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Expedition
West Africa
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West Africa
These 7 countries in the West African coast are arguably the toughest overland roadtrip you can embark on. Most avid travellers that try to take it on either give up, or finish exhausted without a good impression. Wander Expeditions is here to change that! We have created the most efficient itinerary without sacrifizing the best experiences in this region. Our convoy will be the best way to visit these 7 countries: Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia and Senegal. Two weeks from Banjul to Abidjan, with NO HASSLE and in a fun group! This Expedition is a Masterclass on overlanding, checkpoints and border crossings. After our two previous successful Expeditions we have the local know-how, perfected the itinerary and secured the right contacts. Forget about bribes, and being pushed around and invest that time in experiencing the best of these countries with the best group! This is the best value two weeks you will find on Wander Expedition! One of those Expeditions we won’t offer often. Don’t miss the chance!
- Trip dates: Oct 31st - Nov 13th 2023
- 14 days
- 13 nights
itinerary
Day 1: Banjul to Casamance:
- We recommend landing a day early, October 30th to explore Banjul at your own pace and recover from your long journey. Or even better, fly into Dakar, explore it over the weekend, and then fly into Banjul?
- We like to maximize our time on Expeditions, to give you more bang for your buck, so we always start in the early morning. On our Day 1, we’ll wake up in the Gambia, explore traditional fishing villages and then head into the beautiful region of Casamance, in southern Senegal. We will visit a local King, and enjoy a sunset swim by the beautiful coast of Cap Skirring.
- Overnight in Cap Skirring.
Day 2: Casamance to Bisau:
- We start early to cross our second border and venture into the wild off the beaten path of Guinea Bissau, the most logistically challenging of the 7 countries we are visiting.
- Our plan is to explore the capital in the afternoon and prepare our daytrip to Bijagos islands the following day.
- Overnight in Bissau.
Day 3: Bijagos Islands.Â
- We will charter a boat and explore Bolama Island, the former capital of Portuguese Guinea, and it’s impressive colonial architecture.
- Overnight in Bissau.
Day 4:Â Â Bissau to Gabu
- This day is the quintessential West African overland experience. Potholed muddy roads crossing jungles and villages. Slow, but steadily, we will overcome all the challenges and make it as far as possible: potentially Gabu.
- On the way, we will pass Bafata, an old colonial keystone that still holds most of it’s colonial architecture intact.
- We’ll sleep in Gabu, in the middle of nowhere, and toast for the fuckery behind us and the one yet to come.
Day 5: Gabu to Labe.Â
- Today we’ll be crossing another border into this former portuguese colony. Another great thing about this journey is that we will compare each country’s colonial past as well as their differences and similarities.
- Labe is Fouta country, so we’ll have a chance to meet them in the nearby villages on our way East.
- Overnight in Labe.
Day 6: Labe to Kindia.Â
- Guinea is the most underrated gem of our itinerary, and the region of Fouta Djallon is it’s highlight. We will hike it’s lush highlands on the search of the impressive waterfalls
- Overnight in Kindia.
Day 7: Kindia to Freetown.Â
- Straight shot to Freetown with hopefully no hiccups when crossing one of the trickiest borders on our schedule: Guinea – Sierra Leone.
- The new paved road has made things much easier in terms of drive time so we will arrive in Freetown in time for sunset and a good meal after the 3 hardest days of our journey.
- Overnight in Freetown.
Day 8: Freetown.
- On the 8th day, we rest. Exploring the beautiful Sierra Leonean capital of course. We will visit the markets in the morning, the slums, the chimp sanctuary and head to #2 beach in the afternoon.
- Overnight in Freetown.
Day 9: Freetown to Monrovia.Â
- The Sierra Leone – Liberia border is 50% 50% epic & horrible. Let’s hope for good luck! This day will be a masterclass in overlanding, get your notebooks ready.
- Overnight in Monrovia.
Day 10: Monrovia.Â
- Easily the most interesting city to visit in West Africa. The abandoned Ducor Hotel, the West Point slums, the unique American flavor, and the incredible beaches.
- A day to wander, slow down and take it all in.
- Overnight in Monrovia.
Day 11: Monrovia to Man.Â
- We’ll cross this border (knock on wood) and maybe, another one as a surprise. Sneaking into Guinea across a river border on a raft was one of our highlights on the first edition and we’ll try to repeat it again!
- On an African overland journey, every day is a chance for new stories and adventures!
- Overnight in Man.
Day 12: Man to Yamoussokro
- We will attend a Zaouli Magic Dance in a nearby village. We’ll visit a tribe and partake in the party the Zongleur have prepared for us.
- Afternoon will be for exploring the biggest Church in Christendom: the cathedral of Yamoussokro, the Ivorean capital.
- Overnight in Yamoussokro.
Day 13: Yamoussokro to Grand Bassam.
- We’ll journey to Grand Bassam, the colonial gem in the coast of Ivory Coast. The first place where the french first based themselves.
- In the evening, we’ll head to Abidjan and explore the Mosque and the Cathedral, and finish off with a farewell dinner.
- Overnight in Abidjan, or if you prefer, fly out that same night.
Day 14: Fly out.
- Expedition ends after breakfast and you can stay longer in Abidjan or fly back home!
Included
Not included
Accomodation
Shared twin room in 3/4-star hotels (when available).Guides
Expert local guide and fixer.Transport
Private vehicles, fuel and driversFood
BreakfastActivities
All entrance fees and activities mentioned.Visa Support
We'll help you get the visa as we go! You dont need to worry about any of them, or applying in any Embassy.Contribution to local communities
We try to create an impact contributing to every local community we visit.
Oct 31st – Nov 13th 2023
Our Selection Process takes only 10 minutes and it helps us create the best travel family!
FAQ
HOW DO I GET A VISA FOR THESE 7 COUNTRIES?
We can get all the visas hassle free (or you can try to get yours on your end). Prices for conveniency are a bit higher, as we wont have to deal with any paperwork or bureaucracy. They are as follows:
– Guinea & Ivory Coast: 80 euros each
– Bissau: 50 euros
– Sierra Leone: 110 euros
– Liberia: 160 euros
– The Gambia and Senegal: Visa free
These prices are tentative, it may vary a bit last minute. Total cost of visas conveniently for all 7 countries: around 450 euros. You can also pick and choose which ones you need to book through us, and which you want to apply for yourself.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE?
Wander Expedition doesn’t book flights for you and is ultimately not responsible for your flight connection, but we can offer guidance and support when you research the best options for you.
We recommend you fly at least a day early into Banjul, on Oct 30th.
Technically, you can fly out of Abidjan the night of Nov 12th.
ARE THESE COUNTRIES SAFE?
We will remain in stable areas at all times and we will be always accompanied by an expert local crew, which will help us interact with locals and have the best possible experience.
We’ll also be traveling in a huge convoy, so that removes many of the risks when you do it solo.
Finally, we have the best local connections to ensure a hassle free journey along these otherwise very difficult land borders.
WHO IS THIS EXPEDITION FOR?
For experienced travelers joining us on West Africa you’ll get to meet a very fun group of people to share the adventure. Inexperienced travelers will grow to the challenge in these destinations, but one thing is clear, its the kind of Expedition that will be full of epic stories!
The West Africa Expedition is perfect if you are looking for an adventure, a Masterclass in landborder crossings and doing the West African coast as hassle free as you possibly can.
despina.h88 –
i ve been to 5 expeditions so far and every time im blown away by the logistics! Another travel
fam with millions of memories that i will cherish forever. We got the best of every single country that we visited.
Sanjay Sharma –
This is a very special trip. West Africa is a tough destination, but Wander makes it fun and memorable. I went in Feb 2023 and was blown away by how much effort the trip leader (Alvaro) put into thinking through every detail of the logistics. Plus, he assembled a fantastic group of people who all had the right attitude to get the most out of West Africa. At the end of this trip, you’ll leave with 7 countries under your belt and new lifelong friends. If you have a sense of adventure, this is the best trip in the world.
Joshua Davis –
In February 2023 this was my first Wander Expedition and now I am hooked for life. Alvaro made it so that we had no stress and that by the end we were all a tight-knit family. One of the greatest two weeks of my life and now I am looking forward to my next expedition.
Franziska Roth (verified owner) –
What a trip! Overlanding this part of the world in not for the faint hearted and challenging logistics make it usually a much longer endeavour. I am back for several days and still processing the insane adventures we had, the rich cultural impressions, the strong bonds we formed as a group and the respect for Alvaro, our guide, who made the organization and management of this trip look easy with his nerves of steel. Join if you love road trips on some of the roughest street of the world, if you can deal with skipped meals for the reward of stunning landscapes, if you don’t care about having a toilet seat but care about stumbling into one unique and unplanable experience that leaves your mouth open in awe after another. Join if you want to pull your weight in a hand selected group that inevitably will need to dance at some roadside while a car needs a repair or at a long border crossing to keep the mood high. It is truly a unique adventure and thinking of it still puts a smile on my face.
Isa Tobolski –
You won’t find a better deal than this West Africa trip: exceptional logistics, experienced tour leader you can learn from, a thoughtfully curated travel fam, and 7 countries within two weeks while still seeing all major highlights. This region is notoriously challenging for travelers, so save yourself the pain and hassle while still experiencing the raw adventure by going with Wander Expeditions.