Adventure in Africa

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I’m bursting with excitement because in less than six weeks I’m leaving to spend 40 days within five countries of Africa!  I’ll fly into Cape Town (where I’m hoping to Couchsurf for the first time) and explore for a few days before meeting up with my organized tour with G Adventures.  There are only a few people on the tour and we’ll be driving an overland vehicle that seats 22 people.  This type of tour is not for everyone because we’ll be camping 28 of the 35 days of the tour…but it was a “Last Minute” special that was discounted and I couldn’t pass it up. 

Some of the highlights include Fish River Canyon (the oldest and 2nd largest in the world);  Sossusvlei Dunes in the Namid desert; game drives through Etosha Nat’l Park; travel through the Okavango Delta in Botswana on a mokoro canoe; Chobe Nat’l Park; three days in the mighty Victoria Falls area; four nights at Lake Malawi (it holds the record for the most species of fish in the world with over 600); and four nights on the island of Zanzibar (including Stone Town)–off the coast of Tanzania.

Here’s a map of the route…

Obviously there’s a lot of driving…with some of the roads being very bumpy….but what an adventure!

Most of the food is provided and at $2880 for 35 days—it’s a deal!  That doesn’t include airfare to Cape Town or back home from Zanzibar, trip insurance, some optional excursions, $150 for two visas, more shots (some of the ones I got back in 2009 aren’t good anymore), a new light weight sleeping bag, a new duffel bag (one on wheels)…they require a piece of soft sided luggage…like a back pack…but I don’t have a large one, and a new pair of hiking/walking shoes (mine are too big…up over the ankle…too heavy).   I have to be concerned with the size and weight of the bag.

My husband is being an angel about it…he’s got his Harley, his tractor, his boat, etc. etc….a girl’s gotta have fun too!!

122 thoughts on “Adventure in Africa”

  4. This is amazing! I’ve been planning and calculating costs for such a trup, plus another leg acually from zanzibar all the way to Cairo, through kenya, ethiopia, sudan and then finally egypt 😀 but it seems to be really expensive.

    i don’t know y i never checked G adventures though, how much did it actually cost you? i might be re-changing plans if the price is different 😀

    wishing you all the best and looking forward to read more about it!

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    • Hi Mina – I’m going to do some posts outlining my itinerary, costs, gear, etc. But, it is a last minute deal 20% off, $2880 which includes most of your food, most everything, for 35 days! You can’t beat it!

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  7. Wow, what an amazing trip. You’re going to have an amazing adventure. If you don’t have any luck with the couchsurfing in Cape Town just let me know your dates and I may be able to help out.
    At the very lest get in touch it would be fun to meet up with a fellow blogger for a drink.

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      • I’m about 15kms south of the city centre on the Atlantic coast. You are probably better off in the city centre as far as activities go and getting around as public transport isn’t great here.
        However by all means get in touch. If you drop me a line via the contact form on my website or DM me on Twitter then we can make plans to meet up.

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      • April/May both good. I have been up Platteklip Gorge several times – probably the most popular route. I have also been up the front via the India Venster route which is a bit more exciting.
        I’ve never been with a company as we’ve always gone with friends who now the mountain and I don’t know that you have to go with a company but it’s obviously safer to hike in a group.

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  8. Have fun chica! and don`t worry about your travel companions. My theory is that people who go in that sort of trips cannot be bad, it takes a certain type of personality to travel that way. You`ll be just fine!!!
    And as you said, we don`t know what will happen tomorrow, so we have to live today!!!

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  12. Wow! From South to East. I love it already. We did a 30-day East African trip in 2006 covering only 3 countries — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. We went rafting in Uganda then we covered 4 National parks between Kenya and Tanzania. Like you, we ended the trip in Zanzibar. It was the best cap to a trip. I wanted to do the overland tour but we couldn’t make the dates so we travelled mostly by bus. Looking forward to read about your experiences. Enjoy!

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  14. Looks fantastic, my wife has been to Malawi. She was given a gift whilst she was there – a thin – but live chicken! They then had to carry the poor thing home over rough tracks for 45 minutes. Guess what birds do when they are scared? All over the place…

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  15. Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog and liking my most recent post. I was so excited to discover YOUR travels. Your trip in Africa sounds amazing! I grew up in South Africa (in KwaZulu Natal in a rural area near Pietermaritzburg) and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is one of my most favorite places in all of the world. I know that you will have an amazing trip! I look forward to seeing photos and reading more.

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  18. wow ! that sounds like an amazing trip and i agree, it does sound like a steal deal ! All the best.

    out of curiosity I looked up on maps and it looks like ~5000 kms (google maps shows shortest distance ,your route might be different) which makes it ~125km per day. that is a lot of travelling on a daily basis ! Have a fun trip and hope to hear more about it on here when u come back 🙂

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  21. I can’t wait to hear about your adventures in Africa. It sounds like we will have to wait until you get back to read all about it. We will miss you but we will be there in spirit with you.
    Stay safe, Sherry,
    M

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  22. Sherry I love your adventurous spirit, and I can’t think of a better place than Africa for your next trip. I can’t wait to read about it!
    Elisa

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  23. well well well….that’s something really exciting
    and the first name in your list really made me nostalgic
    it’s been only 2 months that we had visited Cape Town and the excitement for that was so high that when we landed there we couldn’t believe that we were actually there
    it’s so amazing and fun filled
    we took flight for George as we wanted to do bungy jumping from Bloukrans Bridge (http://whatlifesays.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/face-fear/) and then we headed towrads CT following the R44 which is an amazing route…ocean on the one side and mountain on the other…just as we see in movies 😉
    The entire trip was total freaking (http://whatlifesays.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/going-crazzzzyyyyyy/)
    I would love to visit it again 🙂
    Have a safe trip and enjoyyyyy!

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  25. Sounds amazing, I have never been south of Lake Nasser in africa and a trip to Namibia is one of my ambitions before I fully retire. Have a brilliant time and bring back some great photos

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  29. That will be amazing! I would love to do Namibia, Botswana and Zambia at some stage. I’ve only really seen a little of Mozambique down south. Have a fantastic time… looking forward to the stories and photos from the other end of the trip!

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  32. How fun! I’m so envious, in a good way 🙂 Have you ever watched the DVDs entitled Long Way Round and Long Way Down? They are about the adventures that Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman took on motorcycles – and one of them is through Africa. You would probably enjoy watching them.

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  33. Hi,
    Oh I am so excited for you, it does look like a fantastic trip, and what a great price as well. A lot of differences places to see and experience, new people to meet, you are going to have a great time, and of course I will be looking forward to seeing the photos as well. 😀

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  34. Wow!!! So lucky!! You are going to have such an incredible and fun adventure!! I can’t wait to see your pictures 🙂 My dream is to go on a Safari adventure one day! In the meantime, I will live it through your pictures 🙂 have a wonderful time!!
    Adri

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  35. Wow !!! this looks like a Fun trip. Been through the rest of your Travel entries , simply brilliant.
    Thanks to you, I can now add these places in my must visit list !!!!
    Keep posting… and be safe 🙂

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  38. I agree with Viveka that planning is half the enjoyment with a holiday. I have spent most of today looking at various websites etc planning for a trip to Marrakech which we are doing v soon.

    I also agree totally about lots of gin and tonic!!

    Enjoy

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  39. Another handy hint while I think of it …. get the mosquito repellent pads (Peaceful Sleep also make them) and place them in your rucksack among your clothing. Do this liberally!! These will also act as a deterrent. The local camping gear shops stock good stuff in SA, that is worth looking at. I wash my mosquito net in a deterrent solution and also my trousers to prevent ticks when out walking in the bush. And of course, lots of Gin and Tonic!! The tonic in Malawi is the old fashioned kind that still contains quinine!! But then I’m allergic to anti-malaria tablets, not that I’d ever let that stop me travelling.
    Most frustrating experience? dead batteries for my camera …. they are very expensive north of the Limpopo … that is if you can find them!
    And, as Molly says, be prepared to barter in the market stalls. What is an old T shirt to you is Prada in the bush!
    I’m so excited for you …. and the CouchSurfing sounds a great introduction to Cape Town. If I wasn’t off to Mexico at the end of April, I might’ve joined you …..

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  42. What a journey – I’m 100 it will be a fantastic trip, bumpy or not … and we are all going to sit here and wait to hear from you and see all the photo’s – full of envy. A real adventure you and your friends – all girl ???? Looking forward to this. I’m going to US and Canada for 27 days – I know it’s not going to be that adventures as your trip, but adventures enough for me *smile Planning is half the enjoyment with a holiday. So exciting.

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  44. We were very worried about our bags because we’re both traveling with military surplus duffels that weigh about 20 kilos plus regular backpacks with laptops, etc. We emailed them about this in advance to make sure it would be an issue and it wasn’t. There was plenty of storage space under the truck.There was even a woman on the first leg of our trip from Jo’Burg to Livingstone that had a very big hardtop roller suitcase and it fit. Most people had large backpackers packs. And along the way, our group bought three large wooden giraffes and my husband and I bought a carry-sized coffee table in Zanzibar. All of it fit. I think they just don’t want everyone bringing the kitchen sink with them but they’re not super strict. Because you’re living in a tent for most of the time, a pack with easy access (not just from the top), enough room and good organization is a good way to go.

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      • There were very few places to use wifi along our stretch and if they had it, it was very slow. If the campsite has wifi, it will also likely have a computer you can use. I also didn’t use my laptop to write as much as I should have but there seemed to be very few appropriate opportunities to bring it out. If you have an e-reader, I would bring that. One of the things that worked really well for me was listening to books on my iPod through audible. The roads can often be very bumpy, making it hard to read.

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  45. Can’t wait to hear all about your trip and see the pictures! I’d say get new light sturdy hiking shoes now so you can wear them in. Nothing worse than shoes that don’t fit or that hurt your feet. :+) I say travel now while your young and so full of energy. Why not I can live vicariously through you Adventures and who knows maybe you will inspire me to Adventure out of my cocoon. :+)

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  47. Congratulations! Definitely talk to your doctor about malaria pills. We did not take malaria pills and I worried about it too much (and also covered myself constantly in deet). Also, I forgot to mention – at the market stalls in Livingstone, some of the merchants will ask you if you have stuff to trade – hairbands, socks, pens, baseball caps, and t-shirts. I think part of the reason they do this is so that you engage them and buy something. But if you have a little extra room in your suitcase and a few things hanging around the house that you might want to trade…bring it.

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    • Thanks Molly! I’m going to get Malarone pills for the Malaria. I also bought some 40% deet. Thanks for the tips! I was wondering about your luggage. I am thinking of buying a duffel bag on rollers, that also can be carried as a backpack…I found one that is only $70 (High Sierra) and is 2 1/2 ft. tall. I thought about a regular back pack, but they’re usually harder to get access to (from the top only) and I may walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain so I don’t want to buy an expensive large back pack now and have to get a smaller one later. Anyway, my question is they want you to try to keep the bag at around 1 ft. x 1 ft. x 2 ft. and 33 lbs. or less. There are only a few people signed up so far for the trip…how stringent are they on that?

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      • Just a couple of hints from a seasoned camper in africa (who at 67 still camps and goes overland!!). You’ll not need many clothes while travelling so the smaller backpack will be fine. Travel light!!
        Take cotton clothes that you can rinse, quick dry and wear (without ironing). It will be hot, so make sure you have a sheet for the sleeping bag, so you can cast off the bag at night but stay covered.
        As to mosquitos, prevention is better than cure, so always spray in the early evenings and wear long sleeves and trousers as the sun sets. South African Peaceful Sleep is one of the best anti mosquito sprays available …
        At VIc Falls, do, do, do the white water rafting from the Zambia side with Sorbek … a highlight of my adventurous life!
        In Cape Town get up early and climb Table Mountain .. I did it in January this year, it is fantastic, but take water and a warm jacket for the top! If you can get a guide take the IndiaVenster trail up.
        Lake Malawi. home of the most warm and welcoming people. The water is so clear .. snorkeling a must. And pictures of the fish eagles a bonus. That call will haunt you for years….
        What a wonderful trip ….

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  48. Well, all rightie then…40 days?! First, does it make you nervous to travel in middle Africa, you know rebels and all? Second, you’ve saved up for this or something, how do you travel so much? I always ask too many questions, but that’s how I learn so much. 🙂
    I used to travel before kids, think maybe when they go to college or high school, I’ll be hitting the globe.

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    • No…I’m not nervous. I’m at more risk of being hurt in my car (especially as fast as I drive sometimes) than there. As far as finances, perhaps I should save the money for retirement (because I don’t have enough saved…but I’m 53…so I have more time) and I plan on finding things I like to do past retirement age for money)…not saying I don’t have other monies. I’m not sure I’ll be alive then, also rather I’ll be able to camp and do an overland trip when I’m 65.

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