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Central African Republic

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Apr 2, 2013 6:52 AM
T2TMatt

last reply
May 11, 2013 12:00 AM
Otford1

3 replies
344 views
location: Central African Republic

Juba to Yaounde by road

Hi all

I'm planning an epic adventure across 22 African countries later this year (check out www.t2tafrica.com to see more about it) but need some advice. The trickiest bit of the route runs from Juba via Obo and Bangassou to Bangui, then on to Cameroon. I'm not worried about Cameroon or even particularly concerned about the Bangui-Cameroon leg, but to be honest I'm very worried about the CAR from the S.Sudan border to Bangui. Banditry and mud are my biggest concerns. Has anyone been anywhere in the eastern CAR lately?

Alternatives I'm looking at include:
1. finding a way from Juba down to the Congo river somewhere near Kisangani in the DRC, and trying for a ferry trip to Bangui
2. the same as above but overlanding through the northern DRC to Bangui from Kisangani
3. heading from Juba north into Sudan and the across into Chad then into northern Cameroon, dodging Darfur an... more »

Mar 26, 2013 2:18 PM
TerryG1

last reply
Apr 4, 2013 7:33 AM
chriskean1

6 replies
538 views
location: Central African Republic

Trip Report

Recently back from a fantastic trip to CAR. Timing was perfect as I returned a week before the Seleka rebels took the capital. Hopefully the situation will settle down in a few weeks. I flew in on the weekly Air France flight. No problems getting through immigration. I stayed overnight in Bangui at Karakandji Guest House before flying down to Bayanga the next day. I highly recommend Karakandji. It is run by a Swedish woman who was born in CAR. It is very clean and well run, which is a real bonus in Bangui. There is a kitchen that you can use, although they also serve breakfast. It is centrally located, one block from the cathedral and a short walk from several good restaurants.
I decided to spring for the expense of chartering an airplane rather than driving 14+ hours to Bayanga. If you book well ahead, there is a chance you can split the cost with other passengers. I was ... more »

Jan 17, 2013 5:48 AM
josephescu

last reply
Jan 23, 2013 1:17 PM
alongridehome

5 replies
721 views
location: Central African Republic

Practicalities on an independent travel to Centrafrique

Romanian_Bat and I spent our winter holidays traveling independently across CAR & Chad between November – December 2012. Needless to say some parts and aspects we enjoyed, some we liked, some we may have found less likable, subject to our personal tastes, expectations and so on. There’s an impressive travel log on Romanian_bat’s webpage I would highly recommend.

In this post I’m trying to sum up practicalities relevant to our Centrafrique journey. There is another post in the Chad section.

REGISTRATION
Foreigners are in CAR are expected to pass by the authorities when they arrive in a locality which has some police and/or gendarmerie station, in order to perform “registration”. In basic terms, this means your data (name, passport, etc.) are being written in some notebooks. During “registration”,... more »

Jan 16, 2013 10:46 PM
Romanian_Bat

last reply
Jan 18, 2013 3:39 AM
chriskean1

3 replies
566 views
location: Central African Republic

CAR trip report - November 2012

Two weeks ago I returned from a trip to the Central African Republic and Chad (we crossed the border a week before the Séléka rebels started their taking control over the country) and thought of sharing my experience there, as well as some data on logistics. The route we took was Bangui (we got Ethiopian Airlines tickets, they then canceled their Bangui operations, so they put us on their Douala flight and on to Bangui from there on an A-Sky flight) - M'Baiki - Boda - Boguéré - Yaloké - Bossentélé - Bozoum - Paoua - Bédaya and then on into Chad, direction Goré - Moundou - N'Djamena and farther towards Faya. We did not notice any security issues along our route (which was relative a matter then and definitely is expired information now).

We got our visas at their embassy in Brussels. They asked for the passports, photos, a filled in application form and a EUR 75 fee / passport. As ... more »

Dec 11, 2012 2:28 PM
TerryG1

last reply
Jan 20, 2013 10:02 AM
TerryG1

2 replies
330 views
location: Central African Republic

money exchange

I will be visiting CAR for 10 days in January. I would rather bring CFA's with me than exchange Euro's for large local sums at the airport. I would rather not flash large sums of cash. However, i read that a person can only import the equivalent of 100 Euros in local currency. How have previous travelers handled currency exchange? Is there a large "commission" for the currency exchange at the airport? Many thanks.

Edited by: TerryG1

Nov 14, 2012 6:52 AM
btpayne

last reply
Nov 17, 2012 9:56 AM
inthestan

2 replies
465 views
location: Central African Republic

French in CAR?

Can anyone comment on the quality of French spoken in CAR and/or the prevalence of French versus indigenous languages?

I'm looking into places to practice French language.

Oct 25, 2012 2:46 PM
jonpa

last reply
Nov 29, 2012 5:48 PM
inkspot01

17 replies
2,097 views
location: Central African Republic

Pages 1 2

How to get to Central Afrika??

Hello guys!

I am thinking about going to CAR in the coming weeks. However, looking into plain tickets tells me it might be impossible.. Deadly expensive.

I wonder:

what european city is best to fly from?

Does anyone know of travel agency spcialised in flcghts to CAR?

Is there neighbouring country that is cheaper to fly into and then go overland from to CAR?

And all other tips, I appreciate!

Thanks!

John

Oct 20, 2012 3:27 AM
S_i_m_o_n

last reply
Feb 23, 2013 6:55 AM
jenn0406

1 replies
359 views
location: Central African Republic

Fixer in Central African Republic

Hi,
I am looking for a local in Central African Republic with connections and knowledge on the east.
Does anyone knows someone in Bangui?

Thanks
Simon

Oct 5, 2012 3:22 PM
alex55roma

last reply
Nov 22, 2012 7:27 AM
christian1602

3 replies
711 views
location: Central African Republic

border crossing

Has anyone entered Rep of Congo (Brazzaville Congo) from C.A.R.? What is the entry point? Were bribes huge? Do they mess with you a lot?

Sep 3, 2012 5:59 PM
ohnoyoko

last reply
Sep 3, 2012 5:59 PM
ohnoyoko

0 replies
181 views
location: Central African Republic

New embassy location in the U.S.

Hello. I don't know if anybody has noticed, but CAR's embassy in the U.S. moved about a year ago. It was at 1618 22nd St. NW in DC but has moved over to 2704 Ontario Rd. NW. I mention this here only because the move was easy to miss, seeing as how the embassy appears to have no Internet presence. Yet another reminder to always check the State Dept. web site and also call the embassy in advance if you're planning to apply for a visa.

Thanks.

Jul 11, 2012 8:49 PM
fallschirmhosen

last reply
Aug 26, 2012 9:25 PM
rhygin

1 replies
459 views
location: Central African Republic

Buying and Bicycle and Local Transport

Hi. I am interested in flying to Bangui, buying a bicycle, then taking local transport west (e.g. Beberati) with the bike, where I will then ride it back towards Bangui. Or, if possible, buying the bike in Berberati.

Can anyone provide any information regarding any of this? For example, prices of bikes, feasibility of road transport, potential routes to take? I know CAR has a bad reputation and travel warnings say not to stray outside of the capital. Yet, at the same time, I know travelers such as Peter Gostelow have bicycled through the country with no issues. My plan is to do a very short bike tour (1-2 weeks) on remote roads with a locally bought bike. I did a similar trip in the DRC last year.

Thank you.

Jul 2, 2012 7:36 PM
gameon

last reply
Jul 2, 2012 7:36 PM
gameon

0 replies
217 views
location: Central African Republic

congo goualougo triangle

wrong forum

Edited by: gameon

Jun 25, 2012 1:51 PM
Artabanes

last reply
Jun 25, 2012 1:51 PM
Artabanes

0 replies
426 views
location: Central African Republic

Road travel in western CAR

Does anybody have recent experience traveling from Bangui to the Cameroon border.
(So just the west of the country)
Can it be done or totally not recommended still?
Apart from checkpoints and bribes, any other issues on the roads in the west?

Thanks

May 30, 2012 8:37 AM
twc

last reply
Jun 25, 2012 1:28 PM
Artabanes

2 replies
943 views
location: Central African Republic

Cholera Vaccination

Dear all,

I understand that a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is needed in CAR, but is a cholera vaccination certificate required as well? Has anyone been asked to produce this in CAR?

Thanks.

May 14, 2012 2:46 PM
julief79

last reply
May 15, 2012 10:28 PM
markharf

2 replies
823 views
location: Central African Republic

How to dress in CAR (woman)

Hi!
I am leaving for CAR next week for 3 months, and would like to get more insights about what is culturally appropriate for a woman to wear. Are pants/crop pants ok? Knee length skirts? Sleevless tops/tank tops?

Thanks!
Julie

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