Borders
This section is here to help make your border crossings across the continent a breeze!
Mauritania to Senegal
Diama vs. Rosso
This is probably the easiest of the border debates to settle. Diama is the way to go, hands down. Rosso is notoriously corrupt and while you may have issues crossing at Diama as well, they will be few and far between compared to Rosso. Perhaps if your vehicle is absolutely incapable of going off-road then you might choose Rosso instead.
A few tips:
If you are entering with a vehicle older than 8 years on a temporary import permit (TIP) you will be forced to pay 250 Euros for it. This is the law and it will take you several hours to get all the paperwork done so please plan for this. They tend to be less strict with motos on the enforcement of this. For everyone else, the temporary import permit is around 7 Euros and the renewals should be free.
If you are entering Senegal on.a temporary import permit, you will most likely only get 3 days before you need another stamp to extend this. The best place to do this is at the customs office in Saint Louis. You will not be asked for a bribe and it’s handled quite fast. However, results have been mixed here. If you have to go to Dakar you may be forced to pay a bribe.
Guinea Bissau to Guinea
North (Kandika) vs. South (Kandiafara)
Here you have two options as well. I would personally, recommend taking the northern one because of the beauty but it is longer (If you are heading to Conakry) and the road is said to be slightly worse than the southern crossing.
The highlands in the north, Fouta Djallon are one of the highlights of West African nature in my eyes and I would highly recommend not missing out on seeing that region.
The road down from Labe is also being built and you have some of the best off-roading and as well as road riding in the region as well. The newly built Chinese road to Conakry from Labe is a treat to ride. If you take the northern route don’t miss the Kinkon Waterfalls. They’re definitely worth a detour near Kita.
Ivory Coast to Ghana
If you’re traveling with just a TIP, you want to avoid the main Elubo border crossing. Instead head to Takariro or try your luck at one of the crossings in the North. Ghana will most likely be the hardest country on your route to get through with just a TIP. If you made it through without a tracker or by waiting two days for a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (not to be confused with a TIP), then congratulations!
Nigeria to Cameroon
Banyo (the mountains) vs. Ekok (the armed escort) vs. Calabar (the motorized canoes)
This is probably the most asked about crossing on this journey. So let’s checkout the choices.
Banyo – you’ll be riding about 500km farther overall if your goal is Yaoundé or any of the cities in Cameroon. The path is tough but very scenic. It’s also one of those highlights of West Africa since 2000m+ mountains are few and far between in the region.
If you’re planning on crossing in the rainy season, I would advise against taking this route unless you have extensive off-road experience. The ground turns to clay and your stopping power (or even staying upright power on a load moto) will be limited and you have massive boulders in the way. If you crash help and spare parts are very far away. Also plan your fuel and perhaps bring extra.
Ekok – maybe you’ve heard or read the stories. Most people have one. Lining up, leaving 3 hours later and then getting left behind by the speeding convoy of buses and cars in what’s technically an active war zone. Yup that’s Ekok.
The pros are that this route is the most direct and the cheapest way to reach Mount Cameroon and beyond. The negatives are that you’re dealing with completely drunk military officers and are at their mercy. Most travelers end up asking for their passports back after a stop and riding on their own (which is technically not allowed).
The other negative is that you need to convert your Cameroon e-Visa to a sticker visa which you can get in Calabar. You can also get it at various embassies in West Africa like in Cotonou provided you apply for it early enough. So you’ve got an additional detour there.
It also only leaves twice a week from both sides so you need to coordinate your schedule to fit this.
Calabar (only possible for motos and bicycles) – All sorts of issues here mostly that this is an unofficial mode of transportation and you’ll almost certainly be stopped by the coast guard asking for bribes and threatening to send you back to Nigeria. They are relatively easy to turn away for the most part though.
The cost per person on the motorized canoe including a motorcycle hovers around $110-300 but it depends on your negotiation skills. Walk around and bargain.
The positives are that once you get across you’re very close to Douala and that you can mostly leave whenever you’d like.
You need to get the sticker visa in Calabar as well before attempting the crossing. You should also visit the customs and immigration offices on the Nigerian side before you leave – the person who you go with should be able to take you there.
Cabinda to DRC to Angola
Ferry Across the Congo River vs. DRC Visa and Crossing
Just like the DRC visa this is a crossing you need to prioritize and potentially plan around it depending on what vehicle you have. The passenger ferry runs mostly everyday and is able to load a few motorbikes on as well. The cost at the time of writing is around $300 for any motorbike 300cc and under not including various fees.
The visa in Conakry is around $110 and in Accra around $250 as I wrote in the visas section. Meaning for a vast majority of people this is much more economically viable than taking the ferry. Note if you have a car or a 4×4, you’re looking at prices that start around $600 without any fees and you will have to wait for the vehicle ferry, which is incredibly unpredictable and breaks down frequently (sometimes for months at time). For a tall camper van a friend was quoted around $1000 for example.
I would personally highly recommend having the DRC visa in your passport. Once you get to Cabinda, if you really want to do take ferry and it’s actually running you can always spend the extra money and do that.
Angola to Namibia
This isn’t a particularly hard border crossing but since most people require a visa for Namibia now, just note that if you take a smaller border crossing visa on arrival is not available and you’ll need to apply for an e-visa beforehand. At the main border crossings, the cash touts on the Angolan side are known to rip travelers off so count your money but definitely swap it in Angola. It’ll be nearly unchangeable afterwards.