Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cilities and most people recommend taking a guide. It's about two days' travel time to
Loyangalani. Rainy-season travel is not possible. On the remote chance the long-promised
bridge is finally finished (there's also a very expensive ferry - Birr1000 per tonne - but
it's often out of commission) the crossing west of the Omo River at Namoruputh is easier
because the road is better. Kenyan immigration is in Todonyang, 7km after the border.
Tribal conflicts remain common in this area, so check on the situation before trying either
of these routes.
»There's an
Ethiopian immigration post
( 7.30am-5pm)
in Omorate that can stamp
you out; there's still no Kenyan post to issue you a visa, so you must obtain one from the
Kenyan embassy in Addis Ababa beforehand. Once you reach Nairobi you'll have to get it
stamped; immigration officials are used to this. Bring lots of fuel and a big sense of ad-
venture!
ENTERING ETHIOPIA OVERLAND
The overland route from South Africa through southern Africa and East Africa to Ethiopia is quite well trodden,
and should present few problems, though the last section through northern Kenya is the toughest and still suffers
from sporadic banditry. Be aware, though, that Ethiopian visas are only being issued in Nairobi for Kenyan cit-
izens and residents (see the boxed text,
Click here
). If you're heading on to Cairo and the end of Africa, things
start to get more complicated after Ethiopia - the main complication goes by the name of Sudan. Tourist visas are
notoriously hard to obtain (unless you employ the services of a Sudanese tour company), but transit visas, allow-
ing a generous two weeks in Sudan, are pretty simple to get in Addis.
For important visa and documentation information
Click here
. For details on travelling with a vehicle
Click
Somaliland
You might brace yourself for adventure, but getting to Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, is
very easy.
»Many buses and minibuses run along the good, paved road between Jijiga and the border
town of Togo-Wuchale (Birr30, one to 1½ hours). Get stamped out at Ethiopian immigra-
tion (it's the white building with a flag and satellite dish) before walking 100m over the
causeway in no-man's-land to the brightly signed Somaliland immigration office in the
twin village of Wajaale. The visa must have been acquired or arranged prior to your ar-
rival by a hotel or an agent in Hargeisa - see Visas for Onward Travel on
Click here
f
or
details.
