Transafrica Expedition: Western Route to Cape Town

After the crossing, we drive through the green northwest region, known as the vegetable chamber. In Marrakech, there’s a full day for the old town, souks, and tanneries. At the Djemaa el Fna, we let ourselves be carried away among street performers and spices. The next day, we head over the Tizi n Test Pass into the Atlas Mountains. Continuing southwards, we follow old Dakar tracks. Overnight stay in a kasbah in the midst of desert sand with a starry sky instead of Netflix.

We continue south toward Dakar, the namesake city of probably the most legendary rally in the world. We cross the border into Senegal on a small river ferry that, hopefully, won’t sink during our crossing, and pass through the charming colonial city of Saint-Louis, where the Senegal River flows into the Atlantic. Now we find ourselves in the Sahel zone - a transition area between the Sahara in the north and the dry savannah in the south, and we will be able to enjoy the tastiest dinner under palm trees at a cool camp by the sea ;-) Dakar, legendary for the Paris Dakar rally, which first started in 1979 and for decades led across Europe and North Africa, with the final finish line on the beach of Dakar, not far from Lac Rose, where the salty water shimmers pink in the evening sun, and we raise our glasses to our stage destination. A mix of perfectly paved highway out of Dakar into the vastness of the Sahel zone and suffocating dusty tracks takes our off-road expedition under the "treaded tires" through open savannah landscapes today. From Koungheul, the route leads inland through dense forests and wide grasslands. The trail becomes increasingly challenging and exciting, entering the "real Africa." A cultural highlight of the expedition in Senegal is the Great Mosque of Touba, regarded as the largest mosque in Senegal and the spiritual center of the Mouride brotherhood, a place of impressive architectural power and religious significance.

We cross the border into Guinea through a small border post, a country full of challenges, traditional villages, and notoriously empty gas stations. Fuel is scarce, as on December 18, 2023, the main fuel depot in Conakry was blown up. Peter, a Bundeswehr comrade from the old school, has set up a fuel depot of € 500 liters at his lodge near the Fouta Djalon Plateau by the Tinkisso River to traverse the country. Not far from the lodge is Dabola, here on the railway line to Nanken and Conakry, we go on a shopping tour for African Hermes, Rolex, verutschi, and other "luxury brands," which is simply called eating here ;-) Despite all the adversities, Guinea fascinates with its "still" dense rainforest in the south and the dry savannas in the north, spectacular rock plateaus, and countless rivers. The population is young, friendly, ethnically diverse, with groups like the Malinké, Peul, and Soussou, each speaking their own languages and maintaining their own music traditions and culinary cultures. In the small villages, we regularly stop, not only because of the corrugated iron gas stations for the Khele but also to get an authentic insight into local cuisine. Women are pounding cassava, children greet us with laughter while steaming pots of rice and smoked fish over the open fire provide an aromatic welcome menu. Depending on the availability of fuel, we reach Kankan, with about 191,000 inhabitants, the third-largest city in Guinea, a bustling hub with markets, mosques, and a touch of colonial past, nestled in the dry heart of the country.

Welcome to Ghana. Along the South Atlantic, we drive through authentic fishing villages before battling through seemingly endless construction sites toward Accra. This day turns into a marathon day in 2025 - a tough stage that challenges us physically and mentally. In Accra, we stay overnight in a simple, clean accommodation lovingly run by "Bella" called Beauty, near an industrial area. The so-called Beauty Hotel is "ugh" on the outside, but "wow" on the inside - with simple but delicious Ghanaian food. Here we set aside a buffer day for maintenance or repairs on the vehicles. A workshop with the Lebanese mechanic Mohammed is just a stone's throw away from our accommodation and a central stop for spare parts procurement.

At the border to Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with around 220 million people, it is said: Keep your nerves. In the late afternoon, we reach Lagos, which we internally refer to as the "gateway to hell." In Lagos, a contrasting program awaits us, which could hardly be more extreme: The travel group checks into a five-star luxury hotel, where the manager Philipp is already waiting for us. He can organize the complex transit through Nigeria in advance, and here the guide also meets the local security officer. In Nigeria, there seems to be a checkpoint every ten kilometers where passports, driver's licenses, and vehicle registration must be presented – often accompanied by lengthy discussions to avoid having to pay any "fees." We are prepared. We discuss the details for transit and behavior at the checkpoints on-site with the team.

After leaving the vibrant metropolis of Lagos, our route takes us through diverse landscapes and fertile farmland. We reach the sparsely populated regions in the south. Nigeria ranks 161 out of 193 on the Human Development Index (HDI) – this is particularly evident in these areas: There is a lack of almost everything that is available on every street corner in Lagos. Accordingly, the accommodations and camps along the dense rainforests and by the banks of the Ebonyi River towards Ugep are very basic, where we then cross the border into authoritarian Cameroon.

The barrier goes up and we find ourselves in the Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, to avoid confusion with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We cross the Congo Basin, the second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth.

In Odzala-Kokoua National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Africa, there are still lowland gorillas. With two rangers, we take a boat up the river. After about ten kilometers, we encounter a small population of gorillas. The sight is impressive and the experience is absolutely worthwhile.

Back at the camp with the rangers, we leave a donation after dinner. The Republic of the Congo ranks 153rd out of 193 in the Human Development Index, indicating a low level of development. Our visit is important for the rangers as it generates urgently needed revenue.

The capital Brazzaville is a day's journey away. In the city of over two million inhabitants, we stock up on supplies and fuel.

In Etosha National Park, we go on a game drive through the diverse wildlife. The protected area covers around 22,000 square kilometers and is one of the most important wildlife reserves in Africa.

Afterwards, we continue to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and former capital of German South-West Africa. Windhoek offers an interesting mix of African lifestyle and German order. For us, it is an important supply point for the “jump to the last stage” to South Africa. Here in Namibia, the relaxed part of the journey begins.

We continue the tour in the Namib-Naukluft National Park – one of the most impressive desert areas in the world.