BUDAPEST TO BAMAKO

Episode 1: Escaping Europe

The magnificent Hungarian capital of Budapest provides the backdrop for the start of the 2007 Budapest-Bamako rally, a unique - and some say bizarre - event featuring more than 200 participants from across Europe. Join the teams as they dash across Hungary, the Austrian Alps, and the Mediterranean coasts of Italy, France and Spain on the first leg of the 8,200-kilometre journey from the heart of Europe to the soul of West Africa.

Episode 2: Morocco, the Hard Way

The second leg of the Budapest-Bamako rally sees the teams arriving in Morocco and heading towards the Sahara. As they reach the northern rim of the great desert, they are faced with numerous challenges, from car-devouring sand dunes to disappearing roads, to roadside merchants who think it's normal to spend an hour haggling for a box of dates. After a gruelling drive the teams enter the disputed territory of Western Sahara on the Atlantic coast. There they enjoy the warmth of Saharan hospitality, discover that camel meat makes an excellent kebab, and meet refugees from a country that most people have never heard of.

Episode 3: Majestic Mauritania

The third leg of the Budapest-Bamako rally starts with a hair-raising drive through a mine-strewn "no-man's" land between Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Once across the daunting border, the participants discover Mauritania's friendly locals, gorgeous coast and vast and dramatic desert landscapes making it one of the world's great undiscovered travel destinations. Meanwhile, the rally adventures continue, as the race organizer and his journalist sidekick push their vintage Volkswagen to the limit, and another team tries to trade a beautiful Hungarian blonde for a slightly used Toyota Landcruiser.

Episode 4: : Bamako or Bust

The final leg of the Budapest-Bamako begins with a visit to the Mauritanian village of Kankossa where the remaining rally teams head off towards the unmarked border with Mali. While the teams are only 1,000 kilometres from their destination, the last hurdles are the most forbidding. As they cross the vast, trackless savannah, disaster strikes in the form of a massive accident involving one of the organizers' vehicles. While the injured are evacuated from the scene, the rally organizer and his journalist sidekick find themselves wandering around West Africa's hottest city looking for a ride to the finish line. Finally, after two punishing weeks, the teams reach the bustling capital of Mali, where their adventure ends with a celebration at a local elementary school and a visit to the capital's pre-eminent witch doctor.