Trans Africa (14 Weeks) Accra to Cape Town

Days 1 to 21: Togo and Benin

Travelling through Togo and Benin doesn't take long as they are only 50 miles wide. Voodoo is the main religion here, basing its beliefs in the power of the dead. You can visit an interesting fetish market as well as some good African restaurants in Togo. In Benin you can take local canoes out to Ganvie village - built on bamboo stilts on Lake Nakoue. Next we enter Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with well over 100 million people. The pace of life here tends to be more hectic than we have become used to on our UK to Cairo overland adventure, full of hustle and bustle. We stop for several days in Abuja, the capital before moving through mountainous and lush jungle toward Cameroon. Along this leg of the Trans Africa overland trip we may encounter some of the most challenging road conditions and situations on the whole of the route. Team work will definitely be needed if we are to tackle what may lay ahead - from clearing paths through water logged pot holes the size of the truck to only travelling a couple of miles in a day over wet and unkempt mud roads. These are some of the best memories you will take away with you. Arriving at the foothills of Mount Cameroon, we spend a few days camping near Limbe and 6 Mile Beach - where you can choose to trek up Mount Cameroon, visit a chimpanzee orphanage or relax on the beach.

Days 22 to 42: Yaounde

After chilling out on the beach, or if you were brave enough to tackle the mountain, we head inland to the captial city of Yaounde, where we may apply for several visas for upcoming countries. You can sample fresh bread and amazing pastries from the countless bakeries, admire the roadside fresh flower stalls, or stock up on some supermarket treats! Bursting with art galleries, museums and various markets, this is an ideal place to restock your snack store and prepare for the demands of central Africa. When we depart city life (and the tar seal!), to travel south on the more rugged roads! We drive through lush jungle scenery, passing the occasional waterfall, before eventually reaching the lively market town of Ambam. Here we can replenish our food supplies before crossing the Ntem River into Gabon, a country that consists mostly of tropical rain forest. Our next stop is the beautiful Lope National Park, home to a population of elephants, buffalo and the famous central Africa drill monkeys. After a safari through the savanna lands, we continue south along dirt and mud roads toward the Republic of Congo.

Days 43 to 58: Congo

One of the main highlights for most people who visit Congo is the friendliness of the people, particularly in the countryside. The open delight and welcome we receive while driving through these remote villages is really touching. While the first section of roads are rough dirt, once we reach the sealed roads it's a fast run to Brazzaville, the bustling city that lies on the North side of the magnificent Congo River, the largest river in Africa. Here we jostle amongst the locals and the cars/bikes and trucks to chug across the "Brown Snake" to Kinshasa, the much famed capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire). It's only a short stop here, before we make our way to Matadi, the gateway to our next country, Angola.

Days 59 to 68: Luanda

Angola is still recovering from over two decades of civil war. As we travel south through the many small villages and communities - local people - especially children may never have seen a foreigner before. The roads are at first extremely rough and slow going (especially if it has been raining). Military tanks litter the side of many roads in places. The country is slowly rebuilding its infrastructure and basic needs - with the capital of Luanda showing full sign of this slow progression. As Portuguese is the preferred language and hardly anyone we encounter will speak English - a lot of humorous improvisations with hands, face and voice are usually needed by all of us. After the southern town of Lubango we head to the Namibian border for the next instalment of our Trans Africa overland adventure.

Days 69 to 83: Namibia

Crossing into Namibia and into the region of the Owambo people - we pass through the country's second largest town - Ondangwa. This town is one of the main suppliers of beer to Northern Namibia - hopefully there will be enough left for us! Heading west into what is known as the Kaokoveld - we enter one of Africa's lesser visited areas. By some it is classed as prime safari territory due to its inaccessibility and nearly non existent infrastructure. We may be fortunate enough to see one of 30 remaining desert elephants - who have adapted to the harsh arid conditions of this area in search of the underground water reserves of the ancient riverbeds. Black Rhinos also inhabit this area - but their secrecy makes viewing them in the wild that little bit more difficult. The Kaokoveld is also home to the Himba people, a tribe of nomadic pastoralists who to this day have shunned the advances of the modern world to keep with their tradition of leading nomadic lifestyles. They make a striking picture when we occasionally encounter them at the side of the road, as both men and women traditionally wear little clothing except for goats skin or modest cloth - opting to rub their bodies and hair with red ochre and fat which ultimately protects them from the sun. We then head towards the Brandberg Mountain region - home of Namibia's highest peaks. Next we stay for a night or two in the capital Windhoek - the first taste of western civilisation we would have experienced in a few weeks. You have the chance to take a walking tour of the town - with its influence of old world German architecture and twentieth century modernity side by side. The hustle and bustle of the capital could not seem more far away from what we have experienced for the last few weeks. From Windhoek we head south and border the fringes of the Kalahari Desert, before crossing into the beautiful Northern Cape of South Africa.

Days 84 to 95: Cape Town

Our first stop in the Northern Cape is the diamond town of Kimberley where we can visit the Mine Museum and the Big Hole, an excellent introduction into Kimberley's fascinating history. There is also the opportunity to take a trip almost 1km down an operating modern diamond mine. Further south we visit Addo National Park, home to the big five where we should spot Elephant, Hippo, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and, if we are very lucky, Leopard. We continue heading towards the Outeniqua Mountains to the Little Karoo where we visit the Cango Calcite Caves, recognised as one of the world's finest network of Calcite caves. The bizarre formations of Stalagmites and Stalactites represent over a million years of slow formation. We also visit an Ostrich farm to learn more about the world's largest bird. The Ostrich has been around for 8 million years and a feather was actually discovered in King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. 97% of the world's population of Ostriches lives in the Karoo and here we will have the opportunity to feed and ride one! We continue our overland Africa trip by spending a couple of days winding our way along South Africa's famous Garden Route where there is a wealth of things to see and do. We travel through the popular resort town of Knysna, located on a tranquil lagoon that is protected from the sea by two enormous cliffs known as 'the heads'. We visit the Tsitsikamma Forest, where you will be able to hike along the coast and view the crashing waves at the mouth of the scenic Storms River, and maybe spot dolphins and whales in the ocean. Optional excursions in this region include mountain biking, black water tubing, and the mother of all bungee jumps at Bloakrans Bridge - the highest jump in the world at 216 metres. The most southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas is the dividing line between the warm Indian Ocean and the cooler Atlantic Ocean. From August to November Southern Right and Humpback Whales maybe spotted along the coast - as they feed in the nutrient rich waters off the southern coast. The final destination for some on this amazing expedition is the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. Our accommodation here will be in a backpackers lodge.