Compare Cairo to Cape Town: Nile Expedition by African Trails

Week 1-2: Egypt - Cairo - Pyramids & Sphinx

Cairo where we spent a few days to look at the great pyramids of Giza and the immense collections of the Cairo Museum with treasures and chariots and golden masks thousands of years old Luxor, we visit Karnak Temple the Colossi of Memnon & Valley of the Kings & Tutankhamen's Tomb on donkeys. In Aswan, we visit the High Dam & Philae Island Temple. Most take a felucca sailing boat on the river for a few days and also go to see the Temples of Abu Simbel. We take the ferry crossing Lake Nasser to Wadi Halfa into the desert of Sudan

Week 3: Sudan

From Wadi Halfa we cross the sandy Nubian and Bayuda Deserts stopping at time forgotten friendly villages on the Nile. We visit the Pharaonic Pyramids of Meroe in an un-spoilt, seldom visited desert setting. Khartoum where the Blue & White Nile join watch dervish dancing or even join in the Nubian wrestling - safer just to watch. We follow the Blue Nile to Gedaref and Ethiopia.

Week 4 – 6: Ethiopia

Tissisat Falls is the source of the Blue Nile. We visit Gondar; a city of castles and churches. You can take Landrovers to visit the Simien Mountains where you can horse trek and see grazing Gelada Baboons. Take boats to visit Bahir Dar Monasteries on islands on Lake Tana the source of the Blue Nile, with hippos and crocs at the outflow of the river. We briefly visit the capital Addis Ababa and follow the Rift Valley Lakes south to Kenya.

Week 7: Kenya

We continue south into the "Northern Frontier District" of Kenya, a restricted area; semi-arid with a spectacular diversity of people, wild game on the road side and a pleasantly dry climate. We stop at the base of Mount Kenya before reaching Nairobi. Time to restock the truck and get all the washing done ready for the next leg of the Journey which will be taking us up to the gorillas and South Africa.

Week 8–9: Uganda, Kenya

Leaving Nairobi we pass the dramatic landscape of the Rift Valley. Crossing the border at Malaba we drive through rain forests and tea and sugar plantations to Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Crossing the equator we camp on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest crater lake in Uganda. We climb through lush terraced hills to Kisoro, from here we trek to the Mountain Gorillas. We meander back to Lake Bunyonyi to relax, canoe, mountain bike, and swim.

In the modern bustling city of Kampala then Crossing the Owen Falls dam we arrive at Jinja on the shores of Lake Victoria. Spend an action-filled day white water rafting down the Nile, bungee jump, fish on Lake Victoria, take a guided village walk; or give up a day of your holiday to volunteer for the local community education project.

Returning to Kenya and Nakuru Town, the capital of the Rift Valley Province. We visit Lake Nakuru, viewing the game in a park famous for its soda lake surrounded by thousands, sometimes millions of pink flamingoes. We move on to camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha where hippos come to graze in the evenings.

Close by is Hell's Gate National Park and Elsamere, once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa the lion of 'Born Free' fame. From here we return to Nairobi with the chance to feast at the renowned Carnivore Game Restaurant.

Week 10–11: Tanzania

From Kenya we cross the Athi Plains to Tanzania, passing gazelle, giraffe, and troops of baboons on our way to Arusha. In Arusha, we hire Landrovers to visit Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti National Park, which has the heaviest concentration of plains game in East Africa.

Heading inland we pass Africa’s highest peak, Mt Kilimanjaro. At Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean coast, we can cross to Zanzibar Island. Here is the old stone capital of the Omani Sultanate and away from the town are stunning beaches, and World Heritage Listed buildings, forests, and ruins. You can take a spice tour of the island, go diving, swim with dolphins or visit remote islands by the traditional dhow boats.

Heading south we pass through Mikumi National Park where we see giraffe and pygmy elephants grazing along the roadside.

Week 12-13: Malawi, Zambia

Crossing the border into Malawi, we soon reach the shores of its huge lake. The campsites and small resorts along Lake Malawi offer sandy beaches, swimming and snorkeling, water skiing and walking in the surrounding countryside. You will also find markets selling beautifully carved Malawi chairs, tables, and other souvenirs.

Entering Zambia, we reach the Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River plunges 100 meters down a mile wide chasm, creating one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. The local name for the Falls is 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' which means 'the smoke that thunders' and you'll soon find out why. When the river is in full flow, the falling water causes a huge roar and sends a cloud of spray up to 500 meters into the air.

We stay near Livingstone beside the Zambezi and above Victoria Falls, for a few days, as there is so much to see and do. Adventure activities abound - you can bungee jump, white water raft and go game viewing on horseback. More sedate excursions include canoeing, light aircraft or helicopter flights over the falls, and the sunset cruise on the Zambezi. Of course, the falls themselves are the main attraction and you can walk through the rain forest along the cliff opposite for an excellent view.

Week 14–16: Botswana, Namibia

We spend a night by the banks of the Chobe River in Kasane. Here hippo, buffalo, and crocodiles share the river bank. Take a sunset cruise on the river or an afternoon game drive through the park, and see some of Africa's largest elephants and big cats.

We travel along the edge of the Kalahari Desert to Maun. A small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, and the starting point for the Mokoro trip - a traditional dugout canoe your transport into the Delta. In the waterways are hippos and elephants drinking on the shore? The overnight stay is a great wilderness experience.

In Namibia is Etosha Pan National Park, a salt the pan with large numbers of wildlife. We spend the evenings by the floodlit water holes at the park's campsites.

From wild animals to tame ones, we spend a night at the Cheetah Farm where you can scratch the big cats behind the ears before watching them tuck into their evening meal. Heading for the Atlantic Ocean Coast, Swakopmund is an old German colonial seaside resort with plenty of things to do for the energetic and plenty of beer cellars for those after a more relaxing time. The energetic can go horse-riding or sand boarding on the dunes, deep-sea fishing in the Atlantic or scenic flights over the coastline. Heading inland, we enter the Namib Desert, famous for the 300m high sand dunes. We enjoy sunrise at the top of the most photographed dune, Dune 45 before taking a tour with local guides into the remote parts of Sossusvlei.

After an overnight stay in the desert, we drive south to Fish River Canyon, at 85km long and 400m deep it's second in size only to the Grand Canyon. You can trek down to the bottom of the canyon and, from the viewpoints at the top, watch the setting or rise of the sun. There are seasonal hot springs in the south at Ai Ais. Our last stop in Namibia is the Orange River, which forms the border with South Africa.

Week 17: South Africa

Crossing the river we arrive in South Africa and travel south through Namaqualand, South Africa's prime farming areas. We drive through the mountain valleys of the Cederberg and stony semi-deserts before arriving in Stellenbosch, the center of one of the Cape's many wine routes. A wine tour with plenty of tasting makes for a great day out.

Cape Town It's a beautiful city, nestled at the foot of Table Mountain; plenty of cafes, pubs, clubs, markets and sights. You can climb the mountain or take the cable car to the top for some wonderful views of the city and the Cape Peninsula and visit Robben Island