Cairo to Cape Town overland tour
| country: | Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan |
| departures: | 2008: 17 Dec 2009: 21 Apr, 14 Jun, 25 Aug, 16 Oct, 18 Oct, 14 Dec 2010: 20 Apr, 13 Jun, 13 Jul, 25 Aug, 15 Oct, 13 Dec |
| price: | From £840 (8 weeks) - £1750 (16 weeks) excluding flights, plus £395 - £790 local payment. Price includes accommodation, transport and guides |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The words 'Cairo to Cape Town' conjure up images of an expedition through the heart of Africa, crossing deserts, rivers, mountains and overcoming the various challenges this continent can throw at you.
As with any travel to remote parts of Africa you must sometimes expect rocky un-tarred roads or having to bush camp for the night with no prospect of even a cold shower to wash away the dust. However, countries such as Sudan and Ethiopia are particularly rewarding for the traveller who likes to go places that have seen very few other tourists and meet local people who are keen to meet you and whose hospitality can be very humbling.
You may join at various points in our itinerary (Cairo-Nairobi, Cape Town-Nairobi, Nairobi-Cairo, Cairo-Cape Town or Cape Town-Cairo). Please note that because of the unpredictable nature of this expedition it is not always possible to follow the itinerary exactly as set out below.
As with any travel to remote parts of Africa you must sometimes expect rocky un-tarred roads or having to bush camp for the night with no prospect of even a cold shower to wash away the dust. However, countries such as Sudan and Ethiopia are particularly rewarding for the traveller who likes to go places that have seen very few other tourists and meet local people who are keen to meet you and whose hospitality can be very humbling.
You may join at various points in our itinerary (Cairo-Nairobi, Cape Town-Nairobi, Nairobi-Cairo, Cairo-Cape Town or Cape Town-Cairo). Please note that because of the unpredictable nature of this expedition it is not always possible to follow the itinerary exactly as set out below.
day-by-day itinerary
| Week 1-2: | Our first day is spent in Cairo visiting the great Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza with our Egyptologist guide. The following morning we drive out of Cairo and head for the Western Desert leaving both modern and ancient civilizations behind us for a few days. Described as the 'desert of deserts' this vast world of desolation and beauty covers 2.8 million square kms. We visit 3 isolated oases, Bahariyya, Farafra and Dhakla where u can roll down sand dunes, hire a desert guide and some camels and head out to explore this sand sea and walk through the winding lanes of mud houses at the Citadel of Mut. We end our first week at the city of Luxor where the Valley of Kings and Queens and Karnak and Luxor Temples will keep us busy exploring for a few days more. A half day drive further south brings us to Aswan. Here you will notice the first of many cultural changes on this trip. The darker Nubian people in Aswan lead a more relaxed and less hectic pace of life than their Egyptian countrymen. We base ourselves here for the next 4 or 5 days in which time you can organise a 2 or 3 day felucca sail cruise to Edfu and Kom Ombo and also visit Abu Simbel. From Aswan we take the ferry across Lake Nasser to the port of Wadi Halfa in Northern Sudan.The ferry takes about a day and a night and is a supremely relaxing way to travel and a great opportunity to mix and chat to local Sudanese people. |
| Week 3-4: | From Wadi Halfa we rejoin our expedition vehicle for our drive across the Nubian Desert. We spend much of this journey hugging the banks of the Nile, passing through sleepy Nubian villages where we can rest in tea rooms or potter around the local souqs. Khartoum is our next stop and it has a fantastic setting on the confluence of the Blue and White Nile. Our stay here is on the banks of the Nile at the quirky but interesting Blue Nile Sailing Club. It's office is housed in one of General Kitcheners old Gunboats, a relic from the British military campaign against the Mahdi over a century ago. For such a large city, Khartoum feels quite laid back. In our few days here you can visit the Hamed al Nil Tomb and witness the dancing dervishes who perform every Friday as well as the daily camel market or take a boat trip on the Nile. You can also visit the ancient Pyramids at Meroe and the temples at Naqa. From Khartoum we drive south-east through the towns of Wadi Medina and Gedaref on our way to Ethiopia. We spend about 5 days at the town of Gondar from where it is possible to organise visits to some of Ethiopia's most famous sites, including the holy city of Axum and the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela. These date from the 12th Century and have been kept alive by generations of dedicated priests who guard their precious religious and artistic artifacts. |
| Week 5-6: | Many of the roads we travel on in Ethiopia are very poor dirt or gravel roads and often in mountainous areas so travel is slow. Our route to Addis Ababa takes us via Lake Tana and the spectacular Blue Nile Gorge and Blue Nile Falls. From Bahar Dar you can organise boat trips to some of the small islands which have Monasteries dating back up to 900 years and which are still looked after by monks who live from subsistence farming. From Addis Ababa we head south towards Kenya. The north of Kenya is very remote with nomadic tribespeople like the Rendille in Marsabit and the Samburu who still wear very distinctive and often elaborate dress. We pass through Marsabit National Park and then visit Samburu National Park which has some unique wildlife like reticulated giraffe and Grevy's Zebra, as well as leopard, elephant, cheetah and crocodile. Next we drive via Archers Post and Isiolo to Nanyuki which is in the foothills of Mt Kenya and then continue via Eldoret into Uganda. |
| Week 7-8: | Kampala (the capital) has had a turbulent past, but these days is a friendly and safe city. We have a free day to spend in local cafes and nightspots and get to know the local people, there is also the opportunity to spend the day visiting a local Chimpanzee Sanctuary and rehabilitation centre on one of the islands on Lake Victoria. The following day we have a long drive as we head west through swamps, patches of forest and fertile green countryside. We also stop at the spot where our route crosses the equator. Next is the Virunga range of volcanic mountains and the rainforests on these mountain slopes are home to several families of Mountain Gorillas. Getting up close to these amazing creatures is a truly humbling experience and one of the highlights of the trip. We will visit the gorillas in either Uganda or Rwanda. If we view them from Uganda there is the opportunity to paddle out onto Lake Bunyoni in canoes and visit some of the nearby islands or hire mountain bikes to visit nearby villages & schools. From Rwanda there is also the chance to visit the genocide museum in Kigali, which is a moving and interesting experience. We then return to Kampala and camp near Jinja. Here, on the edge of Lake Victoria, the Nile begins its 6700km journey to the sea. We spend the next few days at Bujagali Falls, just downstream from the source of the Nile. This is a spectacular area, and with one kilometre of raging water below Bujagali Falls, a superb place to go whitewater rafting. We can also organise quad biking or a visit to a local school. Re-entering Kenya we travel through hills covered in tea plantations. A further half-day drive brings us to Lake Naivasha. We camp near the lakeshore where Hippos sometimes feed at night! We also pay a visit to Elsamere - the former home of Joy Adamson - of Born Free Fame. You can also hire mountain bikes and cycle or walk through Hells Gate National Park - the only game reserve in Kenya in which you are allowed to walk. Or for a less active but equably enjoyable game viewing experience visit the Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. Both offer excellent scenery & opportunities to spot hyrax, abundant bird & plant life along with several types of gazelle, impala and eland. We also go on a game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park home to almost one million pink flamingos amongst a horde of other game including rhino, lion, giraffe and leopard. Our break in Nairobi will give you a chance to laze by a hotel pool, drink an ice-cold beer and catch up with world news & events with English language newspapers or visit a Giraffe Centre or Elephant Orphange. |
| Week 9-10: | We depart Nairobi early morning and immediately find ourselves in hot savannah grasslands, with thorn trees and acacia providing the only shade. We usually see zebra and giraffe as we head south and cross the border to Tanzania. From the town of Arusha we use a local Tanzania travel safari company to guide us through Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Parks. On the crater floor you can spend the day viewing the abundant wildlife including Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, White Rhino, Buffalo, Hippo, Antelope, Crocodile and Pink Flamingos. From here you can choose to go into the Serengeti where vast herds of Wildebeest roam the plains. For those who decide to view Ngorongoro only, there is a free day in Arusha to visit a local Masai Village. It's a one-day drive to Dar Es Salaam. We pass through a number of small towns and villages along the way and, if we are lucky, we may see the towering peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. We camp for about 4 nights in a campsite on a beautiful Indian Ocean beach. From here most people take the ferry out to Zanzibar for the full four days and venture into the narrow bustling streets of StoneTown and its exotic spice markets, old slave forts and dungeons. There is also time to indulge yourself on Zanzibar's famous white beaches before returning to Dar Es Salaam. After meeting the Zanzibar ferry, we travel through the interesting and often mountainous hinterland for which the country is renowned. In the afternoon, after negotiating some appalling roads and 'in God We Trust' drivers we pass through the peaceful Mikumi National Park. We usually see here Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra and Antelope from the roadside. Passing rivers and small waterfalls, our Tanziania travel leg ends as we enter Malawi, dominated by its huge fresh water lake. |
| Week 11-12: | We spend 2 days at a small laid back campsite on the edge of the lake. We follow the lake shore south and spend a further 2 or 3 nights on one of the campsites equipped for water sports. Here you can windsurf, scuba dive, etc. If you are inclined to just relax during your Africa overland travel experience, there is no better place than the shores of Lake Malawi. Here you have the opportunity to go off for a couple of days and stay in one of the many nearby villages, or visit a school or one of the craft markets where artisans produce some interesting wooden furniture and carvings. From here we continue onto Blantyre in the south of the country where we stop for two nights. Here we organise our Mozambique visas and possibly visit the local brewery! From Blantyre we cross into Mozambique and head for Zimbabwe. We follow the infamous 'Tete Corridor' which was well known in the days of Mozambque's long running civil war as the 'Gun Run'. Thankfully these days things are a lot different! We enter Zimbabwe and travel to Harare, the capital, for a couple of days. From Harare we head south to Gweru and a privately run horse and game ranch where you can go game viewing on elephant and horseback or perhaps on a walking safari with young lion cubs! From Gweru we travel to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins which was once the greatest medieval city in Sub Saharan Africa and where the name 'Zimbabwe' is derived, literally meaning 'house of stone'. Next we enter Matabeleland and the town of Bulawayo. Here you have the option of leaving the truck for a day and a night and using a local safari company to venture into Motobo National Park, where on foot, escorted by an armed ranger, you should see the elusive Black Rhino amongst hordes of other game. There is also the opportunity to visit Cecil Rhodes grave and Ancient Rock Paintings before catching an old style sleeper train to rejoin the truck at one of the adventure playgrounds of the world - Victoria Falls. |
| Week 13-14: | For some Mosi oa Tunya - 'The Smoke That Thunders' is the highlight of their Africa overland travel trip. When you arrive it is a surprise to discover the enormity of Victoria Falls. One mile wide and hurling over 5 million cubic metres of water a minute into the Zambezi Gorge this is the setting for the most awesome grade 5 white water rafting in the world. There is something here for everyone from the more sedate canoe trips, Flight Of Angels or Sunset Cruises to one of the highest commercial Bungee Jumps in the world! After your adrenaline has been spent we head into Botswana. Although only a short drive away, once in Botswana you will easily notice quite a contrast in the terrain and vegetation from what we have seen so far in this Kenya to South Africa trip. The arid Kalahari with it's expansive freedom, night sky ablaze with shooting stars and the warm glow of our campfire make it an unforgettable camping experience. We spend the first night in Chobe National Park famous for its hordes of elephants as well as an abundance of other wildlife. There is the opportunity to take a cruise on the Chobe River - a less intrusive way to view the amazing wildlife in this park. We then organise our 2 day trip into the Okavango Delta (optional). You have the chance to go on a Mokoro (dug out canoe) and explore the extensive waterways of this unique desert wetland. You will also have the opportunity to take several game walks in this huge oasis. Elephant, crocodile and hippo are nearly always seen. The Okavango Delta is the worlds largest inland water way and its serenity and quietness seems to have a calming effect on those that experience it. |
| Week 15-16: | Heading west we travel on to Namibia and continue north-west toward Etosha National Park, recognised as one of the worlds greatest wildlife viewing areas. We game watch by night at one of the floodlit watering holes, hoping to see some of the wide variety of wildlife that inhabits this amazing park. From Etosha we visit a local Cheetah park before continuing on to the Brandenberg Mountains in Demaraland and the Skeleton Coast. We then visit either the stunning Spitzkoppe Rock formations or the world famous Cape Cross Seal Colony and the sight of thousands of these mammals as well as their accompanying pungent odour is remembered by all! For the next three days we are based in Swakopmund. From here there are a variety of activities and excursions. You can spend a day deep sea fishing for shark and other game fish or head out to the desert and try quad biking and dune sledding. You can also go horse riding or take a flight over the desert and it's dramatic coastline. In Swakopmund itself you can walk along miles of deserted beaches, visit the museum or relax in a cafe. A one day drive takes us to the Namib-Naukluft Park, a vast expanse of desert which contains some of the highest sand dunes in the world. At Sossusvlei we stop and explore the area and the dunes. Continuing South we enter the semi desert, and wide open countryside of cattle ranching, until we arrive at one of Africa's most sensational natural features, Fish River Canyon. We camp next to this massive gorge for two days, where you can hike and soak up the sun and fabulous scenery. A couple of hours drive away we cross the Orange River, a rich source of diamonds, and into South Africa. We travel south through the Cederburg Wilderness area to Stellenbosch visiting one of the historical Cape Wineries before arriving at our final destination, the vibrant, cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. Here, we stay at a comfortable backpacker's lodge. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
 On this trip we stay at small, locally run campsites (or bush camp) and where possible buy our food in local markets, thereby directly supporting local communities. We use local companies to run all our excursions and local guides at sites of historical interest. For example, in Egypt we use local Egyptologist guides to visit the Pyramids and Sphinx. We try to stay at campsites that also have a commitment to the communities they inhabit and we do what we can to further support their initiatives; for example the Meserani Snake Park in Tanzania started as a campsite but has become an integral and important part of the local Masai community. The campsite organises guided walks to local Masai villages-the Masai villagers themselves are the guides and all the profits go to the villages. The campsite has also established a medical centre for the local Masai community and this is partly funded by the profits from an on-site shop selling local Masai crafts. We have donated basic medical supplies to the medical centre. In Namibia we stay at the Otjitongwe Cheetah Preservation Park which seeks to preserve the local cheetah population. We also visit a number of conservation /community projects en route-that support local communities and conservation initiatives directly. In Uganda for example, our clients have the opportunity to visit the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary which cares for rescued or orphaned chimpanzees. Clients are also of course given the opportunity to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda, or Rwanda-a large part of the fees for this go towards conserving and protecting these magnificent animals and their habitats. Before commencing the tour all our clients are provided with detailed pre-departure info which includes information on Responsible Travel. This information is re-emphasised by our Tour Leader at the start of the trip-clients are, for example, advised about respecting local customs particularly in terms of dress and behaviour; water conservation; respecting and conserving wildlife and their habitats; purchasing of endangered species products and so on. Charities supported on this trip: We support two charities in Egypt. In Cairo we have donated computers, teaching materials and provide regular financial assistance to the Sudanese Community Development Program-a school for Sudanese refugee children. We have also helped the school set up a Sponsor-a-Child scheme, and arranged a letter exchange between the Sudanese children and a school local to our UK office. This promotes opportunities for inter-cultural understanding and provides the Sudanese children with great encouragement. We can arrange pre tour visits to the school, and many of our clients regularly donate old clothes and shoes to the Sudanese Refugees via our collection system at our Cairo Hotel. Most recently (summer 2008) we have funded an air conditioning system to the schools computer room. We struggled a bit with this one as aircon is not generally considered very environmentally friendly but this room is unusable during the summer months.  In Luxor we sponsor the Sunshine Project International, a home for abandoned and orphaned children. Apart from a regular financial commitment we have also donated bedding and play equipment to the school and even delivered a sandpit from the UK. Luckily there was no need to deliver any sand! Clients on the Egypt trip are given the opportunity to visit the home in Luxor and regularly donate baby toiletries and toys directly there themselves. In Nairobi, we sponsor a baby elephant, Kamboyo, through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. In Uganda, we make a regular, monthly, financial contribution to Soft Power Education-an organisation that provides education to Ugandan children. Again we visit this project on our trips and some of our clients have returned to Uganda at the end of their trips to undertake voluntary work here. In Zimbabwe, we have become involved with the Hupenyu Hutsva Children’s Home in Harare, assisting this locally funded children’s home with regular donations of food. We came upon this Home by accident-during a visit to Zimbabwe 7 years ago. One of our Directors was taking some supplies to a nearby childrens home and got a bit lost! He ended up at Hupenyu Hutsva by mistake and was impressed by what he saw, in terms of the staffs dedication and commitment. The Home receives virtually no outside support as the children are older and not as cute and attention grabbing as the babies and toddlers of the Home nearby. We are very proud of our involvement with this Home as we can see the small differences we have made and we know that it has been important to the Home to just know that someone outside even cares about what is happening there. We have donated educational materials, bedding, clothing, sports equipment and computers to the Home. In 2008 we also funded the installation of a borehole at the Home-enabling them to be far more self sufficient in food production and enabling the children to learn valuable horticultural skills (our generous travellers donated seeds and gardening tools.) Most recently, three of our crew, using one of our trucks spent a week taking the children out on a series of day trips, finishing the week with a big party. The week was a great success. Many of the children rarely leave the compound they live on so it was a big adventure! Whenever possible our trips visit the Home. The children enjoy challenging our groups to a game of cricket and then winning, convincingly! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |