This is a dedicated site for those solely interested in solo overland travel and transit through the continents. Planning intrepid 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 time. Going it alone cutting out your own itinerary is certainly the way to go to get the real feel of local atmosphere. When travelling solo, many doors open where they wouldn't if it was a crowd. Interacting with locals and complete strangers is a must do priority, and will play a major roll through all the continents, and becomes an automatic procedure. Interacting with total strangers may sound an impossible task to some, but using an open friendly personality is the key towards capturing awesome street portraits and whatever else there is of interest. All images in 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 site is kept simple with a single purpose - Overland Travel in any direction, using any means of transport to get through. It avoids all promos, advertising, and links to hotels, tourist ghettos, holiday resorts, overland travel package tours, food and shopping addictions, selfie-fluff travel bloggers, and airlines. If you're into long-term solo overland travel like myself - without time limits, and have the urge to transit through the continents at your own pace, with an interest in street and wildlife photography - there's certainly something of interest here for you to browse through - Enjoy     

Many travel bloggers today sell themselves off as vivid travellers, but in reality they're not - and they know it. In todays world of online false fluff and plastic, travel blogging is about creating a survival cash stash and nothing more. It's about re-marketing travel tourism, as though exotic places have just been discovered, and never 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 one thing in common - the butterfly effect "it's so beautiful", "it was so amazing", "how wonderful" - typical soapy tourist click bait that makes you yawn. Many travel bloggers create a total false illusion of the real vibe that's experienced travelling through countries and across continents. Using local bush-buses, mini vans, and desert sand taxis all have the same atmosphere, thus being the complete opposite of the usual "travel blog" fetishes of blissfulness.
A few examples of real-time solo overland travel using local transport is the smell of sweaty armpit odours, vomit on the floor, wasted food scraps glued on seats, locals picking their noses flicking the contents at you, the sounds of deep farts with wicked aromas, constant loud snoring, music at full volume, used as a pillow, cell phones constantly blaring, stale chewing gum 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, spilt fluids flowing under your seat, irritating blowflies, mosquitos and insects trapped on board, random drug control baggage checks, drivers fighting with passengers, uncontrollable baby screams with smelly loaded diapers, goats, pigs and sheep crowding your space, random groping, toxic smelly feet in your face, baggage soaked in engine oil below deck, rattling clattering jammed windows, extreme hi-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-stop vibrations, bad accidents, blown engines, transmissions, diffs, and long breakdowns, highway bandit hold-ups, standing room only, the pushing, jostling and shoving entering or exiting local transport, silent robbery, diarrhoea pressure on a non-stop moving bush-bus, free sharing of ticks, fleas, and bed bugs from passengers ...need I say more?

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 a normal procedure, but there are some regions that can only be verified on the ground with fresh gathered information from locals, or from 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, and across certain regions through Africa is a completely different ballgame. This website uses my own overland transit maps that show major routes through many countries and continents that have been accomplished. All other maps are from the Ezilon website with individual links to countries of interest. Google maps are not used on this site.  

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 lone-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 hi-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 skin sizzling and constantly sweating. Dehydration, sunstroke, and heat rash during transit across desert environs are . Forget about air-conditioning, it doesn't exist. Drinking water turns into hot liquid tasting like hot shower water when guzzling it down. The whiff of bloated animal carcasses during transit becomes apparent above +4oC. This is witnessed transiting through north Africa, and the Mid East with aromas of rotten carcasses swirling through the air for kilometres. Transiting through extreme humid regions 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 freely off-load Zika, West Nile, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Encephalitis, and Chikungunya virus parasites. Forget lying on a beach, it's a pastime that can be done anywhere anytime. Completing gruelling overland transit journeys through the Sahara, the Amazon, or from the Himalayan roof-top plateau is a challenge that's unbeatable. Here are the Big 3 active links for the latest updates on earthquakes, volcanic and weather conditions. The Overland  Transit page has plenty of mixed image-snaps and data to inspire those wanting to experience some real solo overland travel.

Issued visas for onward travel to neighbouring countries can and sometimes be an issue depending on passport nationality. Just because you may hold an American, 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, and DRC (Congo) are two examples out of many countries that can be complicated for some who apply for visas outside their own countries. Imagine 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 Consulate belonging to 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, and may require transiting through red zone regions that have sporadic banditry holdups, bribes, ransom pay-offs, or militia groups that show no mercy towards certain nationalities.

Applying for any visa no matter what country or continent it's in should always be applied 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 to scruffy, smelly, or exposing to 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 usually 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 foreigners 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 from Israel.
India is a good example for American, Australian, and NZ passport holders who may apply for a 5 or 10 year multiple entry visa in their country of origin. This option isn't available outside their own countries, and will be left at the discretion of Indian Consular or Embassy staff who will either issue a 6 month/3 month/1 month visa. A one month eVisa is not extendable and only valid for a month. 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 border entries from or to China  via Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar are other transit route possibilities.
Visas for South and Central America have almost dwindled down to a formal entry stamp 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. 
Africa on the other hand will depend on the direction of overland transit, 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. All about visas             

A cash money supply is always recommended in the middle of nowhere when ATM's are non-existent or days away when they're needed. Latinos, Africans, and Asians all through their respective continents use and handle cash every day. Indian ATM's for example, will only allow a 10,000 rupee withdrawal limit if using any off-shore debit card - with a horrendous rip-off surcharge each time the card is fed in a ATM. Cash US dollars on the other hand, will avoid rip-off ATM surcharges, and also give a higher rate of exchange. In general, this applies throughout all the continents. When transiting across land borders, the exchanging of local currency from one country to the next  is usually 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, or from power cuts. At most land border crossings money changers are waiting for you. Haggling for the highest rate is a normal procedure. Don't leave home base without a surplus load of cash dollars. Fresh clean mint unripped bills are accepted anywhere without issues. Grubby torn notes with scribble or food stains are usually rejected. Purchasing US dollars in most countries is another option. This is legal and still remains valid, although time consuming in some countries like South Africa and Iran. It's also still legal to carry up to $10,000 US dollars cash without having to declare it. Carrying a copy of the original purchase transactions of any cash stash is recommended. This verifies to border authorities proof of where the cash came from if searched. Carrying gold and silver is also legal and isn't an issue if purchased with invoices. Nepal and India do have security checks at land border crossings and airports for gold, drug, and cash smugglers. Overland Transit Page. 

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 a Nikon D3 body. The D3 has a proven track record for reliability within any environment. It's a snapping workhorse capturing images all day non-stop even though it's nearly 12 years old. Today, most camera brands are almost identical to one another apart from their brand name. Fuji, Nikon, Canon, and Sony have different levels of semi-pro and pro bodies with "user friendly" functions guaranteeing  satisfaction. Personally IMO, the optics are more important than the camera body it's mounted on. The body can only capture 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 also have different levels of strength and reliability. Sand, dirt, dust, grime, vibration, drop, including extreme climatic temperatures within damp humid zones, or in blistering hot regions will test most camera bodies to their limits. Most semi-pro camera bodies will survive an overland journey through Africa to Asia via the Middle East and back again. The weak link is the lens, it should be kept protected during dusty vibrating bush bus transits - which there are many from Cape Town to Hong Kong. Those interested in Sony digital camera-bodies should read this first from a 2018 article by Nasim Mansurov. Quick snap shots on the go are easily done with anything with a lens on it, but capturing tack sharp street portraits in low light are done with good quality optics, no matter the make or model, or how old the lens is.  More in the photo-gear page.

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 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. I'm still using 12 megapixel Nikon pro-bodies in 2019 without the need of updating. Yes, they're heavy tanks, but totally robust and reliable in any environment. What ever choice of DSLR, ensure it can handle drop abuse, and be able to handle extreme heat and cold conditions. Screaming will do you no good at all due to camera failure in the middle of nowhere - which happens more often than most think.

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 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 an entire continent for 12-18 months using a smart phone camera to capture images will be 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 an image, 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, and finished in canvas, and displayed as a gallery on the wall can't be matched. The difference in quality is massive, and worth the investment and completion of any overland journey through a continent.             

Are you sick and tired using public transport? Purchasing your own VW Kombi to transit through South America is an alternative. Imagine, 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

Top plugin header Images​

Savannah highway : Himalayan transit : Central Amazon : Eastern Sahara : Patagonia : Cliff top transit 

Pushing the limit to grab random street snaps of strangers should be avoided unless interaction and 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. Shoving a camera in the face of a complete stranger 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, and had their cameras seized. Taking random street images of women in the Middle East, and north Africa without the consent to do so is no-brainier. Interacting with strangers first is the polite way to photograph without having issues. The below snap may show resentment, which is why it's used, but shyness and laughter hides behind the pot.