To date, we have spent more than twice what our initial budget projected! This is however mainly due to our horrendous vehicle expenses. Below I have outlined a more realistic budget one should consider before emarking on an African adventure.
For a trans African journey in your own vehicle, budget approximately $2500 CDN/month for two people. This will cover vehicle costs (gas, maintenance, minor break-downs, insurance etc), accommodation (mostly camping), food, communication (SIM cards, airtime, internet), liesure activities, permits, fees, and visas. This of course does not include the initial start-up costs.
Start up costs include the vehicle, vehicle accessories, mechanical preparation, vehicle spares, travel medical insurance, vaccinations and electronic gear.
Budget about $10,000 CDN for a decent-not-too-old 4x4 vehicle. Where you purchase your vehicle can make a huge difference on price. England is proabably the best place to pick-up a decent second hand Land Rover.
Budget another $6000-$8000 CDN for vehicle accessories. You can spend a great deal on accessories and this is really a balance between how much you are willing to spend, comfort/convenience and safety. Buying accessories used can save you about 50% on some items, but it will take longer to assemble your kit. In the price bracket mentioned, you can get yourself a roofrack, rooftop tent, awning, jerry cans, brackets, Cadac cooking and lighting, gas bottles, table, chairs, storage boxes, highlift jack, set of tools, fridge, dual battery system, recovery gear, spot lights, spare wheels, sand ladders and maybe a winch.
Depending on vehicle condition, the dollar figure can really vary. If you have chosen well, budget at least another $1000 CDN for servicing the vehicle before your trip. Aside from doing a comprehensive tune-up, you may consider replacing the water pump, fuel pump or fitting new brake shoes.
Vehicle spares is another category that can range widely depending on your vehicle make, condition, parts availabilty in Africa, what kind of driving you anticipate doing and how prepared you want to be for possible break downs. For a moderate assortment of spares, budget at least $1000 CDN.
For travel medical insurance budget about $1000 CDN/person for one year.
For a comprehensive set of vaccinations, budget about $600 CDN/person.
Electronic gear is another area where the sky is the limit. As a bare minimum I would highly recommend a decent GPS. Budget about $500 CDN. A satellite phone and prepaid airtime may be another good investment. Budget about $1000 CDN for a good used phone and another $500-800 CDN for prepaid airtime. Other gear of course includes cameras, laptops, MP3 player, world phone etc for which I will not mention a budget!
In summary (ONE year African trip for TWO people in Canadian Dollars):
Item |
Budget |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | $10,000 |
| Vehicle Accessories | $6000-$8000 |
| Mechancal Preperation | $1000 |
| Vehicle Spares | $1000 |
| Medical Insurance | $2000 |
| Vaccinations | $1200 |
| GPS | $500 |
| Monthly Expenses | $30,000 |
TOTAL |
$53,700 |
Definitely not a cheap holiday! Keep in mind that the vehicle and accessories can be resold to recoup some of the costs. Also, monthly expenses can be significantly less depending on travel habits and the vehicle you have chosen. Fuel consumption is probably the biggest factor and since efficiency can range from 10L/100km to 30L/100km, this can have a huge influence on your monthly costs.
I will post further details of our budget and actual expenses when I get the time to format it for the web. Stay tuned!