Cape Town to Fes (23 weeks) Trans Africa

DAY 1 - 10 CAPE TOWN TO SWAKOPMUND
West Africa is a road less travelled and still a largely undiscovered area of Africa for tourism. Please understand that much of your journey will be directly through this area of the continent and although we list our intended Itinerary below, please be aware that this is a rough guide and should be treated as such.

Oasis Overland has run a Trans Africa Expedition virtually every year since 1997, and during this time, not one Trans Africa trip has run an identical itinerary through West Africa. This is due to many reasons, including availability of visas, road conditions, embassy and border closures, political unrest, elections and instability, disease outbreaks, changing government travel advice and adverse weather conditions, just to name a few. We also hear about new, exciting places that may only now be possible to visit, and so try to include some new places on each trip for that reason too. As we are travelling in the opposite direction to normal, and at a different time of year, there will be additional challenges to overcome, and opportunities to take advantage of too.

Please therefore consider the itinerary shown as a guide and expect there to be some changes during your trip. This is all part of the experience of travelling through West Africa and one that makes this expedition such an epic journey that only a select few are willing to undertake.
Cape Town, Africa’s most southerly city is the starting point of our overland expedition to Accra, Freetown and Fes and where you will meet your truck, crew and fellow travellers. Make sure you arrive a few days early if you want time to experience the city’s markets, nightlife and sites and the many activities from diving with sharks to a tour of Robben Island.

Our journey begins as we head north through the Western Cape, travelling through the beautiful and rugged Cederburg Wilderness Area. Crossing the Orange River, we enter Namibia and head to a viewpoint over the vast Fish River Canyon and our first experience of this country’s incredible and varied landscapes.

Namib-Naukluft Park contains some of the highest sand dunes in the world and at Sossusvlei we have the opportunity to walk to the top of Dune 45 – the 360 degree view of spectacular desert scenery makes the effort worthwhile!

Our next stop is the town of Swakopmund where we spend a couple of days so that you can take part in some of the many adventurous activities or just relax and enjoy the cafes, museums and galleries. Optional excursions include wildlife cruises, quad biking, dune sledding, deep sea fishing, horse riding and skydiving – take your pick!

DAY 11 - 25 SWAKOPMUND TO LUANDA
Leaving Swakopmund, we camp out amongst the Sptizkoppe Rock formations, part of the Erongo Mountain range formed millions of years ago. It’s a stunning location to spend the night and see the rock formations turn red in the setting sun. Travelling onwards through the Brandberg Mountains in Demaraland, we visit a Cheetah park, home to rescued cheetahs and where we can learn about these incredible big cats. We reach Etosha National Park, our first wildlife reserve and a fantastic place to observe some of Africa’s iconic animals. Going on safari in the truck, our high vantage point means we have a good chance of spotting elephant, rhino, zebra and giraffe to name a few and the park’s floodlit waterholes give a unique opportunity of watching animals coming to drink at night.

Those who started their trip in Nairobi will join us here before we head north and reach the border with Angola. Angola will be quite a change from South Africa and Namibia as this country continues to recover from years of civil war during the late 20th century. Tourists are few and in some of the smaller villages, children in particular may never have seen a foreigner before. Portuguese is spoken widely here which can also be a challenge for us! For the next few weeks we will find little tourist infrastructure and facilities may be non-existent or of a lower standard than we have been used to.

Crossing the border, we drive to Lubango, home to Cristo Rei, a 30 metre-high statue of Christ which looks out over the city and is reminiscent of Rio’s similar monument. Journeying north, we look for scenic spots to bushcamp overnight, such as the impressive Calandula Falls or the unique rock formations at Pedras Negras, as we make our way to Angola’s capital Luanda. Here we may welcome some new group members joining us for the expedition to West Africa and on to Morocco.

DAY 26 - 40 LUANDA TO DRC, REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND GABON
From Luanda it’s a couple of days’ drive to our next country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We start getting used to poor road conditions with little tarmac and a lot of potholes. From the city of Matadi we cross the mighty Congo River and on to Muanda, a town on the Atlantic coast and mouth of the Congo. A short journey north brings us to the border and we return briefly to Angola as we transit through the province of Angola Cabinda and straight on to our next border crossing with the Republic of Congo.

Pointe Noire is our first stop in Congo, a wealthy city due to its oil industry. Set on the Atlantic Ocean, it has beautiful beaches and sites to explore. You will find restaurants and bars overlooking the sea in the European Quarter or see a different side to the city in the busy Grand Marche (market) in the African Quarter.

Leaving the ocean behind, we head inland on good roads to the town of Dolisie before making our way to Congo’s border with Gabon and passing friendly villages whose inhabitants are excited to see the unusual sight of foreigners. From Dolisie, road conditions deteriorate and we may find ourselves digging the truck out of huge, muddy pot holes or queuing with other vehicles to pass bad stretches of the track. Everyone will need to muck in to get the truck through and you will find yourself, wet, muddy, sweaty and tired but making some of the most memorable moments of the expedition!

Note – if the Gabon land borders remain closed, we will head to Brazzaville for a few days (from where there is an opportunity nearby to see lowland gorillas), and then travel through Republic of Congo on fairly good roads to the border with Cameroon. If we are well ahead of schedule there may be the opportunity to fly to Sao Tome and Principe, but this cannot be guaranteed and will be subject to our progress and final routings.

DAY 41 - 69 GABON TO CAMEROON AND NIGERIA
Gabon’s lush rainforests and beautiful wilderness make up for the difficult road journeys. We hope to take in one of its national parks such as Lope to look for drill monkeys as well as elusive elephant and buffalo. Continuing our Trans Africa expedition north, we cross the Ntem River into Cameroon and pass through more jungle landscapes to Ambam and on to the capital, Yaounde. Here we can restock and recuperate, taking in the city’s sites, museums and galleries and enjoying freshly baked produce at one of the many bakeries.

Depending on the security situation and government travel advice at the time, and on whether we have been able to travel through Gabon, we hope to travel to Limbe to camp at 6 Mile Beach and have the opportunity to walk up Mount Cameroon before making our way to the border with Nigeria. Alternatively we may spend more time in Republic of Congo and Cameroon. Travelling on dirt roads, we enter our next country, Nigeria and find a faster pace of life here with its booming population and industrious people, made up of over 250 ethnic groups. If possible (subject to border crossings and security conditions near the Cameroon border), we will visit a Drill Monkey and Chimpanzee rehabilitation centre in the southeast and then travel westwards, bush camping along the way. People here are very outgoing and interested in our journey and will love to talk to you about it!

DAY 70 - 89 NIGERIA TO ACCRA
From the vast country of Nigeria, we enter the small country of Benin, only 50 miles wide. Not far from the capital Cotonou, is the village of Ganvie, situated on Lake Nokoue and built on bamboo stilts in the lake. You have the option to go in traditional canoes to see village life before we head to the city of Ouidah, on the Atlantic coast. Once a port for the slave trade, the ‘Door of No Return’ is a memorial to those who boarded slave ships, never to return.

We cross the border to Togo where voodoo is the primary religion. You can visit a fetish market here, take a canoe trip out on to Lake Togo to the island of Togoville or explore Lome’s monuments, markets and museums. From here we make our way to the border with Ghana and once border formalities are complete we drive to Wli Agumatsa Waterfalls, the highest in West Africa. Our next stop is the capital Accra where some of our group will finish their trip and new members will join us for the journey to Freetown and Fes.

After 12 weeks of travelling, we take a break in Accra with 3 days and nights free for you to do as you wish. This time is at your own cost so you are free to decide where to stay and what you would like to do.

DAY 90 - 115 ACCRA TO FREETOWN
After applying for any necessary visas, we will set off on the next leg of our Trans Africa adventure, driving north to the city of Kumasi. Here you will find Kejetia Market, one of the biggest in West Africa and a great place to wander and soak up the atmosphere. Kumasi is also the capital of the Ashanti Region and you can visit the National Cultural Centre to learn more about Ashanti culture.

Heading back to towards the coast, Kakum National Park has a 30 metre high Canopy Walkway which you have the chance to visit on an optional excursion, giving you a different experience and view of the rainforest. Near Cape Coast we find vast beaches and can learn more about the slave trade at Elmina and Cape Coast castles.

Leaving Ghana, we enter French-speaking Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and head for the beaches of Grand-Bassam and the former capital, Abidjan, the country’s largest city. Situated on the Ebrie Lagoon, it is a modern city, home to markets and museums, art galleries and the unique Cathedrale St. Paul. It’s the former capital and still the economic hub of Cote d’Ivoire. We head inland to Yamoussoukro, designated the capital in 1983 by President Houphouet-Boigny who undertook huge building projects, designed to impress, including the enormous Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro.

The next country on our Trans Africa journey is Liberia, founded by resettled, freed slaves from America and the Caribbean in the 19th century. We make our way to the country’s vibrant capital, Monrovia, rebuilding itself after years of civil war. From here we can take a trip out to the beautiful Kpatawee waterfalls. Travelling through lush jungle to the border, we cross into Sierra Leone, sadly another country infamous for its long-running civil war. Infrastructure, including the roads we travel on, is still poor and progress can be difficult and slow going. An optional visit to Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary gives you the opportunity to search for the rare pigmy hippopotamus as well as various primates and birdlife, exploring on foot or by canoe with a knowledgeable guide.

From here we travel to the capital Freetown and its palm-fringed beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. We include a trip to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, home to about 100 rescued chimpanzees. We take a tour of the sanctuary to learn about the species, meet the chimps and find out how this organisation is striving to protect and conserve these animals and their environment.

In Freetown we say goodbye to some of our fellow travellers and welcome any joining us before we head north on our journey towards the Sahara.

DAY 116 - 131 FREETOWN TO BANJUL
Leaving the lush jungle behind we cross the border to Guinea, known as Guinea Conakry. We cross the highlands of the Fouta Djallon mountainous region, passing steep sided hills and picturesque waterfalls. Once again, the going will be tough with difficult road conditions as we make our way to Guinea Bissau. This small country has a population of just over 2 million and is amongst the poorest in the world but we are welcomed by its inhabitants as we pass through towns and villages. We hope to stop at Parque Nacional de Cantanhez where you have the opportunity to go trekking into the rainforest to look for chimpanzees and other wildlife but this will depend on road conditions and our progress so far. As we travel through this small country, we bushcamp along the way, eventually reaching the border with Senegal. We hope to have some time at one of Senegal’s beautiful beaches before moving on to The Gambia, which is completely surrounded by Senegal apart from its coast. The capital, Banjul is situated on an island in the mouth of the Gambia River and from here you can take a boat trip upriver, explore the buzzing Albert Market or wander amongst colonial buildings in the old town.

DAY 132 - 145 BANJUL TO ATAR
We leave The Gambia and re-enter Senegal, travelling north into the Sahel region. Again, depending on our progress we may visit Dakar or take a trip out to Lake Retba more commonly known as Lac Rose, due to its pink colour. Our final destination in Senegal is the former capital St. Louis. The old town is situated on an island, reached by the Faidherbe Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel. We base ourselves a few miles from the city at Langue de Barbarie National Park where you can relax on the beach, go fishing or head out bird watching by a dugout canoe.

Weather and road conditions will determine which border we will cross into Mauritania, either at Diama to drive along the piste through Diawling National Park or further inland at the busy Rosso border. Either way, we enter Mauritania and make our way to the capital Nouackchott. The lush jungles of West Africa seem a distant memory as we leave Nouackchott and drive inland into the desert, passing small villages and camel herds as we make our way to Atar. From this oasis town you have the option to explore the surrounding Adrar Plateau by 4x4 vehicle.

DAY 146 - 163 ATAR TO FES
From Atar we head west towards the coast again and leave Mauritania for Western Sahara. Be prepared for desert camping with no facilities but incredible starry skies! We may meet other overlanders on their way south as we head north towards Morocco, the final country on our Cape Town to Fes overland expedition.

Our first proper stop in Morocco after driving along the coast and passing Agadir, is Essaouira on the Atlantic where you’ll find great surfing conditions to blow away the dust of the last few days as well as the UNESCO designated old town to wander around. Leaving the beach behind, we drive to one of Morocco’s most iconic cities, Marrakech. We have a few days here to give you time to experience it’s wonderful sites, explore the huge medina and soak up the atmosphere in the famous Djemâa-el-Fna square, either immersing yourself amongst the stallholders and entertainers or from above whilst sipping mint tea on a roof top café overlooking square.

Heading north, we travel via Casablanca and Rabat to the picturesque town of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. We camp at a spot overlooking this ‘blue’ city, famous for it’s blue-washed walls and cobbled streets. The pace is a little slower here than busy Marrakech and you have time to wander the alleyways and explore the 15th century Kasbah. Nearing journey’s end, we travel to the Roman ruins at Volubilis where you can explore this huge site and learn about the Roman city that thrived here over a thousand years ago.

A short drive away is our final destination, the city of Fes. After 23 weeks of travelling across the vast African continent from South Africa to Morocco, it’s hard to believe our journey is over! We end with an included tour through the narrow streets of the vast bazaar where you can sample local fare, shop for souvenirs, observe the tanneries and dye pits at work and visit beautiful mosques before our farewell dinner.

DAY 164 FES
Your trip will finish in Fes after breakfast. Please make sure you allow a good few days after our scheduled arrival to look around Fes some more and to allow for any possible delays en-route.