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Tour d'Afrique

From the pyramids of giza to table mountain, explore africa from top to bottom.

  TDA Global Cycling

The original of the TDA Global Cycling epics, the Tour d'Afrique stretches over 11,000 km. From the Pyramids of Giza to Table Mountain, explore Africa from top to bottom on TDA’s flagship cycling expedition.

You can ride for the complete tour or join one or more of the stages.

There is a route change for 2024 so to only see those sections below click on the year.

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• April 12, 2024

Tour d’Afrique: Crossing a Continent by Bike

A couple of weeks ago I put up a guest post on riding in Africa that was not totally accurate.  So today we’re posting the inside look by someone who’s done it countless times….Paul McManus, a guide for Tour d’Afrique .  Whether you’ve always wanted to do something like this or just want to read about the fantastic adventure of cycling Africa, you’ll want to have a read and check out his pictures.

Crossing a Continent by Bike

by Paul McManus

What’s it like to join a bike tour across a continent?  How do you prepare?  Who does these things?  Are all good questions.  None of them can be answered quickly.  In fact at Tour d’Afrique , where I have worked as a guide for the last 4 years, we have a series of about 22 updates we send to each rider who registers for our tours that answer those questions and a few more.

But let me try to give you the 10,000 foot view here and at the end I’ll throw in a few bits of random advice I’ve learned over the last 4 years of guiding tours for Tour d’Afrique.

One of things you’ll learn to appreciate on a journey like this is the simplicity of life and the daily routine is a part of that.  The distractions of everyday life don’t exist, no facebook notifications or emails.  No phones ringing or tweets pinging etc… It’s always a bit of an adjustment for the type A’s out there but soon everyone adjusts and life becomes quite pleasant.

Here’s how the routine generally goes:

Wake up at dawn:

• Pack your tent, sleeping bag etc… into the support vehicles
• Coffee should be ready when you’re done packing
• Breakfast is ready 30 minutes later
• Lasts 30 minutes, Usually consists of oatmeal, bread and spreads, fruit and muesli (that’s granola for you non euro types)

Ride your Bike:

• Ride the day at your own pace and stop when you like.
• Depending on the tour we average up to 120 km a day but….

– When we’re climbing the Pamirs in Tajikistan we’ll do more like 60 to 80 km in a day – When we’re battling the rocks in the Dida Galagu desert we’ll do 80 – 90 kms a day – When we’re riding through the pan flat Kalahari in Botswana we’ll do up to 203 km in a day – Of course sometimes you just have to ride naked, regardless of the distance

Coke Stops:

• We encourage you to stop along the ride, chat with locals, have a coke (if you’re lucky it might even be cold).
• At a little past the halfway point of the day
• Usually Consists of sandwiches and fruit

More Riding:

• After lunch continue riding to camp, take your time and enjoy the scenery
• Have another coke stop if you like, or take a few pictures, you never know what you’ll see…

Arrive in Camp:

• At Camp you’ll find your bags waiting for you
• We’ll have tea and soup waiting for you as well
• Every evening we hold a rider meeting to go over the next day’s route

• After 120 kms of cycling your pretty ready for dinner.  Eat lots, since your burning 5000 –
• 8000 calories a day you’ll most likely lose weight no matter how much you eat

After Dinner:

• Relax and enjoy the evening
• Most everyone is asleep by 9 pm (you did get up at dawn after all)
• Every 5 – 6 days we have a rest day. No cycling, quite a bit of beer drinking.
• Depending on the tour, repeat the above 42 – 129 times!

A few other thoughts and words of advice:

You’ll Pack too Much:

Everyone does their first tour.  Try to pack as light as you can.  One of the really nice benefits of being on 4 months tour through rural places is you learn how simple life can be, and how little you actually need to enjoy it.  It’s one of the lessons we hope every rider brings home with them.  Living simply is good everyone.

Don’t bring a $5000 bike.  Bring a $500 bike:

When travelling with your bike you want strong, reliable, easy to fix in the middle of the Kara Kum desert kind of gear.  That means steel, not carbon.  Shimano LX not SRAM Red.  The nice thing is that most of the reliable, durable stuff out there is a lot less expensive.

You’re probably in good enough shape now:

It might surprise you to learn that many of our clients are not cyclists.  Some of them become cyclists after their first tour with us, but they are not when they first sign up. You get in shape on tour.  If you commute 20 minutes a day twice a week you can do this.  Of course you should train for something like this.  I strongly recommend it in fact. But certainly don’t let a lack of fitness be an excuse not to do it.  If the time is right, take the plunge.

You might get married:

I know that sounds crazy. But it’s amazing to me how many people meet their wife / husband or boyfriend / girlfriend on tour.  Social life on tour is a big part of being on tour.  At the very least you’ll make some lifelong friends.

Adventure is not always fun:

To expect that everyday will be fun and carefree is a mistake.  This is an expedition in the truest sense, an adventure.  And like most adventures there will be parts of it that suck.  It’s hard to have an adventure without some real mental, physical or emotional challenges and our tours usually will present you with all three. Your boundaries will be pushed in ways you can not expect or prepare for.  It’s what I like most about our tours but if that’s not your thing well…

So that’s it, a cross continental bike tour in a nutshell.  Each tour is a very different experience. It’s the people on the tour that make it great and I think that’s what really separates a tour from a solo trip.  If you have question or advice of your own I’d love to hear it in the comments section below, or you can email me directly at  [email protected] .

This guest post was put together by Tour d’Afrique tour director, Paul McManus .  Paul designs and guides cross continental bike tours for Tour d’Afrique Ltd, best known for their annual Cairo to Cape Town Tour.  Check out their website, www.tourdafrique.com and be sure to contact him with any questions you have.

Tags: Cycling Adventure , Cycling Africa , Naked Cycling , Paul McManus , Tour d' Afrique

12 Responses to “ Tour d’Afrique: Crossing a Continent by Bike ”

Thanks for another excellent article. Where else could anyone get that type of info in such an ideal way of writing? I ave a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.

Am surely looking for your de Africa . I weight 220 pounds. Cycling is in my heart brain and soul. I have a question how much weight I can loose by the end of 120 days.

How do i get a job as a guide for the tour d’afrique?

We hire between 5 and 8 contract staff every year. Everyone starts as contract staff. They pay is terrible and work is damn hard. If you come back for a second year the pay gets better but it is certainly not something you do to get rich. You can apply via our website. Hiring usually begins in September for the following year. Mostly we hire: 1) Experienced Medics (nurses and paramedics), 2) Chefs (trained chefs, the fact that you “love to cook” or “cook a lot for friends” does not count, not when you are cooking for 80 people in the middle of a desert.) 3) Communications officers – People with proven photography, writing and social media skills. Having your own (successful) blog or experience working as a freelance writer is a big plus. 4) Experienced Bike Mechanics (again you need training and time working in a shop) and 5) Assistant tour directors – this is a broader category but you should have leadership experience, a lot of travel experience, some first aid training and some basic skills as a bike mechanic.

All candidates need to have travel experience (if you’ve never left your home country don’t apply) and wilderness first aid training is a plus.

I have a question for Paul. I do a fair bit of riding but have never been on a tour like you explain in this article and I am concerned that I won’t be able to keep up. Do you have any kind of prerequisites that must be obtained before coming on the tour or how can I ensure that I will fit in?

Hey Sam, I thought I replied to your question earlier but the comment seems to not have gotten saved.

We do not have any prerequisites, though everyone who registers is required to fill out a medical form that we’ll review for potential issues. A big goal for us is to make adventure bike tours accessible to as many people as possible and our support system is designed around that idea. Not only do we want everyone to be able to experience Africa by bike but the more diverse the group of people on tour the better the tour experience is for everyone.

If you regularly ride 3 days a week or more you should have no issue. In the rider updates that all registered riders get we have advice on training and preparation.

Nice naked photo. Looks like a lot of fun had on this tour.

Yeah :). That naked ride has become a tradition on tour now. Usually its just for a mile or two. This years group took it a bit further with one woman riding naked all day (80 km) and a group of riders even stopped at a local snack stop without any clothes on and had a cold coke with the owner.

Touring Africa by bike has been on my wish list for some time now. I hope to look you up soon on this. Nice preview of what is to come for me.

Thanks Ben. You can always find out more info over at the Tour d’Afrique blog as well.

I rode for a couple days on the Tour Divide last year with a man and woman who had completed this. The stories they had were amazing. However, to put it in perspective, even though the Tour D’Afrique was 3 to 4 months, they both said the Tour Divide was infinitely harder.

Thanks for the comment Vance, that must have been Torey and Paul you met on tour divide?

Seems like its becoming a trend for people to ride our Africa tour and then do the tour divide as we have at least one client finishing up his Cairo to Cape Town tour this week who plans to race the divide this year as well.

Coincidentally we are touring the divide next year on our Alaska to Mexico tour (called the North American Epic) Its not official just yet but we should be announcing that in a few weeks on our website. I can imagine the Tour Divide is a much bigger physical challenge. I would say the pace of our tours is moderate for a fit cyclist. Opinions vary though.

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Sugar Alternatives for Energy and Hydration

Question:  I am using the homebrew sugar formulations (sometimes added to green tea).  I am also trying to wean myself off 1/2 dose adrenalean “lip tonic delivery system” (biorhythm brand- caffeine, hoodia g, synephrine, yohimbe) capsule for energy.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out.  Have you tried either of these?  Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.

Sports Drink Homebrew

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “ Ask the Sports Nutritionist “. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to  www.apexnutritionllc.com .

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Tour D’Afrique: Biking the Heart of Africa

Surviving the Rugged 12,000 km Tour D’Afrique Bicycle Ride

By Daniel Gold

“Alllllllllaaaahhhhhhhhhh….” The booming voice of a muezzin reciting the morning prayers from a mosque loudspeaker jolted me awake.

The first attempt to open my eyes proved unsuccessful, as the sand that had accumulated in them (as well as every other orifice in my body) from the previous day’s ride presented an obstacle.

When I was finally able to blink out the crust, I could make out the luminous Sudanese desert night sky through the screen ceiling of my tent, stars shining and free from competing against pollution and skyscrapers.

At 4:30 AM, it was still too early to get up, so I decided to make a feeble attempt to sleep through the deafening morning prayers. This was early in my incredible 12,000 km journey down the entire continent of Africa, the Tour D’Afrique .

Booming Vocals

After finally drifting off an hour later I was once more unceremoniously disturbed from my slumber, this time by the booming vocals of Freddie Mercury.

The opening lines of Queen’s bicycle song (“I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike….”) blared from our support truck.

Despite waking us up with this song every morning for the past three weeks, our overland support staff still found this funny. Hilarious, those guys.

I struggled to get up once again, change into my riding clothes, pack up my tent and sleeping gear, and swallow down some bland porridge before starting the 70-mile trek in the Sudanese sun. So began another day on the Tour D’Afrique .

Covering Some Territory

The Tour D’Afrique is the longest most grueling bike race/expedition in the world, covering 12000 kilometers (7,456 miles) through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi , Zambia, Botswana , Namibia and South Africa.

My uncle, Henry Gold, started the tour in 2003 as a way to promote sustainable transport and introduce adventurous travelers to a continent he fell in love with, a continent that most people would be reluctant to travel through on their own.

In 2006, more than 50 riders attempted the trip from Cairo, and I was one of them.

Land of Contrasts

There’s not enough I can write to capture the essence of my experiences on the tour and in Africa. I hate to generalize Africa as one place, because if there is one thing I’ve learned it is that Africa is a place of a million different contrasts.

It’s a place where change always seems imminent but things appear to have stayed the same for hundreds if not thousands of years.

It’s a place that can be filled with staggering beauty and heartbreaking displays of humanity one minute, and frustrating and full of despair and pain the next, leaving you feeling disillusioned and hopeless.

Tour D’Afrique: Something Extraordinary

Still, whenever I missed the comforts and modern amenities of home, or when the strain of the tour and the poverty and despair became almost too much to bear, something extraordinary would happen, as if the continent itself was trying to reach out and grab hold of me, shaking me until I’d wake up and become fully aware of my surroundings.

These events left me feeling as if I was trespassing through a different world, witnessing and doing things that people like me aren’t supposed to be doing.

The Heart of the Story

Forget the other-worldly landscapes, the wild animals, and the other conventional African formalities. At the heart of every good African story lies the people, the locals, and there were many I met along the way.

Some of them tugged at your heartstrings, while some just tugged at your pants in a not so subtle attempt to remove your wallet.

There were the proud Sudanese villagers, displaying hospitality and generosity that would come to define the country for me (and contradicting every prior assumption I had made), who would invite me into their sparse homes for chai, refusing to take no for an answer.

Insomniac Truck Driver

I hitchhiked with an insomniac Kenyan truck driver who took 36 hours to cover 900 km (560 miles), traveling over roads that stretched the definition of the word and chewing the amphetamine qat the entire time.

One night a few of the other riders and I went out drinking and dancing in an Ethiopian nightclub, which was really just a one-room aluminum shack with a sound system and bar.

We continued through the night even as the city was struck by a power outage, the Ethiopians singing and the dance floor lit by candlelight.

Another memorable night occurred in Tanzania when a few of us, unable to sleep, wandered away from our bush camp through the darkness following the distant beating of drums. We came upon a small gathering of children and village elders, who continued to dance and sing songs in Swahili as we joined in.

Spontaneous Generation

It was with the children of these countries that I interacted the most. No matter where I stopped in Africa, no matter how deserted it looked, shoeless children in tattered clothes would materialize out of thin air as if spontaneous generation was a scientific truth.

One particularly hilarious incident that made this clear occurred in Ethiopia when Kevin, one of the riders, went off into a field to have a water bottle shower.

Within a few minutes, all you could see was a pale white speck being converged on by scores of tiny kinetic black dots, as the excitement was almost too much for the children to handle.

Kevin stood painfully unaware as everyone at camp laughed and watched the spectacle unfold until he finally noticed the avalanching army of children and struggled to quickly put back on his clothes in time.

Singing and Smiling

Riding through villages, I was usually greeted by singing and smiling children, no matter how impoverished or desperate they looked.

Not to completely gloss over it, there was a decent amount of harassment for money, and some occasional rock throwers, but if I was 12 years old and people were passing through my town in fluorescent spandex I would probably throw rocks at them, too.

The True Africa

But that’s the beauty of the tour. Camping and covering Africa by bike, you have experiences that one else does. I smirked at the other tourists I saw along the way. They weren’t seeing the true Africa, staying at the Hilton and going on guided tours through tourist trap towns.

My Africa is the real Africa. My Africa is meals of unidentifiable meat that cost 20 cents eaten in fly-infested huts, labyrinth markets, wearing the same clothes for three weeks, heavily chlorinated water, pit toilets, dirt roads, locals digging through our garbage, pickpockets, old men lounging around drinking beer, women working in the fields and cooking maize at every turn, and blistering desert sun.

Hygiene Standards Dip

It’s a place where the standards for hygiene dip far below a level you never thought they could get: showers = wet wipes, five-inch bugs find their way into your tent, the nighttime soundtrack is hyena whoops or barking dogs, time loses all meaning and the only clue that another world exists outside of the hut village you’re in is the Coca Cola signs.

My Africa is beautiful, depressing, and exasperating, on a biblical scale.

Looking back through my pictures of Sudan and Ethiopia, it hard to comprehend that I was actually there. My faint memories are more reminiscent of a dream I try to piece together than of actual experiences.

The Allure of Africa

There’s a certain quality of Africa that makes you feel this way, as if you’d subconsciously entered another world and found your senses so overwhelmed that you can’t quite remember what you were feeling.

It’s the allure of Africa and of the Tour D’Afrique. It’s why Paul Simon was inspired to record Under African Skies, why Bob Geldolf felt compelled to stage Live Aid, why Angelina Jolie spreads her incredibly attractive brand of crazy all over the continent.

Everyone who has been there feels it. From my experiences, with every place you travel to, you leave a part of yourself there but also take something new with you, and there’s a lot more I’ll take with me from Africa, besides the scars.

Daniel Gold completed the 100-day, 7,456-mile Tour Afrique in 2006. His uncle, Henry Gold, founded the event in 2003.

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THE TOUR D’AFRIQUE

The tour d’afrique is a challenging bike ride that spans the entire continent of africa. .

It can be physically demanding and require a lot of endurance. The journey is not easy on the body or the bike.

THE TOUR D’AFRIQUE lives up to its name: a ride across Africa. It’s tough on the bike, and As I pedaled through the scorching desert heat, sweat dripping down my face, the road stretched out before me like a never-ending grey ribbon flanked by vast expanses of sand. We had already covered a grueling 50 miles (80km) but still had the same distance left. The sun beat mercilessly, and the wind whipped past us like a hairdryer, stinging grit. It was an unbelievable place to go cycling.

This began my journey on the Tour d’Afrique, a grueling long-distance race spanning 7500 miles (around 12,000km) from Cairo to Cape Town. The race is divided into eight stages of 14 days each, providing riders with four months to complete the journey. While some riders finish the entire distance, others with less time ride just one stage, which is no small feat. A team relay option is also available, and in 2009, I was part of a team from Lonely Planet, with two riders completing each stage before handing over the baton.

The Tour d’Afrique begins at the iconic Pyramids of Giza, just outside Cairo, before heading south towards its final destination. The exact route of the race changes every year, depending on new road developments, border closures, and the political stability of the countries involved. However, the overall pattern remains the same. From Cairo, riders travel to the Red Sea before following the coast road and turning inland to reach the Nile Valley. Here, they cycle through a landscape of palm trees and crop fields that have remained unchanged since Pharaonic times.

_____________

The next stage of the journey involves a ferry ride across Lake Nasser, which marks the border between Egypt and Sudan. In Sudan, riders are challenged to navigate sandy roads through the Nubian Desert, an extension of the Sahara, for several days.

Cycling from Khartoum through the desert was an exciting adventure. The long distances between towns required frequent stops at basic roadhouses, sometimes small shacks. To fuel ourselves for another hour or two of cycling, we enjoyed sweet black tea and glucose biscuits, an unexpected bonus. The journey was challenging but rewarding.

Upon crossing the border from Sudan into Ethiopia, we were greeted by a remarkable transformation in the landscape. The flat desert we had been traveling through gave way to lush, green rolling hills, and the straight roads we were used to were replaced by curvier ones as we ascended into the Ethiopian Highlands. These mountains are often called the Roof of Africa, and it’s easy to see why, given their grandeur. Overall, it was a memorable experience.

We had the unique opportunity to observe daily life from the vantage points of our bikes. From local farmers working in the fields to children attending school, we saw people going about their daily routines. Riding alongside Ethiopian cyclists was a memorable experience. While taking in the breathtaking scenery, we chatted about life in Ethiopia and the local bike-racing scene.

Our journey with the Tour d’Afrique took us to Kenya, where we faced even more challenging cycling through the arid Dida Galgalu Desert. During our trip in 2009 with Lonely Planet, a sudden rainstorm turned dirt roads into mud, making it a matter of survival rather than just cycling.

Thankfully, we found relief as we climbed into the lush foothills of Mt Kenya and crossed the Equator. It was an unforgettable experience.

This cycling tour takes you from Nairobi to Tanzania through beautiful African landscapes and savanna grasslands dotted with acacia trees. On a bike, you can spot monkeys, giraffes, zebras, and other wild animals that car drivers might miss, with the snow-capped Kilimanjaro serving as a stunning backdrop. The tour then moves on to Malawi, where bikes are a standard mode of transportation. Zambia also offers long straight roads leading to the classic African landmark Victoria Falls. The relatively developed countries of Botswana and Namibia follow, but long days in the saddle, including the approx. 129-mile (approx. 208km) ‘queen stage’ along the Trans Kalahari Hwy, and the possibility of encountering elephants on the road can make it quite a challenge.

The Tour d’Afrique is a cycling journey that takes riders through stunning landscapes. The last leg of the journey passes through South Africa, featuring off-road adventures in Namaqualand and the Cederberg mountains. The ride ends in Cape Town, passing by the iconic Table Mountain.

Riding a bike allows you to spot wild animals like monkeys, giraffes, zebras, and others that car drivers may miss.

Yassine ELFADILI

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4,000 Miles, Seven Countries: An African Adventure on Two Wheels

A 10-week cycling trip from Morocco to Ghana takes riders on a rough ribbon of road through West Africa, a region better known for strife than tourism.

The tour went through Senegal, where cyclists rode a dirt track toward the capital, Dakar. Credit... Daniel Rodrigues for The New York Times

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By Patrick Scott

• Jan. 28, 2019

The whirring bikes streaked over the rough ribbon of asphalt through the Sahara in Mauritania, and the intensity of the landscape shifted.

Miles of flat, desolate sand stretched to the horizon in all directions, dissolving into an immense dome of pale blue.

The sun in the cloudless sky was so searing it had bleached the bones of a camel protruding from the sand.

A headwind, relentless and gusting, drained legs and thrashed the robe of a tribesman striding along on the roadside.

Then there were the tractor-trailers. Every 10 minutes or so, an oncoming rig appeared in the distance, gathering sheets of swirling sand in its wake. With only two tight lanes, the best recourse was to grip your handlebars and duck as the truck roared by, its vortex jerking the front of your bike and sandblasting every piece of uncovered skin.

In the fast-growing category of adventure cycling vacations, it’s safe to say that this one — West Africa en Vélo, TDA Global Cycling ’s first expedition through West Africa — was on the extreme end. Not just for the duration — nearly 4,000 miles through seven countries and one disputed territory over 10 weeks, averaging about 70 miles a day — but for the location. The region has been more associated with civil war, disease and extremists than bucket-list challenges. But as political and economic stability has increased in recent years, so has the number of foreign tourists.

The idea was to cycle and camp from Casablanca to Cape Coast in Ghana, through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the desert in Western Sahara and Mauritania, and rolling farmland, tropical forests or palm-fringed shores in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Saint-Louis

West Africa

en Vélo route

Dozens of cyclists signed on for the trip, which cost $12,900 for the entire 72-day, 3,865-mile ride; those, like me, who joined for a two-week section, paid $2,900.

Riders — most in their 50s and older, many from North America and Europe, and a third of them women — brought their own bikes and camping gear, which was carried ahead each day in a truck. A van would stop and set up lunch around the halfway point of each ride, while tour leaders covered the route in SUVs, with a staff member riding sweep behind the group. Those who couldn’t complete the day’s section could hitch a ride on one of the vehicles.

Most people on the ride were strong cyclists and veterans of one or more TDA tours, keen to conquer a new frontier. They do the rides because they have the money, the time and the inclination, and for deeper reasons tied to wanderlust, ego, camaraderie and mortality.

“Multiple times when we go out on a ride in the course of a day, you get something that’s extremely tiring or exhausting,” said David Jones 61, a former candy company executive from Toronto. “And just as you’re thinking, ‘Geez, man I don’t want to do this,’ the road turns and you get a tailwind, or you get brand-new pavement or smiling kids at a village. I think it’s a great place to learn the benefit of hanging in there, just keeping at it.”

Mile 15, Western Sahara

I joined the tour in late October, 1,100 miles into the ride in Western Sahara , the disputed territory south of Morocco that is claimed by that country and the Polisario Front separatist movement. This two-week section would stretch 800 miles down the coast through Mauritania and into Dakar, the boisterous capital of Senegal. On my first morning, I pedaled hard for a half an hour to catch two riders ahead of me as the sun rose over the desert.

The pair — Annegrete Warrer, 65, who lives in Austria, and Hanne Renland, 62, of Norway — had met on their flight from Paris to Casablanca three weeks earlier and became close friends. Ms. Warrer was on her seventh TDA tour and riding until Dakar, and Ms. Renland, who took up cycling in 2017, was on her second and riding the whole route.

“We want to live life to the fullest,” Ms. Renland said, as her bike computer displayed 35 km/h, or 22 miles per hour. “It’s time to put some Ks down.”

We rode flat out for a half-hour. The cobalt ocean was on our right as we passed several kite surfing lodges on the Dakhla peninsula that cater to a growing number of European visitors. We were flying through the salt air as sea gulls veered overhead. Spotted butterflies flitted around our bikes.

We rested near an abandoned desert village, a few square blocks of empty, one-story concrete buildings and a silent mosque. I asked them what they liked about the tour.

“It’s the total experience,” said Ms. Warrer, who used to own a travel agency. “It’s an everyday thing that we have; the rhythm, putting up the tent, sleeping, eating together, going out on the bicycle and then seeing if there is something interesting to engage us along the way.”

Ms. Renland, a psychologist who runs an educational charity in Tanzania, said she was inspired to cycle when she attended a presentation by a fellow Norwegian who had biked the continent of Africa from north to south.

“It’s like when you discover something you didn’t know you could do; then it’s so funny to explore how far you can go,” she said.

Two hours later, we rolled up to our desert camp, completing one of the tour’s longest rides, 100 miles. My crotch was raw, my legs were spent and my feet ached from my cycling shoes.

There was no rest yet. I was introduced to the routine that the three dozen other riders had already adopted: Lug your duffle bag down from the truck. Find a spot and pitch your tent. Fill a bucket for a splash bath. Gather for the riders’ meeting at 5:30 p.m. Line up for dinner of rice and chicken or pasta and meat. Sit around and talk about the ride, past rides and injuries. Grab a shovel and dig a hole for a toilet. Duck into your tent. Collapse exhausted, usually by 8 or 9 p.m., to wake up at 5:30 in the chilly morning dark.

That night, the wind was gusting and my one-person tent was buckling as we slept under a vault of glittering stars.

Mile 232, On the Border With Mauritania

The crossing into Mauritania took us through a forsaken stretch of land a couple of miles long, like a scene out of “Mad Max.”

After getting our passports stamped at a border checkpoint controlled by Morocco, we rode into the buffer between the countries on a rutted road. Amid the trash and sand off to the right were long rows of battered, abandoned cars. Men in robes with scarves covering their faces were moving through the makeshift junk yard, calling out to us in French.

Parked in the left lane, a line of tractor-trailers extended for a half mile, some with rocks wedged under tires. Drivers said they waited days for inspections and entrance into Morocco.

The road turned to deep sand and jagged rock, wending through barren flats up to two small buildings where touts called out, “Whachu need, whachu need.” They carried wads of cash, stacks of phone cards and cartons of cigarettes.

We waited in a sunny courtyard with four young Belgians and locals in colorful wraps and billowing robes. The line moved slowly to the two visa officers who sat in a dingy office with cardboard taped to the window to block out the sun. By the time they took our fingerprints and photos and we handed over 55 euros each, nearly three hours had passed.

“This is harder than the riding,” Ms. Warrer said as we headed to our bikes.

Mile 427, Heading for Nouakchott

I spent the most time on the ride — seven days — in Mauritania, which like several other countries in the region gained independence from France around 1960. The impoverished Islamic republic is covered mostly by desert. It has a ban on alcohol and an abundance of beat-up Mercedes discarded from Europe. It was the last country to outlaw slavery, in 1981, and is thought to have links to terrorist groups.

The United States State Department advises citizens to “reconsider travel to Mauritania due to crime and terrorism.”

The biggest threat to riders is not getting attacked by militants but being hit by a driver, Henry Gold, the owner of TDA, told me as we chatted at a campsite one night.

He used to run a nongovernmental organization in east and southern Africa before starting TDA in 2003 with its flagship expedition, Tour d’Afrique, a four-month ride from Cairo to Cape Town. Now TDA runs 16 tours on six continents, one of a handful of operators offering multiple-country odysseys.

“The reason I did Tour d’Afrique, even though other people said I’m suicidal, is that I knew Africa,” he said.

There were a few areas that he was unfamiliar with, and to make sure they were safe, he took the same steps that his staff members followed before this West Africa tour. They drove the prospective route several times and talked with government and security officials, diplomats and N.G.O. workers. A big advantage, Mr. Gold said, is that police and military commanders are determined not to let anything happen to a group of international tourists on their watch. Mr. Gold said TDA provides the authorities with the cycling route, and they determine the level of security.

On our last night in Mauritania, soldiers in three trucks came roaring into our camp with spinning lights and machine guns mounted on the roofs. They took up positions on the periphery of our tents. When we walked over to talk to the commander, he said they were there to make sure we were safe.

Between the Moroccan border and the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott, there were occasional checkpoints where police waved us through, and random herds of goats or camels crossing the road. Villagers warily stared at us or exchanged greetings in French, and children ran into the road, hands out for whatever we might offer. At one stop I was surrounded by boys calling “ ç a va” and slapping me on the backside as I rode away.

“We are having fun now,” Christine Rousseu, a 65-year-old nurse from Montreal, one of a dozen Canadians on the trip, shouted as a rig blew past us on our 90-mile ride into the headwind.

Ms. Rousseu often was in the back of the pack, riding solo, as she prefers. She has done cycling tours on her own or with TDA since 1980, but has been ill in recent years, she said. “I’m not supposed to be here,” she told me. “I prayed a lot to return to my health to be able to suffer again on my bicycle.”

She said this would likely be her final TDA ride. Some of the cyclists were too competitive, and, she said, it seemed to her that as soon as she pulled up to a Coke stop or lunch, “they jump on their bikes and go, go, go, ” because they didn’t want to arrive at the next stop after her.

A couple of days later, on our rest day in Nouakchott, I told her that I had been talking with some of the younger riders — in this case a group of men in their 40s and 50s — who singled her out as an inspiration: “Ordinary people doing extraordinary things every day,” as one of them put it.

She looked at me for a moment and her eyes welled up. She touched my arm and walked away.

Mile 644, Into Senegal

Over the days, I’d heard some riders talking about whether these expeditions were the hardest things they’d done in their lives, how many of their friends and relatives thought they were crazy. I asked riders whether they were missing a gene for sensitivity to pain and suffering.

“I think all agony and frustrations fade way over time and I just remember the happy points,” said Caroline Derouet, a 43-year-old forensics officer in a police department near Toronto. “It takes awhile for the degradations to just kind of be part of your daily life. I think we all go home with a sense of gratitude at how easy we have it.”

The most common ailments were related to sore bottoms and diarrhea. After a few days, I lost strength in my hands, but they improved when I added padding to my handlebars. Over the tour, several riders were sidelined with infections or viruses for days or weeks, and two were seriously injured in crashes, including a broken arm and a broken collarbone. Of the 33 people signed up for the whole ride, 28 finished.

On our first full day in Senegal, the desert was behind us and the 70-mile ride ahead would end at the former capital, the small island of Saint-Louis.

We spun past lush rice paddies and fields of corn and sugar cane in the Senegal River valley. The traffic was heavier, including bus-like Mercedes vans often so stuffed with passengers that several men stood on back platforms.

After 45 miles my head ached and my legs were sapped. I reached the lunch truck under the shade of a thorny acacia tree, I got a second wind. I paired up with Trixie Wagner for the rest of the ride.

Ms. Wagner said she took up triathlons as she neared 50 a few years ago and was using this tour in part to train for her third Ironman. A scientist at a drug company in Switzerland, she has developed a radical work-life balance. She works full-bore most of the year, at times putting in 14-hour days, then plunges into her passions of cycling and photography for extended periods, as on this 10-week ride.

“It really reduces your day to the bare necessities,” she said. “It’s a total reset.”

We tooled past the once-grand French Colonial buildings of Saint-Louis and over another bridge to a busy waterfront crossroads where Ms. Wagner took photos.

We finished the day with a leisurely ride to a beach camp with bungalows and a bar. At the riders’ meeting, our Senegalese tour guide, Philippe Nelson Ndiaye, 29, told us how the stable democracy was abuzz about the coming presidential election, and how a cemetery in the middle of the country that holds Christians and Muslims speaks to Senegal’s tolerance.

Mile 725, Onto the Beach

The next day our ride along a deserted, hazy stretch of beach turned into a 25-mile slog.

“This is where people start to explode,” said Mr. Gold, as we surveyed the roiling Atlantic.

The rutted and sandy, 12-mile road to the beach had already drained us. Now the temperature was over 100 degrees and low tide — and hard-packed sand for smooth riding — was still a couple hours away.

Searching for a strip of firm sand, right at the edge of where the waves crest was exasperating. Sudden waves raced up the shore and swamped our wheels, knocking over some riders, and leaving many of us pushing our bikes.

After an hour, there was more ebb than flow and the wind was at our backs. We waved from our saddles at the occasional horse-drawn cart, frowned at the multitude of discarded plastic bottles.

Several riders had a meltdown in the sand, and Mr. Jones was on the verge. But his partner, Mimi Viviers, a South African he had met three years ago on the Tour d’Afrique, rode back to give him a hug and a pep talk.

“I often tell my kids that cycling is very much like life,” Ms. Viviers, 56, a retired telecom consultant, said later. “If you see a hill, it always looks worse than it is. You just take it in small chunks.”

At the campsite that night, as we feasted on roasted goat and couscous under a tent, the tour leader Max Dionne had an announcement. Nodding to widespread grousing and the reality that low tide was coming too late in the day, he said, “Tomorrow we do a change. We’re not doing a beach ride.”

From the tables came a sarcastic, collective, “Aaaawwwww.”

Mile 820, the Final Stretch to Dakar

On my final day, the 30-mile ride was supposed to follow the coastal road to Dakar, the first four-lane highway of the trip. But there was an option for a beach ride, and five of us signed waivers exempting TDA for any mishaps on our detour.

We rolled out of camp and passed Lac Rose, a saltwater lake with algae that at times makes the water pink. But on this hazy morning, it was glossy gray. Shirtless men in waist-high water scooped out the salt crystals for sale to gourmets in Europe.

When we reached the ocean, the breakers swamped us again. As I swerved up the slope trying to dodge a wave, my gears hopped and my chain busted — my only malfunction of the tour. This was a problem, because I had no idea how to fix it and the waiver made it clear we were on our own until the hotel. Luckily, André Marcoux, our informal leader, had the right tool.

Twice we had to move the bike to higher ground as the tide swept in. When I told the group to go on without me. Mr. Marcoux, a 65-year-old retired forest engineer, insisted, “It will work.” After 25 minutes the chain links were coupled, and we rode to the route’s end and had a swim in the surf.

For the next two days, we rested in the sprawling capital. We tried the local fish and rice dish at seaside restaurants. We piled onto a ferry for a tour of the Gorée Island, where former slave-trading houses and narrow stone lanes shaded by bulky baobab trees were crowded with Western tour groups.

Though I was glad to see the end of bush camping and pedaling eight to 10 hours a day, I also wanted to continue. But my ride was finished. The group had 2,000 miles to go.

Patrick Scott is a former business editor for The New York Times. Follow him on Instagram: @patrickrobertscott.

Follow NY Times Travel on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook . Get weekly updates from our Travel Dispatch newsletter, with tips on traveling smarter, destination coverage and photos from all over the world.

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The man who cycled across Africa

Or the art of cycling across Africa (and why you should “just do it”).

In today’s interview I am very pleased to introduce you to Henry Gold , the man behind the famous cycling Africa tour: the “Tour d’Afrique”. Henry is also the founder and director of TDA Global Cycling .

Henry, it’s an honour to get to know you.

For starters, tell us a little about your background. Where are you originally from, and how did you start your professional career?

I was born in Czechoslovakia in the part that is now Eastern Slovakia. I grew up in a large village, essentially on a small farm with a few animals; chickens, geese, dog, cat and even a cow, large garden and an orchard.

As all kids who grow up in rural areas, it was a carefree existence, roaming around on a bike in every direction, though having responsibilities such as taking the cow to pasture on my summer holidays and so on.

I moved to Canada when I was 15 and graduated from McGill University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. My first three “career” jobs I worked as an engineer, but I worked many jobs from the time I was 13.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

What comes to mind is Frank Sinatra’s song ‘I did it my way’. But that is 5 words so maybe ‘maverick’.

It seems we are both “Africa Freaks” at heart. What do you find so special about the African continent? Also, what was your first contact with the region? I believe you initially travelled to Africa in 1984, correct? I don’t want to sound disrespectful, quite the contrary, but I was just one year old at the time! I guess I may have to call you a “*Mzee” from now on… 😉 (*Mzee = Swahili title of respect to anyone older than oneself)

Yes, I am an Africa Freak. Actually many riders that cycle Africa with us call themselves Freaks.

I think my fascination with Africa started with the famous Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila who won the 1960 Rome Olympics, the 1st African winning an Olympic medal, breaking the record in the process and on top running barefoot. He was a sensation that came from nowhere.

I was a kid obsessed with sports, and a year later – I was nine years old at the time – Bikila came to run the oldest marathon in Europe that happens every year in Eastern Slovakia. My older brother got us tickets to the stadium when Bikila won the Kosice Peace Marathon by over three minutes. It was an awesome performance that I remember to this day. But it was not until 1984 that I came to work in Africa.

For me Africa has a feeling of coming home, after all this is where humanity evolved. So perhaps it is my own power of suggestion but each time I land in Africa, it feels very welcoming. I love Africans: their spontaneity, generosity, their joie de vivre. The majority of Africans have a very difficult life but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying what comes their way. Maybe, the quote by the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger is right on; “the harder the life, the finer the type”.

Joking aside, it is also in the early 1980s that your vision of the now famous “Tour d’Afrique” (Africa Tour) began to take root. Share with us your initial idea to produce cheap mountain bikes in Africa, and how it gave place to the original cycling concept. Has cycling always been a part of your life?

Ever since I can remember I was pedaling but simply for fun and later as means to get around. My motivation for creating what has become the iconic Cairo to Cape Town Tour d’Afrique has origin in the desire to help Africa with transportation challenges.

When I was working in Ethiopia I often would see prematurely old women carrying heavy loads on their backs. The whole rural economy for probably 95% of the people was limited to what they could put on their backs or a mule. It was also the time when Mountain Bikes became popular. And knowing the role of bikes in India and China, I kept saying that someone should start manufacturing rugged, cheap bikes in Africa for the African market.

Eventually I managed to get someone interested in doing a feasibility study and raised some funds and it looked like the concept was feasible. We created a business plan and even found a Kenyan investor. At that point we started thinking about marketing and having a limited budget, thought we needed to do something crazy that would have everyone talking about us. So the idea came to me to have a cycling race from Cairo to Cape Town using our bikes.

Moving forward, 2003 was a big turning point. It must’ve been such a thrill to take part in the world’s longest and most challenging cycling race across Africa? Four months from Giza (Egypt) to Cape Town (South Africa), what an achievement! Not to mention you established the Guinness World Record for the fastest human powered crossing of Africa.

For sure a hell of a thrill, I mean we had no idea if this was doable. As far as we could tell no one has ever cycled every inch of the way. There was a huge part of the route that we did not even scout and we were crossing areas where only convoys with military vehicles in front and back were allowed. Yet we managed to obtain permissions with one vehicle in the front and participants cycling at their own speed spread for kilometres.

We had no idea how individuals would survive the physical and the mental stress; we were worried about food, water, infections and so on. The roads were rough, about 40% was unpaved, in places such as Sudan hundreds of kilometres of sandy roads, in Tanzania due to rains hundreds kilometres more of muddy roads. So each day when I arrived at camp – usually among the last ones coming in – was a celebration.

Take us on a typical “Tour d’Afrique”. What’s on offer? How long does it last? What’s the itinerary (and distance covered), and generally speaking, what is there to expect? Can anyone take part in such an expedition, or is it only for the “epic” adventurer?

Tour d’Afrique is a 4 month, 12,000 km cycling journey that covers 10 African nations. The typical participant is someone interested in a big life challenge – to be taken out of their comfort zone and immersed in foreign cultures. The participants come from over 15 countries throughout the English speaking world including US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ,  South Africa but also from other parts of the world such as Germany, Scandinavia and other. They range in age from 18 to 75, males and females.

It is open to all able bodied adults. We encourage anyone to take up the challenge. They are often surprised what they are capable of. They should expect every type of road surface from rutted tracks to smooth tarmac. They should be prepared to cycle in the rain and cold, and in the searing desert heat.

Do you provide bicycles for clients, or do they have to bring their own? Also, how does one pick the perfect bike for one of your trips? I suppose durability must be the number one criteria…?

Everyone must bring his or her own bike. It is a long trip from top to bottom of Africa and you need to be comfortable with your bike. The perfect bike is the one you choose. We recommend a light steel bike that can take wider tires, preferably a hard tail mountain bike, but a cyclocross bike or a touring bike will do as well. It depends on your style and desire for comfort. After all you will spend a lot of time on your bike.

For reference read ‘ Choosing a Bike for Long Distance Touring ’.

If you had to summarise your Tour d’Afrique in numbers, what would they be? Total number of participants for instance, number of flat tyres, couples that met on the trip (and who are still happily married today), amount of dust “ingested” (or inhaled), potholes, “zebra crossings”, etc. 🙂

121 days, 12,076 km, 363 meals, and 70,000 meters climbing Longest stage 207 km

Cycling is a great way to connect with nature and local culture. Are there any unusual wildlife encounters you might want to share? Or any other funny anecdotes worth mentioning…

Africa is a great place to witness wild animals and there is no greater joy if you are an animal lover than to see wild animals run in front or beside you while you are on a bike. On our trips to Africa that happens often. We also have unexpected events such as coming across a snake while camping. These are great experiences and are usually harmless.

But I think what you want to hear is about my run in with a wild elephant while I was on a bike. That did not happen in Africa but rather in India. You can read about it both in a blog I wrote few days after the accident and an article I published in the Globe and Mail .

I am truly very fortunate to simply be alive. But a day after I left hospital still patched up and looking a mess I was on Indian television defending the elephant as the problem was not him but rather humanity encroaching on his/her territory, and I happened to be there when he or she were spooked by a passing car who honked at him/her.

Besides being a successful businessman and avid adventurer, you also produce documentary films and are actively involved in various charitable endeavors. What can you tell us about “Burden on the Land” for instance, or the “Plant a Tree in Africa” concept?

Burden on The Land documentary resulted from my frustrations to explain to people I knew and others who were interested why and how famine happened, and what works and what doesn’t when it comes to development projects in Africa. We put a lot of time into this project and filmed in eight African countries. It was also a great learning experience for me. I watched the film again recently after 25 years and I think it explains the challenges of Africa and other places very well.

The Plant a Tree in Africa was a fundraiser to plant trees in Africa. It worked very well and the NGO I was running used that for many years after I was gone. The NGO used the money and money from other sources to plant over 60 million trees mainly in Ethiopia but in other countries as well. Planting trees of course is the best way to sink carbon dioxide and neutralize climate warming.

Today, what once seemed a mere dream has now come to reality. Your company is growing by leaps and bounds, and your transcontinental cycling expeditions not only operate in Africa, but also – and this is a world first – on 5 other continents (and in over 60 countries in total). What other tours do you run, and what do you believe is key to your success?

We now run tours on every continent, some like the South American Epic and the Silk Route are even longer and perhaps even tougher than the Tour d’Afrique, some are shorter and easier, such as the North American Epic, the Trans Europa, Trans Oceania and the Bamboo Route.

We also offer shorter trips from 5 weeks to 9 weeks such as La Ruta Maya, The 8th Continent (Madagascar) and the Orient Express. Our newest tour is The Last Degree, an 18 days cycle on the Antarctic continent.

I think the key to our success has been simply in providing a way to allow average individuals to have life changing adventures. I believe all we do is enable individual cyclists do something that they simply would never undertake by themselves. We provide the structure for them to cycle and enjoy the world, interact with locals in an unscripted way and explore.

Ultimately, what’s the next step for TDA Global Cycling in the near future?

We keep adding wonderful new tours. For example in 2017 we are adding a new tour in Europe, which will start in Athens and end in Amsterdam. We call it the Olympic Route because we will be cycling across many cities that have hosted summer and winter Olympics.

We are also planning another trip in Africa in 2018 that will start in Dakar and end in Cape Town. And there are many other ideas in the air. I think there are many opportunities for cycling as a sport and adventure.

Any final thoughts for readers who might be inspired to start their own venture?

I am a firm believer that if you have an idea and the desire then just go for it. Do not be afraid. On a recent South American Tour one of the participants – a very successful individual – while we were having a drink in a bar said to me: “Henry, I figured out what is the secret of your success.” I was eager to hear it as I told him that I had no idea. He said simply “you are not afraid to fail”. I laughed but later on I thought about it and I think he just may be right, though I would not have put it that way.

I think everything you do in life has a value and I think we all learn more from things that do not work out than from things that work out. I just do not think one should look at anything as a failure but rather as: OK, so this did not work so what I will do next that will work the way I would like it to work. So bottom line, just go for it and if you did not get the result you wanted move on. It is called living. (My actual motto before Nike started using it was Just Do It .)

Fabulous, there’s actually another motto along the same lines that I particularly like, and it’s “impossible is nothing” (from Adidas). Because in “impossible” there’s “I’m possible”! 😉

Thank you so much for your time, it was a real pleasure to learn from your rich life experience! and keep up the fabulous work! 🙂

For more info on Henry Gold or to join one of his epic tours, visit the TDA Global Cycling website.

Also feel free to like their page on Facebook, or follow their latest tweets .

About The Author

Michael Theys

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Tour d’Afrique: Promoting Bikes As Alternate Transport

Written by Dana Sanchez

Dec 04, 2013

Can bicycles save the world?

This was the question on Henry Gold’s mind as he set out on his inaugural bike ride from Cairo to Cape Town in 2002.

Perhaps more importantly, Gold wanted to know if he could make an honest living operating transcontinental bicycle tours.

If he could cross a continent on a bicycle in 100 days, the Toronto-based engineer-turned activist-turned-documentary-film maker thought he could show people that they can bike to work for a half hour every day and make the world a better place.

“I was variously accused of being a charlatan, an insane adventurer who was risking peoples’ lives, and a naïve simpleton that obviously ‘had not spent a day in Africa,'” Gold said in  EZinearticles.com .

But people wanted to go along for the ride, were willing to pay for it, and a business was born.

The resulting company, Tour d’Afrique, is a bike race and expedition company that crosses Africa from Cairo to Cape Town each year. It takes four months to complete the 7,500 miles. The idea was so viable, Gold has since started expeditions in six continents and 60 countries including Asia and South America. Gold now spends most of his days travelling the world on his bicycle.

The son of Holocaust survivors, Gold grew up in Communist Czechoslovakia.

In 1977 he earned an electrical engineering degree from McGill University in Montreal, and began his career as an “anti-pollution” engineer for Union Carbide, according to EZinearticles.com .

In 1984, he co-founded a relief organization, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, which operated in Sudan, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya and the Philippines. He built it into an organization with a  $6-million-per-year budget that planted 50 million trees in Africa.

Gold went on to co-produce three award-winning documentaries on Africa: “Burden On The Land,” “AIDS in Africa” and “Meeting The Challenge.”

He co-founded a non-governmental organization focused on transportation, the environment and public health before starting Tour d’Afrique.

What’s the appeal of the bicycle for Gold?

It’s cheap, non-polluting and silent, Gold said on EZinearticles.com . Bicycles have been called the most efficient machines ever built by humans because a person on a bicycle uses less energy than any other creature or machine covering the same distance, he said.

Can the bicycle save the world?

“Of course it can,” Gold said. “Imagine every city with boulevards filled with bicycles, pedestrians, streetcars and parks where children could be children again. Is that so hard to imagine? After all, in Copenhagen, 36 percent of all trips are by bikes (only 27 percent by car). By 2015…they aim to be at 50 percent.”

It’s in urban centers where the transformation must occur, Gold said. “Half of the world’s population now lives in cities. That’s more than three-billion-plus…souls.

Gold offered up this challenge: “What if we persuaded Bill Gates or Warren Buffett or George Soros to put up $10 million for the best new human-powered vehicle? Think of the human health benefits, the reduction of demand for our fast-depleting fossil fuels. Just as the X Prize created space tourism, so this prize would engender all sorts of new human-powered inventions.”

By bringing cycling tourists to Africa, Gold said he wanted to change the perception of continent in the developed world and improve its economic potential.

Trish and Wayne’s World

Canadian Patricia “Trish” Gaudet, a retired school secretary, and her husband Wayne, of Okotoks, Alberta (near Calgary) are among the lucky ones.

They did the Tour d’Afrique this year, completing it on May 11 with a group of 60 other cyclists in what Trish described as “a pretty big rolling circus.”

Trish spoke to AFKInsider about how the experience changed the way she thinks about bicycles as a mode of transportation.

She’s had a fascination with Africa since childhood, she said, “particularly East Africa and its wildlife, the migrations, the big five, so riding through those countries on a bike was irresistible.”

Her Tour d’Afrique started in January. She logged 89 cycling days, 28 days of rest (“we needed every one of them,” she wrote on her blog ); 77 nights of camping and 43 non-camping nights “in accommodations ranging from icky hotel rooms to a luxury safari tent.”

Seeing Africa by bike allowed Trish to connect with people she saw along the way in a more direct way than other modes of transport. “When you’re on a bike, you’re approachable, not threatening, and it gives anyone there the means to open up a conversation, both as a visitor and an African,” she said.

A longtime bike rider, Trish’s longest bike trip prior to Tour d’Afrique was a 23-day ride from Alberta to Colorado. Tour d’Afrique was six times longer.

Some highlights of a bike ride across Africa

Here are some excerpts and tour highlights from Trish’s blog:

– Riding through a sandstorm near Khartoum, Sudan.

– Crossing the border into Ethiopia. “Getting the passport stamp…took ages. The power was out, so instead of the fingerprinting and retina scanning…we sat that there sweating while two young ladies looked up names in a ledger that looked like it had been around since Biblical times. Things got worse when the young ladies’ shift was over and they were relieved by three young men who evidently misunderstood the ladies’ explicit instructions as to which end of the pile to take the next passport from.”

– The first beer since Egypt (“No alcohol in Sudan, not a drop.”)

– Kids throwing stones in Ethiopia. “Yes, Ethiopia is a trying, beautiful, vast and perplexing place to be. It is the country we spend the longest amount of time in and everyone is feeling quite tested by the experience. One of the riders told us that in the 1500s, the Portuguese were greeted by stone-throwing Ethiopians when they traveled into this country. Mind you, they may have been trying to invade or something, and we are not, but nevertheless, who are we to argue with centuries of Ethiopian tradition? Wayne and I have been lucky so far with stone throwers but I have lost it a couple of times, getting off my bike and screeching at the little darlings. They just laugh and run away.”

– Tanzania. “Tanzania is lovely, very much like the southern part of Kenya. It looks like you could plant anything here and it would grow and flourish. We are deep in the heart of Masai country. It is pretty cool to be cycling along and see them in their traditional dress along the side of the road then realizing some are talking on their cell phones! Our guide/driver told us there are about 25,000 Masai, and each man can own about 200 cattle so there are fat cattle everywhere.”

– Zambia. “The Army was out in full force, standing at intervals along the roadside, looking intimidating with full uniforms and nasty-looking guns complete with bayonets. We passed the burning tires, source of all the black smoke, and beside them on the edge of the road were four or five guys who must have been suspects. I didn’t see, but some of them tried to escape as our convoy passed, perhaps thinking the police would not dare fire at them if they were among all us ‘mzungu’ (Bantu term for people of European descent, or Swahili for someone who wanders without purpose, or someone constantly on the move.) Eventually, we rode out of what was perceived to be the trouble area, the truck pulled over and we all pedaled past.”

– South Africa. “We were overwhelmed with how picture-perfect Cape Town bay, the waterfront and harbor were,” Trish told AFKInsider .

Tour d’Afrique changed Trish in ways she has yet to articulate, she said. “I’m more patient. Small things don’t get to me the same way. I’m even more laid back than before.”

While her bike ride across Africa didn’t necessarily fire her up to advocate for better cycling infrastructure back home in Canada, since returning home to Okotoks, she said she’s more motivated to use her bicycle for transportation. “My goal when I got back home was to ride around town with it. I’ve made an effort to do more of that.”

Maybe her trip will inspire others to use bicycles more, or to think big, she said. “If people look at me and think, ‘Well she’s an ordinary person and she did that,’ maybe I can inspire them to make their dreams come true.”

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Tour d’Afrique: A rider journal

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

By Brian Vernor

Filmmaker Brian Vernor is best known in the bicycle industry for his documentary “Pure Sweet Hell,” which chronicled the cyclocross lifestyle on 8mm black-and-white film. His most recent project is filming and riding the Tour d’Afrique , a four-month bicycle adventure road race across the African continent. This year marks the sixth running of the race, which begins in Cairo, Egypt, and finishes in Cape Town, South Africa. Riders pass through 10 countries at an average distance of 75 miles a day. They are fed enough to survive, given basic directions and generally looked after by a slim crew of seasoned expedition leaders.

I have chosen to subject myself to the Tour d’Afrique with the excuse that I’ll make a film about the experience. Some 60-plus riders and I camp and eat together every night. During the day we experience sunburn, headwinds, donkey carts, tourist buses and all the other mucky details associated with travel in Africa.

So far the “race” has become more of an adventure ride than a traditional bike race. A handful of riders are actually racing the entire distance — plowing through the scenery and small towns, recording their finishing times for each stage. Most participants are attempting the full distance of the tour with the goal of riding, as Tour d’Afrique riders say, EFI (Every F***ing Inch). The goal seems possible, albeit more out of luck than by careful planning. Get sick and spend a day off the bike, and you’ll miss making it into the selective EFI Club, which is made up of riders who, in the race’s five-year history, have ridden the whole distance.

Photo: Brian Vernor

Members of the Egyptian national cycling team joined us for the stages from Cairo to Aswan. Ashraf Fahmy, Mahmoud Rabie, Sherief Yehia, and Mohamed Gamal explained that they all ride because they believe cycling is a beautiful pursuit. Like many other riders who live in countries where cycling is not a high-dollar sport, these guys race and support themselves with little sponsorship. I talked with them about their need for support — they reminded me of cyclocross racers in the United States just a few years ago. They ride because they feel passion in their hearts and hope that their conviction in their sport will bring greater support in the future. They look up to past heroes of Egyptian cycling, such as Hasan Lokman and Mahmoud Elmasry, both of whom raced in Europe in the 1960s.

Riding the route has intimately reminded me of my lack of fitness. Day one alone almost cracked me. Starting in Cairo, the group rolled up to the start line above the Pyramids where the minister of tourism said roughly, “Good luck, and see ya!” Off we went down past the Sphinx and out through Cairo on a raised road with about 100 police surrounding us on all sides. It was strange to consider if they were necessary.

For more than an hour I rode past housing project after housing project, all unfinished. Some attempt is being made to resettle 9 million of Cairo’s 20 million residents in outlaying areas. The finished projects are meant to lure the population away from the city center. We finally rolled off the raised road and headed east, straight into a headwind that felt like a solid wall. The finish line came after 100 miles just as the sun was beginning to set I didn’t have much time or desire to contemplate the next four months — I passed out in a too-thin sleeping bag immediately. I didn’t bother setting up my tent.

For the next week we rode across a monotonous, dry, rocky plain, occasionally witnessing a variation in landscape. Along the way we saw the Red Sea, propane factories, and some windmills. Luckily the windmills pointed the right way — we had a tailwind. As the week rolled on, tourist buses were as common a sight as anything else. We were on the route from the Pyramids in Cairo, and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, the two major draws for foreign tourists.

Our first day off was in Luxor and I took in the temple of Karnak. At 6 a.m. most tourists hadn’t arrived and I only had the company of some mangy dogs and a few dozen guards wielding AK-47s. One offered to show me some off-limits sights in exchange for a few Egyptian pounds. From what I’ve experienced, the Egyptians view foreigners as walking dollar bills. It is a tiring attitude to be faced with daily.

I’m now in Aswan, Egypt, waiting for the ferry to Wadi Halfa, Sudan, and my peers are busily stocking up on food for the 20-hour trip. I could be worrying about a lot of things but the first thing I thought of today after arriving in camp was that for the next 18 days there won’t be a single drop of beer to look forward to after the long days I will spend riding sandy desert roads. Sudan is completely dry. We are well advised not to try bringing any alcohol with us as the border inspection is said to be thorough.

The past week seems impossibly long, and I can’t imagine what four months of the Tour d’Afrique will feel like.

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\n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/evenepoel-vingegaard-roglic-all-crash-in-high-speed-spill-at-itzulia-basque-country\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"evenepoel, vingegaard, vine, kras, quinn sustain fractures, rogli\u010d escapes with no broken bones\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/evenepoel-vingegaard-roglic-all-crash-in-high-speed-spill-at-itzulia-basque-country\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"evenepoel, vingegaard, vine, kras, quinn sustain fractures, rogli\u010d escapes with no broken bones\"}}\u0027>\n evenepoel, vingegaard, vine, kras, quinn sustain fractures, rogli\u010d escapes with no broken bones\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"the third generation bmc roadmachine is suddenly a lot more capable","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/bmc-roadmachine-more-capable\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/bmc-roadmachine-more-capable\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the third generation bmc roadmachine is suddenly a lot more capable\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/bmc-roadmachine-more-capable\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the third generation bmc roadmachine is suddenly a lot more capable\"}}\u0027>\n the third generation bmc roadmachine is suddenly a lot more capable\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\"}}\u0027>\n bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"photo essay: the drama of paris-roubaix, by chris auld","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/photo-essay-the-drama-of-paris-roubaix-by-chris-auld\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/photo-essay-the-drama-of-paris-roubaix-by-chris-auld\/\", 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Tour de Houston bicyclists urge for long-term measures to improve rider safety on city's roads

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Thousands of bicyclists took off from downtown Houston Sunday morning for the 17th annual Tour de Houston , a ride that travels through some of the city's most scenic areas.

Participants were in good spirits as they were greeted with beautiful weather at the starting line on Avenida de las Americas, right next to Discovery Green. Mayor John Whitmire joined Apache Corporation, the event's sponsor, to send off each of the three groups, riding in the 20, 40, and 60-mile routes.

The ride almost didn't take place this year.

Back in January, the Mayor's Office of Special Events preliminarily canceled the 2024 event due to a lack of funding. Whitmire said this was done without his consultation and when he found out, he explored other options to keep the event going.

The longest route takes participants through Houston's historic neighborhoods, vibrant districts, and parks before going all the way down to Clear Lake Park in Seabrook. The intersections along the way were not closed, but manned by traffic officers.

READ MORE: Houston cyclists plead next mayor for more bike lanes: 'We're demanding safety improvements'

While the event allowed bicyclists to ride safely on Houston's roads on Sunday, some riders shared with ABC13 some of the long-term measures they'd like to see to make the city more bike-friendly.

"If they could connect the bike trails together to make even long trails, that would be the best thing the City of Houston could do to improve biking in the city, in my opinion. Connect the widest trails, like White Oak and Spring Creek. Those kinds of mega trails," Ulises Martin said.

"A clearly marked lane for bikes. We do know that we have to share with cars because the City of Houston is so car-oriented. Make a better effort of campaigning to let motorists know to be aware of cyclists," Phi Nguyen said.

Data obtained by ABC13 shows 13 cyclists died in accidents in Harris County in 2023. ABC13 asked the mayor where city officials stand on the issue of bicyclist safety.

"We're growing at a rapid rate. Our general mobility is very important. We've done great things along Allen Parkway. We need to make sure that there's a safe passage in Memorial Park. So there's a lot of things we still have to do," Whitmire said.

Meanwhile, organizers said proceeds from Tour de Houston will go towards the city's RE-Plant Houston Program, which helps plant thousands of trees and reforest parks and greenspaces.

For more on this story, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook , X and Instagram .

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• COMMUNITY & EVENTS
• ROAD SAFETY

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Khabarovsk, Russia

Tours, Attractions and Things To Do in Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk travel guide.

• 1. Architecture
• 2. Attractions
• 3. Cultural life
• 4. Souvenirs

Khabarovsk, Russia fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation.

As the center of Russia’s far eastern region of Khabarovsk Krai, the city offers celebrations throughout the year which are sure to give added flair to your trip, from traditional culture days to large-scale food fests. It is easy to keep a full itinerary during your stay thanks to its many theaters, museums, restaurants, workshops and quest rooms. Guests who want a more relaxed holiday can venture into the serenity of Khabarovsk nature, including the coast of the Sea of Japan or one of the region’s many picturesque lakes .

Khabarovsk Architecture

Khabarovsk architecture surprises with its harmonious blending of varying types and styles. This is due in large part to major changes which the city underwent in the mid-19th-early 20th centuries in conjunction with developments in the political, economic, scientific and technical spheres. The search for new trends in architecture came after the death of the classicism style, which had dominated the Russian Empire and the wider world for centuries. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the practice of mixing eclectic architectural styles began to emerge, leading to an era of amazing stylistic improvisations.

During the final decades of Romanov reign, many educational institutions for architects and engineers were opened. As a result, the face of numerous Russian cities began to change rapidly. Art Nouveau - a new, modern trend that absorbed several preceding styles – had come to dominate the architectural scene.

Many Art Nouveau buildings can still be seen in central Khabarovsk. These include:

• Takeuchi apartment building (5 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Esplanade Hotel (18 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Luhta apartment building (84 Komsomolskaya Street)
• Zandau apartment building (34 Muravyov-Amursky Street)

Khabarovsk also has many Gothic buildings, a style distinguished by its elegance and attention to detail. Every element of Gothic architecture emphasize a vertical orientation, as seen in the massive walls and columns, round arches and wide windows which contrast with narrow towers, pointed peaks and lancet windows.

Khabarovsk’s Gothic architecture is best represented by the artillery warehouse buildings located at 16 Komsomolskaya Street. Another notable example is the Red Guard Headquarters (105 Komsomolskaya Street), which has been preserved in its original form. The complex consists of two identical two-story brick buildings with unusual motifs containing pseudo-gothic elements.

Also of note is the early 20th-century Treasury Building, a luxurious red brick structure with openwork balconies that exudes an architectural grace.

Khabarovsk also has many Soviet-era buildings which were mostly designed in the constructivism style. Characterized by their enormous size and grotesque shapes, they often occupy most of the block and dominate the surrounding space.

During your Khabarovsk excursion, be sure to appreciate its unique architectural heritage by going for a walk downtown .

Khabarovsk Attractions

The layout of Khabarovsk is very simple: its 3 main streets of Lenin, Muravyov-Amursky and Seryshev pass through the downtown area, while Ussuriysky and Amur Boulevards run perpendicular to them. A distinctive feature of Khabarovsk are its many hills, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes for your walk.

Begin your walking tour of Khabarovsk from the train station, where you can see the monument to Yerofey Khabarov, the famous explorer for whom the city is named. Nearby is a sculpture of a double-headed eagle, erected in memory of soldiers, officers and builders of the Far Eastern Railway. Moving from the station along Amur Boulevard you will reach the central market, just past which is Lenin Square. A spacious area with a granite fountain in the center, it is the main plaza of Khabarovsk and the site of the city’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. Next to the square is Dynamo Park, famous for its three ponds and Ferris wheel.

From Lenin Square, move along Muravyov-Amursky Street to reach Amur Embankment, passing most of Khabarovsk’s famous 19th-20th century buildings along the way. Descend to the embankment via two grand staircases or make a small detour onto Shevchenko Street, where you can follow the slope until you reach the embankment’s main stretch. Among other things, the area is home to the House of Officers and three museums.

As you move along the embankment through a park you will come across the city symbol of Khabarovsk, a building set on a steep cliff above the Amur River. It was at the foot of this cliff that the founders of a military post, the first semblance of civilization in the area, first landed.

After reaching the river and walking along Ussuriysky Boulevard to Turgenev Street, turn right to reach Glory Square. Here you will find another famous Khabarovsk landmark, Transfiguration Cathedral, along with a magnificent view of the Amur River and its dreamy islands. Glory Square concludes the main walking route of Khabarovsk, but from here you can reach any part of the city by public transport or taxi .

Khabarovsk Cultural Life

Khabarovsk entertainment centers around its many theaters and museums. Visit Khabarovsk Museum of Local Lore to get a better glimpse of city and regional life. Children and adults alike will want to visit Fishes of Amur River Museum, an aquarium which is home to some 90 species of the underwater world. To catch the vibe of local artists, head to the Far Eastern Art Museum.

There are several theaters in Khabarovsk, each of which is worth visiting:

• Khabarovsk Regional Puppet Theater;
• Triad Pantomime Theater;
• Khabarovsk Regional Philharmonic;
• White Theater, and others.

In addition, Khabarovsk offers several concert halls, culture houses, cinemas and art institutions .

Khabarovsk Souvenirs

While the city’s souvenir selection is not as diverse as in other Russian cities, guests can still find something suited to their tastes on their tour to Khabarovsk. Amur River and the Sea of Japan offer an abundance of seafood that can be tasted on the spot or brought home in dried or smoked form. Yet it is the rich culture of the local indigenous peoples which provides the largest selection of national souvenirs.

If you’re looking for an original gift, traditional Nanai slippers are comfortable and warm. Sewn from leather or fabric and decorated in a bright, colorful style before being trimmed with fur, they make the perfect house shoes in winter. Traditional decorations include amulets which are made from animal bones, fur or fabrics and decorated with ribbons and colored beads.

Standard souvenirs like plates, magnets, mugs and flasks stamped with images of Khabarovsk or its coat of arms can be purchased in souvenir shops, which are mostly located downtown and at the airport and railway station.

THE 10 BEST Khabarovsk Tours & Excursions

Khabarovsk tours.

• Multi-day Tours
• Adrenaline & Extreme Tours
• Balloon Rides
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Kids
• Good for Big Groups
• Adventurous
• Budget-friendly
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. First Khabarovsk Dive Centre

2. The Small Far Eastern Railway

3. Vozdukhoplavateli

5. World Of Adventures

6. club aeronautics khabarovsk.

7. Dusha Naroda

8. Booking Travel

9. Golos Goroda

10. far eastern holidays.

• The Small Far Eastern Railway
• First Khabarovsk Dive Centre
• Vozdukhoplavateli
• Club Aeronautics Khabarovsk
• Golos Goroda

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UPDATED August 31, 2021

BY The TDA Team

IN Tour d'Afrique

20 Years of The Tour d’Afrique – An Adventure That’s Never the Same Twice

The 2022 Tour d’Afrique will be a unique, COVID-era version of our storied tour. Instead of Cairo to Cape Town it will be Livingstone to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). While this may seem like a mere shadow of this grand tour, it actually fits perfectly into a tradition that has lasted as long as the Tour d’Afrique – making the tour work in less than ideal circumstances. ‘The show must go on’ as they say and that is what we have tried to do for 20 years of this life changing, one of a kind tour. Through civil unrest, protests, revolutions, sand storms, hail storms, drought, flooding and now a pandemic, the Tour d’Afrique has managed somehow to carry on. So in 2022, what new stories will be written? What adversity will the cyclists and organizers have to overcome to make the tour succeed and reach its final goal yet again? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned for the answer to that question. In the meantime, let’s look back at some of the challenges from past years that made each edition a unique story of its own.

The original tour in 2003 almost never happened. Founder Henry Gold worked furiously to first get at least one support vehicle from Wadi Halfa to Aswan on a 19th century ferry that could tip if there was a wind higher than 5 km/hr, and then extricate the vehicle from unwilling and uncooperative Egyptian customs with just days to spare. After that was resolved, the tour kicked off and the long distance, multi-country, supported cycling tour concept was born. They followed what would become a common route through Sudan (along the ‘ Nightmare Road ‘), Ethiopia, Kenya (using the Lava Rock ‘road’ thru the country’s north ), Tanzania and Malawi. From there the route continued south in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and eventually South Africa – spending much of the final month of the tour cycling through northern and western South Africa before reaching Cape Town.

The second group of intrepid cyclists in 2004 started in a similar fashion – from under the gaze of the Sphinx on the outskirts of Cairo. Then they made their way south facing similar challenges including the ‘ Dodoma Road’  that cuts through central Tanzania. From Malawi, the tour took a right turn and headed for Zambia rather than Mozambique. This new route, which passes by Victoria Falls and took the group through Botswana and Namibia to Cape Town, became the new default path for the years to come.

In 2006, the S.S. Sagalnaam ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa became the new standard for crossing Lake Nasser to get to Sudan and it soon became another legendary experience the rider’s couldn’t wait to experience and never repeat .

In 2008, with a film crew documenting the ride for the first time , the tour experienced its first major disruption. With violence breaking out unexpectedly in Kenya following contested elections, a decision was made while the group was in Ethiopia to return to the capital, Addis Ababa, fly over Kenya entirely and restart in Tanzania and carry on southward.

2009 saw a relay team of Lonely Planet writers and staff join the group – including LP founder Tony Wheeler. In 2010, we decided to branch out and try a new route in Sudan. Infamously known as the Dinder Experiment – it was one that we never repeated. 2011 saw our largest group ever with 65 people doing the full Cairo to Cape Town route and enough sectional riders joining that the group size crested 100 people at one point (a size that worked, but was never to be attempted again)!

2012 was the 10th anniversary tour and that year and the one that followed, we kept to our most common route. With continued instability in Egypt after the revolution a few years earlier, a decision was made to start the 2014 edition in Khartoum instead of Cairo . The route included a circuitous route through Sudan to the Nubian pyramids and another detour in Ethiopia to take in the sights of Lalibela.

In 2015, we returned to our Cairo start and had a few years of general stability in the route. But in 2017, in order to avoid unrest in Ethiopia, the tour was planned with a flight from Khartoum to Nairobi and then a loop of East Africa that included Uganda and Rwanda for the first time. This was also the last year where the Tour d’Afrique included a timed race component . In 2019, a one-man film crew produced a spectacular 25 min film documenting the group’s experience .

From 2020 onwards, COVID took charge. In 2020, we cancelled the tour a day after the group had reached the midway point of the tour in Tanzania. In 2021 we held our virtual tour – letting everyone vicariously experience the route day by day with pictures from the past.

That brings us to 2022 and our new route that will be one for the ages – one that came about because of COVID but one that will have its own story to tell. It is a route for the Tour d’Afrique that perhaps will never be repeated. A ride to talk about years from now as the first of its kind in the COVID era and one that will no doubt will have its ups and downs and be full of adversity. The show must go on!

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1 Comment for "20 Years of The Tour d’Afrique – An Adventure That’s Never the Same Twice"

Sounds much like an experiment that worked out for the better and has grown! This is proof that all it takes is a good idea, hard work and maybe some luck to make it work.

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