Decisions needed...travails of a flashpacker in Africa

Trying to decide betw: 1) 1 hour flight that costs US$460 on a good airline, 2) 3hr flight (with stopover) that costs US$360 on a dodgy airline, 3) 3 hrs chicken bus with border-crossing followed by 1 hr dodgy airline flight that costs US$90, 4) 16 hours chicken bus with border crossing. The travails of a flashpacker in Africa...