Four friends left Kenya in 2021 to embark on an expedition with the distinct goal of raising money for East African wildlife rangers. Their chosen mode of transport? Two tuk-tuks. With an optimistic outlook, they anticipated reaching Cape Town in a mere three months.
The Tuk South group has finally arrived in Cape Town after eighteen months of traversing a distance of 23 000 kilometres and encountering breakdowns too numerous to count.
Also read: From Kenya to Cape Town on tuk tuks – where the lads are at now
During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivo Horsey, accompanied by his brother Jasper and their friends Robbie Thouless and Josh Porter, thought of an audacious idea for a cross-country road trip.
As reported by News24, Porter had spent the initial months of the global crisis confined to an island in Bali, where he had been employed at a lodge. To pass the time amidst the absence of guests, he ventured into the realm of TikTok, creating videos showcasing island life and sustainability initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Horsey brothers and Thouless, whose childhood memories were filled with adventures in the wilderness of Kenya, utilised the pandemic as an opportunity to reconnect with nature. When Porter caught wind of his friends’ escapades, he journeyed to Kenya, eager to join forces and continue his video production with the assistance of these like-minded individuals in their twenties.
However, it was the plight faced by game rangers in the nearby national parks that truly struck a chord within the hearts of these four men.
Ivo reflected on their experiences, telling News24, ‘We were going out and videoing in these wild spaces, and it was just silent.’
‘The parks were still running, but they had no income coming in,’ he added.
They learned about a new threat that these devoted people faced while interacting with game rangers, who served in a capacity akin to South African anti-poaching units. Not only were they tasked with safeguarding species like elephants from poaching syndicates, but they also found themselves defending smaller game, such as impalas, from the hunger-stricken communities residing near the parks.
These communities had lost their livelihoods due to the sudden halt in tourism, burdening the rangers with additional responsibilities at a time when their salaries were being reduced.
Ivo emphasised the dire situation, remarking, ‘If those rangers weren’t there, those parks wouldn’t have survived. People were desperate.’
Thus, the group decided to document this story, culminating in the creation of a pilot film. However, they faced the challenge of garnering attention for their project. It was during a fortuitous encounter with someone who persistently mispronounced TikTok as ‘tuk-tuk’ that inspiration struck. The very next day, the group pooled their savings and invested in two Piaggio tuk-tuks.
Ivo acknowledged that these unconventional vehicles were perhaps the worst choice for an overland expedition, but their eccentricity added an element of hilarity, perfectly suiting the spirit of their adventure.
‘The beautiful thing about that tuk-tuk is that it’s such a cultural leveller. There are no doors or windows. When you drive into a town, you can’t help but have that whole town come into your tuk. People are intrigued, and it starts up a dialogue,’ he told News24.
Their journey took them on a route encircling Mount Kenya, through the foothills of Kilimanjaro, to Ol Doinyo Lengai – an active volcano in Tanzania – and onward to the breathtaking Lake Tanganyika. From Tanzania, they ventured into Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana and ultimately South Africa.
Throughout their expedition, the group diligently created films and videos that shed light on conservation, sustainability and community initiatives, aiming to share the inspiring stories of the continent they traversed.
Ivo admitted that the trip instilled in them a newfound appreciation for creature comforts. Sleeping on the side of the road became the norm and at one point, they endured four weeks without the luxury of hot showers.
Their resilience was tested when their boat teetered on the brink of sinking during a violent storm while crossing Lake Tanganyika. Moreover, Ivo fell victim to malaria in Malawi, enduring hallucinations amidst sweltering temperatures. Yet, despite these challenges, Ivo affirmed that the remarkable moments they experienced throughout the trip made it all worthwhile.
He recounted the sensation of the earth trembling beneath his feet at Ol Doinyo Lengai, the awe-inspiring sight of Lake Tanganyika’s vast beauty and an encounter with chimpanzees in the untamed wilderness.
As the team readjusted to the urban landscape of Cape Town’s City Bowl, they continued to cherish their trusty tuk-tuk, utilising it to brew coffee during power outages. However, their adventurous spirits remained undimmed as they embarked on planning the next phase of their journey – an ambitious undertaking to explore South America, with their sights set on reaching the southernmost tip of the continent, Patagonia. Beyond that, their dreams extended even further, aspiring to travel from the tip of South America all the way to the North Pole.
‘Once you’ve had a taste of this life, it’s hard to let it go,’ he told News24.
If you are willing and able to contribute to Tuk South’s campaign, please visit the donation page here.
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