The Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition: Unique, Authentic & Epic

These days, what with AI, Insta influencers and Google Street view, the words epic, unique and authentic have lost much of their power in the world of travel. That begs the question – are there any real adventures left in the world? It seems that all of the world’s challenging journeys are being reinvented as luxury experiences with the actual physical and mental demands being subdued to the needs of comfort and, of course, access to the internet. If you can’t post it, is it actually real?

The Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition, I believe, remains one of the last great opportunities to really test yourself, both mentally and physically. To discover what you are capable of. To expose yourself to the unpredictability of Africa. To expect the unexpected. While the conditions have changed over the years since it was first run in 2003, its essence remains the same. As Founder Henry Gold so aptly put it, “This ain’t a ride in Provence.”

Although these particular challenges are no longer part of the current tour, we hope these examples from past Tour d’Afrique Expeditions will inspire you to join us. As Star Trek’s captain Jean-Luc Picard says, “Let’s see what’s out there!”

The Red Boxes

In the early years of the expedition, each rider was given a red plastic box into which all their supplies had to fit. At each campsite they would grab it from the support truck and then set up their home for the night. It also doubled as a bathtub, a washing machine, card table and camp chair.

The Dodoma Road

Cycling the Dodoma Road in Tanzania was a full body workout. Rutted and rocky roads sent handle bars in all directions. From the hips up, all a rider’s strength was spent wrestling the front wheel forward. Steep climbs, snaking descents and sporadic ditches were the norm for an average cycling day on this stretch.

Paradise Lost – The Good Ship S.S. Sagalnaam

Up until 2015, the Tour d’Afrique riders had to cross from Egypt to Sudan over Lake Nasser, first by barge and then on an ancient German ship. One rider remembered the experience as “A lower deck which smelt of last night’s dinner, a toilet in need of attention mixed with a hint of gasoline, and an upper deck which resembled more of a department store rubbish pile turned hide-and -go-seek-nap-time.”

Meltdown Madness: Bandits, Dust Devils & Lava Rocks

For years, until it was paved in 2015, one of the most dreaded sections on the Tour d’Afrique was the 3 day, 260 km stretch between Moyale, on the Ethiopian border, and Marsabit in Kenya, optimistically labelled ‘The Great North Road’ on Kenyan maps. One field staff member remarked, “We camped for a night in the lava rock landscape that is the Dida Galgalu Desert and felt like we had just set foot on Mars.”

The Nightmare Road From Wadi Halfa To Dongola

Until the ‘road’ was fully paved in 2011, this 450 km stretch was a nasty surprise for the riders who had just arrived from Egypt, with its nicely paved tarmac! 2005 cyclist, David Houghton remembered “Nothing could have prepared us for the few roads that ran through the country. In fact, to call them roads was a disservice to roads everywhere. They were ruts, trails, tracks, but they bore no resemblance to roads as I knew them.”

The Kazungula Ferry: A Bridge Too Far?

The crossing was fascinating for a number of reasons beyond the magical voyage across the river’s crocodile infested waters. It is claimed that this is the only place in the world where 4 countries meet – Zambia, Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe. This geographical quadripoint means that a ferry passenger would pass through 4 countries on the brief crossing! The method? A couple of ancient ferries. Actually, ‘ferries’ is a rather grand word to describe what, in fact, were a couple of glorified pontoon rafts.

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