my plan to
cycle across africa (2023)
location
Africa
distance
20,000+km
When
February 2023
unpaved
80%
countries
13+
I’m currently cycling across Africa!
In February 2023, I set out on a journey that I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid, crossing the entire continent of Africa!
I’m riding a bicycle with all my possessions through more than 13 different countries across deserts, along rivers and through jungles.
My goal is to discover the most remote parts of Africa and share them with you!
This journey both scares and excites me and I hope you will follow along with me.
The Planned Route
I’ll be starting in Cape Town, South Africa and heading North. At this stage the destination is Egypt but may change.
The first half of my route shouldn’t change too much from the image on the left. I plan to cycle through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
At the heart of Africa is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is probably the country that I’m most excited about exploring.
With Sudan closed because of recent conflict, I’ve decided to fly to Cameroon from Kenya and continue my journey into Central Africa and the Congo Jungle from there.
I will spend some time Bikerafting in Central Africa including down tributaries of the Congo River and the Congo River itself.
Packrafting in the congo jungle
With Sudan closed due to the ongoing war, I will be unable to ride one continuous journey all the way to Egypt.
I’ve been dreaming about the Congo Jungle since I was a kid, so I’ve decided to fly to Cameroon and cycle/packraft through Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
After my DRC visa request in Rwanda was denied, I heard from other travellers that it is possible to get a DRC visa whilst in Cameroon. So a new plan has formed.
From here on out, I’m planning to do a lot of Bikerafting through these areas, if I’m able to get a Kokopelli Packraft Sponsorship.
OPTION 1:
Fly to Cameroon and get a DRC visa and continue south through Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DRC.
OPTION 2:
Fly to Cameroon, continue to ride/paddle South towards Angola through the Republic of Congo and Gabon.
The Congo Jungle covers Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. So either way, if I fly to Cameroon, I’ll have the option to visit the Congo Jungle which really excites me.
Option 1:
Option 2:
The Actual Route so far
Recent Blog Posts
The bike & Gear
I’ve created a full gear list with links to all the gear that I’m taking on my Gear Page.
previous cycling trips
Here are some photos from some of my previous bikepacking trips through Kyrgyzstan and South America.
These are the type of remote places I like travelling to on a bicycle. I hope to travel to even more remote places in Africa, and I hope you’ll join me for the journey.
