- Briton, based in the UAE and Cairo; traveller, regular writer for Land Rover Owner International (the monthly “Overlander” column on vehicle-dependent travel), the Overland Journal, Rovers magazine and periodically for Expedition Portal.
- One of the first members of the Born Free Foundation, and still very active with the conservation group.
- Fellow of Royal Geographical Society,
- Fellow of the Explorers’ Club of New York.
- Member of Royal Institute of Navigation.
- Member of African Four Wheel Drive Guides Association.
- Member of British Mountaineering Council.
- MSc in Environmental Sciences and Chemistry.
- Teacher of Geography, the Sciences and ICT
Sam Watson 
Dear Sam:
I read your column in the April issue of Land Rover Owner International and wondered if you could offer your advice on something.
I am an expat living in Washington DC, own a couple of Land Rovers (S2A, 110) and am searching for a particular land rover. The story is…. From 1993 through 2001 a group of New Zealand overlanders travelled from the UK through Africa and eventually ended up in Mongolia. I met up with these folks (story is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v5OuyIwkNE) a few years back and thought it would be great to buy one of the defenders used in their expedition. The group sold the Land Rovers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in around 2002. I have the VINs and other identifying documents but even with the help of the New Zealanders have not been able to work out a way to trace them. I know it is a long shot but given your experience / expertise do you have any knowledge of vehicle registration in Mongolia, contacts over there etc?
Thanks very much!
Ben
Hey Ben 🙂
Thanks for the message – what a cool idea. Let me do some sniffing round – I have some contacts who deal with that part of the world. Will drop you an email 🙂 Have the rest of a good weekend – S
Hi Ben
Hope all well with you! Still on with chasing these trucks – there should be a query coming out in LRO soon as well. Will let you know when anything happens. I will be in DC in a couple of weeks if you fancy a pint and a natter!
S
Ben – Im now in Reston, just down the road. Fancy a pint?
Ben – I’m just down the road from you in Reston – fancy a pint? – S
sorry – missed your message. Are you still in town? my cell is 703 485 5404
Hi Sam, avid reader of your LRO column. We have driven our 110 from UK to Greece, shipped into Alex and are currently in Masa Matruh about to visit Siwa Oasis. We are a little confused about the situation regarding permits to drive to Siwa and whether we can camp there. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I believe you are in UAE now..? but we will be around Cairo until Jan 2017 so if you are ‘in town’ would love to meet up for some kind of drink (even tea!) especially as I missed you at the Adventure Overland show.
Kind Regards
Mike Gower-Fox
Hey Mike 🙂 Siwa is wonderful and well worth a visit. Let me reply again later today with details of a contact there who can help you. I will be back in Cairo in January and meeting up for a pint and a natter would be great – maybe we can get out to the desert as well! When in January do you leave? (and to where) – More later
S
Hi Sam, back on WiFi for a bit. We enjoyed Siwa and then went to El Hittat for some desert silence. They directed us to the 2nd campsite as there was a big group near the museum. We had some desert solitude-fantastic. We are in Cairo over Xmas with our family who leave at end of December (although we may take them to White Desert). If we can extend our visas and
Carnet then we will be in Egypt for another 2 weeks before moving on to Sudan (visas causing some hassle) then on to Ethiopia. MGF
Hi Sam, found some more wi-fi! We had a great time in Siwa really loved it & then we moved onto El-Hittat to see the whale skeletons.There was a large group camping there so they let us use the second campground further out. That meant we got our desert solitude – amazing the silence under the stars..! We will host family for xmas and due to events in Cairo may take them out to the White Desert area.They will leave Egypt at the end of December.If we can extend our Egypt visas & Carnet we will be around Cairo for the first 2 weeks in January. We are struggling to obtain Sudan visas but intend to drive down through Sudan, Ethiopia & Kenya on-route to Cape Town. Lets keep in touch and see if we can meet up for that pint!
MGF
Dear Sam
I would like your opinion and advice on the following: are there any circumstances in which one can transit Saudi Arabia in right hand drive vehicles (for expedition purposes). In addition do I need an invitee organisation in order to ship in (by sea) vehicles from UK to Egypt (Port Said)? if so do you know of such an organisation that I can contact? I would very much value your advice here, Best regards Alan. Dr Alan Crofts, Southport UK. +44 (0) 7964 928 126)
Hi Alan sorry for the delay. My understanding is that RHD vehicles cannot enter Saudi. This was the case a couple of years ago, it may have changed. You dont need a sponsor to ship to Egypt but the bureaucracy can be nightmarish. An excellent contact is Nermien Mamish who runs a shipping agency in Alexandria. Her number is +20 3 4206223 or you can find her on Facebook. If you need info on Egypt let me know – I lived there for ten years 🙂
Hi Sam – thanks for this. Very useful. I certainly will contact you if I need for info on Egypt and will keep you updated on our progress. Alan
Hey Sam Watson.
I met you on the five day maths course in York about 20 years ago. God that makes me feel old.
I don’t expect you remember me at all but I certainly remember you!!
How are you?
Xxx
Hey Sarah 🙂 I dropped you a message on FB 🙂