7-country itinerary -- 2-month timeframe realistic?

I'm planning a 7-country itinerary for this summer, and I'm trying to
figure out how much time it should take.

The route will take me from the coast of Mozambique (Beira) to Malawi
(down the lake), along the border of Tanzania and Zambia, down Lake
Tanganyika, through Burundi and Rwanda, and up the west coast of
Uganda to the Sudan border.

I'm going to be stopping off at a few places en route - Gombe stream,
Ruwenzori gorillas, etc - but not really dawdling too much otherwise.
For various reasons, the route is more important than the various
stops, and I'd actually prefer to take less time than more, without
running myself ragged.

I'll be backpacking mostly, since seeing as much of the route in
person is a priority. Stopping for a few days at most at some places
en route, but mostly moving.

I'm trying to figure out how much time to budget. I'm wondering if two
months is reasonable - or even generous?

Also, I'm planning on going in July and August, roughly. Good months,
weather-wise?

You can do the trip in less time, but I don't see the point. If it's
simply a case of "doing the route", then rather hire a car and you
could do the trip in about 20 days, but you'll be ragged by the end of
it.

A trip like you're planning, is possible in 2 months, but you'll be on
the move constantly. After 60 days of backpacking and using local
transport, you're going to be exhausted.

Marc

On 20 Mar 2007 09:31:59 -0700, "Julian Smith"
wrote:

I'm planning a 7-country itinerary for this summer, and I'm trying to
figure out how much time it should take.

The route will take me from the coast of Mozambique (Beira) to Malawi
(down the lake), along the border of Tanzania and Zambia, down Lake
Tanganyika, through Burundi and Rwanda, and up the west coast of
Uganda to the Sudan border.

I'm going to be stopping off at a few places en route - Gombe stream,
Ruwenzori gorillas, etc - but not really dawdling too much otherwise.
For various reasons, the route is more important than the various
stops, and I'd actually prefer to take less time than more, without
running myself ragged.

I'll be backpacking mostly, since seeing as much of the route in
person is a priority. Stopping for a few days at most at some places
en route, but mostly moving.

I'm trying to figure out how much time to budget. I'm wondering if two
months is reasonable - or even generous?

Also, I'm planning on going in July and August, roughly. Good months,
weather-wise?

On 20 Mar 2007 09:31:59 -0700, Julian Smith wrote:

up the west coast of Uganda to the Sudan border

Julian,

there's Lake Edward and Lake Albert, but to call their shores
"the west coast of Uganda" seems stretching it a little bit. Are
you sure you have a clue about where you intend to go?

That said, I think two months is tight for such a long journey.
I once crossed the entire continent, then the Sahara, in three
months, but I used a light aeroplane for that. Without that, on
foot, I think you may well not make it, and if you make it, I
believe you'd be missing a lot because of all the time you spend
on boring roads, rather than in interesting or beautiful places.
I would recommend to reconsider and shorten the route to make it
less of a race.

It sounds contrarian to inexperienced travellers that shortening
a route should make you see more, but that's exactly what
happens. What you would gain in breadth, you'd lose in depth, or
vice versa.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Good point Hans-Georg,

I drove from Johannesburg to Arusha in 6 days, and obviously saw
nothing en-route, and drove from Kampala to Johannesburg in 7 days and
saw even less :-)

However, the OP said that doing the route was important, not the
places along the route. I don't understand that rationale, but hey,
each to his own I guess.

Marc

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:21:41 +0200, Hans-Georg Michna
wrote:


It sounds contrarian to inexperienced travellers that shortening
a route should make you see more, but that's exactly what
happens. What you would gain in breadth, you'd lose in depth, or
vice versa.

Hans-Georg