27 November 1999 - 17 January 2000

General Information

Introduction
Setting up the Landrover
Travel Documentation
Reference Books
Cost estimate
Currency table
Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION

This trip was not a single purpose trip. I was undertaking it as an opportunity to visit Ethiopia for the first time, and to learn a bit about the country and people, by travelling around as many areas a practical. Obviously I also wanted to visit the main historical sites, and other areas of interest. Finally, it was an opportunity to see the birds and animals of Ethiopia.

In trying to combine all the above, it was easier to start with ensuring that I was going to pass through all the areas where endemic bird species occurred, and to visit the eastern, northern and western limits of the country, so that I would maximize the coverage of the species' range. Once this objective was set out, it was relatively easy to combine it with the general travel objective and the historical sites.

The original intention was to make the trip longer (although work pressure - especially the boss - mitigated against this). I was always aware that extending the trip to Eritrea was highly improbable given the political situation between the two countries. However, it seemed quite possible to go still further north and visit Sudan. In theory, this was all arranged, but then a communication failure with the Ambassador's secretary in Pretoria meant that I didn’t get the visa before leaving. But arrangements were in place for me to get one quite quickly in Addis Ababa. However, before I was ready to apply, I heard of the declaration of a State of Emergency in Sudan, so I gave up any idea of visiting Sudan.

I have undertaken a variety of trips in my Landrover over the last 15 years, covering South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia extensively. I also spent some time in Mozambique, and made one extended trip through Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Hence I was under the impression that I was sufficiently well experienced on the area, and was well-prepared. To some extent this was true, but life always manages some surprises.

SETTING UP THE LANDROVER

The Landrover was a last of the Series 3 Pickup Landrovers made in South Africa, and has certain parts from the replacement R6 version (such as brakes and wheel rims). However, the engine and gearbox were the original 4 cylinder 2 250 cc petrol engine. Because of my height (6 foot 8 inches / 2.03 metres), I had converted the Landrover into a station-wagon, with the rear canopy forming a single unit with the front cab. This allowed me to push the driving seat back to provide enough leg-room.

On this structure, I had put a roof-rack with an Easi-Awn roof-top tent. On the back I fixed two No. 10 Cadac gas cylinders and a spare wheel (independently mounted from the door). I also fixed two long-range fuel tanks under the front seats. This gave me a total petrol capacity of just over 200 litres - or between 1100 and 1400 km, depending on the road conditions. There were two 130 watt halogen spots mounted under the roof-rack where they were safe from stones, branches, etc.

In addition to this, I carried 6 25-litre water cans (not quite full), and an MSR water filter (which I never actually needed). Obviously I carried a wide variety of tools. The most well used were the 3 jacks - a high-lift for lifting the vehicle to change tyres and/or springs, a small 2-ton hydraulic jack which was invaluable in adjusting the springs to fit them, and a scissor jack, which was used to position the axle horizontally to fit the lugs on the springs.

The roof-top tent was fitted with the normal mattress, as well as a 2-inch ultra-high density foam under-mattress. This increased the comfort level very substantially. Rather than using a sleeping bag, I took along a light-weight duvet, which is the most comfortable option in warmer climates. However, in the highlands I also used a sleeping bag as an extra blanket - and in the mountains I slept in the sleeping bag with the duvet as a blanket. This worked fine (except for Bale). Although I took along a lightweight normal tent, I never used it.

I used the Cadac gas only for light, using a 100 candle-power light. Cooking was carried out on an MSR dragonfly multi-fuel cooker, which I ran on Paraffin. Note: petrol is called Petrol, Blend or Regular south of Ethiopia, but Benzene in Ethiopia. Similarly Diesel is called Gas-Oil in Ethiopia, and Paraffin is called Kerosene. A Garmin 3 GPS with internal map was invaluable. While the map was largely useless in terms of roads and villages (it seemed to have only small villages - with all towns and cities were missing), the mapping and way-point facility was invaluable, especially if one had co-ordinates of towns, national parks, etc to orientate one.

Other than that, I took along sufficient cold and hot food to mean that I didn't need to stop to buy supplies. I also took along two pairs of binoculars - my favourite Minolta 12 x 50's and a lightweight pair of Nikon 9 x 25's. Both were extensively used, depending on the conditions. In the latter part of the trip the Minolta's developed a fault in the focussing mechanism, so I was most grateful to have a backup pair. My new Kowa TSN821 scope with the 32x wide-angle eye-piece was used on the lakes to search for waterfowl.

What I deliberately did not take was a camera - as a keen photographer I find that if I have a camera I spend too much time composing photographs, and didn't want to be restricted in this manner. With hindsight, I still believe my decision was right, as there are plenty of photographic guides that have excellent photographs covering most of what I saw.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION

Research

I used a significant number of books to research the possible routes on the trip - see the reference Books section below. However, most information was gathered through the SA Bird Net list server. While it is mainly about southern African birding, many of the subscribers have travelled extensively in Africa, and are able to help, or provide contacts of others who can help. For details on the list server, go to http://www.birdlife.co.za.

The following is a brief list of the documents that I obtained for the trip, and the requirements at the various borders. I often heard of horror stories of people being held up at border posts for hours, but have yet to experience this myself. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to cross through any border, and be prepared to visit up to 6 different officials who each fill in your details in various registers. However, all were most pleasant and friendly on the whole of the trip.

I should also record that during the whole trip, no-one asked for - or even intimated they might be interested in - a bribe.

General

Before leaving I obtained a variety of documents from the AA. First was a ten-page carnet. This is not actually needed for Zimbabwe or Zambia, so it is rarely necessary to apply for the more expensive 25-page version.

I also obtained an international driving license (I was only once asked for it - in Zambia), and an International Certificate for Motor Vehicles (which was never required, but might be in Sudan).

I arranged about 20 ID photos, as these are often required at border posts for visas, etc - but I only used two getting the second Ethiopian visa in Djibouti.

I arranged a comprehensive medical insurance through Europ Assistance which, while not required on the trip, was required to get a visa to Djibouti, and is a good idea to carry. Remember to make sure the contact details are easily visible should you be unconscious!

Other than that, I arranged visas for Tanzania, Ethiopia and Djibouti through the respective embassies (France for Djibouti). I was, of course, travelling on a South African passport.

Zimbabwe

South Africans do not require a visa, but must pay the toll for the new bridge, which was R41-40. One the way north I used a temporary vehicle import permit, which is very quick and simple to use, although one must declare all ones personal belongings. From previous experience I have a typed up and photocopied list, which is countersigned by the customs officers. There is no charge for the vehicle import. On the way back I used the AA carnet as I had spare pages left - and to my amazement they then asked me to fill in details of the contents on a separate form. Clearly this is the only country that understands how a carnet is supposed to work - it is only supposed to be for the vehicle, not the contents. While I was impressed with this at Chirundu, it was made up for the fact that the customs officer at Beit Bridge had never seen a carnet before, so I had to fill it out for her - and stamp it. I took out a 3-month insurance policy for less than double the cost of a 30-day policy (so it could be used on the return leg).

You cannot change money at the border, but several of the new large service stations near Beit Bridge and Masvingo have small forex bureau that can change money cheaply and quickly, even using a credit card. A credit card can be used to buy petrol in many areas, including at Makuti near Chirundu.

Zambia

South Africans do not require a visa in advance, and it is free. The completion of the carnet was a formality, and allowed thevehicle and all its contents to be imported without any other paperwork. On entering I arranged a 2-month insurance at the border (Kwacha 26 250) - although when travelling through Kariba in the past, the insurance office is often closed, so one needs to arrange it in Lusaka. It is easy to change money at the border, especially since the insurance must be paid in Zambian Kwacha.

On the way back there were two differences. First that the Nakonde District Council levies a small tax (Kwacha 5 000), and I was issued with an driving permit free of charge. This latter is a recent innovation that one has to approve of - it was the only time anyone asked to see my driving license on the whole trip. It was then asked for at almost every roadblock.

Since I was planning no bird-watching in Zambia on this trip (other than areas I had previously visited) I only contacted Carl Beel about campsites in the extreme north.

Tanzania

Although one can buy a visa at the border, I obtained a single-entry visa in advance, which seemed to be valid for both legs of the trip, as I was not required to pay on my return. The AA carnet removed all customs problems, for the vehicle contents as well as the vehicle itself. A road tax is payable, and normally a payment of US$ 25 is required for one month. However, on my return I was able to obtain a 7-day tax, which only costs US$ 5. Insurance is required - and regularly checked. It was cheaper (and possible) to buy a two-month cover for TSh 26 250 than buying the monthly cover twice. On the way back, it would have been possible to buy the yellow PTA insurance card. This is the one to get, since it covers Zambia to Kenya on a single policy. However, I had never previously been able to find a way of buying it. Money is best changed at the border, where the rates appear to be very similar to that offered at the banks.

Since I was planning no bird-watching in Tanzania on this trip, I didn't try to find out any information in advance, although I did spend some time chatting with Dave Moyer, who is the expert on the Eastern Arc mountains.

Kenya

I did not obtain any papers for Kenya, since visas are issued free of charge to South Africans at the border. The standard AA carnet removes all border hassles for the vehicle contents as well as the vehicle itself. A vehicle permit is required, and the 2-month permit cost me US$ 20. At neither border post was insurance available, and one had to get it in Nairobi. Money is best changed at the border, where the rates appear to be very similar to that offered at the banks.

Other information was not forth-coming on the northern desert, with Steve & Don Turner unable to provide any specific information on the larks of the area. However, I was lucky enough to find two of the three hoped-for larks.

Ethiopia

Before leaving, I obtained a single-entry visa from the Ethiopian Embassy in Pretoria. I had requested a multiple-entry visa, but was informed that they could only issue a single-entry visa. The embassy also provided a letter in Amharic, which was supposed to assist me through customs. This was all that was required, and entry cost US$ 1. More problematic was getting back after visiting Djibouti. It is not possible to get a multiple-entry visa unless you have a permanent residence permit, so you must first leave Ethiopia before applying to re-enter. This is very problematic for overland visitors who might wish to go to Sudan or Djibouti - since from both countries it is essential to return to Ethiopia - unless you wish to ship your vehicle out by air or sea.

No carnet was required at the border, the letter was sufficient. It is necessary to declare all your currency, and there is no reason not to do this, since you cannot change any money other than dollars in Ethiopia, and the black-market gives worse rates than the banks. The only black-market money available was at the Moyale border post, and this is only necessary if (like me) you cross over on a Saturday afternoon. No insurance could be bought at the border, but most towns have an insurance agency. Unlike most countries to the south, there are very few checkpoints, generally only near the Moyale border, and at strategic bridges (not unreasonable for a country at war).

Other information was gained from various people who had visited the country, all who flew there except Carole Roberts & Chris Hines who had driven up. Much useful information was gained from the SA Bird net list server. I had met Mengistu Wondafrash when he visited South Africa to study the White-winged Flufftail population here, and although we corresponded regularly, he was away on field work too often for me to arrange to meet him again while in Addis Ababa. However, in the end it was Steve Spawls who provided the most information, and gave me the necessary information on local conditions of roads.

Djibouti

Before leaving, I obtained a single-entry visa from the French Embassy in Pretoria. I had no other documents in advance, nor had to obtain anything at the border - there were no customs, so the Carnet was not required. No money changed hand at the border post. There were no visible facilities to purchase insurance other than in Djibouti city, and I was never asked for any documentation.

The only other information I received was from Hilary & Geoff Welch, who have spent much time birding there, but always flew in, and travelled around using local transport. I never came across anyone who had driven overland to (or from) Djibouti.

REFERENCE BOOKS

The following books were used by myself in researching the trip, and many were taken along for the trip itself. This list is not comprehensive as to what is available in the market, but I found to be more than adequate for my purposes. The ones high-lighted by ** were considered absolutely essential, and any traveller should take these along as a minimum.

If a keen birder, I cannot recommend too strongly taking along the heavyweight Birds of Africa. Having access to that wealth of information in the field is invaluable – but obviously this will only apply to people taking their own vehicle. I had considered scanning the information onto a small laptop, but I am certain that no laptop would have survived the trip – the vibrations and bumps would have been too much for any but highly specialized industrial instruments.

The list of books used for planning is not restricted to Ethiopia, as my original plans included Sudan. I am also a realist, so I had planned for problems in northern Kenya or Ethiopia that would lead to me having to abandon the trip as planned, and then restrict my trip to Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda. Hence, some key books for these areas are included in this list.

Travel

** Guide to Ethiopia, Philip Briggs - 1995, Bradt Publications, ISBN 1-56440-814-0 - An excellent guide that has hardly dated. Has information on virtually every town or village that I passed through. Indispensable.

Spectrum Guide to Ethiopia, Camerapix - 1995, Camerapix Publishers International, ISBN 086190-535-0 - Contains excellent photographs and some useful information. In my case, my attitude was that I was unlikely to take better photographs, so I didn't take a camera, rather showing friends this book.

** Guide to Eritrea, Edward Paice - 1996, Bradt Publications, ISBN 1-56440-951-1 - Since I was unable to get to Eritrea, I cannot comment on its accuracy, but the information seems to be up to the usual Bradt guide standard.

Visitors' Guide to Kenya and East Africa, Philip Briggs -  1995, Southern Book Publishers, ISBN 1-86812-533-5 - A brief light-weight guide, suitable for a quick visit to Kenya (with short sections on Tanzania and Uganda) on the way to (or from) Ethiopia, but a better guide could, I am sure, be found for a more extensive trip to these countries.

Kenya, Hugh Finlay & Geoff Crowther -  1994, Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit, ISBN 0-86442-202-4 - I find the Lonely Planet guides to be much less informative than the Bradt guides, and this one seems to have aged badly, with all the information on Moyale (the only place I needed it) out-of-date, and so useless.

Guide to Tanzania, Philip Briggs - 1993, Bradt Publications, ISBN 094-698-3-99-2 - Not required unless serious excursions are going to be undertaken in Tanzania, in which case it is essential reading.

Birds

** Collins Illustrated Checklist of East African Birds, Ber van Perlo -  1995, Collins, ISBN 0-00-219937-8 - Illustrates every species, but not always accurately, with minimal text, and with maps that are all too often inaccurate. However, there is no alternative.

** A Checklist of the Birds of Ethiopia, Emil K. Urban & Leslie H. Brown - 1971, Addis Ababa University Press - Contains a list of every species & sub-species to be seen in Ethiopia, with broad geographical ranges and habitats where each is likely to be found - but no specific sites mentioned. No illustrations.

** Trip report - Ethiopia 15^th December 1995 to 6^th January 1996, Richard Webb et al - 1996, African Bird Club - Contains excellent site guides to 33 of the best sites in central and south-east Ethiopia, providing sites to all of Ethiopia's endemics. Also provides a list of species seen, with some details as to where they were seen. However, there is no information on the northern or western parts of the country.

Ethiopia's Endemic Birds, Emil K. Urban - 1980, Ethiopian Tourist Trading Enterprise - Contains paintings and a brief description of 23 of Ethiopia's endemic species.

Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia: A First Inventory, Ethiopian Wildlife & Natural History Society - 1996, Ethiopian Wildlife & Natural History Society - An excellent briefing document on IBA's, although these are not necessarily the best bird-watching sites.

The Birds of Africa, Volumes 1-5, Leslie H Brown, Emil K. Urban & Kenneth Newman - 1982 & onwards, Academic Press, ISBN 0-12-137301-0 - Essential reading, especially if more detailed information on behaviour and the taxonomy, identification & distribution of sub-species is required.

African handbook of Birds: Series 1: Birds of Eastern and North-Eastern Africa, Volumes 1&2, C. W. Mackworth-Praed & C. H. B. Grant  - 1952, Longman, ISBN 0-582-46082-4 - Essential reading for those species not yet covered in The Birds of Africa series. Seriously outdated, with poor illustrations, but often the only reference for Ethiopia and its neighbours.

Finches & Sparrows: An Identification Guide, Peter Clement et al. - 1993, Russel Friedman Books, ISBN 0-9583223-4-1 - Essential reading for detailed information for these families, at least until volume 7 of The Birds of Africa is published.

Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Dale A. Zimmerman et al. - 1996, Russel Friedman Books, ISBN 1-875091-04-1 - A good source of more detailed information than can be obtained from van Perlo's book. A bit bulky, and only covers 80%+ species to be found in Ethiopia, but well worth taking if space (and weight) allows.

A Bird Atlas of Kenya, A Lewis & D Pomeroy - 1989, A. A. Balkema Publishers, ISBN 90-6191-716-6 - A useful atlas for more extensive birding in Kenya.

Birds of East Africa: their Habitat, Status and Distribution, P. L. Britton (ed) - 1980, East African Natural History Society - Useful if the trip is going to cover any of the countries south of Ethiopia. Possibly a bit dated, and partially superceded by the next publication.

Annotated Checklist of the Birds of East Africa, Lester L. Short et al. - 1990, Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Volume 4, No. 3 - The latest comprehensive publication for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Where to watch birds in Africa, Nigel Wheatley - 1995, Russel Friedman Books, ISBN 1-876091-02-5 - Contains useful information in the planning phase, but not essential to carry on the trip – there are no sufficiently detailed site descriptions or routes that require the original.

Distribution Atlas of Sudan's Birds with Notes on Habitat and Status, G. Nikolaus - 1987, Bonner Zoologische Monograpgien, No 25, ISBN 3-925382-25-9 - Virtually the only information on Sudan's birds.

** The Birds of Britain & Europe, Hermann Heinzel et al - 1972, Collins, ISBN 00-212034-8 - There are no doubt newer and better guides, but this proved better than none for assisting with the identification of the palearctic migrants found in Ethiopia. A European guide is recommended, as their ID information on migrants is better than any other African book.

A Field Guide to Zambian Birds not found in Southern Africa, Dylan Aspinwall & Carl Beel - 1998, Zambian Ornithological Society, ISBN 9982-811-00-2 - An excellent guide to be used as a supplement to the southern African guides (Newman's, Roberts, or Sasol).

** Newman's Birds of Southern Africa, Kenneth Newman - 1996, Southern Book Publishers, ISBN 1-86812-611-0 - My favourite of the southern African guidebooks, which still covers nearly 50% of the species to be found in Ethiopia. Others may prefer the Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, or Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Useful if you are used to using one of these guides.

Checklist of Birds of the Afrotropical and Malagasy Regions, R. J. Dowsett & A. D. Forbes-Watson - 1993, Tauraco Press, ISBN 2-87225-000-X - Useful for relatively updated information on species level distribution

Trip report - Ethiopia 24^th October to 18^th November 1996, Jon Hornbuckle - 1996, African Bird Club - Adds little to Richard Webb's trip report, other than for different timing of the visit, so producing a slightly different species list.

** Ethiopia: In search of endemic birds: Julian Francis & Hadoram Shirihai - 1999, Julian Francis, ISBN 0-9534762-0-1 - Excellent information on the endemics, with good photographs.

Animals A Field Guide to the Mammals of Africa, Theodor Haltenorth & Helmut Diller - 1980, Collins, ISBN 0 00 219778 2 - I haven't found a better compact book covering the larger mammals of the continent.

Maps

** North East Africa & Arabia - Michelin map # 954 - scale 1:4 000 000 - People who haven't travelled extensively in Africa might think that the scale is inappropriate. However, all viable roads are marked, and I would not suggest using the "minor tracks" marked - in many cases they don’t even exist.

Central & South Africa - Michelin map # 955 - scale 1:4 000 000 - Essential if side-trips are planned on the way north, although not really necessary in order to reach Nairobi (i.e. the southern limit of map #954).

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Mapping Agency - scale 1:2 000 000 - I found that this map contained no more useful or up-to-date information than the Michelin map, with the sole exception of the road from Dilbe to Lalibela (which is now closed anyway).

Tapes

** Steve Smith's Bird Recordings from Ethiopia - 1996 - Approximately 50 species to be found in Ethiopia, including many of the endemics.

** Guy Gibbon's Southern African Bird Sounds - 1991 - Approximately 900 species found in southern Africa - many of which also occur in Ethiopia.

Federation of Ontario Naturalists Birds of the African Rain Forests - Covers a few forest species that can be found in Ethiopia.

While I took all the above and listened to them on the drive northwards, I never found it necessary to refer to them while in Ethiopia - any bird heard calling proved easy to see within minutes - so there was no point in luring any of them out with a tape.

ESTIMATE OF COSTS INCURRED

This is a rough summary of the costs incurred on the trip (in US dollars)

In summary, I spent $ 2 650 in South Africa preparing for the trip. I took $3 000 in cash to cover the expected expenses. In fact I spent $ 2 500 in travel expenses, but the high additional cost of repairs destroyed my budget, and caused the problems in obtaining the additional money while in Ethiopia.

CURRENCY TABLE

As of mid-January 2000

NB: obviously the above will be out-of-date, but it should give indications of what sort of rates exist.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Several people provided me information both before and during the trip, especially Steve Spawls, Mengistu Wondafrash and Tadesse W Mariam, the latter two from the Ethiopian Wildlife & Natural History Society. I was also given advice from Hilary & Geoff Welch on Djibouti, and Peter Ryan provided an extensive list of where to look for virtually all Ethiopian species - which provides much of the basis for the details of the list of species not seen. A host of others who were contacted through the SA Birdnet also contributed. For details on this excellent list-server, see www.birdlife.co.za

I am also indebted to Dave Moyer for lending me the additional cash in Tanzania, and to Jan Otto, the General Manager of Coca-Cola in Ethiopia - who was seconded from South Africa -and was able to change some Rands for me, as well as to the man from the UN (whose name I forgot to write down), who was able to change some Kenyan Shillings.

If I can assist anyone who is planning such a trip, I will be most willing to help with advice, and can be contacted by E-mail on birds@4-siteplanning.com.