| Kenia | 1€ = 100Ksh | June 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Nairobi | Jungle Junction Camp | S1 17.327 E36 45.636 | The place to stay in Nairobi. Chris Handschuh is very helpful and provides a safe place with lots of information, advice and help (600Ksh p.p.p.n). We had parked our car here for 6 years and never had any problems (roundabout 45€/month). Only positive experiences. You can camp on the lawn or book a room in the house. Kitchen, living room and internet for everyones free use. Washing machine and motorbike garage are the add ons. |
| Amboseli National Park | AmboselPub Kimana Gate | S2 44.229 E37 22.594 | Just off Kimana Gate i.e. No park entrance fee and a few animal sightings (especially giraffe). 500 Ksh p.p. Hot shower, nice views of Kilimanjaro. |
| Amboseli National Park | AmbosCamp National Park | S2 41.383 E37 13.342 | 60 $ p.p + 300 Ksh for car for 24 hours |
| Amboseli National Park | KWS community camp | Campsite inside the national park. Beatifully situated on the southern edge of the park with large camp sites under acacia trees. Cold running water. 500 Ksh p.p. Firewood available but need to negotiate price. | |
| Lake Chala | Lake Chala Lodge ruin | S3 19.290 E37 42.516 | Great location of this dysfunct lodge at the edge of the crater lake. Worth visiting, since you can dine in the former bar and scramble through the crumbling building. You need to bring everything (incl water). The ruin is inhabited by 3 older caretakers. They are happy about a small donation. We gave 250 Ksh per person since they provided us with firewood and where very helpful. |
| Tansania | 1€ = 1800 Tsh | July 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Moshi | Honeybadger | S3 21.101 E37 23.024 | 5$ p.p.p.n Nice garden, great shower |
| Bagamoyo | Travelers Lodge | S6 26.021 E38 54.299 | 12$ p.p.p.n not recommended. You park on the lawn in between some bungalows. The shower is dirty and full of moskitos. The Ocean is hidden behind the bungalows. The bar and restaurant is nice but expensive |
| Bagamoyo | Bagamoyo Beach Resort | S6 25.808 E38 54.162 | Camp on grass.Good Pool. Nice owner: Jean Do. Good french food and nice restaurant area. Bagamoyo is a town to visit with old buildings and the active fishing harbour. 7000 Tsh p.p.p.n Jean Do can help to organize Dhow trips to Zanzibar. |
| Dar es Salam | Kipepeo | S6 51.095 E39 21.703 | 7000 Tsh p.p.p.n Camp on nice beach with shade huts. Good swimming. Nice bar. Can be overcrowded with overlander trucks. I.e. Start engine in the morning at 4 am etc. |
| Selous N:P | Hippocamp | S7 45.950 E38 13.952 | Camp just outside the Nationalpark (i.e. No park fees). Very nice camp on river bank with friendly manager. Hippos and bushbabys around you. Camping 10 to 15$ p.p.p.n (negotiate depending on duration of stay). Boat ride 35$ p.p. |
| Selous N:P | Bush camp Selous | S7 42.434 E37 58.792 | We couldn't find the public campsite and just bush camped. This is OK since there is nobody around and saves you 20$ p.p. Hippos come to visit at night. Park entry is expensive. 2 people + car are 180 $ for 24 hours excl. Camping. Nevertheless the park is worth seeing due to divers landscapes and good animal sightings (lions and elephants next to car) |
| Kilwa Masoko | See View Resort | S8 55.666 E39 31.292 | OK Campsite with clean showers and toilet. Good restaurant. 7000 Tsh p.p. Can organize tour to ruins for 20 – 30 $ p.p. Tour to ruins takes 3 hours and is worth seeing. Snorkeling at the beach is OK |
| Mikindani | Old Boma | S10 16.943 E40 07.141 | Beautifully renovated castle / hotel. They allow you to camp on the parking lot. Showers and toilets at swimming pool can be used. 20.000 Tsh per vehicle. Fast internet connection included. Good sea food nearby at „10 Degrees South“ restaurant. |
| Mozambique | 1€ = 47 MTZ | July / August 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Visa / Border | No Visa available at Unity Bridge Border. Need to apply in Dar es Salam. Takes 5 working days. We payed 45 $ p.p. but prices seem to have increased. Border crossing is easy and hassle free. No money changers at border. Road to border is dirt but good to drive. Mosambiquan side is deep dust but also good to drive. Good possibilities for bush camping here. |
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| Mueda | Mtima Pensao | S11 39.823 E39 33.834 | No camping allowed (discussion does not help since they have strict rules in Moz. Owner needs permission to allow for camping) Clean simple rooms. Bucket shower. Restaurant OK. Changing of Tsh to Mtz possible with owner at good rate. 800 Mtz for double room with bath. |
| Pangane | Hashim | S11 59.963 E40 32.663 | 200 Mtz p.p.p.n Guard also cooks for 130 Mtz per dish. Nice beach paradise at fishing village. Good snorkeling and nice walks. Open air shower with fresh water from bucket. Provide one bucket of sweat water every day. Very nice and friendly. Recommendable. The guard urges you to lock all your stuff inside the car during the night, since he sleeps in your hammock. |
| Pemba | Dive and bush camp | S13 00.100 E40 30.828 | Great camp with perfect infrastructure (shade hut, super showers and toilets, internet for 100 Mtz / hour, sea kajaks, bow and arrow, nice bar, kitchen with fridge, …) 10 $ p.p.p.n. Nice party around camp fire at weekends. Dive at Wimbe beach 45$ for 1 dive. Good equipment and divemaster. |
| Ilha de Mozambique | Casa Blanca | S15 02.022 E40 44.227 | 30 $ for double room with Bath incl breakfest Clean, quiet in center of town Secure parking in fenced garden (narrow gate, i.e. To small for trucks) Room is higher than wide, bed is to short. We enjoyed walking around on Ilha, especially at night or dawn. No security issues even walking with camera equipment. Therefore it is worth to stay on the island. The alternative is camping at the bridge on the mainland. |
| Chocas Mar | Wild Camp | S14 59.738 E40 46.405 | Camp in dunes. 70Mtn per person for community, payed at coral lodge nearby. Palms, white sand, blue water. Good for swimming and snorkling. Fresh fish provided by fishermen. |
| Gurue | Pastor | S15 28.308 E36 57.371 | Pastor Allen and his wife Ansie are lovely people that allow camping in their garden. House on the hill between tea plantations. We used bathroom in the house. They invited us for dinner and breakfast. Donation accepted. Radio station project can be observed. |
| Caja | CajaCamp | S17 47.687 E35 25.039 | Only camp in town, signposted from main road. Before crossing Zambezi toll bridge (going south). Camp is OK, clean, quiet, lots of space. |
| Gorongoza National Park | Chitengo – Public Camp Site | S18 58.730 E34 21.080 | Entry 25 $ p.p. Car 500 Mtz to be payed once for the duration of stay. Camping 350 Mtz p.p.p.n, Game drive with own vehicle 875 Mtz per day (not per 24 hours) Campsite was crowded and lacking atmosphere when we visited. Park: Nice landscpae, good for birding, but not many large mammals to be seen (only loads of warthogs, waterbuck, antelope) |
| Vilankulos | Baobab Village Backbackers | S22 00.541 E35 19.321 | 348 Mtz for 2 people. Nice bar and beach area with hammocks and lots of activity. Musik can be noisy. Nice camping on lawn under palm trees. Frequently visited by overlander trucks. Dive Base with super tour to Bazaruto Island (Best dives ever !!!). 2 dives 100€ (only cash) |
| Inhambane | Paindane Bay resort | S24 06.086 E35 29.968 | 960 Mtz for 2 people (price for camping in off season but we negotiated to get a casita for this price) Casita = Shade hut, private bathroom and kitchen Deep sand in dunes at ocean. We saw whales. Resort caters for south african visitors, i.e. Big groups with lots of equipment. Careful in main season. Dive Base available. Reef for good snorkeling just off the beach. i.e. Walk there at low tide. |
| Bobole | Casa Lisa | S25 35.094 E32 39.278 | 1 hour north of Maputo. 490 Mtz for 2 people. OK but nothing special. Friendly british owner. Good restaurant. |
| Maputo | Residential Palmeiras | S25 58.355 E32 34.752 | 2930 Mtz for double room. Very nice small hotel. Very clean, quiet, great breakfast buffet. Centrally located with secure parking. |
| Border crossing to south africa | Very crowdes border with long queues. We payed 10 € to „guides“ who bribed officials to get you through the process within minutes. Also all the locals put money in their passport and go to the head of the queue. |
| South Africa | 9.6 Rand = 1€ | August 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Nelspruit | Nelspruit Backpackers | S25 28.837 E30 58.434 | 200 Rand for 2 people. To expensive for parking on gravel in front of the house. Usage of living room and kitchen. Walking distance to shopping malls. Do not leave your car unattended. Cars with foreign licence plates will be broken into. |
| Graskop | Caravan Park | S24 55.958 E30 50.794 | 55 Rand p.p.p.n. Nothing special, noisy street with trucks. |
| Blyde River Canyon | Forever Resort | S24 34.705 E30 46.560 | 65 Rand p.p.p.n. Nice lawn, good showers, quiet and empty in off season Very nice walking trails from lower viewpoint (b1, b2) nice view at rondavels |
| Kruger Park | Letaba Camp | S23 51.303 E31 34.764 | dusty, crowded, dark |
| Kruger Park | Satara Camp | S24 23.668 E31 46.574 | Price per night: 150 Rand per campsite, 160 Rand conservation fee p.p., Nice camp, restaurant, shop, filling station available, hot water |
| Komatipoort | Caravan Park | S25 26.544 E31 57.737 | 100 Rand + 25 Rand p.p., ok, nothing special, clean, noise from road traffic, 10 km to crocodile gate of Kruger Park |
| Pretoria | Fountains Valley | S25 47.233 E28 11.747 | 60 Rand p.p.p.n., nature reserve in central Pretoria, clean ablution blocks, washing machine, Noisy road and trains, but o.k. To organize stuff, good security |
| Bela Bela | Forever Resort Warm Bath Bela | S24 53.267 E28 17.149 | 90 Rand p.p.p.n., includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools with hot spring water, 37 – 50 degrees Celcius Very clean ablution blocks, nice for one day |
| Tshipise | Forever Resort | S22 36.348 E30 10.419 | 100 Rand p.p.p.n., nice outdoor swimming pool with hot water, try to get campsite at the hill, horse riding for one hour in private game reserve (60 Rand) |
| Zimbabwe | Currency:US$ (sometimes Rand) | September 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border in Beitbridge | Border Crossing | Visum 30 $ p.p. For 30 days at border Border Fee: 80 Rand Carbon Tax and Road Fee: 250 Rand (take care that they don't make you pay third party insurance if you have a Yellow Card) Third Party Insurance: 300 Rand Custom Inspection was relaxed and no problem → 1.5 hours on Zim side, on Sunday (no trucks) |
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| Bubi (80 km direction of Masvingo) | Lion & Elephant Motel | S21 42.337 E30 30.002 | 25 Rand p.p.p.n Camping OK, close to road, nice walks along river Very good restaurant area with view on dry river |
| Masvingo | Great Zimbabwe NP | Entry: 15 $ p.p. (paid once, independent of duration) 3$ p.p. For guide (recommended 2-3 hour tour) |
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| Masvingo | Great Zimbabwe Campsite | S20 16.327 E30 55.840 | 5 $ p.p.p.n Nice big camp site with trees for shade, simple ablutions but warm water |
| Bulawayo | Packers Rest | 60$ for double room Clean, shared bathroom, TV, internet not working Far too expensive. There is a communal campsite close by, but our car was in the garage. |
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| Bulawayo | Garage of Julian | S20 09.856 E28 34.609 | (specialized on Japanese vehicles, but very honest and reliable guy |
| Bulawayo | Garage for injection pumps | S20 08.982 E28 35.238 | specialist for diesel injection pumps. Good equipment. Fixed our pump. |
| Bulawayo | Matopos National Park | Entry: 15 $ p.p. + 5$ per car (paid once, independent of duration) Camping 10$ p.p.p.n Firewood 3$ (very big bunch !) |
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| Bulawayo | Maleme Dam @ Matopos | S20 32.624 E28 30.164 | Nice camp at lake under rocks, clean ablutions |
| Bulawayo | Togwana Dam @ Matopos | S20 32.262 E28 36.296 | Camp Nr 7. scenic at lake, ablutions not working, no water Starting point for Nake Cave Trail → nice 6 km (one way) walk, but we didn't find the cave |
| Hwange | Hwange National Park | Entry: 20 $ p.p. + 5$ for car (paid once, for up to 7 days) Camping at Picnic Site: 25$ p.p.p.n → Prebooking at Bulawayo recommended, but don't worry if you do not get the one that you wanted |
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| Hwange | Masuma Dam @ Hwange | S18 43.841 E26 16.848 | Lookout is very nice and comfortable, close to waterhole → up to 300 Elefants in the evening at the waterhole Hot Showers, Clean Toilets Camp can be shared comfortably with 3 parties → i.e. Ask if someone has booked, or let others share with you |
| Hwange | Deteema Dam @ Hwange | S18 40.428 E26 08.803 | More Wilderness Feeling (no gate, fence with big gaps) Ablutions not working, no water Had a very nice evening with Lions and elephant |
| Vic Falls | Vic Falls Rest Camp | S17 55.601 E25 50.339 | 10$ p.p.p.n + 8$ per car per night Very Expensive, but no check of number of nights stayed when you leave Nice camp with good ablutions and lawn In the middle of town, good security Including restaurant with slow internet access (10$ for voucher) Recommended: High Tea at Vic Falls Hotel is an impressive event (25$ for 2 people) |
| Vic Falls | Vic Falls National Park | Entry: 240 Rand / 25€ / 30 $ for single entry p.p. Day ticket Take food and drinks if you want to see morning and evening light Evening light from 3 to 5 pm is best for pictures (rainbows) and nearly no visitors after 4 pm |
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| Border in Kazungula | Border Crossing to Botswana | Fastest Crossing so far → 20 min for both sides |
| Botswana | 1€ = 8.8 Pula | September 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border in Kazungula | Border Crossing | fast, efficient, correct → both sides in 20 minutes Need to pay 120 Pula / 140 Rand if first time within 3 month in Botswana (Road, Insurance, …) |
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| Kasana | Chobe Safara Lodge | S17 48.490 E25 08.737 | 140 Pula for 2 people, 230 Pula p.p for 3 hour boat cruise, very much recommended, includes park fee Small camp sites close to each other. Good ablutions. Places are distributed at check in. Nice are 1,2, 13, 14 |
| Chobe National Park | Ihaha Camp | Ihaha Camp has free space. This can be booked at the gate. Day entry at sedudu gate: 120 Pula p.p., 50 pula per vehicle |
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| Kasane | Senyati Camp | S17 52.324 E25 14.127 | 100 Pula p.p.p.n. Highly recommended. Private toilet/shower/kitchen house. → very nice atmosphere Waterhole with elephants and leopard (light at night) Possible to do Chobe N.P and Boat cruise from here (30 min drive) |
| Namibia | 9.6 N$ = 1€ (Rand accepted) |
October 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border in Ngombe | Border Crossing | Fast and efficient. Carnet de passage doesn't need to be stamped due to toll union with SA and Botswana. | |
| Katimo Mulilo | Zambezi Lodge | S17 29.175 E24 17.113 | 80 N$ p.p.p.n. Camping at river is OK, but not great. Fast internet (1 Hr 90N$) ATM in town available |
| Caprivi Strip | Nambwe 4x4 camp | S17 52.512 E23 19.098 | 100N$ p.p.p.n Beatiful campsite at Kavango river. 6 big camps, seperate from each other. Clean ablutions with solar heated water Very recommended, Nice game drive. Saw many Elephant and a Leopard !! |
| Mudumu N.P. | Nakatwa Camp Nr. 3 | S18 10.833 E23 27.144 | 170 N$ for 2 night, 2 people, including car and park entrance No infrastructure, but very beautiful location at river with lots of wildlife visiting day and night. |
| Caprivi Strip | Kwando Camp | S18 02.569 E23 19.306 | 80N$ p.p.p.n Campsite is OK, but space is in the back. Boat cruise is NOT recommended (240 N$ P.P) |
| Caprivi Strip | Ngepi Camp | S18 06.960 E21 40.134 | 65N$ p.p.p.n Beautiful campsite at okavango river. Take camp at river. Reservation (1 or 2 days in advace) is recommended. Swimmingpool in cage in river. Very nice bar, Sun deck. The toilets and showers are special. You have to see for yourself |
| Grootfontein | Roys Camp | S19 13.986 E18 29.904 | 75N$ p.p.p.n Recommended Campsite at farm with very good menu (140N$p.p) Fancy, rustic decoration. Very friendly and helpful staff. |
| Grashoek | Living Museum / San Community | S19 14.748 E19 14.370 | San community offering interesting activities. Bush walk (2 hr) 150 N$p.p, Overnight trip into bush with San group (250N$p.p). Leave car at house of guide. We did the overnight trip with sleeping under stars at camp fire. Really interesting. I was sceptic before, but can really recommend it. The two old San were really knowledgeable. |
| Ondangwa | Ondangwa Rest Camp | S17 54.730 E15 58.493 | Camping 60 N$p.p.p.n. Small and only place in town. Small lake, good restaurant, little noisy OK, if you need something in this area. |
| Opuwo | Opuwo country hotel | S18 02.953 E13 49.945 | Campimg 81N$ p.p.p.n. Overlooking the valley below. Camping on gras. Good ablutions. Use the great „infinity edge pool“ at the hotel Good bar and restaurant. Very nice menu for 185N$p.p. Wireless Internet: 50N$ for two hours |
| Epupa Falls | Epupa Falls Campsite | S17 00.117 E13 14.725 | Closest Camp to falls. 60 N$ p.p.p.n Nice shady campsite at kunene river. Camp with Brai area, sink and water. Clean ablutions. Nice bar overlooking Kunene. This camp has made great progress over the last 7 years. Same private owner as Syncro camp at Marienfluss. |
| Opuwo | Himba Village | S17 57.335 E13 51.407 | English speaking Guide Moses, can be found at O.K. Groceries shop. 150 N$ p.p. Food presents for Himba: 200 N$ (sugar, maize meal, bread, tobacco) Make sure your guide is OK and not drinking alcohol. Especially evening and early morning was nice with people singing and chatting at fire |
| Kaokoveld | Bush Camp on way to Purros | Caming is no proplem, even when Himba villages close by. Nobody disturbs you. The wind stops after sunset |
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| Kaoko rums | S17 39.950 E12 52.672 | 2 km further south you will find nicer spots. We stopped here because our car broke down at very bad road shortly before Otjitanda (steep downhill with steps, than steep uphill with rocks) |
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| Kaoko palm | S18 14.251 E13 14.850 | Very nice camp with palm trees, shade, water, many birds In Hoarusib river bed. Do not use in summer due to possibility of flash floods. |
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| Kaoko oryx horn | S18 16.425 E12 39.014 | Picnic Place at Khumib river. This would also make a good camp | |
| Kaoko Khumib | S18 29.226 E12 45.030 | Big tree at Khumib river bed. Nice scenery. Lots of firewood. | |
| Kaokoveld | Purros Community Campsite | S18 43.926 E12 56.501 | 60N$ p.p.p.n, 20 N$ Firewood. Extremly beautiful camp with old trees, Own sink, Hot showers and toilet hidden in shady cave under tree. All camps are far apart and well integrated into landscape. Highly recommended. We chose camp nr. 6 |
| Sesfontein | Khowarib Schlucht Community Camp | S19 15.929 E13 53.028 | 60N$ p.p.p.n Camp Nr 1 has most beautiful view over gorge. Very nice place with friendly staff. Own toilet, shower, cooking house. Camps are far apart |
| Kamanjab | Cheetah Farm | S19 35.528 E15 03.994 | 50N$ p.p.p.n Camping, 100N$p.p cheetah tour. Basic campsite but OK. Camp 10 has some gras. Nice bar We liked the cheetah safari: a) 2 tame cheetahs to hug b) Feeding of wild cheetahs is good for pictures Can get crowded with tours and overlanders |
| Windhoek | Puccini house | S22 34.146 E17 04.638 | 450 N$ per double room incl. bath Good breakfast included Rooms are OK but to expensive for what you get. Very good security for car Nice patio to relax, quiet place, washing machine Close to „NICE-restaurant“ with menue for 230 N$ → Very good. Our recommendation for a special treat |
| Windhoek | Chameleon Backpackers | S22 34.442 E17 04.880 | 250 N$ for room with shared bath 300 N$ for room with private bath No camping with roof tent. Only with ground tent and no car. Nicely decorated rooms. Very good and clean ablutions. Basic breakfast included. Nice bar with small pool. Quiet after 10 P.m Fast internet with vouchers Secure parking for car. Note: We also checked Arebush, but didn't like it (120N$p.p.p.n camping) |
| Spitzkoppe | Community camp | S21 50.020 E15 11.088 | 50N$p.p.p.n + 10 N$ for car. Very beautiful place. Highly recommended. You need to bring everything incl water, food and firewood. Only trash bin available as infrastructure Camp sites far apart. |
| Brandberg | White Lady Lodge | S21 01.011 E14 41.108 | 70 N$ p.p.p.n + 20 N$ for car. Spaceous campsites. Use bar and restaurant at lodge White lady is a nice 2,5km walk. 25 N$ p.p. But no need to go if you have been to Twyfelfontein or Tsodilo hills. |
| Ruancana | Hippo Pool Community Camp | S17 24.393 E14 13.020 | 50 N$ p.p.p.n Nice camp at river. Hot showers with solar |
| Angola | 1 € = 121 Kwanza | November 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border in Omahenene / Couleque | Border Crossing | Angola VISA: 30 days VISA obtained trough VISA Service in Berlin and sent to Windhoek. Obtaining VISA in Pretoria (South Africa) did not work. Invitation letter from Angolan company required for ordinary Visa. We got an invitation letter through an Angolan business partner of my employer. Also need a copy of the invitation at immigration. Angola Visa in 2nd Passport and Namibia exit stamp in 1st Passport caused problems at Angola Border. The solution was to staple both passports together. Car was controlled by police (wanted to look into all boxes etc.) No aditional Fees (like road tax, bribes etc.) |
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| Kunene River | Wild Camp Kunene | S16 49.759 E14 52.964 | Nice Place on the river bank. People from next village are friendly and come for short visit. Enough Firewood available. About two hours from border and 30 km to Xangango |
| Lubango | La Saletta | S14 52.983 E13 27.519 | Katholic Mission in Lubango outscurts. Very friendly and welcomming. Camp in compound or use room. Clean showers and toilet. Free, but donations accepted. Thanks to Kim and Tanja for the waypoint. |
| Flamingo River south of Namibe | Flaming Lodge | S15 34.148 E12 01.290 | Very relaxed place at the mouth of Flamingo River on the atlantic with amazing scenery. Cool management and bar with great fun and atmosphere. Surrounding sandstone Canyons, Fossil wall and beach walks, beach driving. Rustic Campsite with kitchen, hot shower, compressor available (reduce your tire pressure before you get to the dunes!!!) 20 $ p.p.p.n |
| Arco Area | Wild Camp Sandstone | S15 47.497 E12 07.284 | Beautiful Bush Camp in desert close to lake and small village with nice sandstone cliffs. Thanks to Kim and Tanja for the waypoint. |
| Bentiaba | Lighthouse Picnic Spot | S14 12.855 E12 20.138 | nice cliffs over atlantic, next to a lighthouse. Also good for camping if the wind is not strong. |
| Binga Bay | Wild Camp Binga Viewpoint | S13 20.716 E12 38.797 | Beautiful Bush Camp on Hill above Binga Bay. We saw whales and beautiful sunset. Fishermen friendly and kept distance. Getting there: 45 min drive from main road on offroaf track. 12 km in 1st and 2nd gear. Used low range for some rough and steep parts on way back. |
| Benguela | Nancy's Guesthouse | S12 34.576 E13 24.215 | Camp in front yard and use shared bathroom (warm shower). Nice sitting area in garden and close to beach and restaurants. Free laundry machine usage. 10 $ p.p.p.n |
| Lobito | Shoprite | on the main road | well stocked but expensive |
| Waterfalls in Binga | Waterfall | S10 59.303 E14 05.501 | impressive waterfalls, easy to reach, well worth the detour |
| South of Sumbe | Beach Camp | S11 17.232 E13 49.784 | Wide sand beach with palm trees. Need to look around for a place with little rubish. We asked the Chinese building team to cross through their building site. |
| Kwanza River Mouth | Wild Camp opposite Kwanza River Lodge | S9 20.958 E13 09.219 | Scenic place at mouth of Kwanza River. Good swimming in river. We stayed 2 days. Just opposite Kwanza River Lodge, where we got the description from Bruce (manager) Going South, take the 1st dirt road to the right after the pay bridge. Choose between palms, sand beach and riverside. |
| Luanda | Club Naval | S8 47.936 E13 13.433 | Camping at parking lot of Yacht Club for free. Shower and toilets in building. We drove into Luanda on a weekend which reduced the traffic jams a lot. Easy to walk to Marginal and fort for sightseeing. Next door is the Club Nautico that allows also for camping. |
| North of Luanda | Bay of Wrecks | S8 38.811 E13 24.849 | Intresting place to visit. Possible to camp. Small huts selling beer. |
| Mussera | Beach Camp | S7 34.742 E13 00.271 | Very nice and relaxed beach camp. Good swimming and some fishermen selling fish in the morning. Thanks to Kim and Tanja for the recommendation !!! |
| N'zeto | Mission | S7 14.014 E12 52.505 | Cool place with Father Emilio (polish). They invited us for dinner and lots of spirits. Camped in the big garden and used shower and toilet in the house. Had a great time there. Tip: Invite Emilio for a cold beer when you arrive. Thanks to Steffen and Steffi for the waypoint !! |
| Mbanza Congo | Mission | S6 15.936 E14 14.746 | Mission in center of town opposite the pink coloured Hotel Congo. Camped in compound and had private bathroom in former sisters quarters. |
| Kongo (DRC and RC) | 1$ = 980 Fr (DRC) | November 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| 1 € = 656 CFA (RC) | www.blackcontinent.de | ||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border in Luvo | Border Crossing | DRC VISA: 30 days VISA obtained trough VISA Service in Berlin and sent to Windhoek. Border Crossing was relaxed and correct on bith sides. | |
| Songololo | katholic Mission | S5 42.139 E14 02.424 | OK place to camp. Pit toilet, no shower, free |
| Ferry Kinshasa to Brazzaville | Ferry Crossing | - The car ferry is not working/running at the moment (Nov. 2010) - Cars are transported with the standard ferry for pedestrians and goods. This ferry stops at a staircase in Brazza. After unloading one of the three pontons is removed from the rest of the boat and goes to the unloading point for cars. - We paid 150 US $ for car and driver + 10 US $ for additional person. The price was not negotiable (tried my best, but was not successful) - No further costs or hassle with customs, immigration, loading etc. One of the officials of the ferry company accompanied us through the whole process which was efficient. - The decision about cost and acceptance of the car for transport is done by the boss of the ferry company at the 2nd level in the main building at the harbor (behind the guarded gate on the left side) |
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| Road to Kinshasa | Cross DRC | - Good tar road from Songololo to Kinshasa (5 hours to ferry, going slow) - 2 toll gates, payed 4500 Kinshasa Franc (about 5 Dollar) - all of the police stops waved us through, no hassle, people very friendly (at least up to harbor entrance) |
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| Brazzaville | Hippocampe | S4 16.403 E15 16.674 | Free camping in Hotel parking lot. Very good restaurant and private toilet/shower. Olivier is very friendly and helpful. Great place. We stayed 5 days. Check the „golden book“ at the restaurant where travellers leave their latest comments on camps, roads and border crossings. |
| Brazzaville | Cyber Cafe | S4 16.507 E15 17.083 | Internet Cafe with good bandwith and wireless. No sign outside. Go into building and ask. |
| Brazzaville | Project de protection Gorille (PPG) | S4 15.983 E15 14.963 | Booking Office close to the airport (on dirtroad) for gorilla reserve. - Visit orphan gorilla kids 30€ p.p - Double Room 45€ (camping not possible) - Guide for walk to mountain 20€ per group - Park Entrance fee 25€ p.p. - further activities possible. Just discuss with the helpful staff |
| Lekoni Nationalpark - Lesio Louna Wildlife Reserve | PPG Headquarter (Iboubikro) | S3 16.255 E15 28.337 | Four Gorilla Orphans ca be visited at feeding time. You are separated from Gorillas by a river , about 10 m wide. Duration is 30 min. But they allowed me to go twice for one payment. Bathing at Lac Bleu is nice and for free. Walk with guide in the early morning was nice. Saw Sitatunga, monkeys and tracks of Hippo etc. Fully equipped kitchen available (bring your food) Adjacent mosquito net covererd dining room. Bed room clean, with mosquito net. Ablutions OK. Many mosquitos and Tse Tse flies. Bring repellent and long cloths. |
| Ngo | Hotel Ngo | S2 29.032 E15 45.054 | Allowed us to camp in fenced car park in front of the hotel for free (donation accepted). Use of toilet, no shower. Cooler climate at 650m elevation. Some noise from the road. |
| Okoyo | Company Fichtner – Michelle (French Boss) | S1 28.466 E15 04.004 | Michelle provided us with a room with AC, Food, Drinks and interesting company. Very nice and helpful person who likes to help travellers and enjoys company since he is the only white person in the area. Highly recommended. Thanks to Steffen and Steffi for the address. We have even seen your thanks letter and pictures. |
| Gabon | 1 € = 656 CFA | November 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Road Okoyo to Lekoni (Gabon) | Road | RC Customs S1 35.004 E14 57.144 RC Immigration S1 39.737 E14 32.110 |
The road from Okoko to the Gabonese Border is hard sand. This is OK even in the rainy season. The problem for our LandRover was the track that is driven by many road construction trucks. - For the first 60 km after Okoyo this leads to constant contact of the differential with the sand. For long passages we where pushing sand with the landy chasis.Sometimes you can get with one side out of the track, but that doesn't work always. We had to use our shovel three times. All in all a lot of work, but not a real problem. - For the next 60 km to the border the road is still sandy, but much less trucks. Therefore much easier to drive. - The custom and immigration checkpoints are distributed over 30 km. Al friendly and easy going. - As soon as you reach Gabon there is perfect tar road up to Franceville. |
| Border Gabon | Border | Gabon Immigration S1 35.050 E14 15.208 Gabon Customs S1 34.686 E14 12.336 |
Immigration is in lekoni, next to the Hotel Lekoni on the main road to Franceville.. Friendly and efficient service. Customs is 10 km further in the direction of Franceville. Friendly, no problems. (Bring your swiss knife/leatherman. We got locked in the building when the wind closed the door) |
| Lekoni | Hotel Lekoni | S1 35.115 E14 15.196 | We camped in the garden. Quiet, Expensive. Payed 10.000CFA for usage of the bathroom. I would recomend to bush camp at the Lekoni Canyon |
| Lekoni | Lekoni Canyon | S1 38.531 E14 17.381 | Well worth to stop and have a look. 5 km from the mainroad, signposted. Makes also for a good Bush Camp. |
| Road franceville to Lambarene | Bussh Camp Mountain | S1 16.780 E13 01.155 | Very Nice bushcamp in an old Gravel Pit, away from the road. Overlooking the rainforest below. No mud and good views. |
| Bush Lope National Park | S0 09.132 E11 44.492 | Bush Camp Lope National Park in an old gravel Pit, away from the road. The area here is with many meadows and patches of rainforest. Nice views around and good place to camp | |
| Bush gabon River | S0 06.856 E11 19.959 | Picknick Spot that would also make a good bush camp. Overlooking the river below. | |
| Bush Didi Camp | S0 07.887 E10 47.803 | Here we met Didi with his Motorbike and found a place at the river. Good for swimming. A little noisy at night when the train passes by. Close to village but no problems during the two nights we spent here. Security from the train compan checked if we are fine. | |
| Lambarene | Katholic Mission | S0 41.492 E10 13.692 | Very nice camp on lawn, with good shower and toilet.2500 CFA p.p.p.n, Very peaceful on weekend. During the week there are small kids in kindergarden/school. Good place to stay. We met here the Raubach Family and Ian&Ruth. Spend 2 nights with Rösti and Pasta :-) |
| Lambarene | Albert Schweitzer Hospital | Nice Museum (500CFA).Definitely worth seeing !! The lady overlooking the museum was completely unmotivated, unfriendly and wouldn't move from here chair. We had to go a second time because we missed the old hospital area at the first time. Make sure you see: Museum, Grave, Hospital. |
|
| Libreville | Maison Libermann | N0 24.223 E9 26.954 | You can camp. But if you want a shower you need to book a room. Room with Fan: 15.000CFA per night. Wireless Internet is available (most times) for free.Room is OK with moskito net. The MISSION EMILIE DE VILLENEUVE on the other side of the road didn't want to take us, since the rented the bathrooms to a school. |
| Libreville | VISA ATM | N0 23.316 E9 26.776 | The BICIG bank has ATM machines that accept Visa. There is one inside the big ssupermarket Mbolo (see T4A) and another one going further south → see coordinate |
| Libreville | Insurance issuing Carte Rose | N0 24.301 E9 26.236 | Insurance that provided carte rose for 3 month. About 38.000 CFA. Valid for Gabon, Kameroon, Tschad, Kongo |
| Road from Libreville to Ayeme to Zangue to Oyem | Nice Rainforest Track | Alternative to the TAR road (Tar Road has some pot holes for about 100km after Libfevielle, but not to bad). This is a good track through very nice parts of rainforest. The road is maintained and has good wood bridges. Some longer stretches where water draws some channels, but no problem, just slower. We encountered onlly one bridge with missing planks, and 2 short stretches with deep mud. This track takes definitely longer than the Tar road but offers good opportunities for bush camping and seeing the forest. Friendl people and many villages. |
|
| Bush Guinea | N0 59.671 E10 56.236 | Not the best of all camps but we couldn't find anything for 40 km (coming from direction Libreville). Next morning we saw some nicer camps on the next 20 km. This camp is on a short dead end track, surounded by thick forest. You can't see out and it is muddy. But the sounds at night are great. |
|
| Oyem | Oyem Mission (katholic) | N1 35.782 E11 34.854 | Katholic Mission. Very Friendly with nice singing. Rooms are apartment sized, with kitchen, bedroom and living room. Not very clean but OK. 14.000 CFA for double room. Very quiet. |
| Cameroon | 1 € = 656 CFA | 'December 2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Yaounde | Benediktins Mission | N3 54.926 E11 29.875 | Benedictins offering camping and rooms. Room with balcony overlooking the city on Mount Febe. 17.000 per double room including meals. Shared bathroom with hot shower. |
| Kribi | Terra Plage | N2 54.350 E9 54.122 | Best place for camping in Kribi. 5000 CFA for camping on lawn next to the beach. Good restaurant and nice for swimming. Bathroom of a bungalow is used. If you need a change to the reataurant: there is a friendly Rasta guy named Piere just 800m down the beach (south) who offers dinner on a small romantic beach spot. |
| Grand Batanga | Etoile de Mer | N2 51.668 E9 53.218 | Run by Andre (Belgian). Friendly place. Camping (5000 CFA) on grass near beach. Clean ablutions. Andre cooks very well. We had starter, crevettes, beer, coffee, rum altogether for 14.000 CFA. Good value. |
| Ebodje | Ebodje Eco Tourism Camp | N2 33.999 E9 49.442 | Very friendly village with beautiful beaches. Highly recommended. Meals available (2500 CFA p.p for dinner), Camping (2000 CFA), Rooms (3000 CFA p.p.p.n). Water for bucket shower provided, Long drop toilet. Community run project offering many activities. - We went out at night with a guide to look for turtles that lay eggs on the beach. (5000CFA p.p.). We didn't find them but nevertheless it was worth the try. - We went to the river with a pirogue (small shaky kanu). Very Nice trip but you will get wet on the drive across the ocean. We drowned our binoculars. (5000 CFA p.p, 2 hours) |
| Douala | Katholic Mission | N4 03.266 E9 41.833 | Room with AC and privat shower. Shared toilet. Pool and nice sitting area. Save Parking. Located in the town centre. Quiet. Good Value. 7000 CFA p.p.p.n |
| Buea | Presbyterian Mission | N4 09.684 E9 13.975 | Camping for 1000 CFA p.p.p.n. On lawn. Shared clean bathrooms. Fast Imternet for 150 CFA per hour. Shared kitchen can be used. On the down side: depending on wind direction you smell laterine on the camp lawn. |
| Limbe | 6 Mile Beach | N4 00.769 E9 07.110 | Camping 2000 CFA p.p.p.n. Camping on lawn next to beach and oil refinery. Toilets and showers neglected. Looks disappointing at first sight, but ok to stay. There is not much great camping in Limbe. |
| Bamenda | Prebyterian Church | N5 58.048 E10 09.157 | Camping (2500 p.p.p.n) on big lawn under trees, but a little difficult to find a flat area. You get a key to room with clean shower and toilet. Friendly and helpful staff. Interesting Administrator/Manager to discuss politics. Good place to stay before and after visiting ring road. |
| Wum | Lake Wum (Bush Camp) | N6 24.469 E10 03.129 | Bush camp at crater lake visitor area. The place is visited by cows and some locals.but quiet after sunset. Chief of village comes to greet you and does his spiritual ceremony at the lake. Ask him for permission to stay. |
| Ring Road | Bafut Palace Menchum Falls |
N6 05.329 E10 06.787 N6 18.521 E10 00.965 |
We took the little ring road which leads from Bamenda via We to Fundong and back on good tar to Bamenda. This is a nice 2 day trip. Its definitely worth it for the beautiful scenery. - Bafut palace is an intresting visit. Good museum and palace area. Someone of the family of the Fon (king) will guide you and can answer all the questions. 10.000CFA for 2 people including museum, guide, photos, … - Menchum Falls is a nice place to stop and have a look. - Road from We to Foundong is only used by motorbikes. This is a little rough in places for cars but very scenic !!! |
| Mamfe | Data Hotel | N5 45.078 E9 19.267 | Camp in the car park (5000 CFA per tent after bargaining) on some small lawn. You get a key for a room with shower and toilet. Be careful with the lightswitch. You are directly exposed to 220V with bare feet on wet floor. Good restaurant but noisy on weekends. |
| Ekok Mamfe Road | We crossed beginning of January in the dry season. The road is maintained and easy going. It took 2 hours including some nice picture stops.The road from Bamenda to Mamfe is more difficult (steep decents, wet patches, potholes) but also more scenic. The Chinese are working on it.... |
| Nigeria | 1 € =200 Neira | 03.01 – 09.01.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Ikom | St. Peter Katholic Church | N5 58.625 E8 43.507 | Very nice padres. We had a room with Satelite TV, fan and private bathroom. They provided lunch and dinner including beer. Realy nice conversations. No defined fee, but donation accepted. Pater Immanuel called a money changer for us to change CFA to Neira at good rate. |
| Ikom | Lisbon Hotel | N5 57.625 E8 43.582 | Not really an alternative in Ikom. They requested 2000 Neira for camping on concrete car park and key to room. We didn't like the manager and found it overpriced. |
| Drill Ranch | N6 17.956 E8 59.889 | Monkey rehabilitation center. They have Drills (kind of coloured baboon), Chimpanzees in large, natural fenced habitat. We could also see a baby Gorilla. The canopy walkway is spectatcular, especially since you are alone with the knowledgeable guide. Nice pool for swimming close by. Friendly staff and beautiful rainforest surrounding. Two options for camping: 1. Camp at ranch for 2000 Neira p.p.p.n including toilet and shower 2. Overland Camp site with no facilities for 750 Neira p.p.p.n (N6 17.984 E9 00.246) Additional fees: 1000 Neira for guide per group plus 250 Neira p.p. community fee. All in all we paid 6000 Neira for the full program for two people and 2 nights on overland camp. Not cheap but very well worth a visit. |
|
| Makurdi | Dolphin Court | N7 45.767 E8 33.625 | Camping for 1000 Neira after haggling. You can use toilet at bar and water tap behind hotel for showering. Camp at car park. Shady garden with little huts. OK place. |
| Abudja | Sheraton Hotel | N9 03.891 E7 28.981 | Camping not free any more. You pay 2500 Neira p.p for 5 nights (minimum expected stay). Camping in backyard behind dog shelter. Very clean toilet and hot showers at squash court. Register at fitness center not at hotel.. Security guides will show you around. |
| Abudja | Money Changers | Opposite of the Sheraton Hotel you find Haussa people waiting under umbrellas. They change money at very good rates. Make sure you have big bills (100$ notes or 100Euro notes). We didn't use our credit card in Nigeria to avoid scams. | |
| Jebba | Flamingo Guesthouse | N9 07.067 E4 49.280 | Not great but clean and simple. We camped at fenced car park and paid 1000 Neira for room with bucket shower and toilet. Room was rented out to other guest after we went to bed :-). Close to road with lots of trucks. Use ear plugs. |
| Abeokuta | Golf Resort | N7 06.665 E3 22.133 | Very peaceful place. 5$ p.p.p.n. You can choose your overnight place from close to lake to camping on golf lawn. This place is still under construction, but has clean toilets and showers, cold beer and no noise. It is not very easy to find but well worth the effort. |
| Roads and Police in Nigerai | We didn't find Nigeria as bad as most people told us. Nevertheless the driving is stressful and dangerous. On the other hand people were very nice. Many police stops. They all ask for a gift, but we got through without paying a single bribe by being polite, friendly, humourous. Beeing funny is difficult after the 10th stop, but pays out. The main issue in Nigeria is the crazy traffic with lots of trucks and petrol tankers that pull out just in front of you to avoid one of the countless potholes. This is mainly true for the road from Abeokuta to Abudja. Many police/customs/immigration stops between Abeokuta and Mekro border. The road from Abudja to Ikom is fine and easy going. | ||
| Fuel | Countless petrol stations, but only every 10th has diesel. Diesel is 120 Neira per liter. Petrol is 65 Neira per liter. |
| Benin and | 1 € = 656 CFA | 10.01 – 19.01.2010 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| Togo | 19.01 – 30.01.2010 | www.blackcontinent.de | |
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Abomey | Chez Monique | N7 11.855 E1 58.826 | Campingg for 2500 CFA p.p.p.n. Big and busy place under trees with loads of handcraft masks and fetiches. Many kids and workers around. Can be noisy and may lack water |
| Grand Popo | Auberge Grand Popo | N6 16.754 E1 49.820 | 2000 CFA p.p.p.n. Relaxed place with good music and nice restaurant/bar. Camp on big lawn under trees. Beach is not for swimming. Shower and toilet is acceptable. |
| Cotonou (close to) | Jardin Helvetica | N6 20.699 E2 16.050 | 2000 CFA p.p.p.n. Good place at the beach road from Ouidah to Cotonou. You can camp in the garden or at the beach. Clean toilets and showers. Good restaurant.Very friendly owner. From here it is less than 30 min to Cotonou and you are at a quiet spot with good swimming. They have nice umbrellas and matresses at the beach to relax. |
| Lome | Chez Alice | N6 09.983 E1 20.474 | 1000 CFA p.p.p.n. Difficult to say … PRO: Good restaurant with Schnitzel and Rösti. Good life music on Wednesdays. Free WIFI. Alice is an intresting person to meet → We stayed 5 nights since we met very nice people. CON: 1 toilet and shower in the same room, not very clean. Very hot on the campground. Forget about the beach. |
| Kpalime | Auberge Nectar | N6 57.211 E0 34.690 | 2500 CFA p.p.p.n. Good and quiet place. You get a key to a room to use the bath. Very clean and good shower. From here it is worth to take a guide for the butterfly tour. The tour includes coffee plantations, a small waterfall and the surrounding. They catch some butterflies with a net for you, which are released afterwards. → 5000 CFA p.p for 4 hour tour incl. pictures etc. |
| Atakpame → Bena | Eteka Dja | N7 31.734 E0 54.381 | On the road from Atakpame to Badou after 25 km you reach Bena where Eteka Dja is signposted on the road. 14 Germans have set up this spiritual center including hospital, school and orphanage. They have a vegetarian restaurant, rooms, cean shared bathrooms and camping possibilities. Nice area and cooler nights at 750m above sea level. The experience is best if you know German and are open to some spirituality. But even if this is not what you are looking for you will have a good time there. We stayed 3 nights. Camping fee on donation base. |
| Dapong | Auberge Campement | N10 51.615 E0 12.265 | 3000 CFA p.p.p.n Camping unscenic behind the hotel, but they have a nice garden and restaurant. Toilet and shower is acceptable. |
| Marie Antoinette | N9 30.595 E1 12.539 | Camping for 2000 CFA p.p.p.n. at the side of the national road. Clean facilities. Restaurant with free WiFi by same owner 500 meters down the road. Unfortunately security guard listens to radio the whole night (asking him to turn the volume down will not help), so sleeping is hardly possible. | |
| Roads | The tar road in the north of Togo has many potholes and lots of truck traffic (especially the 20 km south of Dapaong). Slow but OK to drive. No crazy truck drivers as in Nigeria. |
| Burkina Faso | 1 € = 656 CFA | 30.01-11.02.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Ouagadougou | OK-Inn | N12 20.114 W1 30.830 | Free Camping, Free Wifi and pool usage. Camping is at the remainders of a Mini Golf court under some small trees. They expect that you use the restaurant from time to time. The ChateauBriand for 6000 CFA is great !!! |
| Mare des Crocodiles | N12 03.939 W2 13.578 | On the way from Ouaga to Bobo this is a strange/intresting stop. In a lake close to the village there are hundreds of sacred crocodiles. Guides will pull one out at the tail for you to touch and make it move with the help of some chicken leftovers on a string. We payed 1500 CFA p.p (inclucing chicken, picture taking, etc.) | |
| Bobo Dioulasso | La Pacha | 2500 p.p.p.n for Camping. Good showers and long drop toilet. Great Pizza. Camping under shady mango tree. Noisy truck traffic. For quiet sleep Casa Africa is the better option. | |
| Bobo Dioulasso | Casa Africa | N11 10.155 W4 18.704 | 1500 p.p.p.n. Camping in small but nice garden. Basic facilities. Food available. Authentic atmosphere with lots of locals to chat and make business. Much more quiet at night than La Pacha but a bit further off center. |
| Bobo Dioulasso | Mosque & old town | It is definitely worth to visit the mosque (1000CFA p.p). You get a good tour with a lot of details and you can see everything including roof. This is much more intresting than the visit of the mosque in Djenne where you have to pay 5000 CFA p.p. and only get a 10 min „tour“. We had a guide for a visit of the old town. He showed us some curio shops but also a lot of interesting places and houses. We payed the guide 4000 CFA for 3 hours. |
|
| Tengrela (close to Banfora) | Farafina Campement | N10 39.136 W4 49.519 | 1500 p.p.p.n. Camping in nice compound in the middle of the village. Very basic shower and toilets. Good atmosphere and very friendly owners (French+Burkinabe). You can take good lessons for Balafone, Djembe and Kora. Solo – the teacher and camp owner - charges 2000 CFA per hour. The lake with hippos is close and also a nice sunset trip. |
| Sindou | Soutrala Campement | N10 39.459 W5 09.644 | 1500 p.p.p.n. Very relaxed camping under shady mango trees with hammocks. Food is good. Camp is in walking distance to Sindou peaks. |
| Mali | 1 € = 656 CFA | 11.02.-07.03.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Border Crossing | One of the fastest and most relaxed border crossings so far. We were offered tea and food from the nice border officials. | ||
| San | Hotel Teria | N13 17.177 W4 53.580 | Camping on the hotel parking lot for 2000 CFA p.p.p.n. OK, but bush camping may be the better alternative. |
| Djenne | Campement Houber | N13 54.448 W4 33.354 | Camping for 2500 p.p.p.n inside the compound. Clean toilets and showers. Best place for camping in the middle of Djenne. Chez Baba (N13 54.355 W4 33.275) looks run down, but is the only place to go if you want to have a beer. |
| Mopti | Campement | N14 29.828 W4 11.870 | Camping for 2500 p.p.p.n. You get a key to a room for shower and toilet use. This place is noisy and not nice, but the only place we found for camping. Hotel „Y a Pas de Probleme“ looks very nice, but you have to park your car at the roadside and take a room. |
| Sevare | Repose de Dogon | N14 31.632 W4 05.873 | Camping for 2500 p.p.p.n Quiet and shady places to sit. Good shower and toilets.Friendly people and good infrastructure for getting reorganized after a trip into Dogon country (electricity, washing, …). |
| Bandiagara | Togona Hotel | N14 21.482 W3 38.559 | Camping for 2500 p.p.p.n 4 km out of town. OK place with big garden to camp. Many moskitos though. |
| 5 day tour into Dogon Country (Falaise de Bandiagara) | Guide Association | N14 21.013 W3 36.691 | We booked our tour into dogon country with the Guide Association in Bandiagara. Dogon Guide with good english, french and dogon. All food, tourist tax, hotel fees included for 20.000 CFA p.p.p.d. The guide and tour was very good. He knows the area and culture extremly well and is known by many villagers, He always made sure we are happy and constantly adapted plans to our wishes and needs. We can highly recommend Mamadou. You can contact him directly: (+223) 79376968 www.guidedogon.niloo.fr, guide_madou_dogon@yahoo.fr. He runs his own campement (N14 13.454 W3 29.060) in Doundouro (at the bottom of the falaise at Begnimato) |
| Teriya Bugu | Teriya Bugu | N13 12.615 W5 31.810 | Camping for 3000 CFA p.p.p.n. Make sure you camp at the Bani river bank. They first try to send you to the dusty playground. Good Swimmingpool and very green surroundings with lots of animals. Showers and toilets not very clean. |
| Bamako | Sleeping Camel | N12 37.534 W7 59.276 | Camping for 3000 p.p.p.n close to the center, just before the Niger bridge. Quiet surrounding, relaxed place, nice bar. Free Wifi. Shady parking for car. We liked the atmosphere. |
| Bafing Makhana | Bush Camp (Furt Camp) | N12 45.312 W10 12.710 | There is now a new tar road from Kita to the border town of Saraya in Senegal (signposted). The road stops at the Bafing river (south of the lake) because currently the bridge is not finished. There is a place where you can cross the wide river in the dry season. We just camped at the crossing place and did the river crossing in the morning. The place is OK to camp. People are friendly and leave before darkness falls. |
| Senegal | 1 € = 656 CFA | 07.03. – 30.03.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| Gambia | 1 € = 38 Dalasi | 12.03. - 17.03.2011 | www.blackcontinent.de |
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| South Senegal | |||
| Border Crossing | Kenieba to Seraya: Most cool immigration in West Africa so far. Nice man, fast and relaxed. Some discussions with Customs in Seraya to avoid the stamp in the carnet and the 48 hour rule to go to Dakar (see VISA section) | ||
| Kedougou | Le Saninke | N12 32.925 W12 10.640 | Camping in Hotel parking lot for 2500 CFA p.p.p.n. Not recommended. Noisy generator and run down shower and toilet. Better go straight to Dindefelo or bush camp on the way.(Le Bedik looks nice but they don't allow camping) |
| Dindefelo | Villageois Campement | N12 22.748 W12 19.446 | Camping for 2500 CFA p.p.p.n under the shady tree. Simple but clean showers and toilets. Place is OK. The waterfall and walking tours in the area are great. |
| National Park Niokolo Koba | Wassadou Campement | N13 20.927 W13 22.588 | Camping for 2700 CFA p.p.p.n + 300 CFA community tax p.p.p.n + obligatory dinner in restaurant for 5900 CFA p.p. Quite expensive but the food was OK and the camp is very nice. Great river views at the NP boundary. The boat tour for 3100 CFA p.p is highly recommended. You see hippos very close (they go closer by boat than anyone in east africa – seems the hippos are more relaxed) and lots of unusual birds. |
| Gambia | |||
| Georgetown | Birds Camp | N13 32.649 W14 47.648 | Camping for 150 Dalasi p.p.p.n after long negotiations. Not recommended ! Owner Marc is very unfriendly and insisted on 300 Dalasi next morning insulting his employees. In the private shower and toilet of the run down hut which was allocated to us, we were surprised by naked/sleeping women and male staff wanting to take a shower in the morning. |
| Tendaba (close to Soma) | Tendaba Lodge | N13 26.362 W15 48.534 | Camping for 250 Dalasi p.p.p.n Nice place with shady camping spot at the river, clean toilets and showers. Nice bar. Boat tour for 200 Dalasi p.p. into the mangrove creeks of Gambia river is worth it, lots of birds. |
| Lamin | Lamin Lodge | N13 23.598 W16 37.535 | Very intersting place to visit. Good restaurant, Try the Oyster meals. Peter (German) is running the camp and we spent hours talking and enjoying the fabulous setting. We camped for free at the restaurant parking lot. |
| Kartung | Boboi Beach Lodge | N13 06.853 W16 45.901 | Camping for 200 Dalasi p.p.p.n in shady garden. Nice place to relax behind the dunes that block some of the wind coming from the atlantic. Good for swimming, especially nice with the surf / body boards they provide for free. |
| Sukuta (close to Serekunda) | Sukuta Camping | N13 25.175 W16 42.938 | Camping for 175 Dalasi p.p.p.n. Highly recommended. This is a perfect setup for campers. Very clean, everything works, everything you need is there. Jo and Claudia are very helpful and friendly owners. Heike took some Djembe lessons with Akassa Cissokho who lives close by and Stefan made fixes at the car with the help of the camp associated garage. Good restaurants in the tourist area nearby and well equipped markets in the area. |
| North Senegal | |||
| Banjul | Ferry/Border Crossing | This was a bad day for us. Seems we were really unlucky. 4 hours of waiting at the ferry. Full car search on the south side by drug department and another full car search on the north side by gendarmerie. The border crossing to Senegal was OK. Some hasstle to get the 10 day laisser passer based on our letter from the ambassodor (see VISA section). Ferry was 5200 CFA. Next time I would consider to take the ferry in Farafenni. |
|
| Toubakouta | Campement Keur | N13 47.275 W16 28.435 | Camping for 3000 CFA p.p.p.n. Nothing special and to expensive for what you get. Food is good. |
| Saly Portudal | Ferme du Saly | N14 25.611 W16 59.751 | Camping for 2500 CFA p.p.p.n. Only campsite in the area. Nothing great but you have only 200 m to the beach. Beach is busy with locals exercising (running, push ups, wrestling). They have a good restaurant at the beach. Ablutions are basic. |
| Lac Rose | Gite du lac | N14 50.590 W17 14.171 | Lac Rose is not spectatcular but a nice stop. Orange water with dunes on the north side. On the north side there is a new lodge that allows you to camp for 2500 CFA p.p.p.n. Friendly French owner and good food for 3500 CFA. Alternative is to bushcamp in the nice dunes behind the camp. Swimming in the lake is fun. You float like in the dead sea. |
| St Louis | Zebra Bar | N15 51.854 W16 30.755 | Camping for 3000 CFA p.p.p.n + 600 CFA TAX p.p.p.n + 2000 CFA park entry p.p. (once). Expensive for what you get, but a nice and clean place. Martin and Ursula were friendly. Good place to meet other travellers. Bring your own supplies if you want to safe some budget (Beer = 1500 CFA, Dinner = 5000 CFA) |
| St Louis | Ocean Camp | N15 59.822 W16 30.631 | Camping for 3000 CFA p.p.p.n. Big sandy place at the ocean. Lots of wind. No shade. The bar at the camp is not operating any more but is a nice spot to sit shielded from the wind. Good place to explore St Louis (Taxi is 100 CFA). We met Dave and Natali here again with their battered Landy after rollover. |
| Diama | Border Crossing | We chose the Diama border over Rosso. Diama is much more simple and relaxed. - The main issue is car insurance. We where not able to buy insurance in St.Louis since the only company (AMSA, 9047CFA) that sells insurance for Mauretania was out of documents. Nobody at the border to sell insurance when we crossed. (later bought insurance in Nouakhchott for 3000 UQ) - Border crossing on both sides was smooth. No hasstle, but some costs that are special for Northern Senegal - We payed: 6000 CFA for the bridge, 3000 UQ Carnet stamping, 2000 UQ p.p. National Park Fee, 500 UQ Community Fee (all with receipt, but I think some of these fees are not required) - We where stopped by police and asked for insurance but could get away without paying bribes. - Car was not searched, i.e. hiding some beer bottles seems an option … |
| Mauretania | 1 € = 390 Ougiah (UQ) | 30.03. - 07.04.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Nouakchott | Auberge Menata | N18 05.600 W15 58.640 | 3000 UQ p.p.p.n. Very nice camp in center of towm. Shady camp spots. Nice area to relax incl. beduin tent. Free WIFI. Hot showers and clean bathrooms. Washing machine. We stayed 3 nights. Recommended place. |
| Beach Drive to Nouadhibou | N18 58.309 W16 12.339 | Bush Camp before 2nd narrow spot on beach drive. Nice place in dunes. Quite sandy due to wind. | |
| N19 09.570 W16 19.289 | Bush Camp where we had giant lobsters for dinner (bought in village close by). Hard sandy ground made for good camp. | ||
| N19 33.543 W16 24.039 | Bush Camp behind dunes at south end of national park (Banc de Arguin). Good wind protection and not visible from track and town (Techot) | ||
| N20 28.298 W16 15.279 | Bush Camp at le Bidon at north end of park. No chance to hide from the wind. | ||
| Nouadhibou | Abba Camp | N20 54.521 W17 03.210 | 1500 UQ p.p.p.n. Shadeless and uncharismatic campsite. Very hot shower. OK for one night. |
| Border Crossing to Marokko | N21 19.851 W16 56.762 N21 21.894 W16 57.640 |
Easy and friendly. - Between Mauretania and Marokko you should stay on the well visible tracks, due to risk of landmines. - The exit and entry took 3 to 4 hours with most time spent waiting for the X-ray of the car at the moroccan side |
| Morocco | 1 € = 11 Dirham | 07.04. – 03.05.2011 | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan |
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Note: Camping prices noted in morocco are without electricity. There is usually a surplus of around 20 Dirham per day if you need power. We only used it to charge the labtop which was mostly free of charge. | |||
| Place / Town | Name of Camp / National Park | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| West Sahara | |||
| Opposite Daklah | Porto Rico | N23 28.680 W15 57.120 | 30 Dirham per car. Very nice spot at the ocean with beduin tents showers and toilets. Very friendly and helpful owner. Free tea and use of kitchen. |
| Daklah | Moussafir | N23 45.874 W15 54.430 | 30 Dirham p.p.p.n + 10 Dirham for hot shower. The place is 5 km from town. Toilets are dirty. Little wind protection by wall. Not recommended. I would prefer the kite surf camps on the road to Daklah next time. |
| Laayoune | Le Bedouin (Belgien Camp) | N27 27.722 W13 03.121 | 30 Dirham p.p.p.n. This was the most windy place ever. First time in 10 month that we could not open the roof tent and slept inside the car. Warm shower with salty water. Beduin tent restaurant. The people were very friendly and the dromedar Tajine and red wine were excellent. Nevertheless the camping is not good if there is wind. |
| Morocco | |||
| 45 km from Sidi Ifri | Fort Bou Jerif | N29 04.963 W10 19.837 | 35 Dirham p.p + 35 Dirham per car. Very nice surrounding for walks. The camp itself is OK with good showers and toilets but overprized. Restaurant is nice but expensive. We shared the space with one dutch landy and 2 motorbikers. We were told however, that it can be crowded with Hymer-Campers. Behind the old fort there is a very nice spot for Bush camping (next to the camping interdit sign). We saw a couple of cars there the next morning. |
| Tafraoute | Bush Camp Tafraoute | N29 43.318 W8 59.088 | 20 Dirham community fee per car for bush camping at beautiful spot close to the village. Alternatively there are several campsites with high walls around. We stayed 2 nights at the scenic bush camp. Good location for day drives in the beautiful Anti Atlas. Nice village wih coffee houses, market and good local restaurants. |
| Agadir | Camping Municipale | N30 25.441 W9 36.491 | 20 Dirham p.p.p.n + 20 Dirham per car + 38 Dirham per tent. Overpriced, bad ablution blocks and crowded with french camper caravans. Unfortunately the only option in Agadir we have found. Pro: It is central. Tip: Walk to the old fishing harbor (past the new Marina) for good simple fish restaurants. Bargain hard BEFORE you order! |
| Marakesch | Relais Marakesch | N31 42.462 W7 59.316 | 70 Dirham for 2 people and car. This is a very well equipped campsite with friendly and helpful staff. We camped at the back to the left at the dead tree trunk. This gave us a good distance from the camper vans and some nice green. A recomended place. |
| BAB Auto Land Rover | N31 40.254 W8 02.398 | Good small Land Rover garage, where tour operators bring their vehicles. I had my Landy serviced incl. change of diff- and transferbox-oil. Fast, efficient, fair price. | |
| Parking in center | N31 37.445 W7 59.679 | Parking for 20 Dirham per day and very central. Turn right at the park sign: N31 37.553 W7 59.684. Alternative is to take a taxi for 60 Dirham (one way) from the camp. | |
| Ait Ben Haddou | Kasbah Jardin | N31 02.830 W7 08.086 | Not great. Unfriendly staff very focused on money making. 60 Dirham for 2 people and car. 10 Dirham extra p.p for hot shower. |
| Dades Gorge | Dades Gorge Auberge and Camping | N31 33.439 W5 54.582 | 45 Dirham for 2 people and car. Very nice location in the gorge at the river. Very hot shower. Clean ablutions. On the far left side there is some wind protection. |
| Todra Gorge (Tamtatoucht) | Les Amis | N31 40.001 W5 33.149 | 60 Dirham for 2 people and car. The camping is nothing special but the restaurant is highly recommended. Mohamed speaks German (he spent 13 years in Germany) , English, French and is very friendly. He also cooks great moroccan food. The menue costs 100 Dirham and was the best food we had in morocco. An alternative for camping under palm trees is Atlas Camp: N31 33.148 W5 35.090 (recommended by pistenkuh.de) |
| Nkoba | Nkoba Camp | N30 52.097 W5 52.092 | 60 Dirham for 2 people and car. Nothing special, no good atmosphere. Ok for 1 night. |
| Zagora | Oasis Palmeriee | N30 19.420 W5 49.582 | 15 Dh p.p.p.n + 15 Dh per car per night + 10 Dh for hot shower. Nice place under palm trees with tables and carpets at campsite. Clean toilets and shower. Recommended. |
| M6-Piste | Bush Camp | N30 40.303 W4 35.384 | The area is good for bush camping. The specific spot we had is only good if there is not much wind. Otherwise drive a few hundred meters further. |
| Merzouga | Les Pyramides | N31 05.207 W4 00.389 | 50 Dirham for 2 people and car including warm shower. Good place at the dunes without walls, some camels. Free WiFi. Toilets not very clean. |
| Meski | Source Bleu | N31 51.399 W4 16.970 | 32 Dirham for 2 people and car. 10 Dirham for shower. The source is not really impressive and the campsite even less. If you like to be watched by locals as tourist attraction this is your place. Otherwise don't go. Ig need be, it is acceptable for one night and sheltered from wind. |
| Fez | Diamant Verde | N33 59.251 W5 01.124 | 80 Dirham for 2 people and car +20 Dirham for electricity even if you only charge labtop. Good place to stay if you want to explore Fez. Bus going to the city and 35 to 50 Dirham for petit taxi back from city (negotiate). The place is quiet and big enough to give you some space. Hot showers where good. |
| Chefchouan | Azilan | N35 10.596 W5 16.017 | 80 Dirham for 2 people and car. 10 Dirham for hot shower. Good place in walking distance to town. Free Wifi. There are some terraces in wooded area at the back that give you privacy from camper vans. |
| Tanger | Ferry to Spain | N35 47.338 W5 48.220 | 1350 Dirham for Land Rover and 2 people with FRS for ferry from Tanger to Tangir. We bought the ticket right at the entrance to the harbor. First offer was 200 Dirham more. Just take the offer and go to the next office one door down. Ferry leaves every 2 hours. Very easy and smooth border procedure. Took about 1.5 hour plus 1 hour waiting time for ferry. |
| VISA | Blackcontinent Tour 2010 – Heike & Stefan | ||
| www.blackcontinent.de | |||
| Country | Where we got the VISA | GPS Coordinate | Comments |
| Kenia, Tansania, ZA, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia | at the border | Hakuna Matata | |
| Mosambik | Dar es Salam (Tansania) | 5 days waiting time. No ViSA at the bridge going from Tansania to Mosambik. At other borders (from ZA, Malawi, …) you get the VISA at the border. |
|
| Angola | Berlin VISA Service | 30 day tourist VISA (valid for 2 month after issuing). You need an invitation from a company. We got this through a business partner of the international company that I am working for. Well worth the effort. Angola is beuatiful. | |
| DRC (Kongo Kinshasa) | Berlin VISA Service | 30 day tourist VISA (valid for 3 month after issuing). | |
| RC (Kongo Brazzaville) | Berlin VISA Service | 14 day tourist VISA (valid for 3 month after issuing). | |
| Gabon | Berlin VISA Service | 30 day tourist VISA (valid for 3 month after issuing). | |
| Cameroon | Libreville (Gabon) | N0 25.321 E9 26.855 | 50.000 CFA, within one day. (application 8.30 pm to 11pm, pickup from 3pm to 4pm) → 1 picture |
| Nigeria | Libreville (Gabon) | N0 25.330 E9 26.547 | 50.000 CFA, within one day. (application 9.30pm, pickup from 3pm to 4pm) → 2 pictures, wanted a map copy with the route through Nigeria marked |
| Benin | Libreville (Gabon) | N0 25.573 E9 26.640 | 20.000 CFA, within one day. (application monday to Thurrsday, pickup from 3pm to 4pm) → 2 pictures, copy of passport |
| Togo | Cotonou (Benin) → Visa Entente for 5 countries | The visa entente is valid for Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger and costs 25.000 CFA. It can be obtained only within these 5 countries. i.e. You have to buy a Visa for the first country that you visit and then go to the Immigration office in the capital of that country. We obtained the Visa entente in Cotonou (Benin) at immigration. Request before noon and pick up next day after 3pm. The visa is valid for 2 month. Each country can be visted only once. Note: The Burkina Faso Visa at the border is very expensive: 96.000 CFA. Half the price if you get it at the embassy and even cheaper if you use the Visa entente. | |
| Burkina Faso | |||
| Ghana | Lome (Togo) | N6 08.329 E1 12.084 | We DID NOT get the VISA. In January 2011 visa were only issued to residents, i.e. people holding a carte de sejour. Also no chance to get an unofficial visa at the border. We had a contact in Ghana with proper relations. This would have still cost us 300 US$ per visa. We skipped Ghana. |
| Mali | Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) | N12 20.718 W1 31.579 | 30.000 CFA, 3 month multiple entry tourist visa. Request in the morning. Pick up same day at 2pm. Very friendly and helpful staff. |
| Mauretania | Bamako (Mali) | N12 39.726 W7 57.958 | 30.000 CFA, Request in the morning. Pick up same day at 3pm. Very friendly and efficient. They even brought the passports to the window of the car when we came for pick up. |
| Senegal | Bamako (Mali) | from sleeping camel in walking distance (west) | No Visa needed for Germans, but we went to the embassy to get a laisser passer for 2000 CFA for our vehicle which is older than 5 years. You need a copy of the carte grise (Fahrzeugschein). This should help to avoid the issue of only getting the carnet stamped temporarily for 2 days at the border. All cars older than 5 years need to go to Dakar directly to receive an extension of the stay beyond that. Having the recommendation letter from the Senegalese ambassador in Mali worked for us, at least partially. We arrived at the border in Seraya (South-East Senegal) and were provided with a laisser passer for 7 days for the Kedougou district after lenghty discussions about whose authority needs to be respected. (Nevertheless it was important in Seraya that we showed the Carnet de Passage. They would not have allowed us to enter the country without one. We had some friendly discussions and they understood that we wanted to enjoy the hospitality and see the sights in Dindefelo.) After 5 days we went to customs in Kedougou and got another laisser passer for 7 days with the goal to go into Gambia in Basse Santa. All without a stamp in the carnet. Getting into North Senegal from Gambia: The letter worked and we got a 10 day laisser passer after some confusion/hassle. |
| Gambia, Morocco | No visa needed for Germans. | ||