TransAfrica 4x4 Expedition Go EAST

Morning ceremony: tour briefing and a final sip from the coffee cup, then the engines are started and we drive to Swaziland. We reach the border to the Kingdom of Swaziland via South Africa's country roads. The route stretches through the mountainous kingdom to Hlane Royal National Park. Hlane Royal National Park is home to the largest herds of lions, elephants, white rhinos, and giraffes in Swaziland. We take to the bush with the park ranger's Land Rover and enjoy the sundowner amid the African wildlife, provided we have not run out of time on the curves of Swaziland.

The new year in Africa begins with the hangover breakfast: coffee, aspirin, rollmops, and a counter beer. We start with a relaxed sobering tour through the Kruger Park. The provinces Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo are behind us and the last province Northern Province is ahead of us. Today will be rather quiet kilometers through the Kruger Park, which we are driving northward before we hit the road to the border again.

With the sunrise over Africa, a new travel day begins. Folding up tents, a sip of coffee, a cookie, and off we go. We start the engines and drive off-road and on-road towards north-northwest. Today's itinerary takes us past Hwange National Park. Depending on the course of the tour, group dynamics, and interest, we will go on safari in Hwange National Park. The end of the day's stage is the Zambian border, where we will reach one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites after about 500 kilometers. Welcome to Mosi oa Tunya, known by the name Victoria Falls, which separate Zimbabwe and Zambia with the Zambezi River.

Across the vast highlands of Zambia, we travel to the border of Malawi. Zambia, which was formerly known as Northern Rhodesia and has been independent since 1964, offers a variety of animals and plants in large national parks. However, it is primarily known for its waterfalls, of which the Victoria Falls are the most famous. Other large waterfalls can be found spread throughout the country, releasing heavy and impressive volumes of water during the rainy season due to the subtropical location. The sparsely populated country has little infrastructure over the vast distances. It is therefore evident that we have an itinerary in Zambia that holds ALL surprises, as we are traveling, as could be expected, in the rainy season, with severe tropical storms and temperatures between 24 and 38 °C. Passing by the national parks of Zambia and across the great Luangwa River, we cross the entire Eastern Province, where cotton is grown on barren soils and aquamarine is still found today, which can fetch up to 1000 US$ per carat.

Malawi is almost entirely located in the East African Rift and is rather densely populated with 120 people per km². The lifeline of Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa, along the shores of which we will travel today. Sunrise over Lake Malawi, discussing the route for the day, coffee, cookie, let's go! The route runs along the western flank of the approximately 30,000 km² large Lake Malawi. We will approach the border to Tanzania, as usual, "pole pole" (Swahili: slowly). While the border formalities are being handled, we can enjoy the goodies of the Songwe border river. As always, refuel, eat, and write postcards before getting back in the car and driving through a new African country. For this afternoon, we still have infinitely tough African kilometers on tracks ahead of us. This day will stick in our bones for a long time with its challenging sections. By sunset, we will reach Tanzania's coffee region, where we will complete one of the expected hardest driving days!

Unfortunately, this TransAfrica tour lacks the time for the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, or climbing Kilimanjaro. But we get a taste of the beauty of the countries and can always come back or simply drive back. Passing by Mount Meru, we continue northward. Through the eternal expanse, the euphorbias are the only highlight, until Mount Longido, where we take a break before reaching the border to Kenya. After crossing the border from Tanzania to Kenya, we arrive in Nairobi. After about six thousand kilometers in Africa, we will take the time to visit the city and shop for provisions for the next 14 days. In the evening, we will consume a crocodile with a few bikers from Nairobi and the Royal Enfield importer at the Kroko Bar. What we can't finish, we will take as a Doggy Bag. In the evening, we chain ourselves to the bar and wash down the dust with alcohol until the doctor arrives. We have plenty of time to sleep when we are back home. Next destination: Ethiopia, the largest landlocked country in the world by population. 1001 experiences are behind us, 1001 kilometers across Kenya are ahead of us. We drive until the sun sets. The second marathon day, this time through the land of marathon runners. A day as hard as it can get: blazing sun, thick dust, and sweat pouring through the pores. It will surely be the most indescribable adventure!

Passing the Merkato, with about 100 hectares one of the largest markets in Africa, which is visited daily by a quarter of a million people. Freshly supplied with water and bread, we tackle the Ethiopian roads. Our first destination is Lake Tana, located at an altitude of 1,830 meters, whose outlet in the town of Bahir Dar is the source of the Blue Nile. Our day's destination is Gondar, the first capital of antiquity, where we celebrate the Timkat festival with the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians at the Fasilidas Castle in the legendary bath of Fasilidas. Here and now in Gondar is the Epiphany celebration with the procession and festivities for the baptism of Jesus Christ, and we are part of it!

Along the Sudan Express, we will cross the Nubian Desert in two full days of travel. The desert area between the third Nile cataract and Khartoum is considered the high culture of ancient Egypt. In the desert land of the tall Hamitic Nubians, we encounter cultural historical relics of ancient pyramids, necropolises, and temple ruins, which date back to the cultural bloom of the Kingdom of Kush before our era. We will spend the night in or near the oldest necropolis, the royal cemetery of the Kingdom of Kush. Last time to refill the water and petrol tanks in Sudan: Fully fueled, we head back into the relentless desert, which will certainly demand our last strengths before we cross the border at the railway station 1 to the Kingdom of the Pharaohs.

We leave Abu Simbel on paved roads heading north along the Sahara and dive into the desert world with its scattered volcano craters and the monotonous mirages of the Sahara. After 250 kilometers, we reach the Assuan checkpoint, finally a few curves and the Assuan dam. On the Khazan Assuan Road, we cross the Nile and follow it northward to the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. After visiting the tombs, we switch banks once more and attend the night performance at the Karnak Temple.

The last kilometers from Cairo to Alexandria can be approached calmly, and we load the expedition vehicles into the ready containers here. From this historic city, where the famous library and one of the seven wonders of the world, the Lighthouse of Pharos in Alexandria, stand, we return to Cairo to the airport. The last shared breakfast before we fly into the Central European winter. We say goodbye to new friends, an exciting time in our lives, and probably the greatest adventure of your life: after over 14,000 kilometers, 11 countries, and one huge continent, we are enriched with 1001 impressions!