- Meryem Belkihel cycled over 20,000km from Morocco to Cape Town, visiting twenty countries in 18 months.
- Her journey, documented on social media, included challenges like malaria, bike issues, and visa delays, but also highlights such as the beauty and hospitality of Angola.
- Currently resting in Cape Town, Meryem plans to continue her exploration of Africa, next visiting Lesotho.
A total of 11 617,4 km or 158 hours. That is the estimated distance between Cape Town, South Africa and Morocco in North Africa via the Trans-Sahara Highway/N1 according to the search engine Google.
For Meryem Belkihel from Morocco who cycled from her home country to the Mother City however, her solo route was much longer, as she visited several countries along the way.
The trip was also well documented via her social media pages. On Saturday 29 June she posted a photo of herself at the iconic yellow frame at Eden on the Bay in Bloubergstrand with the words: “Praise be to God, safely arrived in South Africa after a year and a half, and more than 20 000km and twenty countries.”
The 29-year-old arrived in Cape Town after leaving Casablanca, Morocco, in January 2023.
On her journey she visited Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Angola, and Namibia. She told TygerBurger that her next stop is Lesotho, our neighbouring country.
“It took me 18 months to reach Cape Town as I am trying to explore each country thoroughly. Cape Town is not my last destination, from here I plan to travel up to Mozambique and continue to explore the eastern part of Africa,” she says.
She says she is taking a break for now in Cape Town, and she loves the city and need to recharge her batteries for the next leg of her journey.
“My next stop will be Lesotho,” she says.
Challenges
Asked about some of the challenges she may have experienced while travelling through Africa, she said: “The most challenging aspects of my journey have been dealing with malaria, bike problems, Visas, and delays. Each of these factors has added complexity to my travels.”
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There were however some highlights along the way.
“Ons of the highlights was Angola, where the beauty of the country and the kindness of the people exceeded my expectations. Despite not speaking Portuguese, I had a lot of fun interacting with locals.”
Meryem says she is passionate about adventure and exploring the diverse cultures of Africa. “One of my goals is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and empower more women along the way,” she says.
For inspiration on her last journey, she says, she had her family, friends and followers who have been incredibly supportive, even though she received a fair share of hate and negative comments. “The support from my community has been a source of strength for me.”
Meryem told TygerBurger that her trip through Africa was one of her most challenging adventures.
“While I have had many crazy adventures before, like cycling around Morocco, crossing the desert with nomads and traversing the High Atlas Mountains with a friend, this journey is by far the craziest and most ambitious.”
Asked whether she would contemplate undertaking such a journey again, she commented: “If given the chance, I would love to do it again. For now, I am focussing on completing this journey.”
The Mother City with all of its tourist attractions made a very good first impression on her, a city Meryem describes as an “amazing city with a lot of potential”.
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She says: “The combination of ocean and mountain is breathtaking. Since arriving, I have been exploring the city, enjoying the scenery, and taking some time to relax and recharge.”
- Visit facebook.com/MeghyemOutCity or search for MeghyLost to follow Meryem’s journey.
