Africa Odyssey

Overview & Highlights – Trans-Africa Expeditions 2010/2011

Join Odyssey Overland for the adventure of a lifetime as we drive overland from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt, or from Cairo to Cape Town. This is an epic adventure which provides amazing opportunities to see wildlife, awe-inspiring scenery, tropical beaches and islands, and to experience African cultures, from nomadic tribes to crazy capital cities.

There are plenty of companies out there running overland trips through southern Africa, however very few offer the opportunity to cover as much of the continent as we will. At Odyssey, it is the journey, not the ultimate destination that is important, and we believe in taking a bit more time to really allow us to see and experience the countries that we visit, not just rushing through. Our route encompasses well-known highlights, but we have spent a lot of time ensuring that we don’t just follow the well-beaten tourist paths, but rather we have the chance to get away from it all and head to some incredible national parks and scenic destinations which have not yet been overrun by hordes of camera-wielding tourists in safari suits!

We run smaller groups, with a maximum of 20 clients per trip in Africa, and rather than being “racked and packed” like some other operators who run trucks with up to 38 people on board, we have lots of legroom and space. We believe that travelling into the wilds doesn’t mean that we have to rough it too much, so we have kitted out the trucks with lots of little things that can make all the difference – comfortable camp chairs that make sitting around a campfire a pleasure, boats and bikes, large tents that are easy to erect, a laptop for photo downloading, and lots of other little touches that can make all the difference. When we aren’t camping, we stay in good quality local-run guest houses and hotels, which helps to ensure that the money we spend stays in the local community.

We are an owner operated company with over 11 years experience of running overland trips in Africa and around the world and we know what works in overlanding – from truck design and equipment to route planning and all the logistics on the road, not to mention the cooking, which is a particular passion of ours! We are able to provide the personal touch that can turn a great overland experience into an incredible one. We may be slightly more expensive, but we believe that our trips represent great value because of the overall experience we are able to offer. And on such an epic trip it is worth doing it properly!

Northbound – departs Cape Town on 3rd November 2010, arrives into Cairo on 22nd March 2011

Southbound – departs Cairo on 12th May 2011, arrives into Cape Town on 22nd September 2011

On our expedition we will be exploring South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

HIGHLIGHTS

As you might imagine, on a trip that spans the world’s largest continent, there are just too many highlights and amazing experiences to be able to list them all! The Route Plan has more detail, a week-by-week itinerary and some amazing photos to whet your appetite…

Beautiful Cape Town, the “Mother City”
Historic Stellenbosch and its fabulous vineyards
Hermanus, a funky town with whale watching and Great White Shark diving
Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa
The Garden Route and the fantastic Tsitsikama National Park
Get your adrenalin flowing with the highest bridge bungee jump in the world – 216 metres!
Addo Elephant Park, home to the highest concentration of elephants in Africa, as well as Rhino and Buffalo
Visit to Nelson Mandela’s birthplace
Beach hop on the Wild Coast
Hike the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains
Explore the Kingdom of Swaziland
Exotic Mozambique, home to amazing beaches, diving, seafood and remnants of Portuguese culture
Ponder at the majestic Great Zimbabwe Ruins, only surpassed by the Pyramids of Egypt in size and scale
Walk with lions in a lion sanctuary and head off on foot with an experienced guide tracking the elusive Black Rhino
Explore the immense Makgadikgadi Pans, so vast that you can see the curvature of the earth
Float through the narrow waterways of the lush green gem that is the Okavango Delta
Explore the dune fields of the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world
Swakopmund, the adventure playground of Namibia, for skydiving, quadbiking, horseriding, sandboarding, deep sea fishing or just relaxing in this funky town
Top game viewing in Etosha National Park, chances to see more of the Big Five
The incredible Victoria Falls, a must-see
Whitewater raft the mighty Zambezi River, some of the biggest raft-able whitewater rapids in the world
South Luangwe National Park, Zambia’s premier national park, and in the top three in Africa, prime country to see leopard
Beach hop the shores of Lake Malawi in the friendly heart of Africa
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s second biggest national park, a great combination of lots of wildlife and very few tourists
Zanzibar, the Spice Island, home to stunning beaches and fascinating history, the birthplace of Freddy Mercury
Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, or the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater – the choice is yours!
Nairobi, the bustling heart of central Africa, a crazy mix of Africa with its colonial past
Mountain gorillas – trek into the Parc National des Virunga for the chance to see these endangered gentle giants
Camp at the source of the Nile, the longest river in the world, with a chance to raft the White Nile
Travel north up the Rift Valley looking for the indigenous tribes of the Samburu, Rendille, Hamer, Arbore, Dascensch, Mursi, Dorze, Guji or Ganjule, still living their traditional lifestyle, from lip plates and other adornments to amazing facial painting
Explore the Nubian ruins of Ethiopia and southern Sudan visiting Lalibela and the church of Bete Giorgos as well as the church clusters of Gheralta and Takatsfi, as well as the world heritage site of Axum, birthplace of Christianity, and possibly the final resting place of the Arc of the Covenant
Go trekking in the Simein Mountains
Whirling dervishes at Khartoum’s Friday market
Explore the ancient pyramids of Merowe and Jebel Bakul
Wander the souq of Aswan and the Nubian Museum
Visit the Valley of the Kings, and feel the history of ancient times as you wander up the Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor
Cruise the Nile on a felucca
Hop from oasis to oasis in the stunning Western Desert
Cairo, the largest city in Africa, and a great base to explore the iconic Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza and the Egyptian Museum

This is only just scratching the surface of all the amazing things we will see and experience as we travel along this epic route of 13,950 miles.

TRANSPORT

A custom built Mercedes Benz or MAN overland truck, designed especially for this expedition will be our home whilst on the road. It will do all the land legs possible with other forms of transport taking us to those more inaccessible areas required to get us to see as much as possible while en route. It might be jeeps, donkey carts, camels, mokoro, or river boats. It's all an adventure and as an expedition member you can do it all and be involved in every stage. The more you are involved, the more you will enjoy it!

FOOD & ACCOMMODATION

We camp about 80% of the time during our expedition in Africa, with the remaining time spent in small local-run hotels or guesthouses. Don’t worry if you haven’t camped a lot in the past, we do it in style with large, easy-to-erect tents, comfy camp chairs, and amazing food cooked over an open fire or the gas cooker using fresh ingredients from the markets we visit along the way. Most of our expedition members rate camping as a highlight of the trip as it really allows us to get off the beaten track, away from the crowds (other than curious locals!), and to experience some breathtaking scenery and wildlife – from camping in the wilds with the Big Five wandering by, to camping on the shores of the Indian Ocean and Lake Malawi, or possibly even spending the night in a local schoolyard where we get to meet the students and teachers and maybe kick a ball around with some of the kids – and everything in between!

Costs

The cost is split into components, the Trip Price and Kitty.

Trip price £2,200 + Kitty US$1,750

Trip price includes:

All land transport by expedition vehicle
All vehicle costs including fuel, tolls, ferries, seaport taxes
All the vehicle entrances
Services of the crew
Back-up, logistical and support from our office.

A deposit of £500 is required to secure your place on the expedition, and the balance of the Trip Price (£1,700) is paid to Odyssey Overland in full no less than 8 weeks before departure. This allows us to arrange all the required permits and other vital things for this expedition.

The Kitty of US$1,750 is the second part of the price and is paid into a central fund on the day of departure. It funds accommodation, camp meals, local guides and activities that the group take part in as a whole. The expedition members and the group leader monitor this. This has been calculated as accurately as possible, but will be updated 2 weeks before the trip is due to depart, and while no increase is expected, due to the long lead time before departure it is impossible to be 100% sure. Local inflation and costs vary during the year and so we review the kitty before departure and during the trip. In the unlikely event of an increase, this is expected to be by less than US$200.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

Service of an experienced crew to lead the expedition. All are experienced leaders, drivers and mechanics and can cook up a storm with the local food!
Use of the expedition vehicle and all its equipment, designed specifically for this style of expedition.
All costs relating to the truck including diesel, mechanics and permits.
Ferry tickets for ferries on our planned route, including ferry to Zanzibar and up the Nile from Wadi Halfa to Aswan.
All accommodation and meals while camping.
Entrance to an extensive list of parks and attractions including Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park, Addo Elephant National Park, Miliwane Game Reserve, Great Zimbabwe National Monument, Okavango Delta, Etosha National Park, South Luangwa National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Samburu National Park, Lalibela Rock Churches, Axum archaeological sites and Simien Mountains National Park.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?

Personal travel insurance.
Personal spending money.
Visas (about £350 but depends on nationality).
Border taxes.
Optional activities.
Entrance to sites and parks not listed as included.
Tips for local guides.
Meals when in hotels/guesthouses, and lunches when in towns.
Drinks.
Any unforeseen contingency route expenses.
Roll matt and sleeping bag.
Any flights.

Remember that we run small groups (up to 20) with a focus on really exploring all the amazing places we will pass through on this epic trans-Africa journey. Our itinerary allows enough time to see all the incredible sights along the way, as well as time to chill out and relax. We have been there and done it and have the knowledge and skills to make this the trip of your lifetime, and we are there to give you as much or as little help as you want along the way. This is a traveller’s journey, no packaged holiday!

So take the plunge, do your research and book onto the expedition of a lifetime. Due to the nature of these expeditions, they do book up a long way in advance, so if you are considering it, don’t delay, and get in touch with us.

Click here to get details of how to book, and let the adventures begin!

Odyssey Overland - Adventure holidays, expeditions, exploration, overland treks