Travel Tree Country: BOTSWANA, EGYPT, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, MALAWI, SOUTH AFRICA, TANZANIA, UGANDA, ZIMBABWE Cairo to Cape Town Overland REQUEST MORE INFORMATION »» Oasis Overland The Marsh Somerset UNITED KINGDOM BA8 0TF Phone: 01963 363400 Program description: Travel overland from Cairo to Cape Town on 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 a high degree of hardship: crossing a desert where there is no road or sometimes 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. 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. Weeks 1 & 2 - Our first day is spent in Cairo visiting the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza . Driving out to the Western Desert we visit 3 isolated oases, Bahariyya, Farafra and Dhakla where you can explore the desert by camel or walk through the winding lanes of mud houses at the Citadel of Mut. In Luxor we end our first week and visit the Valley of Kings and Karnak Temple. A half day drive south brings us to Aswan from where you can organise a 2 day felucca sail cruise and also visit Abu Simbel. From Aswan we take the overnight ferry across Lake Nasser to the port of Wadi Halfa in Northern Sudan. Weeks 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. Khartoum is our next stop on the confluence of the Blue and White Nile. In our few days here you can visit the Hamed al Nil Tomb, witness the dancing dervishes, go to the daily camel market or visit the ancient Pyramids at Meroe. From Khartoum we drive south-east to Ethiopia. From Gondar it is possible to organise visits to some of Ethiopia's most famous sites such as the holy city of Axum and the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela. Week 5 & 6 - Many of the roads we travel on in Ethiopia are very poor 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 Falls. From Bahar Dar you can organise boat trips to the small islands which have 900 year old Monasteries, still looked after by monks. From Addis Ababa we head south towards Kenya. The north of Kenya is remote with nomadic tribespeople like the Rendille and Samburu who still wear distinctive and often elaborate dress. We pass through Marsabit National Park and Samburu National Park which has some unique wildlife like reticulated giraffe and Grevy's Zebra. Next we drive via the foothills of Mt Kenya into Uganda. Weeks 7 & 8 - We have a free day in Kampala to spend in local cafes and nightspots or to visit a Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria. The following day we cross the equator en route to Kabale. From here we visit either Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks, home to the Mountain Gorillas. After the amazing Gorilla trek, we head east again to Jinja, where the Nile begins its 6700km journey to the sea. With one kilometre of raging water below Bujagali Falls, this is a superb place to go white water rafting. Returning to Kenya we camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha where Hippos sometimes feed at night! At Lake Nakuru we go on a game drive to see almost one million pink flamingos and other game including rhino, lion, giraffe and leopard. We arrive in Nairobi and have a break there, giving you a chance to laze by a hotel pool, drink an ice-cold beer and catch up with world news. Weeks 9 & 10 We depart Nairobi and cross the border to Tanzania. In the Ngorongoro Crater you can spend the day viewing the abundant wildlife including Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Rhino, Buffalo, Hippo, Antelope and Crocodile. You can then choose to go into the Serengeti where vast herds of Wildebeest roam the plains. Passing the towering peak of Mt Kilimanjaro, we arrive in Dar Es Salaam. From here most people take the ferry out to Zanzibar and venture into the narrow bustling streets or relax on the famous white beaches. Returning to the mainland, we head south and enter Malawi, dominated by its huge fresh water lake. Weeks 11 & 12 We stop at campsites along the lake where you can windsurf and scuba dive or just relax on the beach. Crossing into Mozambique we head for Zimbabwe and travel to Harare, the capital. From here we head south to Gweru and a privately run game ranch where you can go game viewing on elephant and horseback or perhaps on a walking safari with young lion cubs! Not far are the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, once the greatest medieval city in Sub Saharan Africa. From Bulawayo you have the option to venture into Motobo National Park, where on foot, escorted by an armed ranger, you should see the elusive Black Rhino amongst other game. Weeks 13 & 14 For some Victoria Falls is the highlight of their Africa overland travel trip. 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. The arid Kalahari with its expansive freedom, night sky ablaze with shooting stars and the warm glow of our campfire make it an unforgettable camping experience. You can take a cruise on the Chobe River to view the amazing wildlife and also a 2 day trip into the Okavango Delta, exploring the extensive waterways by dug-out canoe. Weeks 15 & 16 Heading west we travel on to Namibia and Etosha National Park, where we game watch by night at one of the floodlit watering holes. From here we visit a local Cheetah park before continuing on to the Skeleton Coast and Cape Cross Seal Colony - the sight of thousands of these mammals as well as their accompanying pungent odour is remembered by all! In Swakopmund you can go deep sea fishing for shark or try quad biking, dune sledding or horse riding in the desert. A day’s drive brings 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 camp next to Fish River Canyon before crossing the Orange River and entering South Africa. At Stellenbosch we visit one of the historical Cape Wineries before arriving at our final destination, the vibrant, cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. General program information: Program open to: Everyone Is opportunity more independant or group orientated: Group No. in group: 24 Living arrangements on the program: Tents/Rustic Accommodation How long does the program last?: 3-6 months What are the dates of this program: Cape Town to Cairo departs 25 Aug 2009 Cairo to Cape Town departs 18 Oct 2009 Cost or price of this program: £1490 plus £740 local payment Other Adventure Programs listings from Oasis Overland argentina, brazil, chile, uruguay Coast to Coast - Overland through South America brazil, chile, ecuador, egypt, jordan, kenya, mozambique, namibia, peru, south africa Overland Expeditions & Small Group Adventures egypt, jordan, syrian arab republic Oasis Nomad egypt Egypt Encompassed botswana, lesotho, namibia, south africa, zimbabwe Deserts & Gameparks argentina, bolivia, chile, ecuador, peru Andes & Amazon - Quito to Santiago overland egypt, jordan, lebanon, syrian arab republic, turkey Istanbul to Cairo overland bolivia, peru Peru Encompassed azerbaijan, china, egypt, georgia, jordan, kyrgyzstan, syrian arab republic, tunisia, turkey, uzbekistan Silk Road Overland Back   New Search   Send to a friend