Nicola Ghaui, who owns and runs this wonderful campsite at Kisolanza Farm, came and introduced herself to us as we finished our breakfast. In discussing our route south she pointed out that , Malawi would be very wet on our return trip and it would probably be better to go south via Malawi and return through Zambia. So, after sucking a lot of back teeth, we changed our plans. Malawi would be next. We packed up and set off down the Mbeya road which, by and large, was pretty good. It was a nice, fast road, cut through undulating bush country [View Full Entry]

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Our hosts had departed for Dar-es-Salaam by 0630 but we dragged ourselves away from this little paradise at a more leisurely 0900, to fuel up with diesel and drinking water in Morogoro town before setting off for Iringa, and the Zambian border in a day or two’s time. The good road lasted for an hour or two and passed through the Mikumi Game Park. It was extremely dry and there was much evidence of bush fires in the area. But we did spot some game, zebra, giraffe, impala, eland and we even saw some buffalo and elephant. The good road finished [View Full Entry]

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The African dawn in the bush is a wonderful sight and today was no exception. We did hear female voices very early, as we were getting up, but our luck held and they never found us. We felt sure they were out in the bush cutting down the trees to make charcoal - a thriving industry in many parts of Africa but one which tends to denude the country of its trees. We faced a long day’s drive, hoping to reach Morogoro by teatime. The Usumbaras are very beautiful, well watered with many plantations, predominantly sisal, along the plain at the [View Full Entry]

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We were off reasonably early to Moshi where we spent an inordinately long time cashing some dollars in a local bank. Firstly the counter queues were horrendous and then the form filling for a simple transaction was copious and tedious. It took about an hour! Then to fill up our tanks, the cost of diesel in Tanzania is equivalent to GBP1 per litre. Between Arusha and Moshi the speed controls were very restrictive, and this continued for some 5 miles or so beyond Moshi, along a very good road nonetheless. Moshi itself was very attractive; neat, tidy and relatively clean. The [View Full Entry]

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We departed Ian’s and Chris’s home at 0900 on Wednesday, just as we had planned - no rush and we hoped to get through Nairobi without having to fight too much traffic. Not so! We didn’t get through the city till about 1100 and then there were road works for about 10 miles along our route. When clear of this we made excellent progress till we again met about 30 miles of diversions where the Namanga road was being relaid. Very boring, but we reached the Tanzanian border late lunch time. Border formalities were relatively simple and, because we are now [View Full Entry]

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It is over a years since the 3 cars of OFTAT set out from Oxfordshire to arrive safely in Kenya some 11 weeks later, at the end of November 2007. We have now had a well earned rest from our travelling and it was not till last July that the decision was taken to continue the journey from Kenya to Capetown, but this time with only the two cars. For the last week the 4 Harveys have been gathered in Limuru, some 18 miles north of Nairobi, preparing the cars for the off. The cars have been serviced, spares replenished, roof [View Full Entry]

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These last 10 weeks or so have been one of the highlights of my life. I have always wanted to do this journey, ever since I was a teenager, but the timing was never right, or I hadn’t the funds - there was always a reason why I couldn’t. But then this chance came and I have so enjoyed fulfilling the dream. If anyone thinks you have to be a young man to do this sort of journey they should think again. Even with more than 70 years behind me I never had a day’s unfitness whatsoever. I was up and [View Full Entry]

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It rained lat night, just as we finished our supper. What a shame, as we had to scurry off to bed. But it didn’t last too long and we slept well. On schedule, we were off for the final day’s drive, firstly retracing our tracks to the Mt Ololokwe turn off and then south on the main road towards Isiolo - where the tarmac started. We have driven over some pretty frightful roads in both Sudan and Ethiopia but Kenya’s roads have been by far the worst. And this last leg, only some 30 miles or so, was almost the last [View Full Entry]

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For us, Sarara must rate as one of the loveliest places in Africa, certainly in Kenya. The lodge is exclusive, it can only accommodate about 5 couples, and the facilities are comfortable in the extreme where your every need is pre-empted. We have visited Sarara twice before, but as paying punters rather than passing DIY campers. Its situation in a virgin African landscape, where there is no sign or sound of other human habitation other than the indigenous Samburu tribesmen, makes it almost exclusively unique. The whole area is run as a Game Conservancy project, heavily involving the loca [View Full Entry]

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Traveling this route, as we have done, we expected to meet up with others doing the same sort of thing - and we have not been disappointed. Firstly in Turkey, at the balloon campsite, we met a couple of Dutchmen, Luke and DeeDee on motorbikes whom we expected to see more of as we progressed southwards. We haven’t seen them again, but we know they are ahead of us. In the middle of the Sinai mountains we met a German - this time on a pushbike, would you believe! And we saw him again, a few days later, when we queued [View Full Entry]

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