2007/2008 Spain to Timbuktu to Cape Town This expedition covers north, west, central and southern Africa. It is not for the faint hearted. Departs: November 2007/2008 Land Price: £1950, Local Payment £650 This trip can also be booked to Cameroon only 12 weeks Land Price: £1290, Local Payment: £400 Countries visited: Spain (Malaga), Gibraltar, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Rep. of Congo, DRC (Zaire), Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Trans Africa Expedition
ITINERARY: Trans Africa Expedition Week 1: Our expedition starts in Malaga in Spain. From here we drive along the Spanish coast to Gibraltar or as the locals call it "The Rock". We have a day to do some duty free shopping and enjoy our last pork chops before we take the ferry from Algeciras to the African continent. Morocco, our first African country on our epic journey appears more like the Middle East. A thriving Arab culture with thousands of years of Roman and Islamic history. Our first stop will be the ancient city of Fez. You can join our personal friend and guide Kallan on a city tour. In the evening you will have the option to partake in an Arabic night with fantastic food, live music and dancing. Our route leads us from there via the roman ruins of Volubilis to Rabat the Capital city and Casablanca. Marrakech awaits us with its amazing night market and the old souk. Week 2: From Marakech we are heading for the coast and Essaouira "The City of the Winds" a beautiful little fishing town designed by a French architect centuries ago for the Sultan of Marrakech. Traditional boat builders and cheap seafood right on the main square overlooking the sea. Week 3: We camp our way along the beautiful coastline to Agadir. This is the most resort like city in Morocco with lots of concrete castles and swarms of package touries. Leaving Agadir behind us we are heading for Layoune and the Western Sahara. Passing through the stunning desert landscape of the Sahara we are making our way toward the Mauritanian border as we prepare for the great crossing of the biggest desert on earth. Did you know that the longest train in the world runs through the Mauritanian Sahara from Atar, a massive mine way inland, to the coast and the port of Noudibouh? If the train is passing before we cross the tracks we will have to pitch the tents and camp for the night!!!! This is where the real adventure starts and things can get tough. After negotiating big sand dunes, extremely soft sand and maybe even incredible sand storms we drive along the beach for the last 80 kilometers before we reach Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Week 4: Once in Nouakchott we have time to relax from the hardships of the desert, enjoy the best burgers on the southern edge of the Sahara and have hot showers for the first time, fill up our water tanks and get the dust out of our ears. From the capital we turn east and run inland along the southern side of the central Sahara following the century old salt trade route. In ancient times hundreds of camel Caravans used this route to trade salt for gold and other valuables. In fact, some Caravans are running this very route still today. We stay on a good tar sealed road for a while until we turn south again following the ancient track that leads us to the ruins of the forgotten Capital of the Empire of Ghana: Koumbi Saleh. The ancient Empire of Ghana has nothing to do with the country Ghana as we know it today being way further south. These ruins are rarely visited by tourists, in fact they are not visited by anyone and only about one third has been excavated. It is a fantastic experience exploring and letting your imagination go wild. It is also possible to grab a shovel and excavate if you like - Indiana would go wild here! Week 5: Leaving Mauritania behind us we cross another short stretch of desert off road into Mali. Our first destination is Bamako the buzzing Capital of Mali situated on both sides of the mighty Niger River. Once again we restock on food and water and relax before we go further inland following the Niger to Djenne. The ancient mosque of Djenne, the biggest freestanding mud structure in the world which thrones over the busy market square of this historic trading post nestled on an island on the Niger River. There we have the option of continuing our journey on an overnight trip on board a traditional river barge. Week 6: Arriving in Mopti, another important trading town along the third longest river in Africa, we stock up on food, enjoying the best chicken sticks in Mali bought at the local market and continue by road to the legendary Timbouctou (Timbuktu). This trading post is a very important stop over for all the salt Caravans to this day. The Caravans go from here either west into the Mauritanian Sahara to join our route or run north to the salt mines in the centre of the Algerian Sahara. For centuries the exact location of Timbouctou, somewhere in the Sahara, was one of the best kept secrets only known to very few guides and the Tuaregs. Hence, the colloquial phrase "out near Timbuktu", historically from the Aussie and British soldiers based in North Africa during the First World War. Due to salt trading Timbouctou became extremely wealthy having one of the biggest libraries of the ancient world and an Islamic university. The oldest mosque in West Africa built by Spanish masons in the 14th century can be seen here. Non Muslims were not allowed into the city for centuries. Even knowing her exact location was considered a crime. From Timbouctou we return to Mopti and head south for the little town of Bandiagara right in the middle of Dogon country. We base ourselves in a little hostel owned by Boubacrin another old friend of ours. He is probably one of the most relaxed people in Mali, if not in West Africa. His cute little hostel will be our base for the Dogon trek. Week 7: The Dogon people originally came from the coast of Senegal but retreated from the early slave traders inland hundreds of years ago. They found a safe haven living along a massive escarpment where they developed a unique culture. Trekking through this area and meeting the Dogon people is one of the absolute highlights and must dos travelling West Africa. You will have the option to do a 3 day guided trek through the area. After the Dogon trip we are driving south again into Burkina Faso and its capital Ouagadougou. Week 8: Ouagadougou is the modern day trading and transport hub of West Africa with local trucks and busses coming from and going to Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Togo and Benin. It is a lovely place to buy local music CDs (The African music festival is here every year) or just explore the thriving markets where you can find anything you could (or couldn't) possibly think of. From Ouaga we cross the border into Ghana. As we are heading toward the equator the landscape changes from the dry Sahel to the green Tropics. Our first highlight in Ghana is Mole National Park. The park is renowned for its elephant population as well as buffalos, warthogs, baboons, monkeys and brown jumpy things (antelope). The city of Kumasi is our next stop. The market here is considered the biggest in West Africa. The famous Kente cloth is produced here. After a full days drive we finally reach the tropical coast, the Gulf of Guinea. We head toward the border of Ivory Coast and set up camp right on the beach in a lovely little camp site. We stay for a few days to catch up with our diaries, write the post cards our friends have been expecting for weeks and maybe even get our washing done. Dix Cove Castle an old slave trading port is next door and well worth a look. Week 9: Travelling along the tropical beaches of Ghana there is the option of visiting more of the countless slave castles like Cape Coast or Elmina with their turbulent histories. Most of them having been taken by force, sold or traded numerous times by the Swedes, Dutch, Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, French and the Brits. The "Gold Coast" as Ghana was known in colonial times was not only known for it's thriving trade in humans but mainly because of the gold rich hinterland which was ruled by the Ashanti kingdom. Often the European ships sailed further south to what now is Nigeria to trade their cheap goods for slaves. From Nigeria they sailed back to the Gold Coast just to trade the slaves again for Ashanti gold as there was an acute shortage of miners in the Gold Coast. The Kakum rainforest is definitely worth a visit with its famous canopy walk. We have a stop over in the capital Accra before driving up to the Akosombo dam which created the world's largest man made lake. There is an optional half day boat cruise on the lake with live music, food and drinks. Week 10: After the border crossing into Togo, the home of Voodoo, we camp once more on the beach near the capital Lome. A visit to the Fetish market should not be missed. The Voodoo cult originated in Togo and was brought to Jamaica and the Caribbean by slaves working in the sugar plantations. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the big cities behind we cross into Benin and camp in Grand Popo, probably one of the most beautiful and relaxing places along the coast. We continue inland and after a half day visit to the stilt village of Ganvie and the Palaces of Abomey, an ancient Kingdom of fearless female fighters, we head for the border of Nigeria. Week 11: Abuja, Capital of Nigeria will be our first port of call. It is the probably the cleanest and safest city in all of West Africa. From Abuja we continue north to Yankari National Park and Wikki Warm Springs. A swim in the crystal clear waters of the spring is an unforgettable experience. Driving south again toward the oil town of Calabar we stop at the Obudu cattle ranch a former Scottish ranch, later the hide out for the colonial British governor and now a hotel. Once you get there you will know why the Scots settled in this place. Week 12: Cameroon awaits us with dense rainforest. Mt Cameroon, the highest peak in West Africa and third highest on the continent, beaches some entirely black due to volcanic rock and sand others stunning white. We visit the coastal town of Limbe with it's famous Limbe Wildlife Park. It is a sanctuary for countless primates and ape species, like the near extinct Drill monkeys and Cross River gorillas. Limbe is also the base for those who want to climb Mt Cameroon. Next is Douala the port city and commercial centre of the country. Being not the prettiest city it has the best night life between Madrid and Cape Town. Douala is full of friendly people and offers you all the little goodies you haven't been able to buy since Accra. The little town of Kribi close to the border with Equatorial Guinea is our next big relax stop. You would expect a place like Kribi somewhere in the Caribbean - certainly not in Central Africa; shining white beaches, opal green sea and the thick rainforest right to the edge of the beach. Not far from Kribi Campo National Park can be visited. Alternatively wander along the beach from our camp to the only waterfall in the world plunging straight into the sea. At the top off the falls the locals invite you for a boat trip upstream into the thick rainforest to meet Pygmies. Week 13 - 14: Driving inland we cross into Gabon. Tarzan lived here. Looking at the endless rainforest on both sides of the road it is easy to imagine how Tarzan, the little kid, took one step into the rainforest to disappear for decades before meeting a human being again. Before arriving in Libreville, the small but stunning capital of Gabon, we detour to Lope National Park. Here we have the chance to go Gorilla trekking. After having stocked up on supplies in Libreville we continue through the dense jungle visiting Lambarene with its legendary Jungle Hospital. The Theologian and philosopher Albert Schweitzer founded and operated this hospital after he had turned his back to the Western world and moved to the then considered deepest darkest place in Africa in 1913. Week 15 - 16: This is where the road ends and we make our way along tracks and logging roads. The border post of the Republic of Congo consists of a bamboo stick blocking the track and a very friendly but astounded immigration officer in ripped uniform and bare feet. Only recently Congo has finished a long lasting civil war leaving the country completely broke, with no jobs or infrastructure. Nevertheless, the Congolese are very relaxed and friendly; they are trying to get the country back on its feet. The only place of interest for us is the port town of Pointe Noire (or Point Nowhere as the locals call it). Saying that, Pointe Noire has probably the best patisserie in central Africa and it is here we get to taste the legendary Primus beer for the first time. It is also the place where we find out whether we follow our planned route through Angola or take the alternative route through the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire). The daily decision of whether visas for Angola are issued or not seems to be depending on whether the Angolan consul had an enjoyable night before or not. From Pointe Noire we cross into the tiny Angolan enclave of Cabinda then for a short distance into the DRC (Zaire) and into Angola proper. Week 17 - 18: The once Portuguese colony has been fighting a civil war for the last 30 years!!. Consequently, the roads are non existent. No foreigners have been to Angola (except American and USSR fighters) since Portugal decided to pull out of their colony and arranged the biggest air-lift operation in history flying all Portuguese citizens out of Angola. Shortly after the diamond and oil rich country fell into a long lasting civil war sponsored by the Super-powers leaving the country with approximately 3 million land-mines and millions of locals with missing limbs. The relics of the old Portuguese buildings are still apparent in all major cities and towns. These days the only economy in Angola is the oil business run by foreigners and mining of illegal diamonds. Due to the land mines farming for the local population is problematic. As lovely as the country is now we are crossing Angola fairly quickly and with extreme caution. Week 19 - 23: Namibia is seeing us back in the Western world with good roads and a fully working infrastructure. We have the option to camp and game drive in Etosha National Park renowned for its lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, elephants, you name it. Our old friend Mario, a Namibian farmer and recently a proud father, runs the Cheetah Park. We can play with the cubs living in his house or go with him to feed the wild cheetahs living on the farm. Since Cheetahs are not protected in Namibia and farmers are told to shoot them, he has made it his ambition to save and protect cheetahs living on his massive property. We head in the stunning Namib desert along the Skeleton coast to Swakopmund. Swakop, as known with the locals, is the adrenalin capital of Southern Africa. Neatly nestled between the coast and sand dunes it is the ideal location for sky diving, quad biking, game fishing and dune buggying. We cross the border into South Africa, traveling through the Western Cape to our finishing point Cape Town. Cape Town is surrounded with stunning scenery, the famous Table Mountain and plenty of world class wineries in the Stellenbosch area, an ideal place to join one of the many wine tasting tours. Cape Town is Africa's most cosmopolitan city, alive with cafes, bars and restaurants, the ideal place to celebrate the end of our epic journey across Africa. Very important: Due to illness, road conditions, breakdowns and all sort of unpredictable events the trip could be anything from 20 to 25 weeks long. DO NOT book a flight for the end of the expedition!!!! We want to emphasise that this is not a package holiday and not a trip for the fainthearted you will be expected to muck in every day, give others a hand, dig out the truck, cook, clean and shop for food. There will be long periods without shower or washing facilities. After all, it is an expedition. Note: This is a rough itinerary. Due to war, civil unrest, visa problems, breakdowns, illness etc the itinerary is subject to change at any given time without prior notice. OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS: Trans Africa Expedition There are various activities to choose from along the way. Due to different interests none of them are included in the trip price. It's up to you!
VISA COSTS Visas are not included in the cost of the Expedition, as costs and availability changes depending on nationality. Every Expedition member is responsible for their own visas. But don't panic, all visas are available for most nationalities as we go along and obviously we organise them as a group. In general there is no need to obtain any visas prior to departure (South African passport holders must have visas for Spain and Morocco prior to departure). Visa costs change constantly in this part of the world but you should budget around $600 (14 countries) PERSONAL SPENDING MONEY: Trans Africa Expedition You can never have too much!! Everyone has different needs and life styles. It is hard to predict what every individual would spend. As a rough guide we recommend at least $10 a day to pay for your lunch, a couple of beers in the evening and the odd souvenir as well as e-mails and post cards. Bring ALL your spending, visa and optional extra money in EUROS CASH ONLY (or you will be screwed!). Credit cards are completely useless as there are no ATMs except in Morocco and Ghana BUT they are usually broken and only give cash in local currency - both currencies are not worth the paper they are printed on!! The only use for Credit Card is for flights out of Africa. TCs are toilet paper throughout the entire trip, you will not be able to cash them in i.e. you try and cash in a USD50 TC in Cameroon and after all fees and commission you will owe the Bank USD9!! If you don't feel comfortable traveling with huge amounts of cash on you, you can deposit cash with friends/family back home and arrange with them to transfer it via Western Union in cash to wherever you are in a few hours. This is the only way of transferring cash quickly and at low cost, banks are useless. Have a chat to your local Western Union office. Remember, we cannot stress enough, EUROS CASH IS KING!!!! What do you HAVE to bring?
What you MUST Have?
Malaria can kill you. There are various prophylaxes available. They all have pros and cons. You have to keep in mind none of them provide 100% protection; they only buy you time to treat the infection. Treatments are available throughout malarial zones for relatively little money. Your best protection is not to get bitten. It is essential you obtain advice from your Travelers Medical Professional on precautions and prophylaxis which best suits you. For those considering Larium, please talk to your doctor in detail about this drug. From our experience a large percentage of people taking larium for more than 3 months have experienced hallucinations, panic attacks, heart palpitations, paranoia etc. We, your crew and friends living in Africa, choose not to take prophylaxis but treat malaria when symptoms first present. Ultimately, you need to make an informed decision about prophylaxis. ITINERARY CHANGES: Trans Africa Expedition As this is an expedition the itinerary is subject to change without notice. Africa Expedition Support endeavors to keep to the itinerary as printed however should a change in the itinerary occur and an alternative route is sought or the expedition is unable to reach its final destination due to natural disasters, breakdowns, civil unrest etc Africa Expedition Support is not liable for any additional costs which may occur to the client. |
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