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Welcome to Boudicca Travels
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Boudicca and her two daughters Tasca & Comarra, take their chariots overland through Africa, tacking a less frequented route.
For a long while now it has been a dream to drive from the UK to South Africa. Now ‘retired’ the time it seems an appropriate time. I am joined on this trek by long time friends, Richard Box, John and Roz Onions, along with Bron Villet, from South Africa . |
| Why:– |
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| One reason being just ‘for the hell of it’ as we all want to do it. |
| Another reason:– |
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| ...a desire to do something to help people . We have chosen to raise funds for SOS Villages and in particular for their Youth Centre at Lilongwe in Malawi, which we will visit along the way. |
| How we plan to succeed:– |
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Rather than take the ‘easy’ way down, we are opting to go ‘down a bit – across – then down again’ –simple really!! Stetting out on 10th August, we will drive to Dover, take the ferry to Calais and make our way through France to Genoa. Yes, I know; slap bang in the middle of the European holiday Season. At Genoa.our chariots take the overnight sailing across the Med to Tunis.
There is so much to see in Tunisia that we plan to spend a few days ‘sightseeing’, where Boudicca and her offspring can catch up with some of her past Roman adversaries! From Tunisia we will make our way into Algeria, where will be joined by a guide to take us through the country as local security demands. The guide service we are using is provided by Mohamed of Tanezrouft Voyages who has been most helpful to us so far.
Then on to Niger , where again we are obliged to travel with ‘company’, as a result of a coup back in February. Most likely we will have to join a military convoy to our stopover at Agadez, where we will be looked after by the good services of Akley and Celine of Agadez Tourisme. Thank you Celine for all your help so far. The aim is to spend a few days at Agadez taking in the surroundings, culture and architecture, as well as the food and customs.
From Niger, with the good help of a friend, Keith, we enter into Nigeria making our way south toward Cameroon. Stopping over, as and when we can, at campsites and/or hotels along the way. A call into Abuja looks necessary to secure a visa for Cameroon, as obtaining one in London became a marathon struggle.
Leaving Nigeria we will enter Cameroon in the north, making our way toward the Congo. Now well into the greener part of Africa, it will be rather wet, unfortunately most of the National Parks are closed at this time of year, but we hope to get close to wild life and the locals.
The Congo we expect to see more of the same, encountering roads of varying grades. Target being Brazzaville, where we expect to experience the palaver of the ferry to Kinsahsa in the DRC. Once in the DRC it is our plan to make our way across, west to east to the border with Zambia at Kumbalesa. We have no idea how long this will take; have heard reports of from 18 days to 6 weeks. A route of good roads - bad roads - hell roads and - no roads. Will we see any gorillas along the way??.
Once in Zambia, we will stay a while at Impandala Lodge st Shiwa Ngandu. Bron has a special birthday at about the time we reach the Lodge – we will celebrate along with friends who will travel up from Greyton in the Western Cape of SA. Not sure of the exact order of things from there, but visits to Mana Pools and Lake Kariba, spending a few days on the lake is all on the books.
Our goal of visiting the SOS village at Lilongwe, is next on the agenda as we go on into Malawi . Time will be spent at the village; meeting staff and resident children; they will receive 100% of whatever you contribute, making their lives. a little happier. I look forward to relating our experiences there. Whilst in Malawi, Monkey Bay and the coast of Lake….
Victoria Falls being the next stopover, from there we make our way to Western Cape in SA and to Greyton. The route there will be as determined by the crews who came up from there, so as not to retrace their outward journey. |
| Blogs / Diary |
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There are two ways to keep upto date with our progress when we set off on the 20th August 2010.
From the Diary page of this webiste.
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From Bron's own blog at africaoverlandexpedition.blogspot.com |
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