South Africa vs Rest of the World

[Andy Walker]

I'm wanting to start on some more serious adventures - and having read some trip reports about various people driving to South Africa, I thought it might be worth starting to plan... One of my questions is, is it worth it? and if so why? apart from seeing Africa's wildlife and getting a load of hassle at the borders.
Would I have extra issues with this trip due to me not being from South Africa?
Would I get just as much satisfaction by driving across to say China? - or elsewhere in the East? - or North to Finland?

Don't get me wrong, SA sounds fun to me , but I'm trying to convince my wife.
Any advice/help is welcome.

 

[Olazz]

Andy, driving to ZA and not being from ZA makes no difference, you will have to drive through many African countries BEFORE you get to ZA, and you won't be from those countries either!

Is it worth it... only you will know. It will be like most things in life, its what you make of it. Wherever you go in the world you may and probably will encounter problems of some sort; Africa is no different.

Exploring anywhere other than your native land (if you have that interest) will be immensely rewarding, whether Alaska, Tibet, China, India or Africa.

Why Africa? Because many parts are still wild and untamed. It will get into you soul, the people, the smell of the earth after rain, the wildlife, the chaos, the remoteness, the heat... the vast and immense beauty of it all.

You could of course just fly to Cape Town and hotel it in comfort, the missus would love it!
Think of San Francisco.... with a bit more crime and you've got it.

 

[Andrew Prince]

I'll have a stab at adding my 2c...

One of my questions is, is it worth it? and if so why? apart from seeing Africa's wildlife and getting a load of hassle at the borders.?

Obviously this is a question mostly up to the individual to answer For me, the appeal is the wide open space and going to places that aren't very accessible and/or I wouldn't have the opportunity to visit very often. Seeing relatively unspoilt places and having to be mostly self-sufficient while being able to dictate your itinerary and schedule offers a lot of freedom. Roads are generally moderate to poor, so it's fun using the capabilities of your truck more than you would say driving from the UK to France.
For some people it's about the culture and seeing how other people live - I grew up in Africa, so that has less novelty for me - but your wife may think seeing different African tribes, cultures and ways of life is the greatest thing ever (she might all also think the opposite )
Obviously Africa has its drawbacks, with officialdom and minor theft being a daily challenge.

Would I have extra issues with this trip due to me not being from South Africa??

Nope, I guess an RSA passport might make visas easier to get in some countries (certainly the case for SADC region) but a UK passport might have its benefit for other countries. Being South African is of no benefit for such a trip other than maybe having some prior experience of Africa. Others might be able to chime in with some important points but I can't see any issues at all.

Would I get just as much satisfaction by driving across to say China? - or elsewhere in the East? - or North to Finland?

I can't answer this one one as I haven't overlanded much and certainly nothing through Europe or to the East. I am sure there is attraction in any of these options. For sure doing a trip to the Far East of Russia, like Rob's, has major appeal. It comes down in part for your desire to rough it or to travel in relative comfort, i.e. Europe where you could stay in nice campsites with amenities or even B&Bs almost every night.
Why not start with a trip to Morocco with your wife and see how it goes? It's not too far, would provide a useful "shake-down" for your truck and overlanding preparations but is not too far from Europe or too far off the beaten track, although I am sure you could find very remote parts of Morocco to visit if you wanted more of a challenge.

Cheers,

 

[Graham]

At the moment, South Africa would be out of the question for now, and the foreseable future.

Within the African continent, here is just too much in fighting going on now.

The west coast is a load of hassle at the many borders, and now the east coast Egypt, Sudan, Syria, and south, is also looking like a load of old cobblers.

Which ever way you look at the moment, none of them appeals to me saftey wise.

Head East to Mongolia, maybe Himalaya, or Tibet, of China. Much less hassle, apart from costs, and probabley a whole lot safer.
Ulan Bator sounds a good escape.

Gra.

 

[Matt Wright]

Hi Andy

This is quite a contentious topic but if it was me, I'd ask someone who had done both trips who could give a genuine comparison. There's no other way in my mind

I have done the "Africa side" Dec 2010 - March 2011 and one of my best mates has done London to Mongolia June 2011 - August 2012.
The dates, duration of travel, routes, travel party size and many other variables define what the trip ends up being.

I'd be happy to give you more info on specific questions. Type up a few..

Wrt safety, I have to disagree on this point as we found Sudan to be the absolute best country we visited, friendliest, safest and if go back in a heart beat. Things change so there's no way to plan a trip so far in advance and then go on a trip of that length with guarantees. Of course safety is a key factor, but the western reported news is CATEGORICALLY WRONG in my opinion. We felt safe in Africa in every country we went through, even ethiopia!

I'm typing this from a meeting so I better go but : it's the ultimate experience
As Olaz said, it's what you make of it!

Go for it!

 

[Paul]

In Sudan at the moment and from an overlanding point of view it would be great. The borders in and out are a little tricky right now but a quick chat with some locals and you will find another route round, but isn't that the adventure part? Just been chatting to some Aussies in my hotel that have just come from the Nile state where it has kicked off a bit but still no worries for foreign trucks on the main road.

I have also worked in nearly every region of Russia/Ukraine/Kazakhstan etc all the way over to near Mongolia and all of them are great and good fun.

I have no hesitation going to these countries but always keep my eyes open and use common sense, bit of homework goes a long way as does preparation. There is no way i would drive through Manchester or Glasgow so i guess its all about perspective.

If it was easy then everyone would do it.

 

[Matt Wright]

Ditto Paul I'd go again tomorrow!