**WEEKS 1 – 4 – EUROPE, MOROCCO, MAURITANIA**We start the trip in Spain and cross and the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa. MOROCCO is the beginning of our African Odyssey. We visit the coastal capital city of Rabat. Meknes and Fez on the high plains are ancient walled cities with covered markets, in a labyrinth of narrow winding streets. In the plains above Fez we visit the ancient Roman city of Volubilis, then on to Casablanca and Marrakech. Through the Atlas Mountains we pass into the Sahara Desert.
The Sahara is never forgotten; oasis surrounded by date palms laced with cool, irrigation canals, stretches of sand large enough to swallow a small country, old forts, camel trains following centuries old trading routes, and a night sky undiluted by city lights. We go hundreds of miles off road, sometimes digging the truck out of the soft sands to get us through. We follow the Atlantic Coast from the Western Sahara to MAURITANIA.
**WEEKS 5 - 9 - MALI, BURKINA FASO, GHANA** We enter the Sahel (semi arid desert) and follow the Niger river, visiting the old mud towns of Mopti and Djenne. On cliffs along the huge Bandiagara escarpment we trek to the small villages of the Dogon. BURKINA FASO is famous for its beautiful lost wax bronze statues. In GHANA we cross forest and jungle to the welcome beaches of the Gold Coast.
**WEEKS 10 – 12 - TOGO, BENIN, NIGERIA, CAMEROON** The countries of TOGO and BENIN are only fifty miles wide. Here the religion is the African cult of Voodoo - a highly organised religion based on the power of the dead. On Nakoue Lagoon you can take canoes to visit the fishing villages built high above the water on bamboo stilts. NIGERIA is the most populous country in Africa, with 100 million people. As the languages are tonal, it is possible to translate their conversation into percussion music and so make their drums talk intelligibly over long distances. We visit Lagos, the commercial capital and largest city in West Africa and head on the Abuja the political capital. We stop at Wikki Warm Springs to relax for a few days. We pass into the northern mountain regions of CAMEROON, with the neatest villages in Africa.
**WEEKS 13 – 16 - CHAD, SUDAN** These countries are peopled by traditional African Arabs renowned for their courtesy and traditional hospitality, living in the starkly beautiful dry sub Saharan Sahel. We stop in CHAD’S capital Njamina and drive steadily on thru the sandy roads. In SUDAN you can go walking on the volcanic massif of Gebbel Murra and visit the traditional towns of El Fasher and El Obied. The Baggara cattle herding tribe lead their herds by riding their top bulls, while carrying their spears and bows and arrows.
In Central Sudan we cross the White Nile. In the capital Khartoum we see the whirling dervishes, take a felucca for a days sailing on the Nile and visit the pharaonic pyramids at Meroe - they are as old as the pyramids in Egypt.
**WEEKS 17 - 19 – ETHIOPIA** We follow the Blue Nile gorge into the mountains of Ethiopia and visit the rock hewn churches of Debra Lindos & Lalibela. In the highlands you can go walking in the Simeon Mountains to see the golden, long haired, Gelda baboons. The waters of Lake Tana, one of the sources of the Nile spill out over the Blue Nile Falls to start its journey down to Egypt. We have a few nights out in the capital Addis Ababa before following the Rift Valley lakes out of the mountains and into East Africa
**WEEKS 20 - 22 – KENYA, UGANDA** We enter KENYA, passing through the arid Northern Frontier District passing through Marsabit National Park before climbing into the rich, green highlands surrounding Mount Kenya. We descend to the Rift Valley lakes of Nakuru and Naivasha before crossing into UGANDA. At Jinja, on the White Nile, we have the opportunity to go white water rafting and have a night out in the capital, Kampala. In the west of the country we trek to visit the mountain gorillas before returning to Nairobi.
**WEEK 23** Leaving Nairobi we cross the Athi River Plains and the border to Tanzania and see Mount Kilimanjaro rising above the horizon in the distance. We spend the night near Arusha, which is nestled at the foot of Mount Meru. From here you can hire Land Rovers with a guide to take you to the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is a collapsed, extinct volcano, thousands of years old and now supporting a wide range of animals. It’s an excellent place for your first game drive as being a relatively small area it has a high concentration of animals.
This area is the home of the Masai and we will undoubtedly come across tribesmen and women selling their distinctive beaded jewellery or inviting you to take photographs, for a small fee.
A day’s drive from Arusha brings us to Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast. Over the centuries trade between Africa and Arabia has resulted in the blending of Arabs and Africans into a beautiful Swahili (coastal) culture with wooden sailing dhows crossing the ocean, coconut plantations and fishing villages with mosques on the beaches. From Dar es Salaam you can take the ferry to Zanzibar Island. Here is the old stone Capital of the Omani Sultanate, sandy beaches, spice tours, snorkelling, diving and trips to other nearby islands. Zanzibar is a fascinating place to visit and you can stay for 3 or 4 days to take it all in.
**WEEK 24** South through Tanzania, our route takes us through Mikumi National Park where we may well see giraffe or elephant grazing along the roadside.
**WEEK 25** 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 snorkelling, waterskiing or walking in the surrounding countryside. You will also find markets selling beautifully carved Malawi chairs, tables and other souvenirs.
We enter Zambia and spend a couple of days driving through the bush, passing villages, mud huts and small children who wave at us as they tend their herds of cows and goats.
**WEEK 26** Finally 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, 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 Victoria Falls themselves are the main attraction and you can walk through the rain forest along the cliff opposite for an excellent view.
**WEEK 27** We catch the ferry at Kazungula and cross the border into Botswana. We visit Chobe National Park and travel along the edge of the Kalahari desert to Maun. A small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, Maun is also the starting point for the mokoro trip. A mokoro is a traditional dug-out 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 sessebe. This overnight stay is a great wilderness experience.
Leaving the lush Delta behind we enter Namibia and take the dirt road to Rundu on the Kavango River. Rundu-Mayana Lodge has plenty to keep us occupied for a couple of days - bar, pool table, tennis court, swimming pool. From here you can also organise a canoe trip on the river, a village walk and see some of Namibia’s leading dancers.
**WEEK 28** Next stop is Etosha Pan National Park. Thousands of years ago this vast saltpan was a lake, until the Kunene River changed its course and deprived the lake of it’s 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.
Namibia is a land of wide-open spaces and we pass few inhabited areas as we drive towards the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. This area derives its name from the numerous ships and men that met their end on the treacherous coastline.
On our way to Swakopmund, we stop at Cape Cross where the first European explorer landed in the 15th century. It is now more famous for the Seal Reserve, a breeding ground for thousands of cape fur seals. They occupy the beaches almost as far as the eye can see and you can watch them suckling their young, resting in the sun and fighting with their neighbours.
**WEEK 29** Swakopmund is an old German colonial seaside resort with plenty of things to do for the energetic and plenty of beerkellers for those after a more relaxing time. Horse riding or sand boarding on the dunes, deep sea fishing in the Atlantic or scenic flights over the coastline - these are just a few of the activities on offer.
Heading inland, we journey to the Namib Desert, famous for it’s 300 metre high sand dunes, the highest in the world. It can be hard work climbing to the top but the view is worth all the effort as the dunes stretch before you into the distance and change colour in the setting sun.
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 hot springs in the south at Ai Ais (seasonal). Our last stop in Namibia is the Orange River, which forms the border with South Africa. You can spend an afternoon canoeing here.
Crossing the river we arrive in South Africa and follow the Atlantic coast south through the sparsely populated areas of the Western Cape. We drive through mountain valleys and stony semi-desert 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.
Finally we arrive at our journey’s end. Cape Town is a beautiful city, nestling at the foot of Table Mountain and you’ll find plenty of café’s, pubs, clubs, markets and sights to see. You can climb the mountain or take the cable car to the top for some wonderful views of the city and the Cape Peninsula. Nearby are several beaches where you may find yourself whale watching from the shore or sharing your towel with a jackass penguin.
We arrive in Cape Town on the last day of the tour. We take you to a Hostel where you can book a dorm or a room, or you can arrange your own accommodation at one of the many other Hostels or hotels. There are several operators who run excursions to the surrounding area and further afield to the Garden Route and beyond. There is an international airport as well as flight, train and bus connections to other South African cities.
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.
For an updated dossier containing a more detailed itinerary and information on visas, vaccinations, spending money, optional excursions and other useful information please contact us.
Of all the trips we run this is the most likely to have a change of route due to local conditions and visa requirements.
Included: 2 meals a day whilst on the truck
Not Included: Sleeping bags, air mats, flights, spending money, visas, insurance etc
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African Trails
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African Trails
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| Tour Category:
4WD Tours
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| Fitness Required: Low |
| You should bring: | | The less you take the less you have to pack, wash, lug home and you’ll always pick up extras along the way. You’ll be travelling in the heat and camping in the cool, so bring clothes for all climates, rough stuff is best. The best type of carrier is a r |
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| Company :
African Trails
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| Days: 1 |
| Departs :
Morocco
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