7 weeks Eastern and Southern Africa adventurous overland participation camping safari starting in Nairobi and ending in Capetown, seeing and experiencing all the highlights along the way
We meet at the campsite at 8am on the first day of the trip. We recommend you arrive in Nairobi at least the day before, however if you’re there with a few days to spare there’s lots to see and do around the city. Close to the hotel is the National Museum, there are markets in and around Nairobi or you can venture further afield to Karen Blixen’s house, Langata Giraffe Centre or even Nairobi National Park for a first glimpse of African wildlife.
Week One 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 Masaai 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.
Week Two South through Tanzania, our route takes us through Mikumi National Park where we may well see giraffe or elephant grazing along the roadside. 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, water skiing or walking in the surrounding countryside. You will also find markets selling beautifully carved Malawi chairs, tables and other souvenirs.
Week Three In Blantyre the capital of Malawi we get visas for the next leg. We enter Mozambique and spend a the day driving through the bush, passing villages, mud huts and small children who wave at us as they tend their herds of cows and goats.
In Zimbabwe we visit the modern capital Harare, then on to Gweru and the Antelope Park. Here is the only place in the world you can walk with lion cubs, also you can swim with elephants and play polo cross.
In Bulawayo town there is Rhodes Matopos National Park, here you can walk near wild white rhino, see bushman rock paintings and see the fantastic view Rhodes grave, the founder of modern Zimbabwe.
Week Four 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 in Victoria Falls Town in Zimbabwe above the Falls where 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 Five We cross into Botswana. We 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 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 sessebe. This overnight stay is a great wilderness experience.
Leaving the lush Delta behind we enter Namibia and spend the night on the Kavango River in the tail end on the Caprivi Strip.
Week Six Next stop is Etosha Pan National Park. Thousands of years ago this vast saltpan was a lake, until the Kunene River changed 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 days 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 Kaminjab 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.
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 tens of 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 Seven 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 its 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 along the rim 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, nestled 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.
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.
Price GB £ 750 Plus Local payment of GB £ 490 payable to the driver on Day 1.
International flights are not included in the price
This trip is not suitable for those under 18 years of age.
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I had an absolutely amazing experience. My only criticism had to do with how the website worded what was included. For example, when we got to cities and parked the truck, I was still under the assumption we would get our 2 meals a day, but we didn't.
Besides that everything was incredible and I can't wait to return.
Thanks! Eric
Tour Operators Reply:
Our website says: “The tour cost and local payment includes transport in a fully equipped expedition vehicle, road taxes and tolls, services of the driver-leader, use of camping and cooking equipment, campsite fees, entrance to gameparks as specified, and two meals a day while on the truck. This means in places such as Dar es Salaam, Victoria Falls or Swakopmund, where the vehicle will be parked up, although the kitchen will be available for you to cook with, food during this time will not come out of the Local Payment. Generally at lunchtimes we eat at small cafes or restaurants where you can try cheap and tasty local food. If no local food is available we eat on the truck.”
