West Africa Route

West Africa Explorer

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Expedition Starts: 20th September 2008
Expedition Ends: 2nd November 2008
Total Distance 11,000km
Route Taken:
England, France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana.
Accommodation: 60% Hotels, 40% Camping

Download the full expedition information pack here.

Venture well and truly off the beaten track during 6 weeks and 8,000 miles of truly adventurous African travel.  From stunning desert pistes in Morocco, to the now famous 3 day desert crossing in Mauritania, and in to the colour and bustle of sub-Saharan Africa – an adventure for people who want to see the real Africa.  This expedition is suitable for off-road novices as well as for very experienced motorcyclists.  As usual, Kudu's pre-expedition and en-route training packages are included in the price, and we always provide easier alternative routes for people who do not wish to take part in the most challenging sections of the West Africa Explorer Expedition.

Expedition Highlights

  • Spectacular mountain scenery, and vast open spaces in Morocco. Perhaps the finest motorcycling destination in the world.
  • Your first introduction to desert riding in the dunes at Erg Chebbe in the Sahara, under the tuition of Kudu's staff.
  • Desert camping.  Relax in a warm Saharan breeze and stare up at a million stars far from the nearest road or street light.
  • The desert crossing in Mauritania – 3 days and 300 miles of nothing but sand in deepest Mauritanian Sahara.  A genuine challenge and an experience you will never forget.
  • St Louis, Senegal.  Beaches, palm trees and a chance to really relax for a couple of days and soak up the sights and sounds of sub-Saharan Africa all around you.
  • Negotiating the hectic streets and crowded markets of Mali's capital, Bamako.  A fascinating and hard working city deep in West Africa.
  • Timbuktu – tackle the journey north, back into the Sahara Desert to visit this fabled town where Tuaregs and camels wander the ancient, sandy streets.
  • Discovering Burkina Faso's jewel – its people.  Some of the friendliest and most laid back people you will meet anywhere in the world.
  • Watching elephants bathe in the watering hole beneath your hotel room at beautiful Mole Game Park in Ghana.
  • Relaxing on deserted, palm fringed beaches before experiencing the bustling night-life of Accra at the end of 6 weeks of adventure motorcycling across Africa.

Pre-Expedition Training

We at Kudu take great pride in running thoroughly professional expeditions which are open to anyone with a desire to challenge themselves and what they are capable of.  You do not need to be a highly experienced motorcyclist, off-road expert or have a huge amount of adventurous travel experience.  With Kudu's unique pre-expedition and en-route training, all included in the price, you can begin the toughest challenge of your life well prepared for what lies ahead.

Expedition orientation (1 day):

  • Meet the Kudu team and each other
  • Equipment familiarisation
  • Route familiarisation
  • GPS training
  • Expedition administration
  • Introduction to off-road riding

Off Road training (en-route):

  • Dedicated off-road desert sand riding instruction and practice at Erg Chebbe in Morocco.
  • Pre-desert crossing sand riding training in Mauritania.
  • Continuous en-route off-road instruction to suit the needs of expedition participants.

Mechanics and first aid (1 Day):

  • Motorcycle maintenance
  • Basic motorcycle repair
  • Puncture repair
  • First Aid training

Am I Suitable?

We at Kudu Expeditions pride ourselves on striving to make these amazing adventures accessible to all, irrespective of background or experience. We do this by talking to our customers, and making sure that they have a good understanding of what the expedition entails before they commit to it. We also run pre-trip training which is included in the price.

For more information on this package, please see the Your Safety page. If you are as inspired by the thought of undertaking such an adventure as we are, but have concerns about how suitable you may be, simply either e-mail or phone us, and together we will be able to find out if this kind of adventure is for you – you may just surprise yourself!

*  In Africa things change fast; borders close, visas are refused for unknown reasons and routes become impassable.  Although we will strive to overcome all obstacles the organisers reserve the right to alter the routes from the ones listed here.