Africa Motorcycle Trip: Best Equator Adventure

Most riders fly overnight from Europe and land in Nairobi in the morning. Our OVERCROSS driver picks you up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and takes you to the workshop. That's where your Kibo rental bike is waiting. The group meets at the hotel for the first tour briefing, followed by dinner. One last drink — then bed.

After a hearty breakfast, we leave Nairobi late in the morning. We ride about 300 kilometers north, crossing the equator. We've planned this first day as an acclimatization ride — for you, your bike, and the traffic. About 100 kilometers out of Nairobi, we stop at a roadside Kenyan coffee trader. Then we hit light off-road tracks toward our destination. We reach camp near the Ugandan border in the late afternoon and pitch the tents.

Today is the first border crossing with the full motorcycle convoy and our support vehicle. Welcome to Uganda. Welcome to the heart of Africa.

We ride typical African roads toward Jinja on Lake Victoria — the source of the Nile. Western researchers only discovered it in 1862. This is where the world's longest river begins its 6,650-kilometer journey north. We arrive at sunset into the chaotic traffic of Kampala and dive into the nightlife of Uganda's largest city.

We ride southwest along the shores of Lake Victoria through the East African highlands. In Uganda, the terrain can reach up to 1,500 meters. Our route passes through the Rwenzori region, which borders the Congo and is a world-class hiking area. After roughly 300 kilometers, we reach Lake Mburo. Camp is set up, the fire is lit, and the evening winds down as usual.

Near the Congo border lie two parks that shelter the last mountain gorillas on earth. We reach one of them — the Bwindi Rainforest — via winding roads and short off-road stretches. Bwindi National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. It is world-famous for its mountain gorillas. We set up camp at the foot of the Albertine Rift, where we'll stay for two nights.

Today is yours to use as you wish. Rest — or visit Bwindi National Park, home to half of the world's entire gorilla population. With a bit of luck, you might also spot black-and-white colobus monkeys, silver monkeys, chimpanzees, elephants, and small antelopes. The mountain gorillas, though, are in a class of their own. Truly impressive doesn't begin to cover it.

We ride the long, winding roads at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes toward the small town of Kisoro. We stop for coffee, pick up supplies, and then head for the Rwandan border. Depending on border wait times, we either follow the main road to Gisenyi by the lake or cut through the hinterland along the Congolese border — with sweeping views of the lake either way.

We say goodbye to the rainforest and ride toward the capital, Kigali. The route takes us over beautiful mountain passes until we reach the legendary Hotel Rwanda. Terry George filmed the story of the 1994 genocide here — the murder of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The film is based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, who saved over 1,200 people from certain death.

After breakfast, we ride 12 kilometers to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Around 250,000 Tutsi victims are buried here. It's a sobering experience. Afterward, we ride in near silence on Rwanda's well-paved roads. At every police checkpoint, the same thought surfaces: where were you in 1994? After this, the border crossing into Tanzania feels like nothing. We tackle the last 50 rough kilometers in Tanzania and end the evening by the campfire with a well-earned glass of wine.

We ride east along the Burundian border on typical African tracks. Expect dust. Expect dirt. If the rain catches us, expect mud — and a proper fight day. We reach our camp on Lake Victoria in the late afternoon. Bikes get parked. We take a raft out on the water and try our luck fishing. Dinner by the fire — hopefully with fresh catch, and yes, wine.

Today is a long, steady burn along the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. We clock up the kilometers until we reach the Kenyan border. We pass the Serengeti, which stretches east toward Ngorongoro and the Rift Valley. We roll into camp right at sunset.

The sun rises. Engines start. Several hours of off-road riding stand between us and the Kenyan border. After crossing, we stop for a cold drink at the edge of the Masai Mara — time won't allow much more. We leave the Masai Mara on our left and push hard toward Lake Naivasha.

Early start. We ride at dawn on small back roads into Nairobi. The bikes get dropped off at the workshop for inspection. Then it's on to the airport. If you have time to spare, the evening ends the way it should — campfire, BBQ, and wine.