Coast to coast discovery
Nairobi to Cape Town
Fully Guided Self Drive 4x4 Africa Adventure
67 days, 7 countries
For those who have a little more time on their hands and want to explore and experience the beauty of Africa. This 67 day Coast to Coast Discovery travels through the tea plantations of Kenya to premium safari parks of Tanzania, jewel blue seas of Zanzibar; the magical scenery of Malawi, mighty Victoria Falls in Zambia; cruising down Chobe River, wildlife of the Okavango Delta, diamond hunting in Namibia and finally the wine districts of Stellenbosch in South Africa. This guided self drive 67 day expedition is not for the faint hearted, a sense of adventure, love for nature and the outdoors is a must.
Countries visited: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawu, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
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ITINERARY
Week 1:
Our expedition begins in the safari capital of the World - Nairobi, Kenya. This vibrant city offers not only a cosmopolitan lifestyle but some of the best wildlife projects in Africa. We start with a visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage and the Nairobi Giraffe Centre. For those after some modern history you may want to spend an hour or two at the Karen Blixen Museum - all of these premium tourist attractions are a only a short drive from our base.
From Nairobi we head through the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha; a short drive from Nairobi, awaits us with "Elsamere" - the home of Born Free. Indulge in high tea, watch a video about Joy Adamson's life and visit a little museum dedicated to Joy and George. We take the opportunity for an early morning walking safari around Green Crater Lake - a small reserve teeming with giraffe, zebra, warthog, various antelopes including Eland the biggest of the antelope family to name a few. Wildlife come to Green Crater Lake reserve to graze on the sweet moist green grass in the early morning.
From here we visit Lake Nakuru National Park, famous for its white rhino population and millions of pink flamingos gracefully perched in the shallows of Lake Nakuru. We can drive right to the Lake's edge; but be warned many 4x4s have been bogged doing just that!
If Walt Disney was to build a Game Park he would definitely model it on Lake Nakuru National Park. A small game park, teeming with wildlife, a soda Lake as the centre piece and cliffs completing the background. A truly stunning setting.
A visit to the village of Njoro and time to explore a local knitting project run by a local farm is a great opportunity to buy some unique locally produced gifts and souvenirs while supporting local women.
Week 2:
We continue through the Great Rift Valley and up into the western highlands of Kenya. We are blessed with stunning views down into the Valley before descending to the Lake Victoria basin.
We enter Tanzania and the world famous Serengeti National Park. It will take us two days to cross overland through the most documented game park in Africa, before reaching the town of Arusha.
The Serengeti is the most famous game park in all of Africa, and after spending some time here you will know why. The Serengeti is littered with lion, rhino, buffalo, elephant, zebra, and wildebeest - just to name a few. This time of year the wildebeest and zebra are migrating through Seronera, the area we base ourselves for 2 nights.If we are lucky we may also spot the African Little 5. As the sun goes down we make camp amongst the wildlife, eat a hearty meal and fall asleep listening to the sounds of Africa. Your reservation awaits you at the 1000000 star Hotel (the breath taking African skies).
We make our way along the dusty dirt roads through the Serengeti to Lake Manyara NP. Although not as famous as the Serengeti, Lake Manyara NP is a brilliant park offering amazing birdlife, elephants and a variety of monkeys of all shapes and sizes.
Week 3:
A short 2 hour drive away we arrive at Meserani Snake Park, our home for a couple of nights. We spend some time with the local masai warriors while they show us their homes and crafts, they dance for us and teach us about their ancient culture
Back on the road we overland south passing the snow caps of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa .
It takes us two days to drive to the coast and Dar es Salaam or "Haven of Peace" in Kiswahili. It is here where we leave the 4x4 vehicles and catch a ferry to the spice island of Zanzibar with its ancient Arab architecture, tropical beaches and crystal clear waters.
The ferry arrives in Stone Town - a classic Arabic old city, with narrow cobble stoned streets, sweet smell of spices floats through the air, and the local mosque hums in the background. At sun-down the plaza changes form and as the sun disappears over the Indian Ocean, the Plaza comes alive with the smell of barbecuing fresh seafood, colorfully dressed women mix dough in preparation to make Zanzibar pizzas and the men stand around talking politics. For the true Zanzibar experience a visit and a meal in the plaza is an absolute must. A visit to Zanzibar would not be complete without taking one of the many spice tours on offer and a couple of days relaxing on the tropical beaches and swimming in crystal clear waters. For those wanting to partake in aquatic activities Zanzibar will not disappoint - snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, sailing and windsurfing are all on offer.
We spend a few days to relax and enjoy.
Week 4:
Leaving Dar es Salaam behind us we head west through Mikumi National Park and reach the border of Malawi. Driving through Mikumi NP it is not uncommon to have to stop on the main highway to give way to herds of Elephants crossing.
We follow the lake shore and enjoy the laid back atmosphere of this beautiful country. Lake Malawi with its beautiful beaches and coves not only gave the country its name it also covers one third of the county's surface. We make our way along the Lake stopping at idyllic spots for some time to chat to the locals and watch local craftsmen carve Malawi chairs.
An optional visit to Livingstonia - a mission from 1894 - perched 800m above Lake Malawi offers some of the most spectacular views of Africa in Malawi.
Week 5:
Heading further south we cross into Zambia and visit South Luangwa national park, one of the best kept secrets of African game parks. Not many travelers know about this outstanding park hidden in the Luangwa valley.
Overlanding on some particularly bad roads we arrive at our "home" for the coming 2 nights - Croc Valley Campsite. The campsite is situated on the banks of the Luangwa River - a natural fence separating the campsite from South Luangwa National Park. It is not unusual for Elephants to wander into camp at breakfast time to check-out the breakfast menu; be warned Kellogg's Cornflakes are one of their favorite foods and they are not shy in helping themselves!
South Luangwa National Park is famous for leopard, lion, giraffe, hippos, crocodiles, hyena and aardvark. It is one of the few parks where night game drives as well as walking safaris are possible. A spectacular park situated in a spectacular part of Africa.
Passing through the capital Lusaka we reach the world famous "smoke that thunders" renamed to Victoria Falls by David Livingstone. Long before we reach Livingstone we can see the mist coming from the famous Victoria Falls. The mist becomes more pronounced as we arrive in the centre of Livingstone, Zambia. The Zambezi River with its Victoria Falls is a natural border line separating Zambia from Zimbabwe; the Falls leaves many speechless with her sheer size and power; 1 mile long and pumps an incredible 4.5 million cubic meters of water every second into the Zambezi Gorge.
Livingstone is the perfect base to enjoy the many activities on offer including a sunset cruise down the Zambezi; white water rafting; abseil and gorge swing in the Zambezi Gorge, bungee jump 111m with Victoria Falls providing the perfect backdrop; take an afternoon stroll with Rhinos; or photograph the Falls from great heights in a micro light, helicopter or light aircraft - the options are endless.
Week 6:
Our next destination is Botswana. We spend some time on the banks of the Chobe River taking time to cruise along the river watching animals playing in the shallows. A game drive through Chobe National Park famous for large Elephant population in a custom built open safari vehicle with a local safari guide gives us insight into the unique population home to this region.
We continue through the Caprivi Strip and Northern Namibia to the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southern Africa. An amazing 15,000 sq km water maze of lagoons, estuaries, streams and islands form this incredible haven for birds and African animals alike. The best way to explore the Delta is by Mokoro - local dug-out canoes, we spend a few hours exploring the waterways of the Okavango River and game driving through the park.
Week 7 and 8:
Etosha is Namibia's draw card. A vast game park situated in classic African savannah surroundings. The well located watering holes often mean we do not have to travel far to see wild life. The well equipped campsites situated near a flood lit watering hole is a pleasant surprise and a perfect setting to break open a few bottles of South African finest wines and enjoy a platter of cheeses, olives, and fresh fruit as we watch the animals come in to drink.
Taking some time to visit one of the Cheetah farm's in the region for a rare close up and personal encounter with Africa's fastest animal - the mighty Cheetah.
We continue our way along the Skeleton Coast with a brief stop at Cape Cross and the largest seal colony in the World before making our way to Swakopmund.
The German colonial town of Swakopmund is well worth a visit as well. Swakopmund appropriately labeled as the desert adventure capital of Southern Africa, there are many activities to had including quad biking, sky diving and deep sea fishing. For those looking for a more relaxed time there are plenty of excellent restaurants serving famous Namibian seafood and traditional German food and beer, not to mention the many traditional bakeries and antique shops. The classic German architecture will leave you astounded.
Week 9:
From the deep blue oceans to the sand desert of Sesrium is next on our list. Sesriem National Park provides us the chance to climb to Dune 45, the largest free standing sand dune in World.
Taking farming roads wherever possible we make our way on dirt roads to a little farm just outside of Aus. From here we take a day trip to Luderitz, an old Bavarian style German colonial town, is a true step back in time. On the icy shores of the South Atlantic Ocean it is home to seals, penguins, flamingos and assorted marine life.
Not far from Luderitz is the diamond ghost town of Kohlmanskop. Once a bustling diamond mining town until the slump in diamond prices after WW1 and richer deposits discovered further south left Kohlmanskop a mere reminder of what life was like pre WW1.
Week 10:
A visit to Fish River Canyon and the hot springs of Ai Ais are also a must in this part of the Africa. Fish River Canyon is Africa's answer to the Grand Canyon - as we stand on the rim we truly appreciate Mother Nature's handy work. Fish River Canyon measuring 160kms in length and reaches up to 27km wide and 550m deep. Sitting at the top of the Canyon feels like you are sitting on the edge of the earth.
We make our way across the border to South Africa. It takes us a few days to drive the good tar seal roads toward South Africa's premium city. As we leave the arid landscape of Namibia we soon reach the green Mediterranean like wine region of the Western Cape and our final destination of Cape Town.
We complete our epic expedition from Nairobi to Cape Town with a day exploring the wine region of Stellenbosch.
INCLUDED
- 4x4 overland vehicle (max 2 people per vehicle)
- Fuel, Road tolls, spare parts, international vehicle paperwork, ferries
- Camping equipment (tent, camp bed, director camping chair)
- Kitchen and cooking equipment
- Guide/lead vehicle
- 2 experienced expedition crew (mechanic and tour leader/cook)
- Meals while camping
- Accommodation - 10% hotels/hostels 90% camping
- Maps and local information
- Return ferry to Zanzibar
- Spice Tour, Zanzibar
- High Tea Elsamere, Naivasha, Kenya
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
- Nairobi Giraffe Centre
- Green Crater Lake walking safari
- Nakuru National Park, Kenya
- Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Mikumi National Park, Tanzania
- South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
- Victoria Falls National Park, Zambia
- Boat trip Chobe River, Botswana
- Game drive Chobe National Park, Botswana
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Meteorite, Namibia
- Etosha National Park, Namibia
- Skeleton Coast, Namibia
- Kolmanskop Diamond Ghost Town, Namibia
- Namib Wild Horses
- Fish River Canyon, Namibia
- Wine tour Stellenbosch, South Africa
EXCLUDED
- International driving permit
- Meals while in hotels, lunches while in same campsite for more than 1 day
- Visas
- Sleeping bag, pillow and other bedding
- Flights
- Personal comprehensive travel insurance
- Personal spending money
- Minor or adventure activities en-route (white water rafting, walking with lions, ballooning Serengeti etc); drinks and snacks, meals while staying in hostels/hotels
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