5400 km in 20 days - A travel report from Southern Africa

Making the most cost-effective option such a trip in Africa is the overlanding, a truck that was converted to a bus for about 20 people has space and has own locker for large backpacks. In the lower part of the truck chairs, tables and tents including sleeping mats are stowed. Two large crates and a cooling water tank is on board.

In this favorable variant of the tour, the group is divided into small groups and each must do every day a different task: cooking, the truck sweep, wash dishes or set up tables and chairs.

Furthermore, it should be noted that wirkich daily spends a lot of hours in the truck and sometimes the timing of the tour guide was very poor and we often had more time to shop in supermarkets than in places.

Route Overlanding Africa:

Tag 1-3: Südafrika: Kapstadt – Western Cape – Gariep (Orange) River – Fish River Canyon
Tag 4-6: Namibia: Namib Naukluft National Park - Swakopmund
Tag 7-11: Spitzkoppe – Cheetah Park – Etosha National Park – Windhoek
Tag 12-15: Botswana: Ghanzi - Okavango Delta - Maun
Tag 16-19: Nata – Chobe National Park – Sambia: Victoria Falls

Cape Town, South Africa

Just in the Football World Cup, we have been able to take a look at the new stadium from the harbor. Although Cape Town has a very bad reputation in terms of safety, especially the Bezirkt the Seafront is relatively safe, so you can use a good selection of restaurants perfect.

We recommend a township tour where one is led to the poorer districts of Cape Town to come into contact with the colored population.

The idyllic landscape of the Orange River changes on the border with Namibia rapidly to the impressive Fish River Canyon, the largest of its kind in Africa.

Namibia - between desert and wild animals

The Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world and can lead to extreme temperatures up to 50 degrees. It's really impressive to see a sunrise of a sand dune (the best method for climbing with socks).

A special place in the middle of the desert Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan, which fills up very rarely during heavy rainfall with water. In contrast with the bride red sand dune beige surface with dry trees stands out sharply. The heat and the many sand masses this excursion is to the strain.

Suddenly, in the middle of Africa to find signs for "railway station" and "bakery" was a little strange because I have so obvious residual traces of ex-colonization did not expect. In this sleepy seaside town I've probably eaten the best raw tuna in my life. Small, nicely decorated restaurants and cafes invite you to a culinary walk. Also, the kayaking with dolphins and sea lions makes lots of fun!

The largest seal colony located 120 km further to the north and includes the breeding season about 210,000 animals. So sweet the young seals may be, the noise and especially the stench invites not just to one to stay very long 😉

Can you still remember the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy" remember in which a color is a Coca-Cola bottle and in which they communicate in a Schnalzsprache? These Bushmen living in the Kalahari desert and the scenery is stunning landscape of Spitzkoppe.

And then, in the Etosha National Park, it was exciting to be here tümmeln all large animals, giraffes, ostriches, rhinos and lots of elephants. In the camps, water holes are created around the thirsty animals to attract a really spectacular show.

Granted, only about 30 meters away and a 2m high barbed wire fence protected in a small tent to sleep because come no feeling of security. At night, when everything is quiet in the camp, it is impressive to hear all the animal sounds, especially with the big cats but it is already a murmelig to mute a little. At night, jackals also sneak through the camp, as you lie down on it before just to go two up on the toilet ....

We realized until then that one is not in the zoo but in the wild, when you see how the animals here mix with each other.

I am most have the giraffes with their long legs and smooth movements.

Botswana – das Okavango Delta

And then we had the opportunity to spend a few hours with the Bushmen, who tells us a lot about the tricks of survival in the bush.

The Okavango River is the river making its way to the sea is not because it ends in the same Delta. In made from tree trunks boats you will be here geschifft to one of the islands where you really are camping in the wilderness.

Somewhat questionable for me were the walks we made in this area.

In order, however, to be able to really get an idea of ​​this unique landscape, a round trip is the perfect solution. Pure Africa, as it appears in the book ....

Well it went on to play big animals to experience very close! The Chobe National Park is tümmeln especially hippos and crocodiles. On a nice river cruise in the evening we were able to comfortably enjoy the water from the flair of Africa.

Zambia - in the footsteps of Livingstone

After a long wait of nearly 4 hours and a very spectacular border crossing (on the river on a wooden platform with trucks and passengers) we approached then another highlight of the tour: the Victoria Falls.

Where the Zambezi river first decide peacefully in front of him flows can be heard at once a louder noise means that the mass of water suddenly plunge 110 meters down into a ravine where it flows through then channeled.

In summary, one can say that Africa is definitely worth a visit, one is almost forced due to the lack Infraskruktur and security but to join a group.

Unfortunately, we were unlucky with our fellow travelers who acted recklessly and every evening party did, this would possibly not happen to a more expensive tour. Also, the tour guide ever sat in the front driver and told us little about culture, country and people, he focused almost exclusively on the organization of the division into groups etc.

And though this trip was full of unforgettable experiences, it would have been more useful a shorter tour with a view to be posted to the distances, because we have spent a lot of time on the road.

On my trip around the world, I have decided to exclude Africa, I would have felt here as solo travelers too unwell. Nevertheless, a visit to the mountain gorillas in Uganda high on my wish list! 😉