Baldpacker

Wow, awesome. Definitely some harder to reach places I've been to Rwanda (loved it - the Genocide museum is one of the best museums I've visited as far as the education and emotional impact it imparted on me. Seeing mountain gorillas was also quite cool). I also really enjoyed Ethiopia (but not Addis) and have a lot on my blog if you're interested.

I'd love to hear more about the logistics of your Congo, Eritrea, Chad, Niger, and West Africa once you're done (visa arrangements, carriers, things to see and do).

You're definitely getting to some tough to reach spots! Yemen is pretty sketchy right now (US Embassy closed yesterday) but let me know when you end up planning to come through.

I'd also love to hear about your experience in Chad / Niger / Mauritania / Senegal when you're done. As far as the Emirates go, I did a "6 Emirates in a Day" tour that was pretty interesting. I think I posted about it on my blog. After Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Fujeirah is the next most popular destination for most people.

This is one of my favourite threads on FT and it's because you're all a bunch of crazy adventurers! I can't wait to see the trip reports!

hauteboy

This was late 2002/ early 2003. Afghanistan was a little too exciting back then. Iraq hadn't gotten exciting yet.

Kagehitokiri

ah

IIRC one of the top guys on MTP did afghanistan "illegally" early on in war

mpkz

I love this blog, I love his independent traveler approach as well as the amount of detail that he has on many destinations, it's actually useful for me when I'm planning a trip which is not really the case with a lot of travel blogs (because they cannot go in much depth, describe personal experiences and have out of date prices)

Especially like his visits to countries that are "unvisitable" (well you could but beyond my risk tolerance) these days without a guided tour or protection like Yemen. Shame he didn't manage Afghanistan..

DanielW

Yes, he became a FA to see the world to see the world and he literally has!

I actually asked him about Afghanistan when we were talking about Somalia (he went there the week before I did), and he said he had been a long time ago, and unfortunately did not have any photo's though.

He is quite active on the Lonelyplanet forums (name: bkester), always sussing out his next adventure.

Kagehitokiri

are most of you on http://mosttraveledpeople.com/ ?

DanielW

Had a cool time in Sudan but unfortunately the South Sudan trip was cancelled. Had an amazing time in Rwanda & DRC and had a cool adventure with hauteboy to Chad, Mauritania, Senegal & Niger (TR coming soon).

Having a bit of a break at the moment but have trips booked to Beirut, Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Prague in the next few months.

A trip to Turkmenistan is hopefully on the cards and are toying with either another Africa trip or visiting South America for the first time later this year too.

mpkz

I'm strongly considering Turkmenistan as well (planning on traveling from Moscow-Tashkent by train in July/August, thought about extending it to Turkmenistan). Are you going to go on a transit visa? Let me know how you find the visa process.

edit: that is if you take the transit visa.

DanielW

I think we're flying into and out of Ashgabat, so I guess we will have to get a tourist/visitor visa(?).

mpkz

Oh, you need to be accompanied by a tour guide the whole time with a tourist visa, right?

hauteboy

Not the whole time... only if you're going out of Ashgabat. And our guide disappeared at night so we were free to wander around the towns on our own.

mpkz

Yeah, thanks, that's kind of what I meant with the question (basically it's not independent travel?)

hauteboy

My new map is looking better.. closing in on the finish, only 18 more to go.

DanielW

Nice! Almost like a jigsaw waiting for the final pieces, with a contagious killer disease and a failed state or two to make things interesting.

Where did you get the map maker from?

rankourabu

You dont need the tour guide at all if staying in Ashgabat. Didnt see mine except for hotel check in and then when he dropped me off few days later at the Iranian border.