West Africa is not the easiest part of the world to travel in, but (to me at least) it is the most exciting place on earth. My concern would be your anticipated date of travel, combined with safety/security limitations. Starting your trip in May gets you to the region when the rainy season is in full gear. Starting in Dakar, Senegal and Gambia could be ok, but as you go south, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - tough travelling in the dry - would really test you, while going inland through Mali may not be a good idea for security reasons. For what it's worth, the rainy season in Ghana through to Benin is a bit less insane and there's even a sort of a dry lull from July to September, so if you're not flexible with timing, you may want to think of that region as a possible focus.

"Purchase a cheap 110cc Chinese scooter in Senegal and ride south. These things are found throughout West Africa and can be fixed along the way. this, my friend, is the ultimate freedom3

But what's about insurance and border crossing ?

Michel

Indeed it's all relative. Myself only having to compare South Africa and Namibia (in Africa), that road (and the one between Rakops and Maun) were bad enough. I have seen/driven on worse but they were not tarred, just dirt tracks with almost no traffic; drive slowly and one can survive :-))

Haven;t sent anything (other than postcards - another non-virtual item) from South Africa,

Since then I sent (or arranged to have sent) a package via SA Post Office (as a "parcel" - which allows tracking). Sent in June, arrived end of August (in Colombia).

If you are not in your home country, you are required to submit the proof of residence in the country you are currently living in. If you have a work visa/residence permit for Myanmar, go ahead and mention it and make sure to upload this proof- no issues. (Visit, tourist , short term visas are not valid)

If in case, you can't provide proof of residence for your country of stay, it's better to mention you are in South Africa at the moment. In this case you don't have to upload any proof of residence... but there is a slight chance of being called for interview at the concerned Pak embassy/consulate/high commission but no one i have seen or heard has so far reported being called for interview (chances of this interview are close to zero).

My passport stays always in my wallet.
The only thing from the list that I carry on my trips is the socket adapter. However, on my last trip to South Africa and Namibia it was useless. In those two countries they have yet another type of sockets that the adapter didn't match.

I think #5 is a good post for helpful insight.

However I feel obliged to comment (perhaps somewhat pedantically) on:

East Africa is mainly Kenya and Tanzania but also Uganda, Rwanda and now the Congo.

Recognising that the variable tides of geopolitics and history make any definition uncertain, I have come to accept Rwanda as being in "East Africa", however I have difficulty thinking of either of the Congos as being in East Africa. The Republic of the Congo is definitely in Central Africa, and DRC is also in Central Africa as far as the African Union is concerned (which seems a reasonable reference now that all of the African countries are back in). It also seems reasonable to think of DRC as being in Central Africa and not East Africa since it has an Atlantic coast (albeit limited). I can appreciate that people living in Goma or Bukavu feel a lot closer to Rwanda than to Kinshasa however it seems that the AU works on the basis of the "population centre of gravity", such that Mail and Niger (for example) are part of West Africa and Chad is part of Central Africa, and not North Africa; or perhaps simply recognise the Sahara Desert as such a significant physical barrier that it's easier to place these countries in the bloc to which access is easiest. DRC is arguably the most "central" of all African countries.

Also in East Africa are Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and the proximal Indian Ocean countries. AU also includes Sudan, which always seems to me more in North Africa. Burundi, despite being a member of EAC, is considered by the AU to be in Central Africa.

When I talk of Southern Africa, I mean the region which includes South Africa but also Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

Obviously I am not doubting the truth that info579897 thinks this, however this region certainly includes Lesotho, eSwatini (or Swaziland - not sure of the legality of the new name), as well as Angola (most if not all Angolans say Angola is in Southern Africa).

At the end of the day I guess the question is "What do the people who live in each country feels is their region?".

The FARC or ELN are about as interested in a Foreigner/Tourist as getting a Visa to South Africa. These groups may pose a threat on a local level in a few obscure areas you cant even find in a guidebook.

Gang Violence is a issue, but the odds of being involved in that would be the same as Chicago or Rome...0.0001%

What safety Alerts are you referring to and when were they issued?

Hi, is the e-visa multi-entry or one-entry only? I have a work permit and multi-entry visa and want to bring my partner over on the new tourist e-visa. During the stay in Angola we may travel outside to South Africa and then return to Luanda. My visa clearly states that it is multi-entry. Is there any indication on the e-visa for this?

Now it made me wonder. I've travelled through SA, Namibia and Botswana, have seen all kinds of animals big and small, but never meerkats.

As for cars, Toyota hilux with rooftop tents are most popular. In Botswana, Chobe NP I wouldn't recommend self driving - you really need to know the roads and have local skills to avoid getting stuck in sand or mud.

I've been to 17 different national parks/game reserves etc throughout Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and the only place I've ever seen meerkats was the Kalahari.

Hubby and I self drove through all of those. I really don't think we can afford a guided safari unfortunately. Unless you've got any good budget suggestions?? I'd actually love someone to put up my tent. Lol :)