mobility. Internet almost everywhere, even in very remote areas. This is not only convenient, it is also a huge security factor in emergency situations. Since using Starlink, we no longer choose our camps or overnight spots based on mobile reception. We simply go where we actually want to go. No matter how remote the place is, we are almost always online.

Alshiq Canyon, Saudi Arabia

How Did We Get Starlink?

Somewhere in Botswana we more or less decided spontaneously that we wanted Starlink. Without spending days researching or comparing setups, we simply bought the Starlink Mini in Maun. At that time Botswana itself did not offer local Starlink service plans, so after buying the dish we opened the Starlink coverage map, checked different countries in Africa and looked for a place where the Roam 50GB plan was available at a reasonable price.

In the end we registered the system under our own names, but with an address in Eswatini using a real campsite address we found online. The activation process was surprisingly simple and Starlink started working almost immediately after setup. From that moment on we had stable internet nearly everywhere we traveled.

Being Online In Seconds – 300 MBit – BOOM – Fantastic!

In Maun, Botswana, we got our Starlink Mini

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

One surprisingly good thing is that you do not even need a local SIM card to register Starlink. The system can create its own direct satellite connection during setup, which makes activation possible even in places with poor or completely missing mobile coverage.

The hardware itself is much smaller than many people expect. It feels robust, well-built and designed for travel. The cable is long enough to place the dish away from the vehicle if trees, cliffs or other obstacles block the sky. Setup usually takes only a few minutes: place the dish, connect power and wait.

Speeds (up to 300 MBit/sec) are often dramatically better than local mobile networks, especially in remote regions. Uploads, video calls, cloud backups, navigation updates and even large file transfers suddenly become realistic again. Weather resistance is also better than expected. Heavy rain can reduce performance, but in our experience the connection usually remains usable – even if it’s cloudy.

The bad part starts with the constantly changing rules and restrictions. Starlink’s terms and conditions are often surprisingly unclear and sometimes borderline confusing. Depending on the country, roaming, registration and usage limitations may suddenly change without much transparency. Information online is frequently outdated within months.

In the beginning, Support is also not exactly great. In many cases you first end up talking to the rather questionable Grok AI support system before reaching an actual human. This does not necessarily make troubleshooting easier, especially if you are somewhere remote and simply need clear answers quickly.

And then there is the ugly part: power consumption. Starlink is absolutely usable in an overlanding setup, but it is far from a low-power device. People with smaller solar systems, limited battery capacity or weak inverter setups should not underestimate this aspect. Depending on the hardware version and usage pattern, power draw can become a real issue during bad weather or longer stationary stays.

Still, once you get used to having reliable internet almost everywhere, normal mobile networks suddenly feel extremely frustrating again 🤷‍♀️😂

Installing Starlink Mini

How to Get Started? – Hardware & Software

We mounted our Mini Dish directly underneath our large roof hatch. The hatch itself can be adjusted in different directions with small gas struts, which allows us to angle the dish without constantly removing it from the vehicle. In roughly 90% of all situations the Starlink simply stays mounted in its position while we travel and camp.

To make this work, I built a custom mounting system from simple aluminum rails which securely holds the dish in place. Vibrations, rough roads and corrugated tracks have not caused any problems so far. The setup turned out to be far more robust than expected.

Only when camping under trees or with heavy obstruction, we remove the dish and place it outside, usually flat on top of a small tripod stool. We do not obsess over perfect alignment, because in real-world usage we generally still achieve very high speeds without carefully adjusting the angle every single time.
For power supply we initially used the included 220V cable connected to our 800W pure sine inverter. As soon as the system is plugged in, a small blue light underneath the dish turns on. The dish itself also makes a few noises during startup, but no worries, that is completely normal.

Once the light starts blinking instead of just glowing steadily, the Starlink dish begins searching for and connecting to the satellites. Depending on the location and sky visibility this usually only takes a few seconds or minutes.

To set up the system, you need either the Starlink mobile app or the desktop app. Both are quite similar, although the mobile app currently offers more functions and generally feels more practical during the initial setup process.

Starlink App

The Registration Process

Once the Starlink Mini is up and running and a satellite connection is established, you simply connect to the new Starlink Wi-Fi network, which can later be renamed and configured however you like.

The app then guides you through the activation process. You create a Starlink account, select a service plan and enter a registration address. This is where things can become slightly confusing for international travelers because availability, pricing and roaming options differ heavily between countries.

What we basically did was search for a country that offered the plan we wanted. At the moment the most relevant options for overlanders and long-term travelers are usually the Roam 100GB and Roam Unlimited plans. Finding a suitable tariff can take some time because prices vary massively between continents and countries. The USA for example is relatively expensive compared to many European countries, while Mongolia or some Central Asian “Stan” countries were surprisingly cheap at the time we checked.

However, this is also where the first potential trap appears. Even though Starlink registration often works globally, it is still smart to choose a registration country that makes practical sense for your actual travel route. Ideally the country should be on the same continent and preferably somewhere ahead of you during your planned journey.

The reason is simple: if Starlink ever decides to enforce regional rules more strictly and asks you to return to your registration country for whatever reason, life becomes much easier if that country is nearby.

For example, if you are traveling through South America and start in Patagonia, registering the system somewhere else in South America is relatively low risk, because border crossings are usually manageable. In Africa however, it would be rather impractical, if your device were registered in Europe, while you are currently somewhere in Ghana or Congo (nevertheless it is working w/o problems)

In most cases everything works perfectly fine and people never experience problems. Still, it is worth thinking ahead a little.
If you already know your approximate route, you could theoretically start your Africa trip in Morocco, but register the device somewhere farther south like Nigeria, if you know you will pass through there later anyway. Worst case, you may eventually need to physically enter that country at some point, which is still a lot easier than suddenly needing an intercontinental flight just because of a registration issue.

You do not need to use your real home address, but the address you enter, should actually exist!

Registration Adress

Power Consumption – And How To Connect

The simplest solution is to use the included cable together with an inverter. The cable itself is 15 meters long, which allows you to place the dish farther away from the vehicle when camping under trees or with partially obstructed sky view.

However, powering the Starlink through 220V AC is relatively inefficient. In our case the system consumed roughly 5A per hour on the 12V side of the vehicle system, even though the dish itself only requires around 20W on average, which equals roughly 1.7A at 12V. The losses caused by converting 12V DC into 220V AC, combined with the inverter’s own power consumption, significantly increase the total energy usage.

So why not simply power the Starlink directly from 12V?
Well, this is where things become slightly tricky.

The Starlink Mini itself can technically operate with voltages between 12V and 40V, which sounds promising at first. Typical starter or leisure batteries usually provide somewhere between 12.5V and 14.8V depending on battery chemistry such as lead-acid, AGM, gel, LiFePO4 or LiFeYPO4.

In theory this should work perfectly fine. In reality however the Starlink dish reacts surprisingly sensitively to voltage fluctuations.

Our first attempts involved DIY cigarette lighter solutions. The dish would power on, then off again, randomly restart or suddenly shut down completely, despite measuring around 13.5V consistently.

After that we tried using a dedicated DC voltage converter which stabilized the output to a constant 12V. Again, this should theoretically have been enough for the Starlink Mini, but surprisingly it still did not work reliably.

After many failed experiments we finally decided to buy dedicated USB-C cables in both 3-meter and 10-meter lengths which allowed us to connect the dish directly to a portable power station, in our case a Bluetti EB70.  (Attention: NOT EVERY advertised cable works, be careful and only buy good brands!)

The important detail here is, that the cable absolutely must support the PD3.0 / 100W standard.
(advertised 20V/5A cables might NOT work, as we experienced, esspecially when they are longer!)

Longer cables (> 3m) = more voltage fluctuation = weak power flow!
The thicker the cable, the longer it can be!

Since switching to this setup the Starlink Mini has been running completely stable while consuming only around 17W on average.
But hey: even at only 17–24W, the dish still consumes roughly 1.5–2A per hour continuously and that over many hours. That may not sound like much at first, but over an entire day (24 Amps in just 12 hours)  and night, this quickly adds up to a noticeable amount of battery capacity – especially during bad weather or with limited solar input.

The Performance Of Starlink Mini

We almost never actively align the dish and still usually get between 100 and 190 Mbit/s, even under cloudy skies. Under optimal conditions with clear sky visibility and a naturally good vehicle orientation, we have seen speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s, which is honestly extremely fast for a mobile setup in remote areas.

In real-world usage, even 50 Mbit/s is already more than enough for basically everything including remote work, cloud uploads, streaming, navigation updates or large downloads.

Interestingly, heavy cloud coverage does not necessarily reduce the raw speed dramatically. The bigger issue is signal stability. Under dense clouds or partially obstructed skies the dish can occasionally lose satellite connection for a few seconds before reconnecting automatically. In practice this usually means short interruptions rather than permanently slow internet.

We also tested the system in not so dense forest conditions and I walked roughly 500 meters away from the vehicle. Even there we still achieved somewhere between 15 and 50 Mbit/s, which honestly surprised us quite a lot considering the amount of obstruction.

Overall we are genuinely impressed by the performance of the Starlink Mini. For overlanding and long-term travel it feels less like a compromise and more like having proper home internet almost everywhere.

But – as always – there is still one noticeable drawback: download speeds are excellent, but upload speeds are comparatively slow.

This is usually not a problem for normal browsing, streaming, navigation or downloading large files. But once you start uploading big amounts of data such as YouTube videos, RAW photos, cloud backups or large work projects, the limitation becomes very noticeable.

Downloads often feel almost like proper home fiber internet, while uploads can fluctuate heavily and sometimes require patience, especially in remote areas or under less ideal sky conditions. Video calls generally work fine, but professional content creators or people constantly syncing huge amounts of data should keep this limitation in mind.

The reason for this is relatively simple: satellite internet systems are generally optimized far more for download traffic than upload traffic because most users consume much more data than they send. Starlink shares available satellite bandwidth dynamically between many users and upload capacity is technically more limited.

This is completely normal for satellite-based systems and there is usually not much you can do to dramatically increase upload speeds themselves.

What does help however is optimizing the way data gets uploaded. Uploading several smaller FTP files simultaneously instead of one huge file can improve overall throughput. Resumable uploads are also highly recommended because short interruptions may otherwise force complete restarts. Compressing files before upload, scheduling large transfers during off-peak hours and avoiding cloud sync services running in the background at the same time can also noticeably improve real-world performance.

Starlink Performance where the downloads are pretty fast, but uploads are slow

 

Starlink Mini is a Data monster

One thing still feels slightly strange though: the Starlink Mini seems to be a real data monster.

With a normal 50GB mobile SIM card we could often survive for nearly an entire month. With Starlink however the same amount of data somehow disappears in absolutely no time. We honestly cannot fully explain why. Maybe devices simply start using more bandwidth automatically once a fast and stable connection is available, maybe cloud services become more active, or maybe one simply stops paying attention because the internet finally feels unrestricted.

Whatever the reason is, data usage on Starlink feels dramatically higher compared to traditional mobile internet. Thankfully the newer Roam 100GB plan now exists, which makes things far more practical for long-term travelers – but more about that later.

Roam Plans for Travelers

Starlink Roam Plans – For The Traveler

Originally, Starlink mainly offered two realistically interesting roaming options for travelers and overlanders besides several other extremely expensive enterprise-style plans: Roam 50GB and Roam Unlimited.

The Roam 50GB plan was relatively affordable and worked well for light to moderate usage such as navigation, messaging, browsing, remote work and occasional streaming. For many travelers it became the entry point into the Starlink ecosystem because the monthly cost was still manageable compared to some absurd mobile data prices in remote regions.

The downside however was that 50GB disappeared surprisingly fast in real-world Starlink usage. Once you start using stable high-speed internet without constantly worrying about mobile coverage, data consumption increases almost automatically. System updates, cloud synchronization, streaming quality and background services suddenly become far more active.

On the other side there was Roam Unlimited. Technically this solved the data problem completely, but depending on the registration country, the pricing was often extremely high and not always realistic for long-term budget-conscious travelers.

This created a rather awkward gap between “not enough data” and “very expensive unlimited data.” Fortunately Starlink later introduced the Roam 100GB plan and as of May 2026 the 300GB plan, which for many overlanders currently feels like the best compromises between price and usability.

We personally use the Roam Unlimited plan because we regularly have to upload multiple terabytes of data every few months. For heavy content creation, large cloud backups or professional media work, limited plans simply stop being realistic very quickly.

But even here there are ways to reduce costs a bit. Although we normally pay around 89€ per month, we occasionally search for offers in other countries where Starlink runs temporary promotions. Sometimes the Unlimited plan is available for around 60–70€ for several months, depending on the country and current campaigns.

Referral programs can also help. Inviting new users occasionally rewards you with a free month of service. And interestingly enough, Starlink support sometimes even grants free service credits when users provide genuinely useful feedback or suggestions for improving the system. All of this has already happened to us personally.

Referral Programs

Does Starlink Work In Every Country?

Yes, technically Starlink works in almost every single country as long as satellite coverage exists and the dish has a reasonably clear view of the sky. The satellites themselves obviously do not care about borders.

The main exception is geofencing or geoblocking. In some countries where Starlink has no official license, the service may be actively restricted either by local authorities or directly by Starlink itself. In such cases the dish may not be able to establish a satellite connection at all, even though satellites are physically overhead.

The real challenge is therefore usually not the technical functionality itself, but regulations, licensing and Starlink’s own regional restrictions. Some countries officially support Starlink, some unofficially tolerate it and others restrict or completely prohibit its operation. In certain regions the hardware may work perfectly fine for months until rules suddenly change or enforcement becomes stricter.

We ourselves successfully used Starlink in technically unsupported countries such as South Africa and Tanzania for quite some time without any issues, until Starlink eventually cut off the signal. But we will discuss this topic in more detail later on.

In practice many travelers still use Starlink across borders without major problems, especially with roaming plans. Nevertheless it is important to understand that “technically possible” and “officially supported” are not always the same thing.

That said, Starlink is generally surprisingly tolerant and forgiving compared to what the official wording in their policies might suggest.

Starlink might be geoblocked by Starlink itself or forbidden countries

2 Months on the road – and then?

Traveling to another country

You can use your Roam plan in most available countries for up to 60 days per trip.
Check which countries are available on our availability map.

Staying Longer Than Two Months

If you plan to remain in another country for more than two months:

  • You may need to update your registered address.
  • You may be asked to transfer your account to that country.
  • If you do not transfer, your service may be restricted.
  • If restricted, you will only be able to access your Starlink account.

(source: Starlink Terms and Conditions)

This is, what Starlink officially says, but did you notice all the “mays”?

Here theory turns into reality. “May” means something can happen, but it does not necessarily have to happen and very often it simply does not.

Even we repeatedly received generic warning messages telling us to leave the country and return to the original registration country. However, a quick call with the support usually solved the issue.
Once we explained that we are long-term travelers and simply cannot fly back home every time, we cross a border, Starlink re-enabled the service again.
So far the Starlink support has generally been surprisingly understanding. We were usually warned that the system might become restricted again in the future, but nevertheless they restored the connection every single time.

In the unlikely event that Starlink actually insists that you return to your original registration country, simply cancel the subscription. Make sure to note down all important device and account information beforehand, delete the account and create a new one afterward.

Starlink generally will be completely fine with this approach – but more about that later.

Overwhelmed traveler surrounded by Starlink terms, roaming plans, restrictions and geoblocking rules floating in a futuristic cyberspace around a Starlink dish.

Terms & Conditions, Restrictions, Regulations, Do’s and Don’ts and “Mays”

One thing quickly becomes obvious when using Starlink internationally for long-term travel: the rules constantly change. Terms and conditions get updated all the time – sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly and occasionally it even feels like daily.

The problem is not only the frequency of these changes, but also the wording itself. The documents are already confusing and often surprisingly open to interpretation. One paragraph says something “may” happen, another warns that certain behavior “could” lead to restrictions, followed by exceptions, special cases, regional limitations and vague “however” statements.

Very little feels truly black and white.

In reality this creates situations that often make very little sense from the user perspective. Sometimes Starlink gets restricted even though you have not yet spent two months outside your registration country. Sometimes the reason is completely unclear. Sometimes the system suddenly starts working again without any warning or explanation.

Then you try to follow all the rules properly by changing countries every two months, only for the system to get restricted again anyway. Other users ignore the rules almost completely and continue working for months without any issues at all.

This is exactly why many travelers slowly stop treating the Starlink documentation as strict law and instead see it more as a constantly shifting framework that may or may not be enforced depending on country, timing, support staff or pure luck.

At the end of the day, do yourself a favor: do not waste endless hours trying to fully understand every single paragraph of the Terms & Conditions. In many cases even experienced users interpret them differently anyway.

If something stops working or feels unclear, simply contact support immediately. In practice this is often faster, less frustrating and far more useful than trying to decode another wall of “may”, “could”, “however” and “subject to change without notice”.

You will notice that in many cases the problem gets solved much faster than expected. So yes – surprisingly enough – kudos to Starlink support. cough😉

Split-screen illustration showing a confused Grok AI support robot on one side and a friendly human Starlink support agent on the other side.

The Starlink Support – is it any good?

It depends.

The first contact is usually the AI support system and honestly: Grok often hallucinates, provides half-true or outright incorrect information and regularly gets trapped in contradictions. Sometimes it simply repeats generic policy text that does not really apply to your actual situation.

The best strategy is usually to persistently push the AI toward creating a real support ticket so you can speak to an actual human. Do not let yourself get brushed off too quickly. Eventually the system usually creates the ticket and a human supporter gets in touch.

And this is where things often become much better.

By now Starlink support seems very aware that there are quite a few long-term travelers, overlanders and digital nomads using the system internationally, who cannot simply fly back to their home country every time a restriction appears.

In some situations, especially if the system becomes permanently blocked and support cannot directly re-enable it anymore, they may suggest simply deleting the account and creating a new one. The account name can stay identical, but the email address must be different. Surprisingly, Starlink seems completely fine with this workaround.

You are a paying customer, generating monthly revenue for Starlink

In general, being friendly and explaining your situation calmly usually helps a lot. We even experienced cases where Starlink was technically being used inside unsupported countries and support still ended up being rather understanding about it.

Unofficially it sometimes almost feels like the advice is: do not abuse the system, stay relatively low-profile and do not use unsupported regions excessively or commercially. If you behave reasonably, support often seems willing to give travelers another chance and reactivate the service.

Of course none of this is officially guaranteed and policies can change at any time. But in real-world travel situations the human support team often turns out to be far more pragmatic than the Terms & Conditions initially suggest.

At the end of the day, you are still paying customers, generating monthly revenue for Starlink. That does not mean every restriction magically disappears, but it often feels like the company prefers finding pragmatic solutions, instead of permanently losing long-term users over purely bureaucratic problems.

Futuristic Starlink-themed infographic showing a thoughtful traveler deciding between canceling or pausing a Starlink subscription.

Accounts & Subscriptions – When to cancel and when to pause?

If you only do not need Starlink for a couple of days or weeks, pausing the subscription might usually be the smarter option. The same applies when entering a country, where Starlink is currently unsupported or temporarily problematic. In many cases it simply makes more sense, to keep the account alive and wait things out instead of rebuilding everything from scratch later.

The nice thing is, that pausing currently only costs around 5 USD per month and still provides unlimited internet access, although at heavily reduced speeds. According to Starlink and various user reports, speeds are supposed to be somewhere around 500 kbit/s. Obviously this is far from fast, but still perfectly usable for messaging, emails, lightweight browsing or emergency communication. But hey… if it works? I do not know – never tried it.

Pausing can also be useful if a specific roaming plan suddenly becomes unavailable for your account or region. Starlink changes tariffs, country availability and roaming rules surprisingly often, so sometimes holding onto an existing setup is simply the safer strategy.

Canceling on the other hand, often becomes relevant once real account problems start appearing. For example when the account gets regionally blocked, permanently restricted or stuck in some strange registration limbo that support cannot easily resolve anymore. In such cases deleting the account and creating a completely new one can occasionally be the fastest and cleanest solution.

The funny thing is: even after using Starlink for a long time, I still cannot say with absolute certainty, which option is always the correct one. Welcome to the wonderful world of Starlink logic.

Let me know if you have more detailed information or real-world experience regarding this feature.

Deleting Your Starlink Account

Switching to a new Starlink Account – How to and what to not forget

When shit hits the fan and absolutely nothing works anymore, your system gets permanently blocked and Starlink insists that you return to your home country, do not panic immediately. According to recommendations we personally received from human Starlink support, the smartest moment to handle the process is shortly before the next billing cycle begins (1 week prior to the cycle end).

Before doing anything else, make absolutely sure to note down your Starlink ID, Kit ID and serial number (see picture above). You can find all of these at the very bottom of your subscription/account page. Without this information the entire transfer process can become unnecessarily complicated later on.

After that you need to cancel the subscription and initiate a hardware transfer. However, this is where many people suddenly run into confusion because the “Transfer” button may remain greyed out or completely inactive.

The reason is Starlink’s internal transfer policy.

According to Starlink, the service must first be canceled before it can be transferred, and this is only possible at least 120 days after purchasing the kit or 90 days after activation. 

Until this requirement is fulfilled, the transfer option simply remains unavailable or greyed out.

This means you cannot endlessly create fresh accounts every couple of weeks and constantly move the hardware around between profiles. Starlink intentionally limits this behavior.

Once the transfer finally becomes available, you can release the hardware from the old account and register it again under a completely new account. The name itself can remain identical, but the email address must be different. This part is important.

In practice the reactivation process is often surprisingly straightforward. Create the new account, select the desired country and roaming plan, enter the hardware details and activate the system again. In many cases the dish comes back online within minutes (we did that several times)

Still, this process is obviously not something you want to repeat regularly. It is more of an emergency reset button for situations where roaming restrictions, regional locks or account problems become impossible to solve otherwise.

Even without a SIM card, Starlink provides a temporary internet connection that allows you to set up the system and activate a subscription.

Infographic comparing Starlink Roam 50GB, 100GB and Unlimited plans for travelers, overlanders and remote workers.

Which plan is the right one for me?

Let us mainly talk about the standard Roam plans here, because realistically most of the other plans are either far too expensive, too specialized or simply not relevant for normal overlanders, vanlifers and long-term travelers. For most people the real choice comes down to Roam 50GB/100GB/300GB or Roam Unlimited (availability depends on country).

As already mentioned earlier, Starlink somehow behaves like a real data monster. We personally use significantly more data with Starlink than we ever did with normal mobile SIM cards. At first we assumed 50GB would probably be enough, but after testing our real-world usage it quickly became obvious that it was nowhere near sufficient for us.

A completely normal day with Starlink for us looks something like this: regular browsing, checking emails, quickly looking at YouTube to see what is new, maybe watching a video, writing Polarsteps and Facebook posts including photos, editing pictures, retrieving GPS and satellite map information online, handling administrative and logistical tasks and navigating during driving with satellite view permanently enabled. In the evening we usually stream a movie and finish the day with a little bit of doomscrolling.

Our average monthly usage ended up being around 250GB. Interestingly, with normal SIM cards we previously managed with roughly 150GB for almost the same lifestyle. Something about Starlink simply encourages heavier data usage once fast and stable internet becomes constantly available.

For us the 50GB plan was completely unrealistic.

On top of that, I also make money with stock footage and every few months I upload large amounts of material to my server in Germany. These uploads can easily grow into several terabytes, making Roam Unlimited absolutely essential in our case.

We talked to other travelers who genuinely use very little internet and still managed fine with 50GB plan, but most people we met eventually switched either to the 100GB plan or directly to Unlimited.

For us personally Unlimited is definitely worth the additional cost. The extra freedom, reduced stress and ability to simply use the internet without constantly monitoring every gigabyte is a massive improvement during long-term travel.

Starlink Outside

Our Conclusion on Starlink

For us, Starlink has been an absolute game changer.

Again and again we caught ourselves choosing our campsites based on mobile phone towers. Truly remote areas were usually only visited when there were people nearby or when we spotted a transmission tower somewhere in the distance. More than once I even launched the drone with a smartphone attached to it just to catch a weak signal somewhere above the trees.

Today all of this is gone. We no longer have to deal with buying overpriced SIM cards, signing contracts, registering passports or struggling with ridiculous data limits and unstable connections.

We simply drive where we actually want to go. Deeper into the wilderness, further away from civilization and into places we would previously have avoided because we worried about communication and emergency access.

And honestly, we noticed how much this changed us mentally as well. We became calmer and more relaxed.

Sure, there are travelers who are perfectly happy without internet. WE ARE NOT.

We want to be online anytime and anywhere

– especially because we are often traveling completely alone.

The internet is our connection to the world, to friends, familiar faces and our families.
And Starlink opens that gate almost everywhere.

Last update: 16.05.2026

RECENT UPDATES

July 2026: Major Changes to Starlink Roam

Starlink has announced a major update to its international roaming policy. New customers signing up on or after July 14, 2026 are immediately subject to the new rules, while existing customers will transition on August 17, 2026.

The biggest change is that Roam Unlimited now only allows 30 consecutive days outside your registered home country. After that, you must either return to your home country (or home region in Europe), transfer your account to the new country, or upgrade to a Priority plan.

Even more restrictive, all other Roam plans (50GB, 100GB, etc.) are now intended for use only within your registered home country or home region. For European users, however, all participating European countries are treated as one region, meaning travel within Europe does not count as international roaming.

For long-term overlanders and world travelers, these changes are significant and could fundamentally change how Starlink Roam can be used outside your home region. We will update this guide as soon as we gain real-world experience with the new policy.

Reas the changes here: Travel with Starlink Roam – Starlink-Help Center (ge)

But there’s Good News for Long-Term Travelers

Following the announcement of Starlink’s new international roaming policy, we contacted Starlink support directly, to clarify how the new rules affect long-term overlanders.

According to Starlink, travelers spending several months in each country do not need a Priority plan. Instead, you can use Roam Unlimited for the first 30 days, then simply transfer your account to the country you are currently visiting. As long as your Starlink kit is at least 120 days old or your service has been active for more than 90 days, no proof of residence is required. This process can then be repeated for every new country you enter.

The only additional requirement is Travel Registration, which must be completed in your Starlink account before traveling internationally.

If this policy is implemented as described, it is excellent news for long-term travelers and overlanders, as it removes the need for the significantly more expensive Priority plans. We will, of course, test this ourselves and report back with real-world experience.

May 2026: New Roam 300GB Plan & Price Changes

Starlink introduced the new Roam 300GB plan in the United States. Current US pricing is roughly:

  • Roam 100GB → 55 USD
  • Roam 300GB → 80 USD
  • Roam Unlimited → 175 USD

At the same time pricing also changed in other regions. In Germany for example, Roam Unlimited increased to around 95€ per month.

However, the new 300GB plan is currently still unavailable in Germany and several other countries. As usual with Starlink, pricing structures, roaming plans and availability differ heavily depending on the registration country and may change at any time.

last updated: 21.05.2026

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – more than once. And especially in the beginning, we honestly panicked every single time it happened.

Sometimes the signal was cut after only two weeks inside a country. Sometimes it happened in technically unsupported or unlicensed countries. And occasionally it simply seemed to be caused by some random technical issue.

The frustrating part was that the error messages were often identical, no matter what the actual reason was. So in many situations we never really knew whether the problem was geoblocking, roaming restrictions, account issues or simply a temporary system error.

In the end however, the exact reason often did not even matter that much. A short conversation with human support usually solved the problem surprisingly quickly and the system was reactivated again.

Yes. Honestly – yes.

As long as satellites are overhead and the dish has at least some visibility to the sky, Starlink works surprisingly well almost everywhere. We used it in deserts, remote wilderness, mountains and places where normal mobile networks completely stopped existing long ago.

And yes — this even includes many technically unsupported or “forbidden” countries which currently do not actively enforce geoblocking. However, you use Starlink there entirely at your own risk. Things may work perfectly fine for weeks or months until the system suddenly gets restricted or disconnected.

The main exceptions are geoblocking or geofencing in countries where Starlink is restricted or unsupported. In such cases the system may suddenly stop working entirely, even though satellites are physically overhead.

A heavily obstructed sky can also become a problem. Dense tree cover, steep cliffs or very thick cloud layers may interrupt the connection or delay satellite acquisition. Interestingly however, even under difficult conditions the system often still reconnects from time to time once a satellite briefly becomes visible. Sometimes this only takes seconds, sometimes minutes and occasionally even hours.

This is also why having a small backup SIM card with at least some mobile data still makes sense. Apart from emergency situations, mobile internet is often simply more practical in places like supermarkets, fuel stations or cities where setting up the dish would be inconvenient anyway.

Trees are another surprisingly important factor. By now we automatically park in a way that still leaves at least a small opening toward the sky. Even a relatively tiny gap between branches can already be enough for Starlink to maintain a stable connection.

And honestly, there is still something slightly surreal and fascinating about being online in the middle of absolute nowhere, deep inside a desert or remote wilderness, hundreds of kilometers away from civilization.

Rarely, but yes.

One issue we experienced was overheating when we forgot to open the roof hatch properly. In that case the Starlink Mini became too hot and displayed an overheating warning message. Opening the hatch and improving airflow solved the problem every single time.

Another common issue is unstable 12V power supply. Starlink reacts extremely sensitively to voltage fluctuations. With unstable power the dish may repeatedly boot up, shut down again or randomly switch itself off.

This thing definitely needs power – enough of it, but more importantly: stable power.

Other than that, we honestly did not experience any major hardware problems so far.

Both, mainly because we still use some devices that simply do not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

However, most of the time we use the 5 GHz connection, because it is way faster than the 2.4 GHz variant. Downloads, uploads and general responsiveness are simply much better.

The downside is, that 5 GHz usually has slightly shorter range and performs worse through obstacles like walls or dense vegetation. In practice however this rarely matters for us since we are mostly close to the vehicle anyway.

Yes. The Starlink Mini already includes its own integrated Wi-Fi router, so in most situations you do not need any additional networking hardware. Simply power it on and connect your devices directly to the Starlink Wi-Fi network.

For normal travel usage this works perfectly fine and easily covers a campervan or nearby campsite area.

However, if you need more advanced networking features, longer Wi-Fi range, external antennas, VPN setups or mesh systems, you can also connect Starlink to a separate external router. Many overlanders and digital nomads eventually do this to build more stable or more powerful onboard networks.

Unfortunately, I have to say: yes. The upload speed just sucks.

Even though the theoretical upload speed shown by Starlink is often somewhere between 30–50 Mbit/s, the real-world upload speed mostly drops down to only around 350 KB/s, which feels painfully slow nowadays.

I researched this topic quite a lot and apparently this behavior is not unusual. According to ChatGPT and various technical explanations, Starlink prioritizes download traffic much more heavily than upload traffic, because the vast majority of users consume far more data than they upload. Upload bandwidth is shared dynamically and can fluctuate significantly depending on satellite coverage, network congestion, routing and the destination server itself.

We also noticed something interesting: uploads to huge cloud infrastructures like Google, YouTube or other major providers are often surprisingly fast. But uploading files to my own server in Germany, despite it running on fiber internet, usually slows down dramatically and often stays around the already mentioned 350 KB/s.

This is where tools like FileZilla become extremely useful. Instead of uploading one large file, I start several simultaneous uploads in parallel. Doing this often increases the total throughput massively and I can sometimes reach around 10 MB/s overall, which is a huge difference.

Nevertheless, uploading multiple terabytes of footage still requires a lot of patience with Starlink. There is really no sugarcoating that part.

Yes – absolutely. For us this is completely normal daily usage.

The Starlink Mini is designed to work while moving and in our experience it does this really well. We honestly do not know the exact maximum speed limit, at which the system still functions reliably, but during normal overlanding travel we never had any serious problems.

We usually drive somewhere around 80 km/h, but even at 100 km/h we never experienced connection dropouts or major interruptions. Navigation, streaming, browsing and background uploads continued working without noticeable issues while driving.

Of course terrain, sky visibility and obstructions still matter, but generally speaking the system handles mobile usage far better than we initially expected.

We actually tested this inside a forest, although not an extremely dense one. At roughly 500 meters distance with mostly clear line of sight to the vehicle, I still had around 15 Mbit/s connection speed. Honestly, that surprised us quite a lot.

Honestly, I thought exactly the same in the beginning. But the build quality of the Starlink Mini is surprisingly good.

So far every corrugated road, gravel track, pothole road and rough offroad section we have driven, caused absolutely no problems for the system. The dish seems far more robust than initially thought.

The only thing we still cannot fully judge yet, is long-term exposure to permanent extreme sunlight and heat over multiple years. Time will tell how well the materials hold up under constant UV radiation and high temperatures.

But so far? Honestly: everything has been excellent.

Yes – at least according to what I heard and experienced so far.

Our own system for example is registered in Spain while we are currently traveling through Africa without major issues. So intercontinental usage itself is definitely possible.

What we honestly do not know yet is, what happens once we physically move the hardware to a completely different continent outside the current roaming region. That is something we will soon find out ourselves during further travels.

I am not even sure whether this really counts as an actual issue, but we definitely noticed that we need a VPN much more often than we originally expected.

Sometimes websites suddenly become unreachable. Sometimes you get blocked entirely or constantly have to solve CAPTCHA challenges. In other situations certain country-specific websites stop working properly, while at other times even your own server may reject the connection because the access suddenly appears as “unknown” or suspicious.

There are regularly situations where enabling a VPN suddenly fixes everything – and other situations where the exact opposite is true and the VPN actually causes the problem.

I assume this mostly happens because Starlink routes traffic dynamically through different gateways and countries, which can occasionally confuse security systems, geo-restrictions or automated fraud detection mechanisms.

Yes, it can become slightly annoying at times, but honestly: for us this is nowhere near a real red flag. It is more one of those small quirks you simply learn to live with after a while.

Last updated: 20.072026

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]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/starlink-worldwide-guide/feed/ 0 How to Deal With Corruption as an Overland Traveler https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-to-deal-with-corruption-overland-travel/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-to-deal-with-corruption-overland-travel/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:13:44 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=2263 Corruption is a constant reality in overland travel in many countries. This article explains how to handle such situations pragmatically, calmly and without moral posturing, based on real overland travel experience.

The post How to Deal With Corruption as an Overland Traveler appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

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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
Fenny and Me with Machinegun and Officer in Iraq

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!

Iraqi High Rank and WE

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.

Our incident with corrupt Nigerian Police

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.

Different guards, different levels of authority.

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.

Kuwait, Border Police

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.

Ekok Border in Nigeria

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.

Road Block In Nigeria

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!

We-TRAVELcandies-On-Tour

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

Preparation significantly reduces risk and this is, what we learned very quickly:

  • Make copies of all documents. Passports, driver’s license, vehicle papers. Keep originals out of reach and hand over copies only. We let produce professional looking laminates of our passports, drivers licenses and other important documents.

  • Check iOverlander for current border reports, checkpoint patterns or other dangerous or suspicious areas, where corruption might occur.

  • Read recent Facebook group posts from travelers, who crossed the same borders or regions shortly before you.

  • Verify official requirements on government or embassy websites: required documents, fees, procedures and official prices.

  • Know the rules better than the officer.

    If we read in a group, on a website or on platforms like iOverlander about corrupt border posts and their tactics, we always research the actual laws.
    AI can be extremely helpful here – but always double-check.

    Print the relevant regulations, carry them with you and only show them if absolutely necessary.

    Calm confidence comes from preparation.

  • Additional preparation points:

    • Always ask for a receipt and the officer’s name if it’s not clearly visible on the uniform. We openly write it down – you have the right to do so.

    • We always ask for the legal basis or – what police are supposed to have – a fee schedule.

    • At checkpoints, we never hand over cash directly to officers.
      The only exception is an official authority (e.g. borders) where fees are posted, fixed and well known.

    • If someone insists on cash, we calmly suggest doing it at the police headquarters or paying via bank transfer or bank deposit.

      Our simple rule is: no transparency, no payment.

    Last but not least – Dashcam
    It’s also always a good idea to run a dashcam, as it records audio and video, as well as GPS data and time. Of course, this must be checked country by country, as the use of dashcams is not legal everywhere.

No. These days we don’t give anything anymore. I grin and say:
“Sorry, Sir, I can’t give you anything. We don’t do that anymore.”

And if he doesn’t let up:
“Take a look at my wife (36 kg). She truly needs food more than you do,”
and I grin and wink while pointing at his big beer belly.

Sure, they can want that – but I react like this, depending on the situation:
I look at him suspiciously and very politely ask whether he’s serious.

If he insists, I calmly suggest the following:
“Okay, Sir, let’s do it this way: I’ll get out my camping chair, the two of us sit down by the roadside and watch how many drivers—cars or motorbikes—are wearing flip-flops. If I’m the only one, you can show me the law and give me a receipt, and I’ll transfer the fine straight to a bank. No problem. I naturally respect your laws.”

We had this happen. The officer went straight to the point as soon as I rolled down the window: “Give me your money, you are rich.”

I react laughing:
“Give me your gun, I don’t have one.”
Or a bit more firmly:
“Why should I give you my money? I need it myself.”

Or even more firmly:
“There is no way I’m giving you the money I worked hard for.”

And if none of that helps, I become very polite, lean toward him and whisper:
“Hey… you know I’m not allowed to give you anything. Otherwise I’d be committing bribery.”

And if he denies that, I say:
“You – and you know this very well – would be committing an offense too. That could cause you quite a lot of trouble,” (and I wink).

I let them search everything. No resistance.
If I’m asked whether I have a fire extinguisher, I reply like this:
“Yes, Sir. Two fire extinguishers, two reflective vests, three first-aid kits, two tow ropes, two tow hooks, and a shovel – because you never know who you might have to pull out of the shit. We’re always happy to help.”

If they then find something (it has happened before) – for example a broken license-plate light bulb – and demand 30 dollars instead of 5, I respond:

“Are you sure it’s 30 dollars? Absolutely sure?
Of course I follow your law. If you can show me the official fee schedule and give me a receipt, I’ll transfer the fine to a bank immediately.
But first, I’ll sit down by the roadside and take a look at how roadworthy the local vehicles are – then we can continue the discussion.”

Always calm. Friendly. Matter-of-fact. Confident.

Yep. Happened more than once:
I stay calm and polite, but firm. I ask him to clearly identify himself and show an official police ID. No ID, no documents. NEVER! – simple as that.

I explain calmly:
“I’m happy to cooperate with uniformed police or officers who can properly identify themselves. But I don’t hand over passports to private individuals.”

If he insists, I suggest we go together to the nearest police station or checkpoint.
That usually ends the discussion very quickly.

That happened before. Since then, we only hand over professional laminated copies (they look like the originals). When this happens, we stay relaxed and casual:

“Sir, these passports are the property of the Federal Republic of Germany. If you don’t return them, I’ll simply get new ones from the German embassy. That’s all. But I will certainly not pay.”

Then I stay calm and add:
“I think I’ll make myself a coffee and we’ll see how this develops.”

We sit it out, no matter how long it takes. Period!

Cameroon. We were stopped for allegedly “overtaking incorrectly.”
Traffic was chaotic and intense, but we hadn’t done anything wrong. Still, we were told to pay money – supposedly via a bank.

I asked what exactly our offense was and what about it was illegal.
Answer: “You did nothing illegal, but you still have to pay.”

I repeated the question several times.
Always the same answer: no offense, but payment required.

Completely absurd.
You can watch the whole situation on YouTube: 
Westafrika Tour – CAMEROON – Episode 11

A convoy in Cameroon (Ekok To Buea). We followed an unlit convoy until late in the evening.
We arrived. Trouble. Orders. Sleep.

At 2:30 a.m. (in Buea already), someone slammed a fist against our doors. Alarms screaming. A high-ranking officer (brigadier general) stood outside in casual clothes – one woman on his right, another on his left.

He demanded our IDs. We said we would only hand them over, if he identified himself first.
He started shouting and became super aggressive – and only then did we realize he was heavily drunk.

He rammed his elbow into my chest and physically blocked me from getting back into the van and closing the door. The situation escalated to a point where I became genuinely anxious and didn’t know how to react anymore. It caught me completely off guard.

I still did not hand over my IDs.

I misjudged the situation. This was the only case, where none of my strategies worked.
It left a trauma.

Ohhhh yes. More than once.
As I wrote at the beginning: I’m easy to deal with – as long as my intelligence isn’t chainsaw-raped and I’m not treated like an idiot.

Unfortunately, in situations like that I sometimes fail to control the adrenaline rush. From that moment on, it’s pure confrontation. I get very loud, sometimes I even shout down an entire border post and ask the officers whether they flushed their common sense down the toilet.

That said, I usually switch back quite quickly to my “very, very friendly” tactic – which, surprisingly, still works most of the time.

But: it’s not good.
The loud one always loses – unless he has an exit strategy, which I usually do.

Yes – but it’s tactical.

If we’re stopped and someone tries to impose a fine, we argue our way out of it, until the officer starts lowering the amount. At that exact moment it becomes obvious, that this is corruption.

From then on, we go rigid and pay nothing – no matter how low he or she goes.
This happened to us in Guinea: he dropped from 120 USD to 20 USD.

How much more obvious can corruption get?

Oh yes. You can see one clear example here in this blog post: Surviving Nigerian Checkpoints.
We also have many other videos, showing exactly these kinds of situations on YouTube.
But keep in mind: running a camera can also cause serious problems.
In many countries, filming is not permitted – or can even be a criminal offense.
We recorded covertly.

No. We have never paid a bribe.
But we have fallen for fraudulent schemes often enough in the past – we simply didn’t know better.
Today, we’re far better prepared and can usually spot a corrupt situation immediately.

The post How to Deal With Corruption as an Overland Traveler appeared first on TRAVELcandies-On-Tour.

]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/how-to-deal-with-corruption-overland-travel/feed/ 2 true costs of overland travel https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/true-costs-of-overland-travel/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/true-costs-of-overland-travel/#respond Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:44:26 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=1928 Somewhere between freedom, diesel receipts and daily life lies the real cost of long-term travel. This article is based on real expenses tracked continuously over 66 months, with every payment recorded manually and assigned to a cost category

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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
overland travel route costs europe middle east africa asia

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.

Albania, Skrapar, Zaloshnjë

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
Turkey, Göreme, Cappadocia

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€
Diesel11,369.33€
Cigarettes11,087.73€
Internet & Communication2,473.42€
Accommodation1,085.90€
Entrance Fees & Sightseeing1,046.66€
Mechanic Works

Vehicle Costs Breakdown

Spare parts¹7,285.57€
Workshops²6,111.07€
Maintenance³2,495.99€
Ferries1,387.57€
Insurance1,005.11€
TIP (Temporary Import Permit)512.95€
Toll roads437.34€
Spare Parts Shipping427.80€
Carnet De Passage350.00€
Fees156.90€
Car wash153.78€
Parking53.49€
Rest11.94€

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.
Moldova, at a dentist - misc costs of world travel

Miscellaneous Costs Breakdown

Health¹5.308,46€
Visa3.974,67€
Hardware Stores2.750,61€
Shipping/Transport Of Goods1.576,66€
PCR Tests (only during COVID)803,99€
Cash / Banking or Exchange Fees781,13€
Tips and gifts370,88€
Clothes366,71€
New Passports323,90€
Solarmoduls329,07€
Gas258,92€
Washing Clothes218,54€
Copyshops48,07€
Rest51.39€

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.
World Travel Prices Of Food

Food Costs Breakdown

Food, Groceries etc12.513,47 €
Restaurants, Street Food2478,52 €

Go back to the Overview

World Travel Money

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.

Africa Vs Rest Of The World

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😂.

Fenny & Totti from TRAVELcandies On Tour

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

A large part of our total expenses was unavoidable. Fuel scales directly with distance, vehicle wear and repairs are inevitable on long routes and bad roads and border related costs such as visas and permits are fixed by authorities. Basic food and reliable internet access are also non-negotiable on a multi-year trip. Taken together these categories account for roughly two thirds of our total spending.

Some costs were only partially avoidable. Accommodation, activities and food choices offer room for savings but always come with trade-offs in comfort, safety or experience. Route planning can reduce border and permit costs but only by limiting where and how you travel.

A smaller share was clearly avoidable. Cigarettes and a few comfort-driven decisions could have been cut without changing the nature of the journey. In realistic terms this would not have reduced the total budget dramatically. The idea that a trip like this can be done for half the money usually implies fewer kilometers, fewer countries or a fundamentally different way of traveling.

Vehicle age and condition have a significant impact on long-term overland costs but not in the simplistic way often suggested. A newer vehicle reduces the risk of early breakdowns and unexpected failures but comes with higher acquisition costs, more complex systems and often limited repair options outside developed markets.

An older vehicle increases the likelihood of repairs over time but offers two practical advantages: lower purchase price and higher repairability. Mechanical systems are easier to diagnose, spare parts are more widely available and many problems can be fixed locally rather than requiring specialized workshops.

Based on many years of experience with both new and old vehicles we clearly prefer older models but not extremely old ones. Vehicles from a generation before heavy electronics tend to offer the best balance between robustness, serviceability and parts availability without the drawbacks of very old technology.

In the long run costs tend to converge. Newer vehicles shift expenses toward depreciation and specialized repairs, while older vehicles shift them toward maintenance and parts. What matters more than age alone is the initial condition, maintenance discipline and the ability to repair issues early before they escalate.

For long-term overland travel reliability is not defined by vehicle age but by simplicity, serviceability and how well the vehicle’s limitations are understood and respected.

Costs on a multi-year overland journey do not stay constant and they rarely move in only one direction. In the early phase expenses are often higher due to initial repairs, setup adjustments, learning mistakes and a tendency to solve problems quickly rather than cheaply.

As experience grows daily costs tend to stabilise or even decrease. Route planning improves, unnecessary expenses are avoided and travel decisions become more deliberate. Food, accommodation and logistics usually become more efficient with time.

However over longer periods rising costs reappear. Vehicle wear accumulates, major maintenance becomes unavoidable and components that survived the first years eventually fail. At the same time travel often shifts toward more remote regions where logistics, spare parts and services are more expensive.

In practice long-term costs follow a wave rather than a straight line. Learning reduces expenses in the medium term, while mechanical wear and logistical complexity push them up again later. The idea that costs continuously drop the longer you travel does not hold true for multi-year overland journeys.

Some overland travel costs scale directly with distance. Fuel consumption increases linearly with kilometers driven and vehicle wear is closely tied to mileage. Tyres, suspension components, drivetrain parts and routine maintenance intervals are all distance-dependent and cannot be avoided on long routes.

Other costs are largely independent of distance and scale with time instead. Food, internet, insurance and daily living expenses remain relatively stable whether you drive 50 or 300 kilometers per day. Border costs, visas and permits are tied to the number of countries crossed rather than total distance and can increase sharply without adding many kilometers.

A third group sits in between. Accommodation and activities depend more on travel style and location than on distance itself. Slow travel with fewer kilometers can reduce fuel and wear but does not automatically lower overall costs if time-based expenses continue to accumulate.

Understanding the difference between distance-based and time-based costs is crucial for planning. Driving less does not always mean spending less.

Overland travel stops being cheaper than staying home the moment parallel costs start to overlap. As long as travel expenses replace most home expenses the comparison can favor life on the road. Once rent, mortgages, utilities, taxes or mandatory insurance continue at home while travel costs are added on top the economic advantage disappears quickly.

Cost parity also depends heavily on travel style and location. Slow travel in low-cost regions with a fully paid and simple vehicle can remain cheaper than a middle-class life in Europe. Fast travel, frequent border crossings, expensive regions and increasing vehicle wear push monthly costs upward and can exceed the cost of staying home even without a fixed residence.

Over longer timeframes vehicle depreciation, major repairs and rising logistics costs further erode any savings. At that point overland travel is no longer a cost-saving lifestyle but a deliberate choice to exchange financial efficiency for freedom, experience and autonomy.

In practice overland travel is only “cheaper” under specific conditions. Beyond that threshold the comparison becomes irrelevant, because the value of the journey is no longer primarily financial.

In our case overland travel is still clearly cheaper. Our monthly travel expenses amount to roughly one third of what we would need to cover our regular monthly financial requirements in Germany. This difference exists because travel costs replace most everyday living expenses rather than adding to them.

The most surprising cost category over the long run was food. Not because it was the largest single expense but because expectations often did not match reality. In many regions food prices were higher than anticipated, especially in remote areas where limited competition, transport costs and imported goods drive prices up.

Closely linked to this was the cumulative effect of small, everyday expenses. Individually they seem negligible but over months and years they add up significantly. Food is consumed daily, cannot be postponed and is difficult to optimise beyond a certain point without compromising health or practicality.

In contrast some commonly feared costs such as fuel or visas were more predictable and easier to budget for. Food proved less transparent, more variable and harder to control over long periods than expected.

The choice of spare parts depends heavily on the vehicle and how common it is in the regions travelled. A Toyota Hilux is used worldwide and spare parts are widely available. Our Sprinter is common in many African countries as well, but new parts are often unavailable or very expensive. Used parts are usually obtainable, although availability is more limited for the 4×4 version.

Because spare parts are cheapest, genuine and reliably sourced in Germany, we decided to carry our own spare parts stock. The focus is not on everything that could break, but on parts that are critical, failure-prone, hard to source locally or would cause long downtime if unavailable.

Our spare parts stock mainly consists of:

  • Fuel and engine management components (sensors, pumps, valves, diesel lines)

  • Wear parts and service items (filters, belts, glow plugs, wiper, bulbs)

  • Brake components (pads, hoses, parking brake parts, caliper hardware)

  • Drivetrain and suspension parts (bearings, seals, CV joints, steering joints)

  • Seals, gaskets and small hardware that often fail but are difficult to source quickly

  • Stand heater critical parts to ensure cold-start and comfort reliability

Carrying spare parts adds weight and cost, but for us it significantly reduced downtime, dependency on local supply chains and the risk of being forced into expensive emergency repairs.

This question comes up repeatedly and the answer is straightforward. We are not sponsored and we do not rely on donations. We also do not run aggressive advertising, affiliate programs or commission-based content.

Our travel is financed through long-term financial planning, disciplined spending and the fact that life on the road replaces most regular living expenses instead of adding to them. In addition we are strongly invested in ETFs and follow a dividend-focused strategy. Our portfolio is structured to generate regular distributions with the goal of monthly payouts, which contribute to covering ongoing expenses while traveling.

We keep our travel style simple and avoid parallel costs at home, which makes multi-year overland travel financially sustainable without external funding. This way of traveling is not about monetising the journey but about structuring life and finances in a way that remains viable over the long term.

There is no universal or effortless solution. Truly passive income is rare and usually the result of long-term preparation rather than something created on the road. In our case additional income comes primarily from investments that were built up before the journey, not from constant online activity or travel-related monetisation.

In the past we have experimented with various active income sources. These included app and beta testing, selling video footage, writing texts, designing and selling calendars and providing consulting work. Some of these activities generated income more consistently than others, but all of them required active input and ongoing effort.

Any form of active income while traveling requires time, skills and reliability. Remote work, freelance projects or occasional consulting can work, but they are not passive and often compete directly with travel time and mental bandwidth. For us the focus has always been on financial structures that function independently of location rather than on generating short-term income on the road.

For us truly passive income refers to strategies that require very little ongoing input once established. Approaches that come closest to this are the result of long-term planning and preparation. The details of those strategies are something we prefer to keep to ourselves.

Long-term overland travel becomes financially viable not by chasing income streams everywhere, but by keeping costs predictable, avoiding parallel expenses and relying on systems that were established well before departure.

Many ideas that sound attractive in theory turn out to be inefficient or unsustainable in practice. In our own experience this includes activities such as app testing, writing texts, T-shirt design, calendar design and similar small-scale creative or task-based work. While these options are often advertised as easy ways to earn money on the road, the required input is extremely high and the financial return is usually modest and unreliable.

Another limiting factor is market saturation. Most of these fields are already crowded with people who are well established, highly optimised and operating at scale. Competing with them on a temporary or mobile basis rarely makes economic sense.

We also consider affiliate marketing to be the wrong approach for long-term travel. It creates an incentive to recommend products based on commission rather than relevance, pushes content toward consumption and undermines trust. In addition affiliate income is highly dependent on algorithms, platform rules and constant optimisation, which makes it neither passive nor predictable.

In our experience anything that demands continuous production, constant online presence or monetisation of every travel decision consumes disproportionate energy while adding little financial stability. For long-term overland travel this trade-off is rarely worth it.

No. We have never gone “back home” in the conventional sense. Our home is where our van is, and that has been the case throughout the entire journey. We do not maintain a parallel life in Germany and we do not plan to return there, except in the case of real emergencies.

We have everything we need with us and we have consistently found what is required to sustain daily life on the road. Administrative, logistical and practical matters are handled along the way rather than deferred to a fixed home base.

Our financial setup allows for a high degree of independence and long-term planning. This makes extended travel possible without relying on a fallback location. For us the journey is not something that is paused and resumed. It is our way of life.

 
 

We miss German food. Good bread, liver sausage, Bautz’ner mustard, liquorice, tiramisu, cheesecake, onion roast beef, Sauerbraten with dumplings, Maultaschen and all the familiar dishes from home. Not because food elsewhere is bad, but because taste is memory and certain things are tied to routine and cultural familiarity.

Fenny misses the simplicity of being able to walk into a supermarket and reliably find exactly what she is looking for.
Totti misses Amazon🤷‍♀️😂.

Totti: Having to take care of personal business in the presence of my wife. Heat. When Rossi – our van – starts acting up. Having no internet connection. Corrupt officers.

Fenny: “It is what it is.”

Having options, choices and freedom.

Of course we were supposed to pay – or at least that’s what the corrupt officers at borders, checkpoints and in cities thought.
But we always found ways to pay nothing – not a single cent. It was sometimes hard work, but in the end it probably saved us several thousand euros.
Read here, how we managed the corruption effectivly

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]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/true-costs-of-overland-travel/feed/ 0 transafrica travelmap by travelcandies https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/transafrica-travelmap-by-travelcandies/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/transafrica-travelmap-by-travelcandies/#respond Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:22:04 +0000 https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=1811 Africa looks simple on a map - but on the ground, it isn’t.

This blog introduces our TRANSafrica TRAVELmap - a map built while driving. It follows our real overland route from Morocco to South Africa, shaped by border queues, broken roads and unexpected detours.

What you’ll find here is inspiration and orientation. Not promises, but experience.
I created this map for one reason: to make sense of the road ahead - before you’re already on it.

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TRANSafrica TRAVELmap By TRAVELcandies-On-Tour

“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?

Future Map

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.

Guinea-Kalia

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.

SIGHTSEEING POIs
BORDERS and CHECKPOINTS
OUR DRIVEN ROUTES
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
LOGISTICS
OVERNIGHT PLACES
DANGER
ROAD CONDITIONS

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.

country infos

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)

PREPARATION

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

Fenny & Totti (TRAVELcandies On Tour)

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]]> https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/transafrica-travelmap-by-travelcandies/feed/ 0 Through The Wild West Of Africa https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/westafrica/ https://travelcandies-on-tour.com/westafrica/#respond Thu, 08 May 2025 09:28:37 +0000 http://neu.travelcandies-on-tour.com/?p=1673 An overland journey through West Africa is not a typical road trip - it’s raw, intense and deeply human. In this intro we share why we chose to drive our van down the West African coast, what challenges truly await (roads, borders, fuel, health, costs) and what makes this route unforgettable: the people, the encounters and the reality behind the clichés.

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Nigeria-Sefu-Obafemi-Owod

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.

Guinea-Kalia

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.

Republic-of-the-Congo-Mediao-Souanke

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.

Cameroon-New-Bell

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.

Nigeria-Oluti-Lagos

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.

Nigeria-Ihite-Ngor-Okpala

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!

High Prices in Africa

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😉

Nigeria-Ore-Odigbo

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.

Ivory-Coast-Fraboue

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.

Angola-Bibala-Lubango

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.

Angola-Bibala-Lubango
TRAVELcandies TRANSafrica TRAVELmap

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

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