Lessons Learnt for Future Road Trips

After travelling almost 6000km, crossing six borders and dealing with dozens of so called “traffic violations”, I returned to Pretoria safe and sound and feeling like I have to share some of my newfound road tripping wisdom with the world. So here it is:

Ten Rules for Travelling in Africa:

1. Do not violate the Africa rule: Never drive past a petrol station
2. Greet all border officials and the police force with a wave, a friendly “Hello Sir!” and an innocent smile
3. Find out exchange rates and whether the country is currently experiencing a fuel crisis before going
4. Don’t believe the locals when it comes to the quality of roads – they always think that roads are worse than they actually are
5. No matter how unimportant a receipt looks or what kind of paper it is printed on, keep it
6. Always have sufficient local currency, snacks and cold drinks on you to pay fines and bribes
7. Collect as many random items throughout the year as possible and do not be afraid to bring them all – they will eventually come in useful
8. Invest in a fire extinguisher, a headlight torch, a travel mug and a mosquito execution device
9. Maps are good, the iPad with the amazing blue dot is better
10. And finally, when an opportunity presents itself, take it!