Itinerary | London to Ghana – West Africa 11 Weeks
What’s it like?
Due to the nature of the trip, Trans Africa tours do not have a specific day-to-day itinerary.
As we will be camping and travelling for an extended period of time, you must be prepared for an adventurous challenge. It can be hot and dusty, and will sometimes be out of contact from the rest of the world. This means no telephones, shops or any other mod cons. We need you to participate and work with all members of the expedition. For the Trans we use sturdy purpose-built vehicles for these rugged off-road conditions.
Week 1 – 4: Europe, Morocco
We start in Gibraltar (or we transfer you direct to Morocco) crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco
Visit the coastal capital city of Rabat and visit Casablanca. Meknes, on the high plains is of the many ancient walled cities. Spend time in the covered markets and the labyrinth of narrow winding streets. We visit the ancient Roman ruin of Volubilis, followed by Fes, Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains.
Week 5: Mauritania
We pass into the Sahara Desert and follow the Atlantic Coast
It is never forgotten; oases with cool water surrounded by palms, stretches of sand as big as a small country, old forts, camel trains following centuries old trading routes, and a night sky undiluted by city lights. We are touching on the western fringes of the Sahara Desert here – an enormous desert which, incredibly, is the size of the United States We go miles off road, sometimes digging the truck out of the soft sands to get through. – and have to contend with sand dunes, salt pans and mud flats before crossing over the Senegal River to Senegal.
Week 6 – 8: Senegal, The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone
We enter the Sahel Region
We enter the Sahel; the vast semi-arid desert that separates the Sahara from the forests of black Africa and cross the Senegal River into Senegal. We reach St Louis on the coast and the capital Dakar with its great night clubs. The Gambia – We cross the Gambia River by ferry to the capital city Banjul on an island where the Gambia River meets the Atlantic Ocean, you can visit the open air lively street market, wander the streets passing colonial buildings, visit nearby beaches or take a river boat trip. Re-entering Senegal, we will cross into the southern Casamance region and the beaches of Senegal – swim, take a bike ride, fish or wandering through the nearby villages.
Guinea-Bissau – Portuguese Guinea, the main language is Portuguese. And onto Guinean border and bad roads. Our route passes south; down the road less travelled to the mountainous Guinea, or
Guinea Conakry – as it is called, was the first colony to gain Independence from France they stated they preferred ‘freedom in poverty, than prosperity in chains’. We can appreciate Guinea’s spectacular tropical forests and waterfalls as we cross Fouta Djalon Plateau
Sierra Leone and on the coast south of Freetown – palm fringed beaches and remote, with markets and museums. Visit Tacugama Chimpanzee Reserve by boat.
Week 9 – 10: Liberia, Ivory Coast
In Liberia visit the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary home to monkeys and the pygmy hippo. You can explore the island by foot or dugout canoe. Through the jungle to Monrovia to Kpatawee Waterfalls. Crossing back into Guinea we make our way towards Bossou to visit the chimpanzees. Ivory Coast and the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, modeled on St Peters Basilica in the Vatican. Then to Abidjan, with an impressive skyline of high rise buildings, and oceans where we can camp on the beach.
Week 11: Ghana
Ghana, after Liberia, is the first English-speaking country Ghana, is a particular favourite, the people are so warm and hospitable – lots of fantastic seafood too! The tree-top canopy walks of the Kakum Forest Reserve and widely available drumming lessons are now a firmly established. We cross the jungle to the beaches of the Gold Coast and visit the slaving forts.
For an updated dossier and information on visas, vaccinations, spending money, optional excursions and other useful information please contact us.
Of all the trips we run this is the most likely to have a change of route due to local conditions and visa requirements.
Africa is an unpredictable continent. We do not have a fixed itinerary so please treat the information given as a guideline only. Although our information is written in good faith at the time of printing, our route may vary at any time due to weather, politics or road conditions.