Trans Africa Accra to Cape Town

This epic expedition takes you through the culture of west & central Africa to the southern tip of the continent at Cape Town.

There are times where it will be extremely tough - days of rough roads and harsh terrains and extremes of weather. But it will all be worth it!

You will discover a continent most travellers only dream of and have the experience of a lifetime!

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Itinerary / Highlights

Days 1 to 21
Travelling through Togo and Benin doesn't take long as they are only 50 miles wide. Voodoo is the main religion here, basing its beliefs in the power of the dead. You can visit an interesting fetish market as well as some good African restaurants in Togo. In Benin you can take local canoes out to Ganvie village - built on bamboo stilts on Lake Nakoue. Next we enter Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with well over 100 million people. The pace of life here tends to be more hectic than we have become used to, full of hustle and bustle. We stop for several days in Abuja, the capital before moving through mountainous and lush jungle toward Cameroon. Along here - we may encounter some of the most challenging road conditions and situations on the whole of the route. Team work will definitely be needed if we are to tackle what may lay ahead - from clearing paths through water logged pot holes the size of the truck to only travelling a couple of miles in a day over wet and unkept mud roads. These are some of the best memories you will take away with you.

Arriving at the foothills of Mount Cameroon, we spend a few days camping near Limbe and 6 Mile Beach - where you can choose to trek up Mount Cameroon, visit a chimpanzee orphanage or relax on the beach.

Days 22 to 42
Leaving the Cameroon coast, we travel inland and south on rugged roads. We skirt a number of Pygmy villages and pass the through lush jungle scenery and the occasional waterfall before eventually reaching the lively market town of Ambam. Here we can replenish our food supplies before crossing the Ntem river into Gabon, a country that consists mostly of Tropical Rain Forest. We visit the capital city of Libreville where we can laze on some of the laid back local beaches, or try some of the many restaurants that serve African cuisine whilst we obtain more visas for countries further south. The next town of any size that we come to is Lambarene. Situated on an island in the middle of the Ogooue River, Lambarene's claim to fame is it's hospital built in 1913 by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer. Situated 8kms away in the forest, it is still the main hospital in Gabon. From Lambarene we continue south along dirt and mud roads toward the Republic of Congo - tar seal roads are no where to be seen until our arrival into Ponte Noire.

Days 43 to 56
One of the main highlights for most people who visit Congo is the friendliness of the people, particularly in the countryside. The coastal city of Ponte Noire is also very relaxed and friendly - but a bit of a contrast to most other parts of the country. Signs of affluent businesses and general living are all around - mainly due to the resident oil mining and logging industries. Besides the beaches and market places, Ponte Noire also has a healthy selection of restaurants and cafes catering to many a craving for treats that we may not have seen for some time. From Ponte Noire it is only 40kms south to the border of Cabinda. This is a small oil rich province of Angola, only 150kms wide, whose recent history has been largely influenced by western oil companies.

Days 57 to 77
From Cabinda we drive into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire. The roads here can be just as bad as those encountered earlier in Cameroon. However, natural sites and charming towns and villages with names like Banana and Songololo make this an interesting and unique experience. We will only be in DRC for a few days before entering Angola proper.

We cross the Congo river into Angola and enter the northern province called Zaire. Angola is still recovering from over two decades of civil war - evidence of which you will see with the many military tanks that litter the sides of the road. The country is slowly rebuilding its infrastructure and basic needs - with the capital of Luanda showing full sign of this slow progression. As we travel south through small villages and communities- we will pass waterfalls, deserted beaches and lots of friendly people - especially children who may never have seen a foreigner before. As Portuguese is the preferred language and hardly anyone we encounter will speak English - a lot of humorous improvisations with hands, face and voice are usually needed by all of us. After the southern town of Lubango we head to the Namibian border.

Days 78 to 87
Crossing into Namibia and into the region of the Owambo people - we pass through the country's second largest town - Ondangwa. This town is one of the main suppliers of beer to Northern Namibia - hopefully there will be enough left for us!!!! Heading west into what is known as the Kaokoveld - we enter one of Africa's lesser visited areas. By some it is classed as prime safari territory due to its inaccessibility and nearly non existent infrastructure. We may be fortunate enough to see one of 30 remaining desert elephants - who have adapted to the harsh arid conditions of this area in search of the underground water reserves of the ancient riverbeds. Black Rhinos also inhabit this area - but their secrecy makes viewing them in the wild that little bit more difficult. The Kaokoveld is also home to the Himba people - a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who to this day have shunned the advances of the modern world to keep with their tradition of leading nomadic lifestyles. The men and women of the tribe traditionally wear little clothing except for goats skin or modest cloth - opting to rub their bodies and hair with red ochre and fat which ultimately protects them from the sun and represents the distinctive look associated with the Himba people.We hope to visit a local Himba village to allow us a greater understanding into one of Africa's most visually unique people. We then head towards the Brandberg Mountain region - home of Namibia's highest peaks.

Next we stay for a night or two in the capital Windhoek - the first taste of western civilization we would have experienced in a few weeks. This will give you the chance to take a walking tour of the town - with its influence of old world German architecture and twentieth century modernity side by side. The hustle and bustle of the capital could not seem more far away from what we have experienced for the last few weeks. From Windhoek we head south and border the fringes of the Kalahari Desert, home of the San Bushmen where we will spot various buck and wild ostrich as well as enjoy camping out in the freedom of the vast desert. We also pass through some diamond mining settlements in southern Botswana before entering South Africa.

Days 88 to 96
Our first stop in the Northern Cape is the diamond town of Kimberly. Here we can visit the Mine Museum and the Big Hole, an excellent introduction into Kimberley's fascinating history. There is also the opportunity to take a trip almost 1km down an operating modern Diamond Mine. Further south we visit Addo National Park, home to the big five where we should spot Elephant, Hippo, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and if we are very lucky Leopard. We continue heading towards the Outeniqua Mountains to the Little Karoo. Here we visit the Cango Calcite Caves recognised as one of the worlds finest network of Calcite caves. The bizarre formations of Stalagmites and Stalactites represent over a million years of slow formation. We also visit an Ostrich farm to learn more about the worlds largest bird. The Ostrich has been around for 8 million years and a feather was actually discovered in King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. 97% of the world's population of Ostriches lives in the Karoo and here we will have the opportunity to feed and ride one!

We spend a couple of days winding our way along South Africa's famous Garden Route where there is a wealth of things to see and do. We travel through the popular resort of Knysna, located on a tranquil lagoon that is protected from the sea by two enormous cliffs known as 'the heads'. We visit the Tsitsikamma Forest, where you will be able to hike along the coast and view the crashing waves at the mouth of the scenic Storms River, and maybe spot dolphins and whales in the ocean. Optional excursions in this region include mountain biking, black water tubing, and the mother of all bungee jumps at Bloakrans Bridge - the highest jump in the world at 216 metres.

The most southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas is the dividing line between the warm Indian Ocean and the cooler Atlantic Ocean. From August to November Southern Right and Humpback Whales maybe spotted along the coast - as they feed in the nutrient rich waters off the southern coast. The final destination for some on this amazing expedition is the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. Our accommodation here will be in a backpackers lodge.

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

START DATE END DATE SEATS AVAILABLE
14-01-2010 18-04-2010 More than 10
20-05-2010 22-08-2010 More than 10

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