Author: founder of the “Office Plankton” project and tireless traveler Makarov Pavel
This is a non-stop car journey from Moscow to Banjul (Gambia). In 3 weeks we managed to travel through 15 countries, covering a distance of about 13 thousand kilometers. We visited 20 cities, conquered the highest mountain in West Africa – Toubkal, snowboarded on the sands of the Sahara Desert and saw many sights.
Preparing for the trip
Preparation for the trip to Africa from Moscow began six months before the start. An approximate travel route was developed: Russia – Latvia – Lithuania – Poland – Czech Republic – Germany – Austria – Italy – France – Spain
– Morocco – Western Sahara – Mauritania – Senegal – Gambia. In 3 weeks we visited all the countries, explored the most interesting places, saw the sights, went snowboarding (on the sand of the Sahara and the snow of the Alps),
and also felt the atmosphere of real black Africa. Initially, the trip was planned through Mali, but given the civil war, it was not possible to obtain a visa there.
Visas and vaccinations
Visas required to travel this route are a Schengen visa, Senegal and Mauritania visas. Visas for Senegal and Mauritania are obtained at the embassy in Moscow. Taking into account the fact that black Africa is a breeding ground for many diseases, it is advisable to get vaccinated against yellow fever, and ideally also against hepatitis.
Ride
We traveled from Moscow to Lithuania by train, since the cars we had purchased and prepared for the trip were already waiting for us there.
We covered all of Europe in 4 days – 3 days on the road and one day for car repairs. European roads are high-speed, with a limit of about 130 km/h, safe and wide. The Alhambra – an architectural and park ensemble – is the number one UNESCO site in Spain – this is a place along the route that is definitely worth seeing.
Morocco is the first African country on our way. Islam, the hospitable and contradictory Arab world. Morocco is a country of contrasts, because on the one hand, European traditions coexist in it, and on the other, it is the Islamic world with all its strictness. The first city in Morocco is Chefchaouen, an atmospheric blue city. Fez wasn’t particularly interesting. A monotonous city consisting of 14 medinas (centers). Rabat pleased with its modernity and delicious food. In Marrakesh we visited a leather farm – a sight not for the faint of heart; There are no official excursions there, but you can find a guide nearby who, for $1-2 per person, will take you through the entire production and tell you about the long history of leather production, finishing and painting. There is a terrible smell there that even mint leaves cannot overcome. Casablanca (White City) differs from other Moroccan cities in its silence and regularity.
In a busy travel schedule, we managed to conquer the peak of Toubkal (Lower Atlas mountain chain),
Having walked about 30 kilometers with a height difference of 2500 m – after a sleepless night, this peak became truly difficult. Usually 2 days are allocated for this peak, but we spent 19 hours of ascent and descent on it. And on the way to Western Sahara we visited one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – Legzira.
On the way, we increasingly begin to encounter jeeps and trucks that are equipped for autonomous travel through the Sahara Desert. The drivers of these cars always have the latest information regarding their further route through Africa.
Mauritania is one of the poorest countries in Africa and was considered by us as a transit country. Even the major cities of Mauritania are full of garbage dumps and slums. Of particular interest is the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania. The border strip is several kilometers of continuous minefields, through which winding rocky pistes (routes) are laid.
Travelling through Senegal was not the most pleasant for us, because after a whole day of demonstrative boycott in front of the checkpoint at the border, they still didn’t want to let our cars into the country because of their age (the cars were more than 6 years old),
although in Senegal you mostly see broken down junk cars on the roads. As a result, for a bribe, they put a customs officer in our car, who accompanied us to the border with Gambia. Therefore, it was not possible to see the sights, and conflicts with the officer were regular and sometimes violent throughout the entire route through Senegal.
Having entered The Gambia, we found ourselves in real Africa, isolated from other northern countries of the mainland, due to the fact that it was an English colony, unlike previous countries that were previously French colonies. The Gambia is perhaps the most exotic and unusual country on our trip. Here you can find beaches from jet-black to snow-white colors, pine groves and real jungles, lonely baobab trees – a tropical paradise in its classic version. This country is one of the centers of female sex tourism, because it is there that you can meet strange couples – older European women and young Africans.
Here we quickly managed to sell cars at local car markets, earning for them an amount approximately twice the purchase price. The first part of our crew finished the trip and flew to Moscow, and the remaining travelers continued to explore black Africa, delving into Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Necessary travel equipment per person
Backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, rugs, food supplies, car repair kit, burners, clothing, photographic equipment, laptops, navigator, walkie-talkies, maps of the area (paper and electronic), guides to Europe and Africa.
How to buy a car via SMS
When planning our trip, we finally settled on two options. The first is that we equip the car in Moscow and use it to take off to Africa. Second, we buy a car in Europe. The first option was eliminated due to the high cost of cars in good condition, capable of driving about 13 thousand kilometers without breakdowns on roads of varying degrees of difficulty – highways, off-road roads and desert sands. In addition, the car needs to be seriously prepared, because the route passes through the sub-zero temperatures of Europe and the heat of the African continent. The second option remained – to go to Germany or Lithuania and buy a car there, which we did, finding a friend from Vilnius who agreed to pick up the car. The task is to find an inexpensive, spacious and diesel car that would cover the entire route with minimal breakdowns. A colleague with whom we communicated via text messages looked at 12 cars, chose the right one, changed all the consumables, registered it for himself, got insurance, bought spare wheels and received red transit plates (their validity period is a month). The advantages of transit license plates are obvious – the car is deregistered, so in many places in Europe you don’t have to worry about the speed limit, because no one will get fines for speeding.
It is worth noting that for such a trip it is very advisable to cover the car with stickers (any kind, preferably sponsors). The car immediately becomes the center of attention. And on the territory of Morocco we have never been stopped, even taking into account violations of traffic rules. Moreover, at many posts the local police saluted us.
Numbers
Visas.€25 per person – Gambia at the border. The rest were made in Moscow; Mauritania – 4000 rubles, Senegal – 1250 rubles, Schengen – €35 plus (or minus) visa center services – depending on the country issuing visas. €190 per person.
Food. Total: €275.
Eastern Europe – average price of food (first and second) – about €13.
Africa – average price of food (first and second) – about €5.
Gasoline. It’s better to monitor the current cost of gasoline here. Cost of gasoline for the entire trip: €2000.
Ferry Spain-Africa – €93 per car.
The cost of toll roads in Europe is about €300.
Payment fee car through Senegal: €250.
Repair kit (keys, cables, cans, oils, necessary consumables, shovel) for the car – about €350.
Overnight stays
In the car on the territory of gas stations, guest areas and recreation areas – free of charge.
Hostels and hotels: €30 – €40 for 2 people in Europe.
Camping: €10 – €20 per car in Europe.
Hostels and hotels: €20 – €50 for 2 people in Africa.
Camping: €10 – €20 per car in Africa.
Ratio of overnight stays in hotels/in a car (tent): 50/50.
Flight: Banjul – Moscow: from €350 to 500
Share your stories – help other travelers discover the world! Book hotels online on OneTwoTrip. Compare prices, read reviews and choose the best accommodations for your trip. And don’t forget to take out insurance!
10 safest and most beautiful countries in Africa
13 small countries you need to visit
Traveling Morocco: from ocean to desert
