In the second half of 2011 I am taking a year and traveling via 4x4 (Land Rover) through most of Africa.  I am doing this by purchasing a Land Rover Defender 110 and traveling with a small group (1-3 others) as an independent group.  Why?  I don't want to travel in a large group like the overland trucks would likely have, and I think managing it on my own would be more challenging and interesting.  I don't want to travel alone the whole time though, and by sharing expenses I'll be able to save money over going solo.


Estimated budget (in euros):

Shared:

Per person:

Assuming I can find 2 others willing to share it would be around 6K for the car and 12k for personal stuff each, of which you could expect 3-4K back.


Current Status:

I am actively looking to purchase a land rover defender 110 and plan to buy one in the next few months.  I have not yet found anybody to come along on the whole trip with me, but I am still looking.  I will still be going on my own even if I don't find anybody.

About Me:

I am a 39 year old single computer programmer who loves to travel and wants to see more of the world.  I am Canadian but have been working in Europe (Belgium) for the last few years.  I plan on moving to Asia (or maybe South America) after this trip and exploring that area of the world.

I am not a party animal, but do like to get out and have fun now and then.  I love movies, music, reading, and all that normal stuff.

Itinerary:

Here is a possible itinerary to give you an idea of what I want to do.  Note that is is 100% likely to be completely different before we leave, so make no plans on this.  The start date is not even set yet, and the country we start from might be South Africa (depending on where we buy the 4x4).  Of course this will also change depending on local circumstances in each country at the time of travel.  Some of the countries listed below are currently NOT safe, and so will be avoided.

Month 1: 

Start from Gibraltar
Morocco
Mauritania

Month 2: 

Mali
Burkina Faso
Ghana

Month 3: 

Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Cameroon

Month 4: 

Gabon
Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo

Month 5:

Angola
Namibia

Month 6: 

South Africa

Month 7: 

Zimbabwe
Botswana

Month 8: 

Zambia
Malawi

Month 9: 

Tanzania
Uganda

Month 10:

Kenya

Month 11:

Ethiopia
Sudan

Month 12:

Egypt

I will be adding details to this site over time, please check back if you're interested.  If you want to go somewhere specific not listed here, I'm very flexible and willing to negotiate reasonable changes.  Chances are that I might be interested as well when I hear where you want to go!



FAQ:

1. Q) Why are you doing this?
   A) I want to do long term travel in Africa and don't want to be in a large group
   
   
2. Q) Will you be my tour guide?
   A) No.  I'm looking for travel partners, not clients, guests, or passengers.  If you want everything arranged for you with no responsibilities, go elsewhere.  If our car gets stuck in the mud, you will be expected to get dirty and help dig it out.
   
   
   
   
3. Q) Have you ever been to Africa before?
   A) I've been on a group tour of Egypt
   
   
4. Q) Do you know what you're doing?
   A) No, but that's half the fun!
   
   
5. Q) I want to come with you, what do I do now?
   A) Send me an e-mail and introduce yourself.
   
   
6. Q) How do you decide if you'll let somebody join your trip?
   A) First off, it's not "my" trip, I might be starting things off but I would expect everybody to pitch in and help organize.  When I have a few interested people and we've chatted over the phone and e-mail for a while and seem compatible, I would try to arrange for a week long camping trip or something to see how we all (as a group) work in person.
   
   
7. Q) Where exactly will you be going?  What countries/route?
   A) I'm not sure yet.  Given we have a year, we can see a lot.
   
   
8. Q) How will the finances all be arranged?
   A) The personal finances will be just that, personal.  The shared expenses we would pay as we go, with an equal split of costs for all gas and other vehicle costs.  I will not be your banker.  I would expect a deposit to be paid to cover some of the vehicle and equipment costs before the trip starts, even if you're planning on joining me in mid-trip.
   
   
9. Q) Will it be safe?
   A) There are parts of Africa that are not safe, and there is always a risk involved with this type of travel, but I expect to come out of this trip in one piece.  Being with a group is more secure than going solo.  If you decide to come along, you will be responsible for your own personal safety.
   
   
10. Q) Will I have to drive?
    A) Maybe.  I am willing to do a lot of the driving but will definitely want others to help.  There also may be times I cannot drive.
    
    
11. Q) I don't have a year, but I'm interested.  Can I come for part of the trip?
    A) I'm hoping to find at least 1-2 people to come for the whole trip, but if I can't I will definitely entertain bringing people along for a part of the trip.  You will still be expected to contribute to expenses before the trip begins, and it might be that we can't give you any money back until the trip is done.
    
    
12. Q) Why not rent a car?
    A) 4x4 rentals seem to run about $1K euros a week... do the math.
    
    
13. Q) Why not go on foot?
    A) I considered that, but I think I'll enjoy this more.
    

Still want to come along?  Send me an e-mail at andrew@hereafter.com.