Africa

In 2013, I plan to start a three-year adventure visiting all 54 countries in Africa. Yes, even the crappy ones. To get updates on the journey, subscribe to my newsletter (on the right), and don't worry, you can easily unsubscribe.

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What are your goals?

1. Visit every country in Africa
2. Write a book about what Africans can teach us.
3. Get a tan.

What's your general travel plan?

Follow the red line on the map on the right (move your mouse over the map to zoom into a section). I plan to start in Egypt and go south through Eastern Africa until I reach South Africa. Then I'll travel up Western Africa, eventually circling back to Egypt (making sure to hit all the countries in between).

The red line represents the most efficient way to see all the countries in Africa and not necessarily the way I will go, so don't analyze it too carefully.

I expect my real journey to be far less efficient, with lots of backtracking and circuitous ways to a destination. For example, I plan to climb at least one of the major mountain ranges in the Sahara; I just don't know from which direction I will approach them, which is why the red line doesn't go there. Another example: currently you can't legally cross the Morocco-Algeria border, yet my map shows me doing just that. So I may have to return to Mauritania in order to enter Algeria despite how much I lothe backtracking.

Will you travel on foot everywhere?

No. Although I've backpacked 20,000 km (12,500 miles) in the mountains, Africa has two things that make it unattractive to walk across. First, it's mind-bogglingly big. Consider the following facts:

• The island of Madagascar is bigger than California.
• The combined territory of Sudan and Congo is over half the size the USA, including Alaska.
• The combined land of Algeria and Egypt are the same size as all of Western Europe combined (including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Greece)!

In short, Africa is bigger than your backyard.

Second, Africa has vast flat areas. As I learned on El Camino Santiago, I don't like flat. To top it off, it is often murderously hot in much of Africa. Imagine walking 10,000 km in hot, dry, flat deserts. I can barely imagine it. No thanks.

The main mountain range stretches around the eastern and southern horn of Africa, as well as the northwest in Morocco and Tunisia. I will climb up peaks and trek through jungles. However, to see all the countries of Africa in less than two years, I will need to move fast via public transportation (and hitchhiking).

What is your rough schedule like?

• January 2013: Cairo, Egypt
• January 2014: Near Madagascar
• January 2015: Near Nigeria
• January 2016: Cairo, Egypt

How much time will you spend in each country?

I plan to spend, on average, three weeks in each country. That's not a lot of time, given that nearly all the countries are huge. With 54 countries, that's about three years.

Why not skip some countries to spend more time in others? That's unacceptable to my goal of seeing all the countries of the world. Of course, I would love to spend more time exploring, but most people spend less than 2 weeks in one corner of Africa in their one-in-a-lifetime trip. I'm lucky that I can spend 3 years.

Also, 3 weeks is the average. For example, I may only spend 3 days in Togo or Somalia, but spend 2 months in South Africa or Egypt.

What will slow you down?

Two things: getting visas and public transportation. Most African countries require a visa. I have an EU and USA passport, but they still require paperwork. Public transportation is horribly inefficient.

To stay productive while I wait 5 hours for the next bus (which will take 8 hours to get to the next country), I will be writing my book, reading ebooks, interviewing locals, and getting mugged.

Won't you get robbed?

Yes, it's part of the budget. I plan to be robbed three times. I'll look at the theft as a contribution to the African economy. The thief will spend the money he gets from me in Africa. That money will trickle into the economy when the thief buys anything. That money will help whoever provides that good or service to the thief. Seen in that light, getting ripped off in Africa won't feel so bad--it's a form of charity!

Are you afraid?

A little. Some worry that I will be killed by some random guy, or get eaten by a lion, or die from a disease. Although I am pretty sure that I will be robbed and get sick at least once, what worries me the most is dying in a car accident. I've never been to Africa, but I know they drive like they have death wishes. I'll take buses (and sit in the back) to minimize the risk, but still a driving accident is what concerns me more than all the other stereotypical fears.

Also, thanks to Barrack Obama's Kenyan background, no other region in the world loves America as much as Sub-Saharan Africa. That should translate into friendly treatment there. Let's just hope he gets re-elected in 2012. On the other hand, no other region in the world dislikes America as much as Islamic countries, which dominate North Africa. I'm not afraid, but in some places I will be cautious, just like I would be in parts of America and Europe.

How will you avoid the war-torn regions?

Go around them. Most African countries dwarf European ones. If war rages in Sudan or Congo, for example, you just have to avoid the hot-spots. Although that hot-spot may be as big as Italy, when the whole country is as big as Western Europe, it's easy to avoid "Italy." Also, I may just peek in the country for a day (like Somalia) to minimize the risk.

"What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money." - George Leigh Mallory, who died trying to be the first person to summit Mt. Everest

How will you travel?

I rough it more than most. I love doing it because it gives me a good perspective of the real people and culture, and it also lets you travel for longer. Therefore, couchsurfing and camping will be my first choice, while hostels/hotels will be my last resort option. I will not have a car, although I will hitchhike when it's the best option. Otherwise, it will be public transportation most of the time.

Will you take planes?

Only as a last resort. For example, it might be much cheaper to get to Africa's island nations (e.g., Comoros, Seychelles, Madagascar) by plane instead of by boat.

Also, some borders crossings may be closed to overland travel (like Morocco-Algeria). If the alternative overland journey into the country is prohibitively expensive, then I will give into the dark side and fly over the border, taking the shortest plane flight possible.

Can I come along?

I am looking for one crazy partner for the entire 3-year, life-changing trip, so if you think you have what it takes, let me know!

Also, I am happy to meet travelers along the way. Above you'll find a vague schedule. Unfortunately, I probably won't make it much more specific than that since I like to improvize while I travel. However, certain visas may dictate a few fixed dates along the way. Once the trip gets started, check this page and my Twitter or Facebook status. If it looks like our paths could cross, then contact me. 

How will you document the journey?

• I'll be blogging about once a week. (I'm not a hyper-blogger. I save my writing energy for my books.)
• I'll share photos and tweet whenever possible. 
• I also plan to produce videos. I'm currently looking to team up with a video production company to turn the journey into a TV show. If you have contacts regarding this, let me know.

Are there really 54 countries in Africa?

Officially, there are 54 countries in Africa (South Sudan became an official country in 2011). There are also two quasi-states, Somaliland (a separatist region in Somalia) and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (a separatist region in Western Sahara) that could become countries. Finally, there's Cabinda, Angola's exclave, which is attached to Congo. I intend to visit the quasi-states too because I don't want to have someone tell me a year or two after my long voyage that I "missed one."

Why the world needs a book about what we can learn about Africa

This video below spoofs the fact that the average person doesn't know much about Africa. What are 3 differences between Niger and Nigeria or Algeria and Angola? By the end of my future book, you should know. Enjoy the video...

If you have questions about this trip, I prefer that you post the question on my forum so that I don't have to answer it multiple times.