Frequently Asked Questions - Miscellaneous

Yellow Fever Vaccines are a must.  Other than that it is up to you.  We highly recommend talking to your doctor before leaving your home country.  Malaria Pills and a tetanus booster are things that we would recommend.  If you are up to date with all of your other shots and have a healthy immune system a few minor precautions should be enough to get you to the end with out many problems.  However we are not doctors and highly recommend you contact someone who has been trained in preventative medicine.

Your embassy will be able to help you out in certain circumstances.  War, natural disasters and translators at hospitals are things that you embassy will be sure to work with you on.  Your embassy will not bail you out of jail or pay your fines for not wearing your crash helmet.  The best thing to do is register at your embassy at every country you visit.  This will be done by Nomadic Nation but it will be up to you to contact your embassy upon arrival.  Knowing what they will and will not do ahead of time can help you make important decisions on the road.

Perhaps a cruise would be a better place to start.

Tony was born this way and trained Lovie in high school.  Years of hard work could possibly get you to this point.

Simply speaking a "carnet" is an insurance document that covers the import tax on a vehicle that never leaves a country.  It is needed in some countries and not in others.  They are usually very expensive to acquire and Nomadic Nation recommends trying to stick to country's where it is not needed.

If you are driving a motorcycle, motorbike, pedal bike, pogo-stick, four-wheeler or anything else with out a seatbelt the answer is yes.  South Africa and every other country in Africa as of July 2009 does have a mandatory helmet law.  Locals may be driving around without the helmets and the law may not be enforced but it is there.  As a socially conscious business Nomadic Nation promotes the use of helmets and other approved safety gear and expects all "citizens" to abide by this.

The best way is to get export plates in the country you purchase the vehicle.  Most of them come with a time frame of insurance.  Make sure that it is sufficient time to actually export the car.

Take pictures and video by all means.  We want you to have memories of your adventure.  If they are awesome we may even buy some from you.  However for us to make this work we need to be the sole providers of network and internet footage.   This means that any video sold or given to broadcasters of any nature must be approved by Nomadic Nation.  We also have an image to uphold.  Video of you cursing a the border guard is not appropriate so please don't ask.

The answer is yes and no.  It is your adventure and we encourage you to get as far from the well worn path as possible.  This may mean off-roading through the sahara or asking locals for the low down on quicksand.  For the most part there will be roads between major cities for the less adventurous.

Well that is up to you.  If you have taken it into a country that requires a carnet than you may be losing the money put up as insurance.  If you can sell the car to a mechanic it is up to you to fill out the appropriate paperwork.  Nomadic Nation is not and can not be held responsible for any fines or fees that come with leaving a vehicle in a foreign country.  We urge you to still make it through whatever means necessary to South Africa and the arrival party in Cape Town.

Yes.  In order to cross most borders and donate the car at the end the titled owner must be present.  So if it means bringing Mom and Dad along we suggest getting a bigger tent.

It depends how well you can sell yourself.  Keep in mind that this is a multi-national event spanning two continents arriving at the biggest sporting event in the world.  Who wouldn't want their business to be plastered on the side of your car or on a t-shirt on your back?

NO!!!  This is not a race.  There are no prizes for first place however just making it to the end is sure to provide you with sufficient bragging right when you get back to the office.

You do not but someone on your team does.  If you decide to hire a taxi to take you from point B to C you will need to not only pay the fare but most likely pay the drivers entry fee.  We can not allow you to drive a car with out a proper drivers license and international documents.