Trans Africa

Tour Itinerary 

Weeks 1 to 4:        Malaga, Morocco, Mauritania        Accommodation:

Our trip begins in Malaga. We board the ferry at Algeciras and crossing to the Spanish duty free port of Ceuta, the perfect opportunity to stock up on supplies in preparation of our 2000km desert crossing. Our first stop on the African continent is Morocco.  A fascinating country with diverse scenery ranging from the sand dunes of the northern Sahara to the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and we visit Rabat, it's capital and Fez, famous for its Fez and Berber carpets. The old walled Medina in Fez is of most interest to us here.  This is the oldest and most intact medieval city of the Arab world. Its bewildering maze of narrow alleyways makes it necessary to use a guide to see the medina properly.  Some 200,000 people live within this city and previously it was the centre of trade, culture and religion in Morocco.  The medina is complete with Mosque and many workshops where we can watch silversmiths, tinsmiths, weavers, and wool dyers and there’s even a tannery to inspect. We shouldn’t leave Fez without visiting a hamman, or Turkish bath, and for an extra $1 - a massage (Moroccan style of course!). Crossing the Atlas Mountains we can relax at Meski Oasis before continuing on to Gorges du Ziz and Todra Gorge.  If you are feeling energetic here you can spend the day climbing to the top of the 300 metre high cliffs.  In the evening you can try a traditional Moroccan meal of roast goat and cous cous. After a few days we continue south to Marrakech. Marrakech means ‘fortified’ in the Berber language and the foundations of this city are dated back to 1062, with the original walls of the city being erected in 1126. It was, in past times, a meeting point for the Southern tribesman and Berber villages to trade. We will have a couple of days to explore this wonderful city.  The centre of Marrakech is Place Djemaa el-Fna, a lively square, in the old city. This has two disputed meanings - “assembly of dead”, which refers to it being a place of execution last century or “the mosque of nothing” as grand plans were made to build a mosque here, which never eventuated. Step back to a time of fantasy for a moment as the square is full of jugglers, snake charmers, boxers, acrobats and storytellers with tales of magic from bygone days when sultans ruled.  Many an enterprising businessman can be found in the square from herbalists, to dentists and barbers - if you are game to try them.  In the evening, many food stalls are set up selling everything from freshly squeezed orange juice and peeled cactus flowers to goat kebabs, chicken, fish and even snails.   If this all sounds a bit busy for you, relax in the overlooking veranda bar and view the carnival of entertainers below. Onwards to the Atlantic and the coastal fishing village of Essaouira, another town surrounded by fortifications. This town was made famous in the 60’s with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens spending time here, making it a magnet for all ‘would be’ hippies.  It’s a good place to sample some of the local seafood; fresh from the nets, cooked for you on the spot, at small fisherman stands down around the port area. This is the beginning of our 1500km trek south to Dakhla through a barren and wind swept coast, blemished only with numerous shipwrecks. Dakhla is a welcome sight as it is a place to rest, wash off the dry dust in a hamman and to stock up on supplies for our voyage south across the trackless desert of the southern Sahara. From here we travel in convoy to the Mauritania border and, after formalities, are escorted to the border town of Nouadhibou. Mauritania, until recently, has been closed to the outside world and it boasts one of the best coastal reserves and virtually untouched fishing grounds in the world. Inquisitive but welcoming nomadic people put you in touch with a barren land that time forgot. Leaving Nouadhibou we travel around countless sediment pans of the coastal area then move inland to negotiate the forever changing landscape of shifting sand. Heading back to the coast the journey continues - tide permitting - along the ocean edge with towering sand dunes scraping our tyres on the left.  A climb to the top of the dunes gives you a magnificent view of them stretching as far as the eye can see and the sunsets and stars are breathtaking. We stop briefly in Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital, to wash the salt off the truck and restock with fresh supplies.  This city is increasing rapidly and has seen the population rise over 10 times in less than ten years, as more and more people come in from the desert, often to end up living in the shanty towns made entirely from cardboard boxes and sacks. 

Weeks 5 to 8:        Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana        Accommodation:

Mali awaits and it is here where we generally encounter the first black Africans with numerous herds of cattle feeding off the sparse vegetation. The land changes before our eyes as we move south to Mali's capital, Bamako. Heading towards the Bandiagara escarpment we pass through two of the most colourful market towns in West Africa, Segou and Djenne.  Djenne was one of the ancient Trans-Sahara trading towns and is the oldest of the river ports with the classic mud-built buildings and the largest mud-mosque in the world, dating from the early 1900’s! The Bandiagara escarpment, with its breathtaking views, is 150 km long and in places 600 metres high. Here, with the help of local guides, we find the Dogon. These people are one of the most ancient tribes in Africa, who have changed little over the centuries, still dwelling in curious shaped dome huts perched on cliff edges.  These are the homes of the animists who have monkey skulls and bones embedded into the mud walls - a fascinating culture, which practices its own religion and customs even down to a five day week - four days to work in the fields below and one day of rest to party. If we are lucky we may chance on one of their festivals where the beating of drums, dancing and drinking of millet beer carries on long into the night. Burkina Faso, originally known as the Upper Volta, is one of the smaller countries that we travel through briefly. We stop in the capital city of Ouagadougou for a few days. The huge colourful markets and local cafes and music provide endless variety and entertainment. We then head south into Ghana and towards the beautiful West African coastline. The hospitality of the English speaking Ghanaians makes it a memorable journey. We travel through lush rain forest and stop at local craft markets to practice our trading skills. The Gold Coast was infamous for its slave trade in the 18th century and today there are a number of Portuguese forts still standing along some of the most stunning beaches, anywhere in the world. Kakum National Park, only 30kms from the Coast, is a tropical rainforest with a most unusual way of viewing it.  Forty metre high rope walkways are strung through the forest canopy. Ghana is proud of its culture and boasts some excellent museums, as well as schools concentrating in the study of local arts, crafts and music.  We may have the opportunity to hear some of the music the students create.

Weeks 9 to 13:        Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon        Accommodation:

The Togo coastline is only 60km long, but there is a pleasant beach, complete with shipwreck, where we camp, outside Lome, the capital. The market in Lome is one of the busiest and most colourful you'll ever see in Africa. Spectacular stalls selling everything imaginable line the streets and the view from the 3rd floor of the indoor market merely highlights the chaos below. There is even a voodoo market for the more stout at heart. Our first stop in Benin is at Grand Popo where we can relax for a few days on the beach and sample the local fresh seafood.  We stock up our supplies at Cotonou before crossing into Nigeria, a country rich in oil and the most populated of Africa’s countries with over 100 million inhabitants.  We escape the crowds for Yankari Game Reserve & Wikki Warm Springs.  The crystal, clear, warm water comes out of a hole at the bottom of a cliff, opening out into a 200 metre by 10-metre pool.  The perfect way to enjoy this is by spending the evening hours, refreshments in hand, relaxing in the natural mineral water.

Weeks 14 to 17:        Cameroon, Gabon, RPL Congo        Accommodation:

Our itinerary from Yankari Game Reserve will depend largely on the political situation in the surrounding countries. With the Democratic Republic of the Congo closed, we will travel through to Waza Game Reserve in northern Cameroon, before crossing the border into Congo.Driving through bamboo forest tunnels we make our way back to the coast reaching Point Noire. Here you can visit the Jane Goodall Chimp sanctuary, or relax on the beach. We enter Cabinda the oil rich exclave of Angola with the Congo to the East and the Atlantic to the west; where you can watch the flames burning off from the offshore oil rigs. We then enter DR Congo crossing the mighty Congo River by a massive bridge overlooking Matadi town; a sea port over 100km upriver from the ocean

Weeks 18 to 19:        Angola        Accommodation:

Angola only opened up to tourism in 2004, With the closure of the routes through Sudan, African Trails started going this way through one of the largest and least visited countries in Africa.. The people are friendly and the views astounding. Driving along the red mud roads we reach the coast and the capital Luanda, its very Portuguese in its buildings and Brazilian in its beach attire with a line of beach bars and restaurants in the bay. We follow the coast passing lots of waterfalls on the way to Lubango town 2000 meters high on a plateau. It is home to the third of the great statues of Jesus; the others being in Rio and Lisbon.

Weeks 20 to 22:        Namibia, South Africa        Accommodation:

Entering Namibia, we encounter a vast array of environments and cultures.Once occupied by Germany, Namibia produces a blend of German, African and Afrikaans influences.The Himba peoples of the North are most noted for their red ochre body paint and their traditional lifestyle.Next stop is Etosha Pan National Park. Thousands of years ago this vast saltpanKunene River changed its course and deprived the lake of its water source. Now the pan and surrounding bush support large numbers and a wide range of wildlife. We spend a couple of day's game viewing from the truck during the day and spend the evenings around the floodlit water holes at the park's campsites. These water holes provide an excellent opportunity to observe animals that are hard to find during the day, particularly rhino and also smaller animals such as the genet. Elephant, lion, giraffe, zebra, oryx, ostrich, springbok, jackals, hyenas and meercats are also likely to be seen at Etosha. From wild animals to tame ones, we spend a night at the Cheetah Farm where you can scratch the big cats behind the ears before watching them tuck in to their evening meal. Heading for the Atlantic Ocean Coast, we visit Africa's largest cape fur seal colony, Cape Cross. Swakopmund is an old German colonial seaside resort with plenty of things to do for the energetic and plenty of beer cellars for those after a more relaxing time. The energetic can go horse-riding or sand boarding on the dunes, deep sea fishing in the Atlantic or scenic flights over the coastline. Heading inland, we enter the Namib Desert, famous for the 300m high sand dunes.We enjoy sunrise at the top of the most photographed dune, Dune 45 before taking a tour with local guides into the remote parts of Sossusvlei. After an overnight stay in the desert we drive south to Fish River Canyon, at 85km long and 400m deep it's second in size only to the Grand Canyon. You can trek down to the bottom of the canyon and, from the viewpoints at the top, watch the setting or rising of the sun. There are seasonal hot springs in the south at Ai Ais. Our last stop in Namibia is the Orange River, which forms the border with South Africa.  Crossing the river we arrive in South Africa and travel south through Namaqualand, South Africa's prime farming areas.We drive through the mountain valleys of the Cederberg and stony semi-deserts before arriving in Stellenbosch, the centre of one of the Cape's many wine routes. A wine tour with plenty of tasting makes for a great day out.

A short drive brings us into Cape Town and the end point of this 22 week Trans Africa adventure.

Week 23:        Cape Town - Break

We have a weeks break from the trip in Cape Town. It's a beautiful city, nestled at the foot of Table Mountain; plenty of cafes, pubs, clubs, markets and sights. You can climb the mountain or take the cable car to the top for some wonderful views of the city and the Cape Peninsula and visit Robben Island

Week 24:          South Africa, Botswana        Accommodation:

Departing Cape Town we head north towards Botswana and the Kalahari Desert via Kimberly. We travel along the edge of the Kalahari Desert to Maun. A small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, and the starting point for the Mokoro trip. A Mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe and your transport into the Delta. As you glide through the waterways, you will see a fantastic array of wetland wildlife, birds in particular and you are also likely to come across hippos or elephants taking a drink from the shore. You can go on a walking safari to look for giraffe, buffalo and rare antelope such as the tsessebe. This overnight stay is a great wilderness experience. We spend a night by the banks of the Chobe River, in Kasane.Here hippo, buffalo and crocodiles share the river bank and occasionally pay us a visit through the night.Here you can take a sunset cruise on the river or take an afternoon game drive through the park, and see some of Africa's largest elephants and big cats.

Week 25:          Zambia, Malawi        Accommodation:

Entering Zambia, we reach the Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River plunges 100 metres down a mile wide chasm, creating one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. The local name for the Falls is 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' which means 'the smoke that thunders' and you'll soon find out why. When the river is in full flow, the falling water causes a huge roar and sends a cloud of spray up to 500 metres into the air. We stay near Livingstone beside the Zambezi and above Victoria Falls, for a few days, as there is so much to see and do. Adventure activities abound - you can bungee jump, white water raft, take a Microlite flight above the falls, sky-dive and go game-viewing on horse back. More sedate excursions include canoeing, light aircraft or helicopter flights over the falls, and the sunset cruise on the Zambezi. Of course, the falls themselves are the main attraction and you can walk through the rain forest along the cliff opposite for an excellent view. Crossing the border into Malawi, we soon reach the shores of its huge lake. The campsites and small resorts along Lake Malawi offer sandy beaches, swimming and snorkeling, water skiing and walking in the surrounding countryside. You will also find markets selling beautifully carved Malawi chairs, tables and other souvenirs.

Weeks 26 to 27:        Tanzania, Kenya        Accommodation:

Heading north through Tanzania, our route takes us through Mikumi National Park where we may well see giraffe or pygmy elephants grazing along the roadside. At Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast, we can cross to Zanzibar Island. Here is the old stone capital of the Omani Sultanate and away from the town are stunning beaches, and World Heritage Listed buildings, forests and ruins.You can take a spice tour of the island, go diving, swimming with dolphins or visit remote islands by the traditional dhow boats. Heading inland we pass Africa's highest peak, that of Mt Kilimanjaro.From Arusha we hire Landrovers to visit the Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti National Park, which has the heaviest concentration of plains game found all over East Africa.

Week 28:        Kenya        Accommodation:

From Tanzania we cross in Kenya the Athi Plains, passing gazelle, giraffe and troops of baboons on our way to Nairobi. Leaving Nairobi we pass the dramatic landscape of the Rift Valley to the highlands of Kenya.

Week 29:         Uganda        Accommodation:

Week 30:        Kenya          Accommodation:

Returning to Kenya and Nakuru Town, the capital of the Rift Valley Province, we stay at Kembu Camp a working farm. You can visit Lake Nakuru, viewing game in a park famous for its soda lake surrounded by thousands, sometimes millions of pink flamingoes. We move on to camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha where hippos come to graze in the evenings. Close by is Hell's Gate National Park and Elsamere, once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa the lion of 'Born Free' fame. From here we return to Nairobi with the chance to feast at the renowned Carnivores Game Restaurant.

We head back into Nairobi where this amazing Trans Africa Overland ends. 

Week 31:        Kenya          Accommodation:

This week will be used to re stock the truck and get all the washing done ready for the next leg of the Journey which will be taking us up to the Middle East and finish in Europe. Some people take the train down to Mombasa and the coast for a few days on the beach.

Weeks 32 to 34:        Ethiopia        Accommodation:

We visit Samburu Park & the base of Mount Kenya. And continue north through the 'Northern Frontier District' of Kenya, a restricted area; semi arid with a spectacular diversity of people, wild game on the road side and a pleasant dry climate 

We enter Ethiopia and we climb the mountains into the highlands and follow the Rift Valley Lakes to Addis Ababa. Take boats to visit Bahir Dar Monasteries on islands on Lake Tana the source of the Blue Nile, with hippos and crocs at the outflow of the river. Tissisat Falls is the source of the Blue Nile.We visit Gondar; a city of castles and churches. In the Simien Mountains you can horse trek and see grazing Gelada Baboons.

Weeks 35 to 36:        Sudan        Accommodation:

We enter Sudan following the Blue Nile to Gedaref then Khartoum where the Blue & White Nile join, watch dervish dancing or even join in the Nubian wrestling - safer just to watch. We visit the Pharonic Pyramids of Meroe in an un-spoilt, little visited desert setting. We drive across the Bauda Desert sands through friendly villages on the Nile. From Wadi Halfa we take a ferry across Lake Nasserto Aswanin Egypt.

Weeks 37 to 38:        Egypt        Accommodation:

In Aswan we visit the High Dam & Philae Island Temple. Luxor, we visit Karnak Temple the Colossi of Memnon & Valley of the Kings & Tutankhamen's Tomb on donkeys. From Luxor, we take the overnight train to Cairo where we spent a few days to look at the great pyramids in Giza and the immense collections of the Cairo Museum. We cross the Sinai Peninsular to Dahab and a few days to relax on the beach of the Red Sea.  This is one of the best places to go scuba diving in the world.

Weeks 39 to 40:        Egypt, Jordon, Syria, Lebanon        Accommodation:

An overnight ferry to Jordan and into Wadi Rum, and memories from "Lawrence of Arabia" then a quick dip in the Dead Sea before heading up to Petra, then across the border to Syria. Here we see crusader castles and the myriad of things to buy in the many souks of Damascus and Aleppo. Heading out of Aleppo and leaving Syria,

Weeks 41 to 43:        Turkey        Accommodation:

We enter Turkey with its olive groves and sweet baklava.  Heading into Cappadocia we visit the fairy tale land carved by the weather into the volcanic ash.  Try a Turkish bath and some belly dancing whilst you’re here.  Then to Olympus to visit the Chimera Eternal flame and the Turquoise Coast at Kas.  It’s now off past the limestone curtain of Pamukkale and to Selcuk and the ancient city of Ephesus, before we spot the wooden horse at Troy.  From here we cross to Europe and stop at Gallipoli to pay our respects, before ending the trip in Istanbul, not Constantinople! From Istanbul why not experience the original Orient Express train back to London.

This is where this extraordinary journey ends.

 
NOTE: Africa is an unpredictable continent. We do not have a fixed itinerary so please treat the information given as a guideline only. Although our information is written in good faith at the time of printing, our route may vary at any time due to weather, politics or road conditions.