Driving a Tacoma around the world

In case anyone is interested in the costs of our adventures I have broken it up in between Europe and Africa. Each column is usually a separate country or area or period of time within that continent. For example, we traveled in Iceland for 26 days and spent $3,667, for an average of $141 per day. These costs do not include things like shipping, insurance, flights, etc.


Europe was done in 2021 and 2022 in 12 months. We covered pretty much every country. Including very expensive Iceland and Norway, the cheaper Balkans and everyone in between. Here’s spreadsheet of Europe



Africa covered the entire West Coast from Morocco down to Capetown, South Africa and then north up to Tanzania in 2023. We’re still in Africa so this will change.



Not only are different countries have different levels of cost but some countries we had to camp in formal campgrounds as no wild camping was allowed. Other countries such as Nigeria had tremendously expensive visas.

Finally, some people may want to spend more time in hotels or do expensive safaris than us.

Enjoy and dream!

 

Malawi


Camped at a wildlife hide in Majete Reserve

Malawi is nicknamed the “warm heart of Africa” for good reason. A small densely populated country, the people are some of the kindest and most welcoming we have encountered on our travels. Even though the country was suffering from economic and fuel crises, people went out of their way to greet us and give a friendly welcome.

Similar to most of the African countrys we had visited (now 26!) in Malawi, interactions between people are based in courtesy, caring and a strong sense of humor. When you greet someone, you ask how they are, and you wait for an answer. Then they will ask you back and also wait to hear. And then the real reason for the conversation can take place. People smile and look each other in the eye.

We have learned to slow down our typically American “straight to the point” styles and take the time to connect before asking for information or diving into business. But the first night in Malawi, we were late over the border, roads took longer than usual (a common story) and we were trying to find our camp after dark which is always stressful for us. We were driving along a dirt road thinking it would take us to where we were going to camp when we arrived at a private security barricade. Dawn rolled down the window and jumped in with “do you know where Zua Safari Camp is?” The guard approached, smiled kindly and said, well first, “how are you tonight?” Schooled in courtesy. Dawn was mortified but it was a great reminder.


Our two week route through Malawi, mostly heading north along the lake

Our primary challenge in Malawi was managing the fuel situation. We came fully loaded, including two full Rotopax, but our truck is a thirsty beast, averaging 14 miles per gallon. Heading to the southern tip to visit Majete Reserve, we passed scores of empty gas stations. Finally we asked a police officer at a barricade check point if he knew where we could find fuel. He pointed us down a road heading to Mozambique. We thought, hm, maybe we could cross the border and fuel up?


The road we were driving was the border between Malawi and Mozambique



So we pulled up to the border and asked a border guard if it was possible to cross to get fuel. In what we quickly learned was typical Malawian helpfulness, he called over a young man on a motorbike. Andy hopped on with borrowed jerry cans and headed to Mozambique with all our spare kwachas while Dawn stayed with the truck.


Off they go


Dawn waited with the truck, watching hopefully for their return


Success!





A grateful thank you photo to our helpers

Andy had read about the Majete Wildlife Reserve, an up and coming success story similar to Gorongosa in Mozambique. With investment and careful development, the park was being restored and re-populated after decades of poaching.


Camped at a bush site at Zua Safari

Andy’s birthday was approaching so we decided so live it up at a private camp with a pool.


Exploring along the Shire river


Beautiful pool with a view of the river

But all was not idyllic. Never really one to rest, on his birthday, Andy decided it was time to change the oil and in the middle of the process, a critical part broke. With the assistance of the kind campground host, Lucky, he made calls to the closest Toyota dealer to find out about a replacement. We were told it would take four weeks. (!) So, plan B. Lucky called her friend a local mechanic. He came with his co-worker, they dismantled the part, said “no problem, one hour” and took it off to their shop. An hour later they returned with the part welded together perfectly. More Malawian helpfulness and classic African ability to be able to fix anything.


Our ingenious mechanics from the local electric company

The next night we had had made a reservation to spend the night at a hide in Majete Wildlife reserve - another birthday splurge.


Shire River in Majete Wildlife Reserve


Our private hide at a watering hole - Nakabi Hide


Lunch with a view!


Also private toilet and shower


And then breakfast with a view! A wild dog came to join us

Although the water hole at the hide was not teaming with wildlife while we were there, it was a magical experience just to know we were the only ones there overnight. The anticipation of the unknown made it exciting - we accompanied each other to the separate toilet building in the evening.


Motorcycle line at the fuel station


Lines would sometimes go on for a mile, especially in big cities

The fuel situation continued to be a challenge - it was affecting people’s livelihood and ability to access basic resources. We learned to look for the long line of motorcycles (they also used petrol, diesel was not such an issue), then check to see if they were actually pumping gas (people would line up sometimes a day or two in advance of an expected delivery) then get in line and hunker down to wait.

At one of the two gas stations we waited at during our time in Malawi, we had one of our most painful experiences in Africa. It was common practice for gas stations to jump foreign tourists to the front of the line as a courtesy. Although we appreciated the kindness and the savings of many hours in a hot line, it was also somewhat embarrassing and awkward for us. We never took this for granted, always taking our place in line with everyone else initially.

This day, police officers were onsite for crowd control. The officer in charge walked back to us and waved us forward to the front of the line. As he was clearing a path, a young man on a motorbike with headphones on didn’t hear the officer ask him to get out of the way. The officer became angry and started shouting at the young man and eventually grabbed the headphones and broke them. The young man reacted emotionally pushing the officer and a fight ensued, with the young man being beaten by multiple officers and carried off, the rest of us in the crowd watching in silence.

It was a moment when we really didn’t know what to do and in retrospect there are so many things we would have and could have done differently. We look back on that day with pain and shame and still remember the look of horror on the young man’s face as he saw his headphones shattered by the officer. We wish we had known how to effectively intervene or make things better. We would rather have waited for hours than had that outcome. Some of the realities of our travel are not happy or pretty and have consequences for others that we regret.

Feeling a little shaken, we decided to head up to the mountains for some high plateau cool breezes and hiking.


Road up to Zomba Plateau


Waterfall hike


Cool forest hike - Andy’s happy place


Beautiful cool campsite at the Trout Farm

And then more of the realities of traveling in Malawi as obvious tourists. We felt the economic need from people for money and food more than in almost any other country. It was clear people were struggling to eat. We woke up at the campsite to these young women hoping to sell us some fruit they had picked. Of course we bought some. Best blackberry type fruit we had ever had.


Young women outside our camper waiting to sell us fruit


So good!


Lines of women were walking down from the mountain to the village far below, carrying firewood.



Continuing with our desire to limit our national park visits to bring our budget back in line, we headed to Liwonde National Park but camped at Liwonde Safari Lodge on the edge of the park where we could view animals from their beautiful hides but not have to pay the park fees.


Bush camp at the Liwonde Safari Lodge


Pumba (Swahili for “silly”) in the water hole

In each country we visit, we are fascinated by the local architecture and building materials. In Malawi, almost all of the village houses were built of red brick. Kilns and brick molding sites dotted the roads at regular intervals.


Typical red building bricks, stacked up and ready to be built with

Then finally, time to visit Lake Malawi - the third deepest fresh water lake in the world and home to the most fish species.


Pulling into camp at Monkey Bay- Mufasa Rustic Backpackers camp


With our own spot on Lake Malawi


More bicycles than anywhere else in Africa (which makes sense with the gas situation)

Next, we made our way to Rafiki Safari Lodge, on the edge of the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Unlike the Liwonde Safari Lodge, it did not give us the experience of being at the edge of a national park - it was more of a standard hotel with bush camping but fenced. We realize that our strategy of trying to save money by always staying outside the national park was not going to give us the richest experience. But in Malawi, we felt that our priority was not wildlife viewing.


Walking along the Bua river (no hippos)

Then, because we always have to be planning ahead for travel logistics, we met up with our future shipping container buddies from Germany. With the war in Sudan and Ethiopia effectively banning foreign car entry, overland travelers are mostly following a route from Kenya to the Arabian peninsula which involves complicated shipping logistics. We are glad to share a 40’ container not only to share costs but to figure out the complex requirements. What better place to plan than another beautiful lakeside campground (Ngala Beach).


Our final big stopover in Malawi was Chelinda Camp, high in the Nyika National Park plateau. Another up and coming national park the endless grassland highland vistas once again provided welcome relief from the lowland heat. At the time Malawi was experiencing major heat waves at the lake.

Despite the lake being home to so many fascinating endemic fish species, we did not swim in it. A recent recurrence of Bilharzia in the lake made us squeamish. Many people swore it was safe, a group of German medical students doing internships said they swam and then took the antidote afterwards to be sure, but the whole scenario made us nervous. The idea of worms growing in our urinary tracts and intestines was horrifying. Plus the treatment is only effective once the worms have started growing so you wait and then kill them. We admit it, we were chicken hearted. This meant that our heat coping mechanism shifted from swimming in cool water to afternoon showers. Andy has been known to take a cold shower fully clothed, then just sit in the heat slowly drying. Then repeat.


Road into Nyika National Park


Campfire at the valley’s edge


Daytime view - and a shockingly welcome 75’ as opposed to the 95’ we had been battling


Requisite selfie with our camp host, Mateo, most hospitable host we have ever encountered


The “I can walk without sweating” smile


Chelinda Camp - the only camping in Nyika National Park, not cheap at $25 pp per night, but beautifuil


Andy’s favorite insect photos

He may not be fond of the idea of worms growing in his urinary tract, but Andy never hesitates to catch and hold whatever wildlife he can get his hands on.

Despite hearing lions at night, the insects and antelope were the extent of our wildlife encounters in the park.



We spent a morning walking with naturalist Blessing to learn about the flora and fauna.








Chosi Viewpoint in Nyika National Park

With our time in Malawi coming to an end we made one last detour to check out the iconic “Mushroom Farm” outside of Livingstonia. A restaurant, lodge and overland camp the Mushroom Farm has been making a name for itself for excellent food, uniquely built facilities along a cliff’s edge and a variety of curated cultural experiences and outdoor activities. In the past the only access had been a steep switchbacked hairpin curved road up the mountain, but a new access road coming up the west side of LIvingstonia has made it easier for visitors.


Thatch home - unusual for Malawi


Mushroom Farm observation deck


View from the composting toilet - best toilet view so far


Camping at cliff’s edge

Well, that is it for Malawi, we will continue our journey into the more touristed Tanzania, where gas is plentiful and we are sure adventures await. Thank you for reading!

 

I've been wondering how you would get through that eastern side of Africa - doesn't seem like there is a way through right now, only around.

I don't blame you for not swimming. Worms are a big nope. I used to keep an African Cichlid fish tank with Malawi cichlids. The water where I lived at the time was similar to their native water, so some of them actually bred and I had 3 generations at one point.

And I commend Andy on his efficient use of showers to both wash himself and his clothes at the same time! My longest trips have been about 10 days with no access to a shower, so I bought a case of medical wipes. They actually work really well, but kind of like a cold shower.

Thanks again for sharing, beautiful photos!

 

Yes! The north of Kenya is full of problems. First off, Ethiopia is currently not letting people drive in with foreign registered vehicles. And even if that is solved the border with the next country, Suden is closed due to civil war. The next country in line is Egypt, is one of the world’s most complicated for driving; they require you to pay a bond worth 5X the value and register the vehicle in Egypt and acquire local license plates. So this plan is nixed.

Our second plan was to ship to Oman, drive to Israel, then ship to Greece. But obviously the Israel part is a no go. Now, we’re still planning to ship to Oman but after that we’re leaving it open for now. Stayed tuned!

 

Tanzania


Mount Kilimanjaro popping out of the clouds.

We think Tanzania is scenically the most beautiful African country we have been to. It has everything - the gorgeous sandy beaches of Zanzibar, the magic of Ngorongoro Crater, the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, the endless vistas of the Serengeti with wildlife galore, and the bustling modern city of Dar es Salaam which manages to be both contemporary and capture ancient traditions and culture.


Our one month route through Tanzania


Welcome dance at Masai village



Then, of course there are the people. The kind smiles, the gentle teaching of Swahili words, sharing of culture and knowledge, and the rightful pride in being a peaceful nation. Tanzanians we spoke with delighted in pointing out that in their country people of diverse religions, economic backgrounds and cultures live in harmony side by side. We wish it were so everywhere in the world. The only downside to traveling in Tanzania is that the extraordinary experiences and places come at some of the highest cost we have seen in Africa.


Our 27th African border crossing! Soon there will be a beautiful one stop facility, now still a bit of a work in progress.

We entered Tanzania filled with anticipation, ready once again for some African animal encounters and excited to visit the island of Zanzibar. As is often the case with border crossings, our optimistic guess of 90 mins was wrong by half so we were late and a little at a loss for where to spend the night. We ended up in our least favorite scenario, a budget guest house parking lot, but it was safe and the owner kind and welcoming.


Overlanding is not always camping at scenic wilderness sites, delays at the border meant it was getting dark so we pulled into this guesthouse where the owner kindly made room for us.


More bananas than bike! Not the craziest load we have seen in Africa, but it speaks to peoples’ balancing skills.

Throughout Africa there are a few private overland camps that rise to the top in reputation because of the location, facilities, overlanding owners or uniqueness. (Zebra Bar in Senegal, The Mushroom Farm in Malawi, The Farmhouse in Matobo in Zimbabwe, Kakuako Lodge in Angola, Jungle Junction in Kenya come to mind.) The Old Kisolanza Farmhouse in Iringa is one of those. Right along the main route from the border to Dar es Salaam, The Farmhouse provides lovely separated camping spots, spotless ablutions with warm showers, a historic farm building which serves as the restaurant and bar, excellent wifi and fresh bread baked daily.


Relaxing in the The Old Kisolanza Farmhouse lounge, historic mud built building


Camping with private palapa at The Farmhouse

And then as a bonus, two guys came by our campsite offering hair cuts and pedicures (we must have looked like we needed it, which we did).


Andy’s new haircut thanks to Jackson


Dawn’s happy feet - first campground pedicure!


To top it off we splurged ($15 per person) and enjoyed a three course meal with everything from the farm. Delicious.

From the Farmhouse it was an easy drive to visit the Isimila Stone Pillars, an intriguing place with stone age relics and a valley of crazy rock towers.


Walking the ridge at Isimila


Beautiful old traditional home


Feeling the day


Isimila Natural Stone Pillars


The most colorful lizard we have ever seen








So much to explore. Andy always climbing something.


We were careful not to hit a giraffe

Because Tanzania is expensive, we were very selective about which national parks we went to. Similar to Zambia, we camped at the edge of a few to get the sense of the area. For our truck, fees to bring it into a park are at least $200, sometimes more. And then there are the person fees, the conservancy fees and the national park camping fees. The least inexpensive parks would cost us close to $400 for the night. But basic campgrounds outside of the national parks averaged $10 a person.

We made our way slowly towards Dar es Salaam, enjoying some beautiful campgrounds along the way.


It was definitely possible to hit wildlife . . . transit road through Mikumi National Park


Only campers at Camp Bastian at the edge of Mikumi National Park.


Camping with a mountainous backdrop - easy to do in Tanzania


Then - the big city! Our first skyscrapers in a long time, it was a bit unnerving to be speeding along a multi lane highway with a city skyline ahead.


It was time to take care of some basic housekeeping so we found an Airbnb with a washer/dryer and got to work.


It took us a little bit to find the washer dryer in the apartment - it was out on the balcony, which actually worked well.

As we have said many times, cities are not usually our happy place but we surprisingly liked Dar es Salaam. It was very walkable (it actually has sidewalks!), an appealing coastline and a variety of neighborhoods to explore. We also had one major errand to take care of. After a couple of years of international travel and many visas, our passports were full. We had booked an appointment at the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam to get new ones. The whole process was amazingly easy, we filled out a form online in advance, made an appointment a month out and learned that we would receive our passports two weeks after our in person appointment. Time to explore the city.


Local fish market, one of the largest in Africa





Every size fish imaginable

And, we had a truck issue that we had been saving for a big city. The aftermath of our experience with the inept off road shop in Cape Town continued. Andy had discovered that when they rebuilt the worn out bushings in the upper control arms, they actually installed them upside down and on the wrong side. So a visit to a (also highly recommended but much more professional) shop in Dar es Salaam got them re-installed the right way round.




For Dawn, no city exploration is complete with a visit to local artists so we made sure to go to the Tinga Tinga Arts Cooperative Society to learn more about this unique Tanzanian art style.


Dawn with artist Shibumi displaying the painting we could not live without


Tinga Tinga Arts Cooperative, Dar es Salaam, art style named after Tanzanian artist Edward Tingatinga known for his colorful surrealistic paintings.


Morning walk along the coast, yes we are already hot and sweaty


Made it to our appointment for new passports

With two weeks to fill before we could pick up our passports at the embassy, we headed south for some beach time combined with a visit to a Unesco ruins site.


The sun goes down at Kilwa Beach Lodge, one of our favorite spots

Using Kilwa beach as our base, we arranged for a day trip out to the Kilwa Kisiwani ruins, remnants of a 13th-16th century East African trading center. The trip involved hiring a guide and a boat which our campground hosts were kind to set up for us.


First view of Kilwa Kisiwani ruins from our boat


Admiring one of the early forts


Incredible to wander through history, just us and our guide.





Ancient mosque


Another ancient mosque


Touring one of the sultan’s palaces


And among the ruins on the island, a traditional village with people living in beautifully designed stone homes with thatch rooves


The sultan’s swimming pool


Brilliant sunny day at Kilwa Beach lodge. Camping does not get any better than this. (Well, when you flushed the toilet the pipe providing the water would pop off the wall and flood the room, but other than that . . )


Walking the beach at low tide

As we continued our journey our days of brilliant sunshine slowly faded away as we entered the realities of wet season. We got used to the sight of stormy skies and spontaneous thunder and lightening accompanied by torrential downpours.

Feeling like we had well explored the area, we headed north to camp outside Nyerere National Park along the Selous River.


Storm clouds approaching, becoming a familiar sight


Private river camping site at Selous Mapumziko on the Selous River


Our Masai guide leading the way for us to drive in to Selous River Camp

Continuing to watch the budget, we enjoyed camping on the outskirts of the national park then headed back to the Dar es Salaam to catch the ferry out to Zanzibar.


Roads starting to show the effects of the rain

We opted not to take the truck to Zanzibar so found our way to Kipepeo Beach Village outside Dar es Salaam which provided both beach side camping and $5 a day storage for vehicles.


View from the camper one morning at Kipepeo Beach. We were admiring beach life and the gorgeous fabrics worn by the Masai people.


Beach walk with storm clouds at Kipepeo Beach

Zanzibar is one of those place names which evoked mystery, history and a sense of adventure for us. We booked our ferry, hopped in a taxi from the campground and set off.

Arriving at the ferry terminal was one of our more hectic experiences in a while, reminiscent of a border where lots of people want to “help” for a fee. We braved the scrum, declining assistance and found our way to the waiting room, eventually boarding the right ferry.


Gorgeous little girl on the ferry. We are always impressed by the beauty of how people dress in Africa, even children.

Without the truck, were back to Airbnb and hotels we could get for free on our credit card (we use a Chase Sapphire visa for everything, earning rewards and then book all of our hotels on points). We opted to spend a few nights in Stone Town so that we could explore the old city then switch to a beach resort.

Stone Town was a wonderful place to wander. It reminded us of a smaller, newer Fez in Morocco. Similar to Morocco, the old doors were incredible (and Andy’s favorite).


Door to one of the few (stealth) alcohol stores in Stone Town. We arrived at the location Google sent us to a little perplexed. When we approached the guard across the street with the question of where the store was, he smiled and banged on the door. They opened up and there was a cavern filled with beer, wine and liquor. We got our supplies and went on our way.


One of Andy’s favorite doors


Waterfront promenade near ferry terminal on Zanzibar


Stone Town, Zanzibar fish market, we are endlessly fascinated by fish markets in Africa, so much variety. The smell not our favorite though.








Fruits much more pleasantly aromatic


So many bananas


Old fort on Zanzibar waterfront





Wandering the old streets of Stone Town


Watching life go by at the central market while we sit at an MTN umbrella to add more data to our sim cards. Throughout Tanzania we saw traditionally dressed Masai (wrapped in colorful plaid blankets, machete at the hip, recycled tire sandals) selling intricately beaded sandals.


Market life


Community fishing boat


Each enjoying our own breakfasts, Dawn omelet and latte, Andy chocolate cake, passion fruit tart and juice


Running through rain storms in Stone Town, underground channels overflowing, wading through rivers of water in the alleyways, Dawn learning not to think about what might be in the water

Three days in Stone Town and we felt like we knew our neighbors in the small street, smiling greetings every day and sharing stories. Time to leave and head to the beach, weather not a deterrent.


Our taxi driver taking us out to our resort, pre-walking the road to ensure we wouldn’t get stuck.

Now, resort time! Our first real resort in three years. We were like kids in a candy shop. Robes!!! Counter space!! Bedside tables, a sitting area, private plunge pool . . .


Our old REI daypacks seem out of place


Classic white sand beaches of Zanzibar


Enjoying daily walks and non-driving days





Beaches of Zanzibar

Then back to the mainland and what has become our “real” life. We got on the road to Arusha. We debated back and forth about whether or not to invest in visiting the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It would cost us $200 for the truck, $70 each and $30-$50 each for camping in the Serengeti. Total over $400 a day. For Ngorongoro, there is no camping in the crater but camping nearby was similar rates and the vehicle fee was $300, plus you have to hire a licensed guide and pay all the conservancy fees (we guessed a total of about $700 for a day visit in our own truck). We had great memories of fantastic wildlife encounters at Etosha, Chobe, Kruger, and Mana Pools and wondered if we really needed more. In the end we decided to see what it would cost to go with a tour.

Dawn went on safaribookings.com and requested three quotes for a four day budget tour of the two parks. The lowest cost was $700 each to join a group of four in a safari vehicle, four days, three nights all inclusive. We would even be visiting an addional park, Tarangire. We went for it. Best decision! Our professional guide, Bakari knew were all the big wild cats hung out and bumping along with him in his safari vehicle on the corrugated access roads to the Serengeti did not create the same mental stress of imagining what the shaking was doing to our own truck. We even had a personal chef along who cooked us three hot meals a day. It felt luxurious to us. Except for the return to sleeping in a ground tent which was a bit of a let down after our camper, but all in a good cause.


Drive to Arusha


Camping with a peekaboo view of Mount Kilimanjaro. We spent the night at Tulivu Retreat, a lovely garden campsite with the best outside kitchen and most beautiful showers that we have seen in a campsite.

Then we left our truck at the hostel owned by our safari tour operator (Nelson of Focus in Africa) and jumped in a safari jeep - feeling like real tourists for the first time in a while. Our roundtrip itinerary out of Arusha was an afternoon in Tarangire National Park, two days in Serengeti National Park, and a final day in Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area.


Pile of giant bones at Tarangire National Park entrance gate


Our joyful tour group (we were the oldest by at least 3 decadees)


First view from above of the mystical Ngorongoro Crater

We stopped by the view point of the crater on our way to Serengeti National Park. Masai for “endless plain” the Serengeti became one of our favorite national parks in Africa. The views were stunning and the wildlife incredibly plentiful. Instead of a few wildebeests, we would see 100’s at a time, huge packs of hyenas, towers of giraffes, lion prides eating carcasses or sleeping off a night of hunting. It was all so impressive and quintessentially African. Previously we had only really seen a cheetah at a distance through binoculars, now we had the thrill of seeing a mom with cubs walking through the plain.


Lions in the Serengeti





Bush walk near the Serengeti


Safari lunch in the bush


Representing Japan, France and the USA


Evening leopard spotting


More hippos than we have ever seen in one place


Animals on the plain for as far as the eye can see





We find the yellow eyes of the lions to be mesmerizing


Biggest tower of giraffes we have ever seen (Dawn loves that animal group word and has been waiting to use it, seems really appropriate)





Cheetah with her cubs


Our safari tents - camped in the Serengeti

On our last day when we drove down into the crater we weren’t sure what else we could see, but our guide Bakari brought even more action.


Lionesses feasting while a jackal waits standing by hopefully





View of the crater from inside


Hyena in Ngorongoro Crater


Hippo eyeing us warily





Throughout our time in the this area of Tanzania we would see the Masai people in the bush, shepherding goats and cows, carrying wood, living traditional lives in beautiful round homes surrounded by bomas of thorny branches. We were curious to learn more about their culture so arranged to visit a village that welcomed tourists. It was way too little time to develop any real understanding, but still a fascinating experience to walk and talk with the chief’s son and visit his home.


Young Masai men dressed traditionally


Traditional dance





Shoes creatively fashioned out of old tires


Andy and the chief’s son


Beautiful homes, narrow tunneled entrances for safety

Then we were back on the road again. Despite being full of wild animal experiences, there was one more we were looking forward to. We made our way to Jane Goodall’s research center, now Gombe National Park, in the hopes of a chimpanzee encounter.


Wild camping along the way

We took an early morning boat ride (2 hours) arrived at the park and set off with our excellent guide, Paolo to find the chimps. Having been accustomed to people in the area (Jane Goodall and her researchers), although wild, the chimpanzees in Gombe National Park do not typically run away from humans. But, sadly they did run from us. Despite 5 hours of (very) steep trekking we never caught up to them so left unfulfilled. We understood, it is nature, not a zoo, but still disappointing (also fee for the day trip was $300pp).


Camped at Jakobsen Beach in Kigoma


Andy still seeking interesting insects to hold


Rainforest hike in Gombe National Park. Lots of trees, no chimps.


Another wild camping spot along the way

And that ended our time in Tanzania. We left satiated with animal encounters (despite missing the chimps) and with an appreciation for the varied geography and lovely people of the country. It is a country we would return to someday. Thank you for reading!

 

Just. Wow. That is magical.

 

It is! The massive amounts of animals in the Serengeti is simply jaw-dropping

 

Your travels are so expertly described. The pictures are great, but you tie it together so well with your words.

The lions on the kill is awesome, and the photos and interactions with the Masai.

My vicarious trip around the world is going exactly as I planned it!

 

Haha! Very happy you’re with us on our trip!

 

We hope you both enjoy your adventures together, as you drive your Tacoma 4*4 AC LB MT sport around the world!

 

Thank you! We are indeed having the time of our lives!

 

Sorry, It's been a while since I have posted. We are way behind on our country write ups.


Night time falls in the Arabian desert. Aired down to 18/20 psi front and rear, 4 wheel lo. That way the truck can adequately climb a gentle dune, as long as I don't stop. Otherwise it's time to breakout the Maxtraxs. Yes, stopping here for the night I needed the traxs to move.

 

This is so cool, I’d love to do something like this someday. Great looking rig and safe travels!

 

Thank you! Doing it is easier than you think

 

Wow! This is an incredible trip! I’ve been following along on Instagram for quite awhile now. But I just finished reading all 79 pages of this thread from the start of your build to where you are now. It’s been great to learn about all the countries you two have visited. The writing style is perfect! I can’t wait to keep reading the updates!

 

Rwanda and Uganda


Mountain gorilla in Uganda

We feel like we did Rwanda and Uganda a disservice by not staying longer but at this point we were speeding up to meet family flying into Kenya to meet us for Christmas. (We have been rightfully accused of “always working to a deadline,” we like to pretend it is not our fault, but somehow we always have one so we must be doing it to ourselves.) We also broke a leaf spring on a rugged road to a Ugandan national park so ended up turning around early to head to Kenya to get it fixed. Rwanda and Uganda are two very different countries, but we are combining them here because our time in each was short.


Our two week route through Rwanda and Uganda

Rwanda

We had heard from fellow travelers that Rwanda could be a difficult place - people were more inclined to stare at foreigners and were not as warm and welcoming as surrounding countries. We did not find it to be challenging. As introverts, the more reserved culture felt comfortable for us. We were also very aware of the fairly recent history of the 1994 genocide when over 1,000,000 people were brutally killed. Maybe we were projecting, but we felt like we could feel the lingering shadows of sadness from this horrifying history and felt huge empathy for the people and country.

Immediately when we crossed the border from Tanzania we felt the shift into lush green landscapes with intricately terraced agriculture. We found gorgeous lakeside camping and explored the capital city of Kigali, one of the cleanest and most organized cities we had visited in Africa.


Instagram photo opportunity in downtown Kigali.


Walked the side streets, looking over the hills of the city.

The visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Museum was sobering and educational. We had memories of hearing the news in the US when it was happening. We remembered it being portrayed as tribe against tribe violence in Africa, playing out ancient rivalries. Studying more about the background leading up to the violence we learned that the Belgian colonizers set up a class system, identifying people with more than 10 head of cattle and “more European facial features” as Tutsis (about 15% of the population) and the rest of the people at Hutus. Everyone was issued identification cards stating their tribal affiliation and the division began. Tutsis were granted privileges and status by the ruling colonizers. After Rwandan independence, everything came to a head in 1994 when the Hutu organized into militia and turned on their neighbors in a widespread slaughter which also focused on women and children. It is no wonder that the people seem like they are holding pain. Memorials dot the country, many at churches where people fled hoping to find sanctuary and where some of the worst massacres happened.


Image at the Kigali Genocide Memorial


Memorial gardens, over 250,000 people are buried in mass graves at this site.


Kigali skyline


We met Alex, a driver at our hotel in town. He lost both parents in the genocide and has worked hard against the odds, progressing from being homeless to obtaining his drivers license and employment.

Kigali was a surprise for us. No litter on the streets, people stopped for pedestrians at crosswalks, and all motorcycle drivers (and their passengers) wore helmets. There were extensive sidewalks and street lamps. It was a completely different experience than most of the other African cities we had visited. The contemporary city center was filled with modern cafes and restaurants.

After exploring the city, we left for the countryside and headed to Lake Kivu, a popular vacation spot for Rwandans.


Typical countryside view in Rwanda - a very lush and fertile country


Camping on the shores of Lake Kivu (camped in the garden of the Livalana Hotel for a nominal fee)


Looking back on the truck on a lakeside walk


Beautiful Lake Kivu


Keeping up with the sticker wall, Dawn posting the Rwanda sticker (28th African country)

Working our way along the lake, our second camping spot outside of Gisenyi gave us access to the famous Congo-Trail - following the ridge of the two famous river watersheds.


One of the few trail signs we had seen in Africa


Bumping our way out of our campsite - many sketchy bridges but none collapsed on us

And that was it for Rwanda! Just under a week, sad to say.


Border crossing from Rwanda to Uganda

Uganda

As we were winding up our time in Africa (entering our 29th out of 30 countries on the continent) we were looking back on our time and thinking about all we had experienced and learned. Along the way we had listened to a variety of African literature. In the book Kintu by Ugandan author Jennifer Nansubuga one of the characters writes a piece describing the colonization of Uganda which struck us:

Africanstein

Buganda (medieval kingdom of present day Uganda), unlike the rest of Africa was sweet talked onto the operating table with praises and promises. Protectorate was the plastic surgery to set the sluggish African body on a faster route to maturity. But once under chloroform, the surgeon was at liberty and did as he pleased. First, he severed the hands then cut off the legs and he put the black limbs in a bin bag and disposed of them. Then he got European limbs and set upon grafting them on the black torso. When the African woke up, the European had moved into his house.

Though the African was too weak to get up, he still said to the European, “I don’t like what you are doing, my friend. Please get out of my house.” But the European replied, “I am only trying to help, brother. You are still too weak and drowsy to look after your house. I will take charge in the meantime. When you’re fully recovered, I promise you will work and run twice as fast as I do.”

But the African body rejected the European body parts. Africa says that they are incompatible. The surgeons say that Africa discharged itself too soon from the hospital - that is why it is hemorrhaging. It needs a lot more continued blood and water pumped intravenously. Africa says the blood and water are too expensive. The surgeons say, “ Nonsense, we did the same to India, see how fast it’s running.”

When Africa looked in the mirror, it saw that it was hideous. Africa looked in others’ eyes to see how they saw it: there was revulsion. That gave Africa permission to self-harm and self-hate. Sometimes, when the world is not looking, the surgeons poke Africa in the wounds. When it falls down the surgeons say, “You see, we told you they were not ready.”

We cannot go back to the operating table and ask for the African limbs. Africa must learn to walk on European legs and work with European arms. As time goes by, children will be born with evolved bodies and in time, Africa will evolve according to ekisode’s nature and come to its best form. But it will be neither African nor European. Then the pain will settle down.

Well said, Ms. Nansubuga.

We shorted our route through Uganda a little bit due to safety concerns. There had been a recent terrorist attack in Queen Elizabeth national park in which two tourists and a guide were killed. There had been a huge Ugandan police response and we realized it was probably one of the safest places to travel now, but caution prevailed and we cut it out of the trip. For us, the highlight of our time in Uganda was going to be visiting the mountain gorillas and we were laser focused on making that happen. (You can also visit them in Rwanda but the cost is double, about $1500pp in Rwanda and $700pp in Uganda).


Curious baboon - a common hiking and roadside site

There are two main options in Uganda for visiting the gorillas - Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Although there are more gorillas in Bwindi (also known as the impenetrable forest which sounded forbidding), finding them normally required more rigorous and longer hiking than in Mgahinga. After our experience being foiled in finding chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania (no chimp sightings after a 6 hour challenging mountain climb) we opted for the safer, more direct experience. We booked online for our permits a week in advance with Amahoro Tours, who were great to work with. Based out of Ruhengeri, Rwanda, they handle gorilla permitting and tours in both countries.


Mountains peeking out on the way to Mgahinga National Park


Making our way to the community camp by the park gate

Despite being the “easier” park to visit, it was still a journey to get to Mgahinga. We were spending the night at one of the gates in at Amajyambere Community Camp and it was two hours of dirt roads and combined OSM and Google misdirection to get there. But we made it, received a warm welcome and had a pleasant time meeting the young people from the local village who ran the camp over an evening campfire.

Then the next morning, we learned the gorillas had moved so we had to drive an hour (more bumpy roads) to the other gate. There were definitely leaps of faith along the way, we did not meet up with the man who was supposed to have our permits at the community camp as expected, but we were told, “no problem” permits would be at the other gate for us. We had no cell connection in the area so just went with it - in the end they had us covered.


Hike into Mgahinga National Park


More beautiful terraced slopes


Beautiful community dancers greet us at the park

We met up with our guide, Solomon, our armed guard Junior and our two fellow tourists (from New York!) and set off to find the gorillas.

The visits to the gorillas are highly regulated, one group of up to six people per day, total time with the gorillas limited to one hour. It was a hefty cost for us at $1400 for the two of us for one hour. We skipped other national parks along the way to make up the cost and in the end are so glad we did. It had been a lifetime goal to spend time with these magnificent animals and it was probably the fastest hour of our lives. It is almost impossible to describe the thrill of being in the presence of these gentle giants. At times it was difficult to tell who was more curious about watching who.





Adolescent male








This adolescent just joined in our trail walking in between us and the guide





We kept our distance, but at times the gorillas opted to come closer. We wore masks to protect the gorillas from our germs.


Andy with our excellent guide, Solomon

We left the park satiated and happy - it was an African highlight for us. Next stop, Lake Victoria, the world’s largest tropical lake then cross country to Kampala.


Camping lakeside at Lake Victoria


As usual, we were having fun buying local fruits and vegetables in road side markets along our route.


Huge avocados and tiny bananas!


Dawn is super happy with her favorite breakfast, avocado toast


A real zebra crossing


Spending the night at Leopard Rest camp - lovely sites with a breezy bar with wifi and nice solar hot showers


Crossing the equator again! Last time was heading south in Gabon

The next thing we knew we were in Kampala. Needing some gifts for the upcoming holiday, we headed to a mall.


A welcome break at a mall cafe

We also took the opportunity to walk the city with a local guide and learn more about the history and culture.


Freedom Statue celebrating Ugandan independence


A crowded hectic city!


Looking out on the central taxi area - mini vans heading in every direction filled with patrons

From Kampala we headed east to check out the iconic mouth of the Nile River.


Setting up camp at the mouth of the Nile


Morning view of the mouth of the Nile from the camper

We had one last planned stop in Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park up at the northern tip. We liked that it seemed more remote and univisited and set off on a long cross country journey to get there.


Spending the night at the beautiful and serene Karamoja Arts Guesthouse and Camping center


Beautiful mountain scenery on the way

And then, a mini disaster. We hit a large pothole, heard a huge clunk and subsequently a weird clanking as we drove. Andy stopped to inspect the damage and realized we had broken a leaf spring.


These two circled points should be connected


We attempted a bush fix by adding a piece of wood as support to ensure the leafspring did not bounce off the metal bolt that it was caught on, but the wood fell out on the first speed bump (despite creeping over it).


We had installed Deaver leaf springs that were custom designed to hold our weight, but one side broke where the leaf spring begins to curl (using what’s called a military curl) around the end bracket.


Our final stop in Uganda, Sipi Falls

And so began an arduous (and very slow) journey, limping to Nairobi, Kenya where we were hoping for a repair. With the leaf spring holding on simply by being caught on a bolt head, we were hyper aware of every speed bump (there were 100’s). But we made it! More on the repair at Jungle Junction in the next blog.

As always thank you for reading and here’s to more adventures in 2024!

 

Thank you so much! We’re a bit behind in our write-ups so stay tuned

 

damn ive never seen a leaf snap like that! but i can imagine after the abuse its been through it can happen.

question how man miles have you put on the truck now?

 

I was pretty disappointed with the response from the owner of Deaver, he basically said tough luck. So i replaced the top to leaves in both spring sets. This time the second leaf supported the top leaf spring all the way to the beginning of the curl.

We have 175,000 kms or 108,000 miles. Africa had some tough roads

 

man that sucks! sorry to hear about that

wow thats some miles! i wonder if you will hit 200k once you hit american soil again?