William and Harry to go on 1,600km bike ride in Africa-UK-World-The Times of India

LONDON: Britain’s princes, William and Harry plan to embark on a 1,600-km motorcycle ride in Africa to raise money for orphans and Aids victims.

The journey through South Africa and Lesotho is entirely "off road"in temperatures up to 40 degrees.

Hazards include bandits, erratic drivers and poisonous snakes. The week-long trek, which will take in some of Africa’s most remote and dangerous regions, has been on, then off, and is now on again, the Sunday Telegraph reported quoting friends of the princes.

It was originally mooted at new year, but seemed to have been scuppered by security concerns.

Neither of their girlfriends, Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy, will go on the trip but they may join the princes in Africa at the end of the ride.

Both William and Harry are passionate about Africa. William spent part of his gap year there, while Harry has visited the continent several times. His girlfriend Chelsy Davy was born and raised in Zimbabwe.

Harry set up a charity, Sentebale, which is dedicated to helping orphans and Aids victims in Lesotho.

Almost a third of its people are infected with HIV/Aids and there are about 180,000 orphans in a country of 1.8 million people.