This expedition has been designed for the traveller who wants to experience as diverse and as broad a cross section as the vast African continent has to offer. Whether you decide to join the expedition just for the sunshine and adventure, or whether your interests lie in.

Ethnology: Arabs, Berbers, Tuaregs, Hausa, Turkana, Samburu and Masaai are just a few of the many varied people we encounter.

Wildlife: East Africa harbours the most varied and densest population of wildlife found anywhere in the world today. We will be visiting some of the most interesting game parks, ranging from the small reserve of Lake Nakuru to the vast plains of the Serengeti

Geographical: An expedition of more geographical diversity is hard to imagine -the deserts of North Africa , the Equatorial tropics, the vast plains of East Africa , the snow capped peaks of Mt. Kenya and Kilimanjaro. The Atlantic and Indian Ocean beaches, the Great Rift Valley , active and dormant volcanoes, the mile wide Victoria Falls , the Niger , Nile , and Zambezi Rivers , Lakes Victoria and Malawi all combine to make this expedition a truly unforgettable experience.

We will be camping at all times. Accommodation being two person tents with sewn in groundsheet and mosquito netting screens.

All cooking equipment is supplied. Cooking is done on a roster system - if you can’t cook you’ll soon learn!

Itinerary Fly from London to Malaga in Spain . We then visit Gibraltar , crossing by ferry to the duty free port of Ceuta (stock up here) and onto Morocco .

In Morocco we will be visiting Rabat , Casablanca and the imperial cities of Meknes and Fes . From Meknes we shall make a detour to the Roman ruins of Volubilis. These ruins date from the 2nd century. Not to be missed is the 'Djemaa el Fna' in Marrakech. This fascinating square comes alive in the evening. Snake charmers, jugglers, acrobats and magicians all vie for attention amongst hundreds of open air food stalls.

The route through Mauritania is an interesting and challenging alternative to Algeria , combining stark desert scenery with beautiful deserted beaches. One 150 km section of our journeysouth actually has to be driven on the beach at low tide.

From Mauritania we head south to Bamako , the capital of Mali . From here we will detour to take in the fascinating region of the Dogon people. You will have the opportunity to visit some of the unique Dogon villages perched high on the cliffs of the escarpment.

Entering Burkina Faso we continue to Ouagadougou , an excellent place to buy bronze castings.

Ghana is next, (the first English speaking country since UK ). The next few days will be spent lazing on the beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Guinea with ample time to explore the heaving colourful outdoor markets for which West Africa is renowned.

After a brief visit to Togo , next is Benin , home of the Voodoo cult. We visit the Abomey Palace - the centre of the Fon kingdom, which survived until the late 19th century. From Cotonou , you will have the opportunity to take a dugout canoe to visit the unique village of Ganvie built on bamboo stilts in Nakoue Lagoon.

Along the coastal road, we enter Nigeria , which has the largest population of any African country. We make a brief visit to Lagos , then on to Benin City and Onitsha once again crossing the great Niger River .

Entering Cameroon , we pass into the northern mountain regions, and the spectacular Mandara Mountain range, renown for its towering volcanic core scenery.

Ndjamena is our first stop in Chad . This, the capital is the only major town we visit in this previously war torn country. Of particular interest here is the bustling 'Grande Marche ' African market.

Rutted sand filled tracks carry us east to Sudan. Our journey through Sudan is interspersed with regular 'chai' (tea) stops. Serving the traditional hot sweet black tea, these isolated refreshment stalls serve as the equivalent to the British pub. Here as in all of Sudan you will encounter some of the most friendly and hospitable people of the whole expedition. Sudan's capital, Khartoum, is situated at the confluence of the Blue & White Niles and consists of Omduran, Khartoum and Khartoum North, all connected by bridges. In Omdurman you can visit the Mahdis tomb and on Fridays watch the dervish dancing or even join in the Nubian wrestling (safer just to watch). Omdurman boasts the largest market in Sudan with a fascinating array of goods for sale, including Camels. From Khartoum we will detour north to visit the ancient Nubian pyramids at Meroe. Leaving Khartoum we head east through the irrigated Gesira region, the cotton and grain growing area of Sudan, before crossing into Ethiopia.

From the border we head to Gondar 'City of Castles'. Set within fortified walls is a complex of six castles built between mid-late 1600s. The church of Debre Birhan has probably some of the most impressive, best preserved murals in Ethiopia.

From Gondar we will take a side trip to the Simien mountains national park. Here we can hire horses and trek into the park, home to the endangered Walia Ibex, Simien Fox, Gelada Baboon as well as numerous other game. The highest mountain (Ras Dej en) in Ethiopia is in the Simien range.

From Gondar its only a few hours to Bahir Dar on Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia. Tucked away on islands are numerous monasteries and churches dating back to the 13th century. Many house Ecclesiastical treasures, ancient manuscripts and murals. We will be able to hire a boat and visit some of the islands, unfortunately some are forbidden to females. Lake Tana is also the source of the Blue Nile, hippos and crocs can be seen at the outflow of the river and 3Okms downstream is the spectacular Tissisat Falls "Smoke of Fire", from here the Blue Nile starts its 400 mile 5OOOft descent to the plains of Sudan.

Christianity in Ethiopia dates back to the 4th century furnishing the country with many impressive churches and monasteries. The most impressive probably being the 13th century monolithic churches at Lalibela. Here 11 churches were hewn out of solid rock. They are beautifully decorated with murals and are still in use today. More spectacular scenery from Lalibela to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. To the west of Addis is the largest market in Africa, of particular interest to visitors are the Ethiopian rugs, carvings, ceramics and silver jewellery. South of Addis we will visit some of the Rift Valley Lakes featuring panoramic views, hot springs, swimming, watersports and fishing. Continuing south we descend back into dry arid country, entering Kenya at the border town of Moyale.
Northern Kenya is also the home of some of the most interesting and colourful people we will encounter, many still retaining their traditional life style and dress. Further south is the Samburu National Reserve. Oryx, Gerenuk, Somali Ostrich and Reticulated Giraffe can all be seen here along with many of the more well known mammals. From our Base camp on Mount Kenya you will have the opportunity to trek on Kenya's highest mountain, horse trekking and trout fishing can also be enjoyed.

Next is Lake Nakuru 'home of a million flamingos', also home to another 400 species of birds ,as well as an abundance of wildlife. A successful Rhino breeding program was introduced here making it the best place in East Africa to veiw both the black and the white Rhino. Heading north again we enter 'the pearl of Africa' Uganda. In the Great Lakes region of Western Uganda you will have the oppertunity to trek to see the Mountain Gorillas, to stand within a few feet of these amazing animals most surely be one of the highlights of your expedition. at Jinja 'the source of the Nile' you will be able to water water raft the rapids on Africa's longest river

En-route to Nairobi we will have a relaxing break at Lake Naivasha, bike & horse riding, boat hire and water sports are all available here. The trip terminates in Nairobi for those passengers that have only paid to go as far as Kenya.

The itinerary south from Nairobi is the same our our 8 week trip Nairobi to Capetown

Spending money: we recommend a minimum of £1500 this of course depends on how much you wish to eat out, drink, spend on souvenirs, and how many optional excursions you choose to do.

For our extended trip information click here