Africa Discovered
Nairobi to Cape Town
Fully Guided Self Drive 4x4 Africa Adventure
8 weeks, 7 countries
Africa Discovered Reversed - guided 4x4 self drive Africa adventure is designed for those who want to experience the best of Southern and East Africa. Exploring popular highlights from the wine region of South Africa to the desert of Namibia and tropics of Malawi; from mingling with local people, to the most famous game parks on offer. This is The expedition for the adventurous explorer. Africa Discovered Reversed guided self drive Africa adventure is an exclusive tour with only 1 departure per year with limited numbers
Countries visited: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
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ITINERARY
Week 1:
We start our journey in the bustling city of Nairobi, Kenya. We stay in the leafy suburb of Karen, named after Karen Blixen famous through her book and film “Out of Africa”. We get acquainted with our vehicles before making our way across the Great Rift Valley before descending to the shores of Lake Naivasha.
Lake Naivasha is the home to "Elsamere" - the home of Born Free where we indulge on high tea, watch a video about Joy Adamson's life and visit a little museum dedicated to Joy and George. Before departing for Nakuru we take a gentle walking safari through Green Crater where, with our local guide, get pretty close to giraffe, warthog, eland, zebras, gazelle and flamingos.
A short 2 hours drive from Lake Naivasha we arrive at Njoro and Kenana Farm our home for the next 2 nights while we visit 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 this!
Kenana Farm is home to a local knitting project and a great opportunity to buy some unique gifts and souvenirs while supporting a great project.
We make our way through the tea plantations of western Kenya to the border of Tanzania and Lake Victoria.
Week 2:
We bid farewell to the shores of Lake Victoria and make our way to the world famous Serengeti NP.
We take our time overlanding in the wild savannah plains amongst the African Big 5 wildlife in the most famous game park in Africa. Our time is spent game driving and photographing wildlife like: lion, leopard, wildebeest, rhino, warthog, cheetah, gazelle, zebra, giraffe, elephants, buffalo, hartebeest, reedbuck plus many more. 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).
No Africa Discovered guided self drive adventure would be complete without the thrill of driving through the most famous game park in Africa. Crossing the entire Serengeti from east to west will take us two days with many opportunities to spot plenty of game. The Serengeti is the most famous game park in all of Africa, and after spending some time there you will know why.
We make our way on badly maintained dirt roads through the Serengeti NP and out the other side and make our way to the service town of Arusha. We visit a local Masai village, cultural centre and local women’s market another great opportunity to buy some authentic souvenirs.
For those after something very special Arusha is also a main town dealing in Tanzanite. A blue diamond 100 times rarer than regular diamonds, only found in Tanzania makes this stone a very special souvenir or gift for someone special.
We bid farewell to Arusha and make our way south past the snow caps of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa to Dar es Salam
Week 3:
It takes us two days to drive to the coast and Dar es Salaam or "Haven of Peace" in Kiswahili. It is here 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.
Making our way back to the mainland we rejoin our vehicles and make the 3 day journey toward Malawi.
Week 4:
We cross the border into the very relaxed country of Malawi. We follow the lake shore and enjoy the laid back atmosphere of this beautiful country. Time and weather permitting we will divert off the main road to the little village of Livingstonia, one of the places Livingstone had a mission.
We venture into the heart of Zambia visiting 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" 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.
Week 5:
Making our way through Zambia to Livingstone, and the famous Victoria Falls.
Long before we reach Livingstone we can see the mist coming from the famous Victoria Falls. The mist becomesmore 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 raft; abseil and gorge swing in the Zambezi Gorge, bungee jump 111m with Victoria Falls providing the perfect backdrop; take an afternoon stroll with Rhinos; walk with lions or photograph the Falls from great heights in a micro light, helicopter or light aircraft - the options are endless.
We make our way to Botswana and Chobe National Park. Chobe National Park is home to Botswana's most varied wildlife. An abundance of wildlife exists along the rivers edge and it is here we can take a leisurely cruise up the Chobe River watching elephants bath in the late afternoon, various antelopes coming for a drink, hippos wallowing in the shallows and if we are very lucky maybe some big Cats will come to the river for a sip of cool water.
Week 6:
We cross into Namibia and onto 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:
As we continue overland we stop at the world's biggest meteorite and Etosha national park.
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.
We take some time to warm up in Swakopmund, the desert adventure capital of Southern Africa, there are many activities to be 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.
We continue overland to Sesriem National Park providing us the chance to climb Dune 45, the largest sand dune in the World.
Enroute to 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. Luderitz an old Bavarian style German colonial town is a true step back in time. The icy shores of the South Atlantic Ocean are home to seals, penguins, flamingos and assorted marine life.
Week 8:
As we near the end of our expedition we sit on the edge of Fish River Canyon and gaze at Mother Nature’s amazing handy work in crafting such a unique and beautiful Canyon. Sitting at the top of the Canyon feels like you are sitting on the edge of the earth. Fish River Canyon measuring 160kms in length and reaches up to 27km wide and 550m deep.
As we are nearing the end of our expedition we cross into South Africa and make our way toward Cape Town. Cape Town is truly a metropolitan city nestled between the ocean and mountains boasting world renowned restaurants and only a stones throw from South Africa’s most famous wine region of Stellenbosch. We complete our expedition with a wine tour followed by dinner reminiscing about our expedition, the people we met and the unforgettable once in a lifetime experiences; before you know it you will be talking about your next Africa adventure.
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
- Wine tour Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Entrance fees
- Fish River Canyon, Namibia
- Kolmanskop Diamond Ghost Town, Namibia
- Sesriem National Park, Namibia
- Etosha National Park, Namibia
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Boat trip Chobe River, Botswana
- Game drive Chobe National Park, Botswana
- Victoria Falls National Park, Zambia
- South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
- Vwaza NP, Malawi
- Mikumi National Park, Tanzania
- Masai village, Tanzania
- Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Nakuru National Park, Kenya
- Kenana Knitting Project, Kenya
- Walking safari, Green Crater Lake, Kenya
- High Tea Elsamere, Naivasha, Kenya
EXCLUDED
- International driving permit
- Meals while in hotels, lunches while in same campsite for more than 1 day
- Visas
- Sleeping bag
- 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
This expedition is also available as a tag-along in your own vehicle - email Debs for more information info@africaexpeditionsupport.com
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