My Itinerary
This is the latest status of my itinerary as I have originally planned it in August 2011 and re-planned it in January and July 2012. It might continue to change in the course of the year I’m travelling. My journey started in Oct 2011 in Cairo and is planned to end in Jan 2013 in Panama City. I will jump between continents (Africa, Asia, Central & South America) several times to make the itinerary optimal for what I want to see and experience (e.g. leaving Africa to be in Rio de Janeiro for Carnival). All major travelling will be done with Dragoman which is an experienced overland adventure tour operator from the UK. Exceptions are the Kilimanjaro hike and my Central America trip which I do with Intrepid and the Southern Africa trip which I do with Tucan. I was already travelling with Dragoman in 1995 (Nairobi to Accra) and 2009 (Buenos Aires to Lima). A few years back, I was also travelling with Nomad, another overland tour operator, from Cape Town to Victoria Falls and with Contiki from Sydney to Cairns and Alice Springs to Darwin. Therefore, I have already a pretty good understanding what overlanding means and what is ahead of me.
Cairo to Nairobi
Period: Oct 12 to Dec 23, 2011
Counties: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya
Dragoman Code: ECN
I will start my journey in Cairo which seems to be the perfect starting point for a year long journey around the world. After visiting the ancient sites of Egypt (Giza Pyramids, Karnak Temple, …), I will follow the Western desert oasis route into Sudan. I’m a bit afraid of the ongoing conflicts in this country, putting it on the list of the 10 most dangerous countries to visit, but having survived a journey to Congo and Central African Republic, makes me optimistic that everything will go well. I will anyhow avoid the conflict zone around Darfur. Continuing my journey to Ethiopia, I’m looking forward to a trekking tour in the Simien Mountains. Interestingly my neighbour plans to travel to Ethiopia during the same period, so I might run into him. In Kenya, I will do a safari in the Samburu National Reserve which is a more rarely visited and maybe more natural game park.
Kilimanjaro (Marangu Route)
Period: Dec 24 to Dec 31, 2011
Counties: Tanzania
Dragoman Code: YKXM
It’s one of my biggest dreams to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and it will come true during the Christmas holiday season. I will choose the easiest route to the top which is Marangu Route, also known as the Coca-Cola route because no specific mountain climbing skills are required. But as you can imagine, climbing 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet is far away from being easy and requires some degree of physical fitness. I have no doubt that I have this fitness but I have great respect of the altitude which could limit myself and force me to return a few metres before the top. The maximum altitude I have experienced so far is approx. 5,000 metres in the Andes (Peru, South America). During this trip I was experiencing severe signs of altitude sickness (vomiting, shortage of breath, weakness, rapid pulse) that I thought I’m going to die… However, I will give it a try to reach Uhuru Peak but will for sure return in case I experience any severe signs of altitude sickness.
Manaus to Santiago
Period: Jan 09 to Apr 16, 2012
Counties: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, (day trips to Paraguay and Uruguay)
Dragoman Code: JSN
My South American journey will start in the jungle city Manaus from where I will travel by boat on the Amazon River until I hit the ocean. I will than follow the coast line all the way down to Rio de Janeiro where I will spend the whole carnival season from Feb 17th to Feb 23rd. I hope I will be still alive after partying for several days in a row… I will further continue to the Iguazu Falls which are with 2,700 metres or 8,858 feet length the widest waterfall in the world. In my next destination Buenos Aires I would like to take a tango lesson as I did already in 2009 before heading further south to Ushuaia the southernmost town in the world. From here you can also undertake a boat cruise to Antarctica which I will for sure do at a later point in my life. My final destination on the South American continent will be Santiago.
Istanbul to Beijing
Period: Apr 19 to Jul 23, 2012
Counties: Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China
Dragoman Code: EUB
This is not the classical journey people might think of when travelling to Asia. Most people prefer to travel to South East Asia, India, China or Japan where I have been as well. This time I will choose a different route and travel through the heart of Central Asia to discover forgotten countries like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I’m looking forward to discover the hidden treasures of Iran and experience how it feels to wear a headscarf all day which all female travellers are requested to do. Actually, how do a best tie a scarf around my head? I might consult a Turkish shop in my home town on this matter… I’m also excited to see the colourful markets of Ashgabat and Tashkent, sleep in a traditional yurt and finally travel along the Northern Silk Route to Beijing.
Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
Period: Jul 24 to Aug 15, 2012
Counties: China, Mongolia
Dragoman Code: EBU
Originally I didn’t plan to go to Mongolia but to Tibet thus travel from Xi’an to Kathmandu. I was looking forward to travel across the Himalaya, the “Roof of the World” and visit the Mount Everest base camp. However, for all travel in Tibet you need a permit which is issued by the Chinese government. These permits were not issued when I was planning to go in summer 2012 since some Tibetan monks have burned themselves in front of a temple in Lhasa. Therefore, I have re-planned my trip and go to Mongolia instead. Traveling in Mongolia will take me to some of the remotest places on earth. For three weeks I will be camping or stay in yurts in the middle of nowhere with no shower, bed and access to electricity or internet. This is overlanding at its best and I’m really looking forward to this basic life.
South Korea
Period: Aug 16 to Aug 26, 2012
Counties: South Korea
Independent Travel
After finishing my travel in Mongolia I have two weeks before I will head off to Africa. So I had a look on the map what are interesting places close by and found South Korea. According to my guidebook there is a lot to see and do in South Korea and I was tempted to get myself a packed schedule. I was also tempted to spend some time with monks in a Buddhist temple. But in the end I decided to have a vacation from my travel and take it easy. Therefore I will spend seven days relaxing on Jeju Island and four days sightseeing and partying in Seoul. I also plan to do a day trip to the demilitarized zone with North Korea to put my feet on North Korean ground.
Nepal
Period: Aug 27 to Aug 30, 2012
Counties: Nepal
Independent Travel
Since I was originally planning to travel from Xi’an to Kathmandu I had already booked a flight from Kathmandu back home. When my Tibet trip got cancelled I looked into the possibility to go on a two week hike in Nepal. However, I found out its monsoon season at this time of the year and when hiking it will be foggy, muddy and not much fun. Therefore, I will spend two weeks in South Korea and only four days in Kathmandu to absorb the atmosphere of the city and then catch my original flight home.
Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam
Period: Sep 02 to Sep 26, 2012
Counties: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania
Tucan Code: FKZ
Africa, I’m back! After I travelled from Cairo to Nairobi at the beginning of my current overall journey, I will return to Africa to continue my travel in the southern part of the continent. Originally, I was planning to travel from Nairobi to Victoria Falls which would have been the missing link to complete my journey from Cairo to Cape Town since I did Cape Town to Victoria Falls on a previous journey. However, my Nairobi to Victoria Falls trip with Dragoman got cancelled why I sought for an alternative and found Tucan to take me from Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam which partially covers what I was originally planning to do. However, this will not make my Cairo to Cape Town complete since I will miss one day drive from Marangu (Kilimanjaro) to Dar es Salaam of 550km or so for which I will need to return at some point in time. Regarding the trip itself, I’m looking forward to game driving in Chone National Park, the amazing Victoria Falls and the island of Zanzibar where I might do some kitesurfing and diving to discover Africa’s east coast under water.
Lima to Cartagena
Period: Sep 27 to Nov 03, 2012
Counties: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia
Dragoman Code: JTL
I will start this trip in Lima, the capital of Peru. I have been to Lima in 2009 where my overland journey from Buenos Aires to Lima ended. With this trip I will continue where I stopped last time. In Peru I will go north and spend a couple of days at the beach. I will than head towards Quito in Ecuador and discover the Amazon Jungle. There are lots of activities in this region such as mountain biking or white water rafting and for sure I will do some of them. Finally, I will head to Colombia were I will spend a night on a coffee plantation and enjoy the richness of the rain forest. Heading further north from Cartagena to Panama City overland is impossible since the Pan American Highway doesn’t go through the Darién Gap region. There is simply no road and so I will jump on a plane to Mexico City and travel from there to Panama.
Mexico City to Panama City <<< This is the trip I’m currently on
Period: Nov 03, 2012 to Jan 02, 2013
Counties: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, (day trip to El Salvador)
Dragoman Code: QVRM, QVRXC, QVRC
Although I have already travelled a lot during the past years, Central America (with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Sea) remained a white spot for me which will definitely change with this trip. Instead of going to touristy places like the Dominican Republic or Jamaica, I decided to travel through less visited countries like Nicaragua and Honduras. For this trip I will also change the type of transport, meaning instead of travelling with an overland truck I will use local buses and boats to get around. I’m really looking forward to discover the Mayan ruins, to climb volcanos and to chill out on the beaches. I also hope to find some good spots for watersports such as diving, windsurfing and kitesurfing. Do you know any in the area? I plan to end my journey with an amazing New Year’s Eve celebration at the beach of Panama City saying goodbye to this great year of travelling and return to civilization…
Have fun and take care!
Hi Katja, coole Sache. Ich bin auf die Reise-Berichte gespannt, insbesondere Brasilien. Du weißt doch, wir suchen noch eine geeignete Lokation für unser Pellet-Werk dort…
Viele Grüße, Volker
I heared that you plan to move your pallet business to Brazil and I expect to meet you there next year!
Hi Katja, all the best for your trip! Keep me (us) posted! I would love to read what you are doing.
Have fun!
Matthias
Hi Katja,
I’m very excited for you, especially that you are doing Kilimanjaro.
Are you definitely decided on the Marangu Route? The Machame Route has a better success rate – no technical climbing required and you can take seven days to do it. When it starts getting high, you also follow the magic rule of “walk high, sleep low” which helps acclimatize.
Whichever route you take, I wish you the best of luck! And I look forward to reading all about it.
Sheenagh
Hi Sheenagh,
yes, I’m already decided on the Marangu Route for this December. However, I will be back in Tanzania in 2012 when travelling from Vic Falls to Nairobi. I might give it another try to reach the top using the Machame Route. I also read that this route is more scenic…
Cheers, Katja
Hi Katja,
lass mir bitte noch etwas Wind in Ägypten, wenn ich Ende Nov zum Kiten komme.
Wünsche dir viel Spaß und spannende Erlebnisse. Ich freu mich schon auf die weiteren Berichte.
Viele Grüße Torsten
WOW!!!
Your trip sounds absolutely fantastic… an event of a lifetime.
Thanks for sharing your experience online.
I’m looking forward to hear about all of your adventures.
Lots of luck!
Michael
Hey Katja,
good to see that you are on the road! Keep me posted on interesting sightings and reading ;)
I`ll keep my fingers crossed for Kilimanjaro.
Kind regards from Hessia,
Anita
Hi,
habe Dich leider nicht verabschieden können, pass auf Dich auf und komm heil nach Hause!!!
Lars
Ich bewundere noch immer Deinen Entschluss und werde in Zukunft mehr drauf achten, Deinen Spuren im Sand und sonstwo zu folgen…
Thanks for this great blog. I really enjoy reading it!
In today’s post, I stumbled upon one in my eyes very utilitarianistic thought: “we don not give them [locals] anything, since this will not change their situation fundamentally”. By which criteria do you judge, if a Dollar will or will not change someone’s situation? Isn’t that just a cheap excuse for “we need our money ouselves”?
Hey Alex,
you are absolutely right, it’s a very utilitarianistic thought. Imagine you have one dollar to give away and there are twenty local people standing in front of you. You also know that once you leave the place there will be a seemingly endless crowd of other local people asking you for money as well. What would you do with the dollar?
I personally don’t care if I have one dollar more or less in my pocket, but when I give it to one out of twenty how would the other nineteen people feel? My aspiration to be as fair as possible which would require me pulling out another nineteen dollar and distributing it. Then I continue my journey to the next village and one hour later I will be asked for money again. What should I do? Probably after a few days / weeks I would really come to a stage where I really need the money for myself… And what change would the dollar make in the peoples life? If I only give one dollar to twenty people this might result in a conflict between them. If I distribute money to everybody the kids might find it more attractive to hang around at tourist spots asking for money instead of going to school. Will the one dollar really make them happier? Actually the happiest people in the world live in third world countries…
So probably this is an ethical dilemma which cannot be solved…
Greetings from Addis Ababa,
Katja
Hi Katja,
ich verfolge Deinen Blog mit Spannung und wäre so gerne auch unterwegs.
Tolle Erlebnisse die sicherlich ein Leben lang halten.
Auf der Herderstrasse ist alles Roger. ;-)
Viele liebe Grüße
Helge
Dear Katja,
I hope you had a nice christmas eve and some moments to think about your family and friends back home. I wish you an amazing New Year’s Eve and maybe some fire works ;-) May 2012 be a challanging and satisfying year for you.
Best Regards,
Alex C.
Dear Katja, thanks for your insights into your travel. I only came to follow you up to Sudan, but I will certainly follow your travel all the way to the TOP of Kilimanjaro of which I have seen your photographs already. Also courious to learn what you think of Iran once you go. I loved Iran and certainly will go again. Enjoy and most over all: stay healthy!
Constanze :-)
Hi Katja,
finde ich phantastisch was Du machst und dass Du es machst. Have the best year ever, joy, fun, adventure, great moments. Live life to the fullest.
Lieber Gruss aus München,
Oliver
Hi Katja!
Seems I missed the opportunity on the airport yesterday to say “good bye”… It was nice meeting you. I am still impressed with your Uber-Journey! :-)
I wish you all the best on your trip.
Cheers,
Emre
P.S.: Beautiful photos!
I just wanted to let you know how totally delighted I’ve been with your blog. I’ve been most places you have except in the ‘Stans’ where you are now and am anxious to read more before I book. During your recent South American leg, your fellow traveller and my friend, Ann, told me about your blog. It’s inspirational Katja, keep it up. Pat
Hi Katja,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY and all the best for the upcoming year and the current and future experiences.
Wishing you all the best and a fantastic day (wherever you are),
Alex C.
Are you going to be able to get into Tibet with the new visa requirements? My Everest trek is messed up because of it. I hope you’ll still be able to go!
Getting a Tibet permit seems to be a pain at the moment. Dragoman has the unofficial information that you only have a good chance to obtain the permit if you are travelling in a group with at least five people of the same nationality. However, it seems to work out for me since magically four more Germans showed-up who might be travelling with me. So keep your fingers crossed I will get the permit and I cross my fingers for you as well!
Katja, Costa Rica was happy to receive you.
You are a wonderful individual.
Wishing you the very best on future travel and all endeavors.
Great post, really enjoyed it reading and very impressed by your travels. Fearless,