Western Trans Africa Expedition

A day-by-day breakdown of what to expect and where you'll be staying.

---

Day 1 to 7, London to Chefchaouen

Start the Ultimate Trans Africa 'trip of a lifetime' with a flight to Gibraltar or Spain to meet the truck, before crossing into Morocco. Visit the Riff Mountains and the small town of Chefchaouen before trying out a hammam bath house to get you in the West African mood.

Day 8 to 14, Chefchaouen to Fez

The roman city of Volubilis awaits and we spend some time wandering this ancient town before heading off to Fez with its huge bazaar, dye pits and jam-packed alleys.

Day 15 to 21, Fez to Rabat

After the colour and bustle of Fez we travel to Rabat and spend a few days organising our visa's.

Day 22 to 28, Rabat to Essaouira

With our visa's organised we leave Rabat and travel up to the Todra Gorge, Sarhro Mountains and the Draa Valley to Marrakech. This town comes alive at night and we can check out the busy main square. We drive to the coast for a few days before crossing into Mauritania.

Day 29 to 35, Essaouira to Nouakchott

Civilisation is left behind as we head into the remote (and hot!) parts of Mauritania. Soft sand, digging out the truck, no shops, no roads and the complete desert environment put us to the test - are you tough enough?! We arrive in the tiny capital of Nouakchott and will have a short break.

Day 36 to 42, Nouakchott to Bamako

Heading inland we cross into Mali - one of the poorest countries on Earth. Terrible roads make for a nice slow drive through some villages and will give you a peek at the local culture and environment. Arriving in Bamako is a real culture shock after the last week or so. A cold beer, fresh fruit and vege from the markets, clubs, pubs and live music await.

Day 43 to 49, Bamako to Bandiagara

After restocking our supplies we travel alongside the Niger River through Mopti and Djenne before arriving at the remote Bandiagara Escarpment. Taking a hike out to one of the Dogon villages in the area is a fantastic experience!

Day 50 to 56, Bandiagara to Ougadougou

After a couple of days hiking through the cliffside villages of the Dogon our trip continues into Burkina Faso and we spend some time around its capital, Ougadougou.

Day 57 to 63, Ougadougou to Accra

Enjoy some of the best music in Africa before we leave Burkina Faso behind us and travel into Ghana. After some game driving through the Mole National Park we camp near Accra for a few days and relax on the beach.

Day 64 to 70, Accra to Ganvie

Travelling through Togo and Benin doesn't take long as they are on 80 kms wide! 'Thinking outside the box' has new meaning when you see the Ganvie village - built on stilts in the middle of Lake Nakoue.

Day 71 to 77, Ganvie to Limbe

Leaving the village on stilts we cross into Nigeria and re-enter city life hustle and bustle as we arrive in the capital Abuja. After stocking up we travel through mountains and jungle aiming for Cameroon and Mount Cameroon. Spend a few days camping on the beach or if you like take a trek up Mount Cameroon.

Day 78 to 84, Limbe to Yaounde

After a few days relaxing on a beach you might be up for some exercise! Take a hike up Mount Cameroon, visit a chimp orphanage or relax on the beach a bit longer.

Day 85 to 98, Yaounde to Pointe Noire

Heading inland now we stock up in Ambam and stop off in Libreville for some more visa's before heading south towards Congo. Rough roads make for slow going and digging the truck out of the mud is highly likely - yippee!

Day 99 to 105, Pointe Noire to Matadi

A bit of night life is on the cards in Pointe Noire and it boasts some fantastic African music and musicians. After crossing into Cabinda we enter the DRC and travel some interesting 'roads' (if you can call them that) as we continue south.

Day 106 to 112, Matadi to Luanda

We cross the Congo River and enter Angola heading for the capital of Luanda where we stock up on supplies for the next desert leg.

Day 113 to 119, Luanda to Namibe

Further south we go and can visit the Parque Nacional Da Quicama as we edge closer to the Nambian border and our last stop in Angola.

Day 120 to 126, Namibe to Lubango

Small villages and town dot our route and relics of two decades of civil war are plainly obvious in the wrecks of tanks and trucks along the roadside. We pass through Lubango and get as close to the border as we can.

Day 127 to 133, Lubango to Opuwo

Crossing the border we enter the Kaokoveld region of northern Namibia. Home of the rare Desert Elephant and the Himba tribes people and with a bit of luck we can pay a visit to both. Have the camera ready!

Day 134 to 140, Opuwo to Brandberg

Easier roads make short work of the drive to the Brandberg Mountain area through some stunning desert landscapes. Keep an eye out for the change in colours as we watch the gorgeous sunsets from our camp.

Day 141 to 147, Brandberg to Windhoek

Leaving the peaceful desert behind we roll into Windhoek for a taste of 'civilisation' and the local brew conveniently named after the capital itself. A couple of days allows time to explore the German influenced city and stock up on supplies, email home and do some laundry!

Day 148 to 154, Windhoek to Tsitsikamma National Park

After the hustle and noise of Windhoek we travel back into the peaceful desert environment as we enter Botswana and the world famous Kalahari. A quick trip across south east Botswana puts us into South Africa and on the way to the coast and the well known Garden Route region.

Day 155 to 161, Tsitsikamma National Park to Cape Town

The beautiful Garden Route boasts great beaches, whale watching (in season), Addo Elephant National Park, Little Karoo, Cango Caves and the beginning of the famous Cape Wineland region - amongst other things. Then a couple of days rest in Cape Town allows time to explore the gorgeous 'Mother City'.

---

There are 21 optional activities available on this trip.

Prices shown are approximate

• $60 Abseiling Table Mountain
• $110 Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump
• $7 Cango Caves
• $10 Canoe to the Village on Stilts
• $8 Cape Coast Slave Fort
• $5 Fez Medina Guided Walk
• TBA Game Fishing
• $250 Great White Shark Cage Diving
• $55 Guided Trek to the Dogon
• $3 Hammam Bath House
• $54 Mt Cameroon Climb
• $15 Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm Visit
• $60 Paragliding
• $85 Swakopmund Quadbiking
• $45 Swakopmund Sandboarding
• $320 Swakopmund Sky Diving
• $70 Swakopmund Township Tour
• $45 Tsitsikamma Forest Quad Biking
• $50 Tsitsikamma Treetop Canopy Tour
• $8 Volubillis Roman Ruins
• $75 Whale Watching - Hermanus