Solo Overland Travel & Transit

South America : Africa : Middle East : Asia

A no-frills website created for those solely interested in solo overland travel and transit through the continents. If you're into global fly hopping beach travel - there's nothing here! Planning out overland routes through certain regions within the continents is challenging, and at times, extreme or insane, and totally worth the effort accomplishing them. Transiting solo across entire continents using any available transport, or hitching lifts is an exhilarating experience for those without time limits or schedules. The basic information and images throughout this site should provide a touch of inspiration for anyone focused on independent travel across, or through the continents.
​This site skims through what most solo overland travellers will envision, encounter and probably end up doing themselves in their own unique way. Going it alone and cutting out your own itinerary is certainly the way to go to get the real feel of interacting amongst local atmosphere. When travelling solo, many doors open where they wouldn't if there was a crowd i.e. westerners travelling together in packs. Interacting with locals and complete strangers is a must-do priority, and does play an important role through all the continents. This becomes an automatic procedure whether liked or not. Interacting with total strangers may sound an impossible task to some, but this is key towards direct communication. It also gives the opportunity to capture rewarding close-up street portraits or whatever else there is of interest. All images through this website have been captured during numerous long-term overland transit journeys through the continents by the site owner - Rick Hemi. Fresh content and info continues to be added at a random pace. 
This website avoids promos, advertising, sponsors, commissions to click bait links to hotels, backpackers, tourist ghettos, holiday resorts, overland travel package tours, trendy rehabs, airlines, food and shopping addictions, selfie addicted travel bloggers, including burnt out social media platforms. 
​If you're independent and into long-term solo overland travel like myself - without time limits to transit through individual continents at your own pace and leisure with an interest in random street photography - there's certainly something here for you to browse through that may help or add inspiration to future journeys - Enjoy!  

Real Solo Overland Travel & Transit

Many travel bloggers today sell themselves off as vivid travellers, but in reality they're not - and they know it. In today's world of online false fluff and plastic, travel blogging is about trying to create an easy cash flow and nothing more. It's about re-marketing travel tourism, as though exotic places have just been discovered, and have never been visited. What? Sorry travel bloggers - there's nothing new under the sun, it's all been done well before most of you were even born. Fluffy travel blog sites all share common themes - the butterfly effect "it's so beautiful", "it was so amazing", "oh, how wonderful" - typical soapy tourist click bait that makes you yawn. Many travel bloggers and You Tubers out there create false illusions having zero experience themselves of completing any real-time solo overland travel across and through continents using basic bush-bus transport, or transiting in jam packed minivans for days on end, which all share the same atmosphere, thus being the complete opposite of the usual "you tube & travel blog" fetishes of total blissfulness.

A few quick examples of real-time solo overland travel on board local transport from Indonesia to Turkey, Ethiopia to Nigeria, Mexico to Argentina, are sweaty armpit odours, vomit on the floor, wasted food scraps glued to seats, locals picking their noses flicking the contents at you, the sounds of deep farts with wicked aromas, constant loud snoring, music at peak volume, used as a pillow, multiple cell phones constantly blaring, stale chewing gum and food stuck to your clothes, dog breath vapour, packed and squashed in like sardines, deep throat coughing and spitting in any direction, bush-bus aisles jam-packed with mountains of luggage, unwashed left hands grabbing your seat, -20C with no heaters, +48C with no fans or AC, smokey engine fumes knocking you out, washed out roads and bridges, spilt fluids flowing under your seat, irritating blowflies, mosquitos and insects trapped on board, random drug control baggage checks, drivers fighting with passengers, passengers fighting with other passengers, passengers interested in what's in your daypack, uncontrollable baby screams with smelly loaded diapers, windows closed during transit with smells of hot vomit, aircon freezing your bones-off, goats, pigs, or sheep crowding your space, random groping, passengers rubbing toxic toe jams, passengers sneezing throat mucus directly in your face, baggage soaked in black engine oil below deck, constant rattling clattering windows, extreme high-speed, holding out for load dumps and pee breaks, hi-altitude sickness, unbearable heat, the bitterly freezing cold, clouds of endless dust in your mouth, down your throat, and up your nose, non-stopping vibrations, bad unavoidable accidents, blown engines, damaged transmissions and diffs, isolated major breakdowns, intoxicated or drugged out drivers, highway bandit hold-ups, night thieves, standing room only, pushing, jostling and shoving entering or exiting transport, silent robbery, disappearing daypacks, contents in backpacks missing, loaded diarrhoea pressure on non-stop moving bush-buses, free sharing of ticks and fleas - need I say more?

 Overland Travel - Blast From The Past - 1980s 

I took this quick snap decades ago on board a local slow boat chugging northward from Bluefields towards Puerto Cabezas. The classic boat above looked like something straight out of Humphrey Bogart's African Queen. Extra fuel was stored on deck in 44 gallon drums. Today, many foreigners are looking for the same overland atmosphere well off the beaten track as far away as possible from worn-out tourist hotspot ghettos. Unspoilt isolated regions like this can still be found if one has the energy and momentum to reach and transit through them. Basic land transport is still being used in the above mentioned countries, including others if you're game enough to handle rough travel with no frills attached.
A few isolated regions worth mentioning to travel through are from Manaus heading north to the Colombian-Venezuelan border. A slow boat journey from Juba to north Sudan, or eastward towards the Ethiopian border is a real no-frills journey. The overland route from Brazil to Colombia via Venezuela will test how good your street-savvy safety skills are. Most of these regions mentioned are either situated near Red Zones, or pass directly through Red Zone controlled by militia, buzzing with drug bandits and human traffickers. Travel and transiting through any of these regions is entirely at your own risk. Even though I've travelled through these locations without incident, it doesn't necessarily mean a free-pass for anyone. It will depend who may decide to create a holdup, robbery, bribery, or extortion on any given day - it's the luck of the draw! Getting the latest up to date information from locals is paramount - certainly not from any out-dated L.P. guide book. Having the appropriate onward visas, if required entering neighbouring counties should already be in order before any departure. Some frontier immigration and custom land-border officials live on corruption pay-offs and hand-outs - Good interacting skills are required to avoid bribes!

The term "Solo Travel" has been branded as if it just fell out of the sky during the Gen Z generation - What? Just to clarify, solo travel was in full swing through the continents during the 70's and 80's. How do I know this? Because I'm still one of those original old school overland travel addicts - still going strong today. Those born in the late 90's upward assuming they've seen, or clocked up overland travel milage around the planet still have quite a few decades of catch-up, Good luck.
Today, transportation maybe quick and faster, and more comfortable, but what's the rush? And who wants comfort? Using basic overland transportation is what makes any journey stand out from the rest, and remembered as a journey of a lifetime. The user term "solo travel" has been robbed and hijacked of its true meaning. It may sound "trendy" for those who jump on board using it, but genuine solo travel is all about individually travelling through countries, crossing countless land borders, and continuing onwards over-landing from one continent to another at their own pace. 
Those using the term "solo travel" or call themselves "a solo traveller", "solo female", or "solo male", who jet set across the skies only to relax on beaches in Goa, Bali, or Zanzibar, or hang out in Taganga, Rio, or Belize, without even clocking up any real-time overland travel milage to reach these destinations are fake solo travellers. The image above was taken on board another train steamer in Odisha state.    

Which Continent? The World's Your Oyster

Maybe you've already planned an overland route through a continent, but there are many who haven't. Deciding where to land, to begin any intrepid overland transit journey will determine the direction of transit that usually ends at the tip, or the edge of any of the above overland route maps. Researching the internet on specific overland transit routes through a continent is normal procedure, but there are some regions that can only be verified on the ground with freshly gathered information from locals, or by other foreigners who have just come from an intended direction of transit. The climax of individual overland travel has reached levels that are unheard of lately in Safe Regions, but transiting through Red Zones, and volatile overland routes in and around the Middle East, including many regions through Africa is a completely different ballgame. Red Zone areas change, move, multiply, fester, and re-establish themselves without warning. This website uses my own overland transit maps showing major routes through many countries and continents that have been accomplished numerous times using various transit routes. Other map links are  Ezilon  of individual countries of interest.

The only overland gateway connecting Africa to Europe and Asia through the Middle East is, via the Sinai Peninsula. The central and lower coastal route through the Sinai is, open thanks to Egyptian military and NATO security forces. The Jordanian-Iraqi highway (Baghdad-Amman) was recently reopened thanks to bi-partisan military security forces of both countries. Pakistan has mixed militia groups along its border region of Afghanistan. Transiting through any of these areas (NWF/ Baluchistan/Chitral) is entirely at your own risk, if local authorities allow it. Afghanistan is still a hot bed of insurgency with countless sporadic attacks at will. Transiting through Afghanistan on road routes semi-controlled by pro-Kabul military forces changes each and every day. Deviating off into the wilderness within Taliban or Al-Qaeda controlled territory comes with unexpected risk. Iran has been relatively safe to travel through for decades, and used to cross international land borders in every direction.
US, UK and Australian citizens including travel bloggers passing through Iran using drones without prior permission or consent will risk the chance of receiving up to a 10 year jail sentence. Depending on nationality, certain foreigners arrested in Iran maybe used as pawn swaps. Having a valid Iranian visa crossing into Iran is the easy part. If you're a  passport holder from any country that's political biased against the Iranian regime, the ease to be suddenly arrested, interrogated, and held inside one of the most notorious prisons Evin jail where torture and rape has been common practice does happen.
​I've personally met different Mid-East nationals while under arrest myself in lock-up accused for spying during a 2nd visit in Iran. Many were jailed and tortured inside Evin prison for various reasons. Some were bound with arms and legs tied together, hung upside down naked, and then wet down by high pressure hoses, electrocuted and severely beaten on their backs, buttocks and legs during their stay in Evin jail. Witnessing first hand the endless amount of scar remains of human torture on more than 30+ prisoners inside an Iranian jail is as real as it gets!
Syria's Red Zone regions have various Islamic militia proxies scattered through the south, north and east of the country. Reaching Lebanon, or further south to Damascus on to Jordan from Gaziantep-Turkey can be completed on semi-secure routes controlled by Assad military - at your own risk and peril. Everyday has different outcomes. The Jordanian Syrian border at Nassib was reopened again in Oct 2018.
There are still no normal ferryboat services from Greece, linking Syria, Israel, Egypt or Lebanon since the Middle East refugee crisis began in 2012. However, some cargo ships out of Alexandria, Beirut, and Israel are known to take passengers, motorbikes, and vehicles. A ferryboat link operates weekly from Muscat-Oman to Gwadar-Pakistan. The ease of Saudi tourist visas makes it simple to continue through to Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Eritrea or Djibouti with ferryboats. Driving vehicles in Saudi can be dangerous, if local drivers smash into you, visitors pay the bill even if it wasn't the foreigner that caused the accident.
Yemen is a Red Zone, it's volatile, and not worth the risk level from sporadic insurgency through the country. Crossing the Egyptian border to Libya can be done if onward visas have been issued. This also applies when entering Afghanistan from Iran, and onward to Pakistan and India. Overland travel journeys through the Maghreb & Sahel region of Africa is at your own peril i.e. Algeria to Nigeria, Libya to Nigeria. Nigeria to Sudan. In general, plenty of time and patience is required completing transit journeys using basic transport through the middle of nowhere.
​Depending on nationality, applying for necessary onward visas of certain countries in northern Africa and Mid-East is normally required in advance for neighbouring countries.  i.e. Oman, Yemen, Saudi, South Sudan, Iraq, Iran Afghanistan, Syria, Chad, CAR, Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria, Libya.

Visas : Embassies : Consulates - Plan Well Ahead!

Applying for visas for onward travel into neighbouring countries can be an issue depending on passport nationality. Just because you may hold an American, Canadian, or European passport doesn't necessarily guarantee an automatic visa issue. This will solely depend on where one submits their passport for a particular visa, and will also depend on the person issuing the visa. India, DRC and China are examples out of many countries that can be complicated for some who apply for visas outside their country of residence. Imagine travelling half way through an overland transit journey through a continent, only to have a spanner in the works because a particular consulate or embassy rejects your visa application - this does happen. Many western foreigners have been caught off-guard because of not pre-planning well in advance and leaving a required visa to the last minute, i.e. a Consular office of a neighbouring country that has either closed down, or randomly rejects visa applications due to certain nationalities, appearance, or gender. The cost of a flight ticket over a country because of a rejected visa issue isn't only an added expense, but it also beats the purpose of overland travel and transit. Returning, and back tracking through another route may or may not work, and usually requires more extra transit milage to deviate around a country which is normally difficult to do. It could also involve transiting through Red Zone regions that may have random banditry holdups, bribes and ransom pay-offs, or militia groups that show no mercy towards certain nationalities passing through their turf.

Applying for any visa no matter what country or continent, should always be done at Consulates rather than at Embassies, and submitted on a Thursday or Friday. The chances of receiving a visa rejection is more common at Embassies than Consulates. Arriving at a Consulate applying for a visa on a Monday or a Tuesday may be rejected depending if the Consular officer had experienced a bad weekend. Looking too scruffy, smelly, or exposing too many tattoos, or having excessive long hair (as a male) that looks as if it hasn't been combed or washed for weeks can also cause issues - First impressions apply and play an important role for any guaranteed visa issue.
In general, Consular staff will normally follow a set of rules and guidelines that are usually not compromised no matter the nationality applying for visas, but there's certainly more than enough evidence from different nationalities across the planet who have been denied visas for reasons outside normal Consular guidelines. Some visa rejections include - nationality, insufficient funds, no exit ticket, passport expiry date, limited pages left in passport, grubby torn passport, convicted or jail time more than 12 months, false data and information on visa application, applying for a second or third visa for a country that has already been recently visited by the passport holder, An Israeli stamp, or an Egyptian/Jordanian entry stamp at border entries from Israel.  Even today, there are still 11 countries that deny visas with passports containing Israeli stamps (Iran,  Iraq,  Afghanistan,  Lebanon,  Syria,  Libya,  Kuwait,  Pakistan,  Saudi Arabia,  Yemen,  Sudan)
A valid train or bus ticket leaving from one country into another is valid as an exit ticket to enter into most countries i.e. Joburg to Maputo, Singapore to Kuala Lumper, Delhi to Katmandu, Beijing to Ullan Bator, Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Santiago to Mendoza. 
India is a good example, as from March 2019, Indian missions having biometric enrolment facilities have started issuing 5-year long-term tourist and business visas.The remaining missions will provide this facility in due course. E-tourist and e-business visas can be issued with up to a one-year validity. Citizens from USA, Canada, and Japan can stay continuously for 180 days at a time. Other nationals who qualify for the e-visa also receive 12 months and can remain continuously up to 90 days maximum. 
An Indian long term visa with multiple entries will give the opportunity of transiting to and from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, which opens up multiple overland gateways i.e. onward to Europe via Iran, the Karakoram pass into China, and onward to Europe via Kyrgyzstan, or north to Mongolia (trans Siberian), or from Nepal into Tibet (a permit/guide is required) before crossing into China from Nepal. Open borders from or into China via Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar are other overland transit route options.
Visas for South and Central America have almost dwindled down to a formal entry stamp at borders for most western national passport holders, although some Latin countries do charge the same visa reciprocity fees that apply to Australian, EU, and US nationals i.e. Brazil and Bolivia
Africa on the other hand, will depend on the route and direction of overland travel, especially if crossing through the entire northern region of the continent. The most important point to remember here is, when any requested visa is denied from one particular Consulate - don't give up, it may be granted at another Consulate, or Embassy in a neighbouring country without any issues. More about visas  here.

Fresh Passports - Before Departure

Rubber stamping through a continent can fill up a passport in no time! 

The worse scenario over-landing through any continent is running out of space in passports. Being refused a visa because a passport has reached its limitation of 2 blank pages happens. Never leave it too late replacing passports that have reached their last six months of validity. Some countries may not have embassies, consulates, or missions abroad with nations whom they don't trade with. Imagine being in a country, and requiring onward visas to neighbouring countries with insufficient pages, and no embassy to replace a full passport. Global agreement with most passport holders is having a minimum of two full blank pages with at least six months validity. Immigration officials don't care where they stamp. Asking immigration officers "politely" to enter entry and exit stamps on the visa itself, or on to a page with other entry and exit stamps will save page space. If you don't request this, passports will become full of entry and exit stamps on blank pages very quickly. Updating or replacing, passports before departure saves wasted time and energy running around off-shore. If you're lucky, additional pages added into passports is another option, although now a rarity if permitted.

Check Visas - Or Suffer 

I had once shared company with a UK national en-route from Pakistan to India. He had just been issued a fresh Indian visa in Islamabad, but as soon as we crossed the Wagah border crossing, the Indian immigration escorted him straight back to Pakistan because the Indian visa wasn't signed-off by the attache. This took him 3 days turn around, including the cost and energy to get the visa signed, and was fortunate enough to have enough validity time left on his Pakistani visa. The first thing when any new visas are issued, is to check for its validity, expiry and signature. There's no use screaming when reaching border crossings after days of transit to border crossings to find out a visa is invalid due to not checking it before leaving Consulates or Embassies. This does happen more often than what most assume. Invalid issued visas to neighbouring countries may also give unwanted complications in the country where it was issued if visas have reached their final stay duration time. This will involve even more time and cost to receive an added visa extension. Some countries do permit an overstay limit with a fee charge rate per each day of overstay, but may also jeopardise any future visa. It's recommended to leave any country one or two days before visas expire. The image above shows quick examples of signed-off signatures on used visas of Paraguay, DRC and Syria.

Backup Cash Supply - In The Middle of Nowhere 

Cash maybe eradicated in your own country, but through continents cash is still the major player!  

A supply of cash is always recommended in the middle of nowhere where ATM's are non-existent or days away when they're actually needed. Latinos, Africans, and Asians all through their respective continents use and handle cash every day. When crossing land borders, the exchanging of local currency from one country to the next is never an issue - with minimal loss of exchange rate. When major earthquakes or other climatic disasters occur, the first thing to shutdown are ATM's running empty of cash. At land border crossings, money changers are waiting for you. Haggling for the highest rate is normal procedure. Don't leave home base without a surplus load of cash. Fresh clean unripped bills are accepted anywhere. Grubby torn notes with scribble or food stains may be rejected. Purchasing US dollars off-shore is another option. It's legal to carry up to $10,000 US dollars cash without having to declare it. Carrying copies of original purchase transactions of cash stashes is recommended. This verifies to border authorities proof of where the cash came from, if searched. Carrying gold and silver is legal and isn't an issue if purchased with authentic invoices. China, Nepal and India do have security checks at land border crossings and airports for gold, narco drugs, and cash smugglers.
I have decades full of many overland travel stories, here's a short version about hiding cash. I met a Japanese dude in Venezuela who shared a ride with me to the Brazilian border. I asked him if he was carrying cash dollars, which he was. I had told him the previous day to hide his cash down in his ball-bag area, so he wouldn't lose it during security check before departing Venezuela. On arrival at the border, we were automatically split up, and escorted into rooms for baggage search. Venezuelan border customs know foreigners carry cash, and the usual hiding places. After inspection, I met the Japanese guy outside, who looked deeply depressed. He had lost his cash stash, because of hiding it in the pockets of folded jeans, and inside a toilet-bag. If he would of taken my warning, he would of still had all of his cash!  Wise people listen to good advice, 

Solo Travel - RED ZONE Regions

 Red Zone Regions Constantly Move & Shift Non-Stop Into New Territory Every Month

Red Zones are many and are expanding at an alarming rate especially through Africa. The Middle East has a never ending cycle of Red Zones rotating non-stop through the entire region. Locals residing within or close to red zone regions are attacked, robbed, raped, and murdered everyday. The global travel industry, including the majority of western travel bloggers only give an account of what they're promoting within their desired individual safe zones. Most lack reporting on the increasing insurgency right next door to them from across a neighbouring border. Western foreigners travelling overland through a continent will eventually end-up deciding whether it's worth the risk to pass through a Red Zone region, and even remain within in a Red Zone region for a month or two. Many do it, I've also done it numerous times, but just because someone else recently passed through Mali, Syria, Libya, or Venezuela doesn't mean everyone makes it through without some form of random mugging, extortion, abusive attack, rape or loss of life. Is it worth it? Do you feel lucky? Some have thought they were and didn't make it. Ending up in a body bag only happens once. 

How about being dropped-off from a bus around midnight along a highway near the outskirts of Maracaibo, Venezuela with your baggage, the sound of gun fights nearby, and locals speeding past with headlights-off, and everything is closed and chained-up for the night. Getting held-up by highway bandits, or dragged-off buses by militants, or harassed at road-block check points by corrupt army/police wanting cash bribes is something I'm familiar with. Scenarios like these materialise and do happen, usually unexpectedly. Westerners out of their safe comfy-bubbles confronting the above for the very first time, will fold with shaky knees peeing their pants. Travelling through certain overland routes contain various levels of risk, with each day ending with different outcomes - one day can be good, another day bad!

Solo Travel - Red Zone Facts

Dec 2019 - 1681 Islamic attacks in 52 countries, in which 9878 people were killed and 10240 injured.

The above map shows the latest incursions of Islamic insurgency spreading through Africa. Within areas close too, or within Red Zones, locals will talk, spreading news quickly through the region whenever any western foreigner is spotted en-route, or arrives into towns or at locations with pro-insurgent administration handlers. Randomly taken hostage can happen in broad daylight, at a hotel, on the street, after dark, or when fast asleep. If taken hostage, your Government may not provide support or for random payment bribes totalling millions of tax dollars to save your skin. If taken hostage, various forms of moderate torture abuse by Islamic handlers on non-Muslim westerners is normal. The dramatic force of physical and psychological trauma affects people in different ways for those who have never experienced it! 
There's nothing like a sudden surprise visit to your a hotel room during the middle of the night to be hooded, and dragged into the boot of a vehicle and whisked away. This isn't describing some low budget Netflix movie here, this is how real-time random hostage taking begins. Getting interrogated, abused and slapped around and locked up in isolation is normal procedure. Western females may end-up being raped multiple times on a daily basis, and even convert to Islam to stop harsh abuse. Depending on which militia group plans an abduction, executions may occur within a week, three months, or longer if ransom demands fail.
Most westerners travelling near or through Red Zone regions underestimate the ease of being abducted with some probably wishing they had never passed through a Red Zone region thinking nothing will happen to them. Highway bandits, Islamic militia and insurgency groups all share common values  and interest to force, extract, plunder, and take what's not theirs without remorse. Locals are abused, tortured, shot dead and culled and butchered around the clock non-stop, so don't expect any red carpet roll-out just because you're a western foreigner passing through their turf. More in-depth overland travel advice in Overland Transit 

I Gave Advice On This In Jan 2013  

Today, the risks are higher with the chances of being kidnapped being as real as it gets within territories controlled by Islamic terror groups operating throughout Africa, Asia, and the Mid-East. Gathering fresh information from locals, and researching local media will give informative updates on current internal affairs. Trusting global mainstream media networks, or travel guide books won't get you far in Red Zones. The majority of "travel guide books" with printed matter on brief warnings is already well obsolete before printing, due to Red Zones constantly moving, expanding and shifting in to new territories each month - Africa is certainly proof of this. ​Being naive is one thing, westerners travelling like blind bats into Red Zone regions controlled and influenced by local Islamic militia groups are pushing the boundaries, and can easily end in zipped-up body-bags.  Repeat the last line a few times to let it sink in! ​

Solo Overland Travel - Don't Become A Drug Mule!

It's better to be broke and free rather than rotting in a hot jail cell or being hung to death!

The below text is placed through the pages of this website as a warning deterrent to westerners off-shore, who may end-up down a path that could have been avoided. The message is real - it's better to be stone broke and free, rather than wasting countless years behind bars - Laziness and Greed never wins!

Over the decades through various continents, I've met some really stupid foreigners who have nothing better to do than wasting themselves away smoking meth or snorting cocaine everyday. Some foreigners will actually fly the air milage to Colombia, Ecuador or to Bali, to snort cocaine and smoke meth, just because it's cheaper. Drug mules are usually in debt, or stone broke off-shore, an addict, or being plain lazy and greedy. Old tricks, like mailing narcotics hidden in souvenirs using alias names, or swallowing a pile of cocaine capsules, with some dying from a busted capsule, hiding narcotics in baggage cavities, or strapping and taping drugs on the body are smuggling techniques still being used today. In general, international land-air-sea border drug custom agents are up to speed with drug smuggling tricks and techniques. 

Even hitching rides on board private yachts to Australia or to New Zealand from Panama through the Pacific Ocean via Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, or Fiji can be risky. Boat owners may have loaded the hull with blocks of cocaine or fentanyl. Foreigners becoming drug mules are caught and busted non-stop around around the planet. Some are even arrested before flight departures, or when crossing international land borders. Foreigners are also used as decoys, or tricked for a percentage of reward bounty. In most instances, westerners with debt burden, and those wanting fast bucks become drug mules. Most fresh drug mules don't even bother researching data or the fate from others previously busted. Airport body X-Ray machines easily detect internal swallowed loads of narcotics. The risk factor of being caught automatically multiples when re-entering or departing from the same country on too many short visits. Body x-rays and facial recognition is alive and well through most airports. Collected facial data and passport information today is globally shared.  
Marijuana and Gold smuggling into Nepal or India will also give hefty jail-time! Severe penalties are enforced for even the smallest amount of soft or illegal narcotics. 
​Flying out from Nepal, India or other regions of Asia with small amounts of cannabis can give some serious prison time. An Israeli female citizen en-route from India to Tel-Aviv via Moscow recently received seven and a half years jail for carrying 9 grammes of cannabis found in her checked baggage transiting through Moscow airport.
​The Pacific islands are clamping down hard on cannabis. Smuggling hashish in Pakistan is no-brainer - period! Little Guyana has increased severe penalties for cannabis growers, cannabis drug mules, ganja street sellers, and users. Thailand has cannabis busts every week! 
Countries that do have relaxed rules for cannabis and hashish doesn't mean that one can freely carry a loaded backpack full of weed or hashish across international borders. 
Smoking weed and hashish legally in foreign countries is one thing (Uruguay, Argentina, Israel, USA, Canada, EU). Getting caught in countries with grey rules will end-up bad! South east Asia and Latin countries are slowly beginning to reform their cannabis laws, but until it becomes official, cannabis is classified as an illegal drug. There's more on drug busted westerners in the Asian and South American pages.

Randomly collecting plants, seeds, flowers or capturing exotic reptiles like lizards to smuggle out of any country will land you straight into a jail cell. Lengthy prison sentences, including hefty fines, and deportation with black-bans for any future visits is common practice in most countries. This also applies to animal skins, and bones if the products aren't officially government certified for exportation. A Japanese national was caught and arrested in Indonesia trying to smuggle more than 250 reptiles which can carry a maximum 5 year jail term. Another Japanese national was jailed in Ecuador for 2 years with a $4000 dollar fine for trying to smuggle insects on a flight from Quito.

Don't even think to carry any type of primed or spent (used) ammo shells no matter the caliber size in travel baggage. Westerners who have been caught are automatically interrogated, and in some cases fined jailed and deported. Foreigners caught with live or spent ammo cartridges are automatically placed on an international data base watch list. Check all travel baggage before crossing international land borders or fights if someone else helped or re-packed baggage. Getting busted crossing borders with narcotics, illegal drugs, seeds, reptiles, weapons and ammo will result with delayed travel, fines, jail time, and deportation.    ​

Foreigners travelling off-shore with valid firearm or gun permits issued from their country of origin will also be subjected to the same penalties carrying live or spent ammo in baggage crossing international borders. Even though the Middle East may have enough spent brass laying on the ground to sink a ship, it's advised to leave these collectible souvenirs behind!               

Purchasing and departing with wildlife skins anywhere off-shore without having legal certification certificates will automatically result with a hot grilling by customs authorities with hefty fines. Possible jail-time, including deportation and black-banned for future visits into certain countries may arise. Those purchasing illegal wildlife skins are only helping a global black market to continue to flourish.        

Extreme To Extreme - Solo Overland Travel

Rough Bush Buses : Truck lifts : Desert Sand Taxis : Slow Train : Hitchhiking : Cargo Ships : Cycling

Freezing your balls off or frying to bits in blistering heat becomes real-time reality in transit through the continents. You won't find any comfort during some long-term hardcore overland journeys. The icy bite high up in extreme altitudes penetrates straight through bush-buses into your bones. Forget about on-board heating, it doesn't exist. A thick blanket like locals use does the job. Dropping an urgent load in minus 25C with a wind chill factor feeling like minus 40C is painful; it may cause bleeding, but don't freak out, it's normal, just refrain from eating heavy solid foods. Breakdowns are common with repairs sometimes taking days on end to repair. Avalanches blocking high-top road tracks aren't cleared until snow dozers arrive. Extra food supplies will stop the hunger pains. Boiling unbearable dry or humid heat is certainly a test for many who are not accustomed to experiencing their skins sizzling, and constantly sweating. Dehydration, sunstroke, and heat rash during transit across desert environs are normal occurrences. Forget about air-conditioning, it doesn't exist. Guzzling down hot water becomes reality.
​The whiff of bloated animal carcasses during transit becomes apparent above 40C. This is witnessed at times transiting through northern Africa, and the Mid East with aromas of rotten carcasses swirling through the atmosphere for kilometres on-end. Wherever there are carcasses, the vultures will be also, including other raptors and birds of prey making the location a prime area for wildlife photography. Transiting through extreme humid regions for weeks on end will certainly test your patience. Humidity levels above 90% can activate (SFS) Short Fuse Syndrome. The Amazonian, African and Asian mosquitos show no mercy. They will drill and suck the blood out of anyone that's not protected, and off-load West Nile, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Encephalitis, and Chikungunya virus parasites for free. 
Overland transit journeys through the Amazon, sub-Sahara or across the Himalaya, Hindu Cush regions are great challenges, and virtually unbeatable in overland travel terms. It certainly beats lying on beaches all day long.  

There's no actual description for the smell of rotten carcasses in 45+ degree heat (113F) in semi-desert environs. It certainly doesn't bother birds of prey with hungry appetites. Eagles and vultures weren't even bothered how close I had approached them while they were eagerly feasting on fresh remains. I easily understood why there weren't others around except for myself viewing this open wilderness carnivore restaurant - the vile stench, but hey, what a paradise to photograph birds in the wild. It didn't take long to setup, and grab some long-shots range on a tripod, snapping away capturing images of Mongolian Steppe eagles, Egyptian vultures, and Eurasian Griffons, all hypnotised in a feeding frenzy - all at one location. Next time you're on the road travelling somewhere along a remote isolated dirt road, and suddenly smell something dead up ahead, you could be in luck to photograph two and four legged carnivores eating breakfast.

Overland Road Trip Driving A VW Kombi Thru South America

Are you sick and tired using public transport? Purchasing your own VW Kombi to transit through South America is an alternative. Imagine, being able to stop where you wish, drive where you want, and save hotel and transport costs in one hit. Driving solo, or sharing fuel costs with a friend through South America in a classic Kombi isn't something new, it's been around for decades, and those like myself know how good it is to have your own personal transport in this continent. Clocking up driving milage from Brazil heading south to Patagonia, and then northward through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and into Colombia is wild, crazy adventure of a lifetime. This is a great option for those who wish to remain in South America for 1-2 years. You can even store your vehicle and return at a later date, and then continue where you left-off. One can also resell the vehicle to another foreigner - more info on VW Kombis in the Overland Transit section

Solo Overland Travel - Driving Licenses & Permits

Before heading off-shore, the renewal of driving licenses and international driving permits should be in order. Many forget this when the time comes around to purchasing, or renting vehicles or motorbikes. Driving licenses cannot be updated off-shore. International driving permits are only valid for twelve months with some countries ignoring them completely, although in most cases, highway police will request foreigners for their international driving permits at road block check points. Those driving without international permits can be refused to drive, or even fined. In some instances bribe pay-offs maybe requested, but don't count on it. Applying for local international driving permits may or may not work, but as for reference only, I have had success with foreign international driving permits since the mid 80s. Kenya, Paraguay, and Iran are a few to mention, showing a valid driving license was all that was required. Those assuming they can drive through continents without valid driving licenses, or without international permits are only asking for trouble. Argentinian, South African and Venezuelan highway police are corrupt as ever and do have a tendency to milk foreigners dry - if foreigners allow it to happen! This applies sporadically through Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Niger, and the sub-Saharan Sahel. Those who are lucky enough to have a valid UN card normally get a free-pass through most of Africa without having to deal with bribe handouts.   

No, this isn't a ship loaded with African migrants en-route to European shores. It's a quick dusk snap on board one of the oldest cargo passenger ships in existence on the planet. The M.V. Leimba, an original pre-world war one German vessel constructed in 1913 that still operates, and sails up and down lake Tanganyika laden with cargo and passengers to DRC, Rwanda  and Zambia.  
In neighbouring DRC, the possibilities of transiting in either direction up or down the mighty Congo river from Kinshasa or Kisangani can be done by using various types of barges and boats, which also avoids the more expensive "touristic tours" found online. The short overnight ferry journey either way from Sudan or Egypt chugging along on lake Nasser also remains as vibrant as ever. If you're looking for classic transit originality - the M.V Liemba will guarantee satisfaction.  

Solo Overland Travel With Photo-Gear - Is It Worth It?

Any long-term overland travel without basic photo-gear will end-up regretful for those deciding not to. At least one point and shoot, or combo full frame DSLR and point and shoot will cover almost anything one desires to capture. Brand names today aren't important! They have become clones of each other's designs. The most important part of any long-term journey is the reliability of travel equipment. Photo-gear will be put through the wringer in environments with heat, dust or extreme cold. Drops and knocks may instantly fail certain models while other's keep on keeping on. Camera reliability comes first - choose wisely.    

Overland travel and transit through any continent isn't complete without having some form of photo-gear. To at least have something to capture random street images of locals, landscape, and wildlife should be considered. A smartphone is better than nothing, but smartphone cameras do have their limitations at best when it involves wildlife, fast moving subjects, including most shots taken in low light which can give blurry or grainy results.

The majority of images through this website were taken with classic Nikon D3/s 12MP bodies. They still continue working effortlessly today. The D3/s has a long proven track record for reliability within any environment - even up in space. It's a snapping workhorse capturing images all day non-stop, even though they're old tanks. Today, camera brands are almost identical to one another, apart from their brand names. Personally, the optics are more important than the camera body it's mounted on. The body only captures what the lens can deliver through its glass optics. One good lens is far superior than three cheap lenses with poor optics (construction, the amount of elements, maximum aperture). Camera bodies have different levels of strength and reliability. Sand, dirt, dust, grime, vibration, drop, including extreme climatic temperatures within damp humid zones, sub zero temperatures, or in blistering hot regions, will test camera bodies to their limitations. Most high-end semi-pro DSLR camera bodies will survive a long-term overland journey through Africa to Asia via the Middle East - and back again. The weak link are lenses. One drop can destroy a lens in seconds - then what? Fungus and dust shows no mercy, no matter the brand of lens. Quick snap shots on the go are easily done with anything with a lens on it. Tack sharp street portraits in low light are captured using quality optics, no matter how old the lens is. Issues with Sony digital camera 2018 article by Nasim Mansurov. 

Every street portrait capture tells a story, the location where it was taken, the reason it was taken, and the interaction level before and after the capture of it. Travelling with Photo-gear will not only give the chance of collecting a wide variety of images for freelancing or canvas, it also opens up a realm of endless creativity during any travel journey for those who pursue it. Street photographers like myself are many, with each having their own visions and concepts of personal taste. It begins every time one walks out into the street, no matter the location, country or continent.  

I'm still using 12 megapixel Nikon pro-bodies in 2020. Yes, they're heavy tanks, but totally robust and reliable in any environment. What ever choice of camera, ensure it can handle drop abuse, and handle extreme heat and sub-zero conditions. Screaming will do you no good at all when cameras fail in the middle of nowhere - which happens more often than most think.

Forget about selfies... they're a dime a dozen. Getting out on streets interacting with total strangers, and capturing close-up portraits strengthens anyone's self-confidence - try it, it works!

Solo Overland Travel - Cell Camera, P&S, DSLR Photo-Gear.

Don't rely on smart phone cameras for perfect image quality captures no matter the brand name.  Smart phone cameras of late are promoted to be as good as point and Shoots, M4/3 and DSLR cameras - but in reality they're not! Low light portraiture and distant subjects, especially wildlife will be unsatisfying, and even more unsatisfying when images are cropped for enlargement. The deception that more megapixels in smart phone cameras increase image quality is an old ploy that's been around within the digital camera world for years. Smart phone cameras are good for selfie,  location snaps, and on the go video and time-lapse - that's about it.
Capturing quick snaps, TimeLapse, and videos on the go are the usual limitations of what most smart phone cameras can handle. Skeptics will probably debate this, but the truth of the matter is proven by quality, reliability, and function when comparing cell cameras to quality point and shoots, M4/3 or DSLR's. Smart phone cameras struggle to produce the same finished qualities from a processed Raw file from a camera.
​Travelling overland through continents for 12-18 months using a smart phone camera to capture images will become very dis-satisfying. One will also have to trust the reliability of any smart phones construction for bash, bump, drop and grind. Speed and quick functionality to capture images, whether in low light, moving, or at distance is something smart phones struggle to do. Social media quick-snaps taken with cell cameras are usually a dime a dozen. Images captured with DSLR's finished in canvas blowups displayed on walls can't be matched. The difference in quality is massive. Think seriously if travelling long-term only using a cell camera - Don't be like many others who regretted doing this!

If you're wanting close-up wildlife image captures like the one shown below, don't expect any of the latest hi-tech smart phone cameras to do the same - even if you're in a zoo. Purchase some DSLR photo-gear before even thinking to visit wildlife national parks and sanctuaries within any country across continents.   

Solo Overland Travel - Long Prime Lenses

Long large prime lenses have more positives than negatives. They're able to capture images kilometres away holding good sharpness. Once you end up using powerful prime lenses, there's no going back. Wildlife subjects at long distance are in your face, including landscape and street subjects. The downside of large primes are their weight, bulkiness and the need of a reliable tripod and lens pack. I've travelled overland through regions of Asia using a 5.5kg 800mm lens without issues. All I can say is, the results are well worth the effort.

The deception that many actually believe DSLR photo-gear is dead in the water is hogwash. The image below is proof of this. There's virtually zero possibility to capture images like this without using long powerful DSLR prime lenses. Smart phone cameras, point and shoots, and M3/4 cameras will all struggle capturing closeup snaps in the wild. The impossibilities to even get up close enough - even if it were possible will scare most wildlife to move without hesitation. The lens grabbing this capture was produced from 1986 to 2005. Without it, this image would be non-existent.    

Below, the Nikon Nikkor 800mm f/5.6 AI-s lens on location @4435 M (14550 ft) in minus 25C - Jan/Feb 2020. This classic tank clocked up another overland journey covering 4600 kilometres by train, car, van and 4x4. It's now survived through freezing sub-zero temperatures and blistering +51C desert heat without a single issue. The lens has proven to be a reliable workhorse within any environment its taken into.            

Random Street Photography - Interacting Works

Pushing the limit to grab random street snaps of complete strangers should be avoided unless interaction or permission was already established. Using basic skills to interact with locals is simple enough to master. Determining if a person wants to be photographed, or not, is by the simple positive or negative gestures a person shows. Pointing cameras in the faces of a complete strangers usually doesn't go down well. This may result with verbal abuse, deletion of images, assault, and the camera smashed. I've seen some nutty foreign tourists over the years who were arrested for taking images within sensitive areas knowing it was forbidden to do so. They had SD cards removed and cameras seized. Taking random street images of women in the Middle East, and north Africa without the consent to do so is definitely a no-brainier. Interacting with strangers first is the polite way to photograph without having confrontational issues. Now and then someone that may not like what you're doing from within a crowd of people can spoil a positive vibe by causing incitement for no reason. If this happens, it's best to move on without escalating the situation. If tribal groups demand payment, which happens, the fee should be agreed on first before taking images. The below snaps are classic examples of negative and positive interaction levels of street photography.

Solo Overland Travel - Motivation

One common occurrence amongst western foreigners on the road is with who they travel with. Whether it be couples, old friends, associates or small groups, westerners normally enjoy more time associating with the company of other foreigners. After 12 months or longer on the road, motivation levels of people differ, and can influence fellow travellers boosting energy levels and moral. This can also have zero effect on those who are are already completely drained and worn out.
Overland travel street photography relatively works in the same way. Some foreigners may have no interest in street photography, while others are fully charged heading out the door each morning at sun rise. If you think travelling overland through countries across continents is difficult enough - try walking through streets wherever the location may be to capture satisfying images (minus selfie snaps). Having the motivation, but with zero interaction skills won't get far. One easy solution is by meeting-up with other foreigners or locals doing daily street photography who already have these skills. Tagging along with any experienced street photographer for short-time periods will automatically increase positive results.  

 Solo Overland Travel - Basic Hygiene

Avoiding Full Blown Diarrhoea Can Be avoided Just By washing Your Hands    

The majority of most westerners travelling and transiting through countries or continents quickly learn how many public hand basins in cheap hotels, gas stations, restaurants, including bush-buses with WC's are cake filled with grime. This isn't a negative dig at any particular country or public service, it's about those who may have weak immune systems, and pickup some dreaded pathogen. Handbasin tap handles and WC door handles are the worst culprits containing fresh loads of solid bacteria. One can use disposable wipes, but there will be times when wipes or liquid cleanser is forgotten. Learning the art of turning off tap handles and opening WC doors is one way, but an easy solution is to rewash your hands with bottled drinking water before handling food. Touching dirty cash notes and coins, shaking someones hand, peeling or eating unwashed fruit, or touching restaurant and bus seats are just a few other examples of direct contact with bacteria that can give anyone having weak stomachs full blown diarrhoea. There's approximately 5 billion people who use their hands instead of toilet paper around the planet - with most having healthy hygienic values. Eating local fresh made yogurt everyday will automatically build up a positive bacterial resistance for those with weak immune systems. Washing hands properly before fingering food will avoid exploding stomachs and runny rear-ends.

Are You Suffering From NPD?

Narcissistic  Personality Disorder - A Depressional Brain Frier!

Changing lifestyles disconnecting from social media, and walking away from certain circles of "friends" is the great escape to freedom. Statistics show that many suffering early NPD symptoms fail to recognise their narcissistic behaviour, with some ending-up committing suicide due to sudden triggered depression, rejection, and anxiety. Becoming a victim of your own addiction behaviour is of your own doing - No One Else!

No, this isn't about some ridiculous wilderness retreat therapy programme situated in the middle of nowhere. One can become worse off inside rehabs sharing time-out with others suffering NPD, or other related mental mind problems. Getting your life back is easier than what most may think. Switching off from social media will feel like death sentences to some, but what are you actually missing out on? The truth is absolutely nothing! Switching cell phones off is a good start. It begins by self-controlling social media - a drip line feed to social media is more than enough once a week. Limiting taking selfies will save some from death. The task of interacting with other people around you, or creating dialogue with complete strangers face to face, and hanging out at isolated locations with no internet is the path to freedom. Using a camera instead capturing images helps control selfie-snap addiction.  
Many suffer from NPD "Selfie like" dopamine addiction for every snap one posts on social media. This addiction also applies to travel bloggers, who, like sheep, post constructed images of themselves, as though they need to prove to their audience they were actually there - the butterfly effect in full swing - yes?
Why become a victim to full-blown dopamine NPD addiction? It's about knowing in advance, recognising the symptoms, and controlling it like any other addiction before it's too late.
Ask any alcoholic or drug user around the planet, the majority will deny their addictions. NPD social media dopamine addiction is worse - it can affect anyone.
Many would still be alive today, if they hadn't taken selfies falling off cliffs, or skyscrapers, slipping down waterfalls, run over by trains, or on top of trains, or smashing their head to bits out of car windows, or ignoring restricted zones or being naked at Machu Picchu, or having narcissistic sex on top of the great pyramid in Giza, or falling off bridges. 
NPD Dopamine addiction is real. It can eventually turn into deep depression mood swings, just like drug users needing a fresh load of smack, or a hit of meth. Getting your life back from social media addiction will only happen by disconnecting from it. It begins by shutting down selfie addiction - or it will kill you in the end!    

Freedom From Debt Before Travel

Got any debts hanging around your neck? Being debt-free before departing home base gives total freedom without having headaches further up the road that can mount to additional interest payments and burden. Becoming a slave to your own debt is a no-brainer which catches many caught up in bank traps. Think old school - if you can't afford paying for something - Don't purchase it! Having a healthy cash stash for long-term travel is about the best advice one can give. Finding sponsors funding long-term travel journeys comes with pros & cons. Living in constant debt, or clocking up even more debt while off-shore can easily turn some towards illegal activity. Winding up broke mixing with the wrong crowd usually happens to those with empty pockets trying to find an easy way out. Running out of cash, and becoming a drug mule, a gold smuggler, a boiler room fraudster, or selling drugs to other foreigners to fund lazy off-shore lifestyles is nothing new. Foreigners caught and busted doing illegal activity usually ends inside hot sweaty jail cells for years, or even decades, deported and black banned. Traveling having zero debt gives total freedom!  

Western Beg Packers

Seoul : Tokyo : Manila : Kathmandu : Kula Lumpur : Bali : Santiago : Goa : Cusco : Bogota : Petra : Nairobi : Zanzibar : San Jose  

The embarrassment of Western Beg-packers has reached all time highs through Asia and South America, with some even having their own trendy You Tube channels. Tell me - How low can you go? Western nationals beg-packing literally rob street hand-outs from poor locals who actually need cash donations for food and clothing. Westerners can be spotted street busking in rich Asian cities, trendy beach party destinations, or at world heritage locations, or wherever there's a constant stream of tourists. Westerners living the lifestyle off-shore by beg-packing for cash handouts has only one theme - An off-shore westerner beggar! Why not apply for a working holiday visa? or Beg Pack in your own country first! Westerners becoming stuck and broke off-shore - which does happen, can easily call into their Embassy, and beg to get themselves back home, find a job, work hard, and save up cash like anyone else.