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You do know that the equator is an imaginary line? It's not something you can see or visit. It's just a line on a map. If you had said "I have a particular interest in equatorial African terrain"(which is a very wide-ranging "line" and doesn't exist just in Kenya), I might have thought there was some (but very little) validity in your quest. But clearly you have some sort of vision you're expecting that doesn't exist. I know. I've been there. The best you'll get is a sign post declaring "This is the equator". And you are going to spend a week on "it"?
And you'll also see the sun at it's zenith which is something I've never experienced before.
What you are totally disregarding is that each country you wish to enter has its own rules and shake down procedures for entering the country by private vehicle at a land crossing. You may be required to buy insurance on the spot (the guy at the Cameroon border crossing isn't impressed by your French insurance); you may be required to make a 'deposit' of several thousand dollars (US bank notes less than five years old only) as a guarantee that you will drive the vehicle back out of the country within that month rather than trying to sell it there.
It's multiple levels of complexity beyond just buying a package tour to Egypt or South Africa where the worst that will happen to you is that there will be a fuss about an incorrect yellow fever card. (I know regular travelers in Africa who have had to buy 10+ yellow fever cards over the course of a few years because the old one was 'incorrect' TIA)
And you're also rather failing at basic research. You talk about driving in September and October because 'the weather is good then'. It takes me roughly five seconds of internet searching to find articles talking about how it's best to avoid driving in the Central African Republic between May and November
because it's the rainy season then and few roads in the country are actual tarmac. Same articles also talk about the need for a real 4x4 in driving in rural areas in the country, and regular roadblock shake downs should be expected.
A lot of us here want to see a crazy plan like yours succeed. Really. But you need to have respect for some really rough conditions you're heading into or it could all go very badly very quickly. Find some travel buddies with a clue and work with them and you've got good odds of success and stories of a lifetime.
Bangui in Central African Republic only gets 185 mm of rain in September and 190 mm in October. Parts of the UK get more rain in a month than this. So you'd advise against all travel to the Lake District because of that? What about the fact that it's sunny and hot in Bangui in October so the water would dry up, and even if not sunny in September its still hot.
My bad, I thought we are going to have serious conversation here. In contrary to OP, I did invest some time doing research, but I am not going to spend more time on this silly thread. OP needs to grow up first and get some experiences traveling outside his village.
I have got experience travelling outside my village. I've been to France, Spain, Greece and Finland. And btw I'm 18 not a child.
Also, if you're not suicidal, STAY HOME! It's hard for me to believe that your parents are supporting this in any way. If you were my child, I would do anything in my power to get you off this path.
Well there's nothing they can do to stop me. I need my passport to live in France.
No, no... it's THIS year already, and OP is still only 17 y.o. without a drivers license. And his driving experiences are limited to small trips around his little village under close supervision of his dad...
Come on, people, OP can't be taken seriously.
And 7 lessons so far with my driving instructor in my nearest city, Worcester. And btw you keep saying I'm 17, I am not I am 18. By the time the trip finishes, I will be 19.
I would start with a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Land Rover Defender, or something similar. I would hazard a guess that getting a Mini repaired in 99% of Africa is impossible. Africans don't care about their CO2 emissions, so trying to "do your bit" is stupid.
those warnings are put out by civil servants who stay in their job regardless of which berk runs the government. And, Corbyn is as stupid as May in his own special way.
Bull feces. You have no clue what Africa is like. I lived in Africa for almost 5 years, and was 31 when I arrived, and had lived in other countries previously. Without the help from my colleagues, I would have been woefully unprepared.
You assume food will be available. That's a bad assumption. A smart person drives through Algeria in a large SUV or truck, carrying 100 liters of water, extra fuel, vehicle parts, and lots of food. Driving a Mini will most likely be the death of you, broken down in some remote place with no passersby to assist.
You may think there are good roads, gas, etc on the way, but you would be wrong. What looks like good roads on a map often do not exist, are closed, or are goat tracks. The "hotels" are non-existent, or were never completed.
If you want a trip, use trains and visit Eastern Europe and Russia.
Just because Africans don't care, doesn't mean I don't care. And I agree that Corbyn is a stupid as May. I'm a green party supporter.
I give the OP credit; boy to be young and have dreams again! I can't believe he's not listening to those that have done it before. Heck, I'm scared for him.
I watch a show called destination unknown, he's driven some pretty rough places all in SUV's that can handle no roads and those huge "pot holes"... You guys aren't kidding he's in for a rude awakening!
My best hope is he'll have to turn around and that we won't be reading about him next fall
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