Cape Town to Victoria Falls: Seventeen days of pure motorcycling adventure: 5000 kilometres, through 4 countries
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
UPDATE
Due to an exciting filming project, the details of which have not yet been released, Charley Boorman will no longer be able to lead our Cape Town to Victoria Falls Tour in 2019.
However, Billy Ward, who will now be leading the ride, has been Charley's manager and good friend for over ten years. He undertook the recce rides for Charley's African tours and has been the lead rider for Charley on a number of tours in the past.
Some of the amazing highlights of this tour include, riding with FGASA Field Guide Billy Ward, Cape Town, The Cape of Good Hope, The Winelands, Cederberg Mountains, Wildflowers of Namaqualand, Fish River Canyon, Ai-Ais Hot Springs, Dunes of Namibia, Namibia's Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park, The Himba & Herero Tribes Women, Sunset cruise on the Chobe, Okavango and Kwando Rivers, Game Drives, the mighty Zambezi at Victoria Falls “The Smoke That Thunders” & of course the exceptional accommodation including staying at the legendary Victoria Falls hotel
Riding with Billy Ward – This is an experience! He’s a rider of extensive international experience and has recently joined Claudio von Planta of Long Way Round Fame on a ride across Iraq to the Mosul Frontline. As you can imagine they have some incredible stories to tell and Billy will be giving us a show all about it.
We want to assure you that we will make this tour one of your life long memorable experiences and we look forward to riding with you in Africa.
No other African tours include so many extras for your safety, comfort and overall enjoyment, including:
* An FGASA Field Guide to enhance your experience.
* Recent model, low km, BMW GS model bikes.
* A qualified paramedic along with a comprehensive, professional medical kit (just in case).
* A support vehicle with mechanical support, luggage and passenger carrying capacity.
* Outstanding accommodation and fine dining.
* Included game park safaris, sundown cruises and wildlife encounters.
* Experiencing a stay at the wonderful Victoria Falls Hotel.
Join us for what promises to be an amazing ride!
Dates & Prices
At a Glance
Tour Highlights
- Riding with world-renowned motorcycle adventurer, Charley Boorman.
- FGASA Field Guide – Billy Ward.
- Cape Town & Cape Peninsula
- Cape of Good Hope
- The Winelands
- Cederberg Mountains
- Wildflowers of Namaqualand
- Fish River Canyon and Ai-Ais Hot Springs
- Dunes of Namibia
- Namibia’s Skeleton Coast
- Vingerklip
- Etosha National Park
- The incomparable wildlife
- The Himba & Herero Tribes Women
- Victoria Falls Hotel
- Sunset cruise on the Chobe River
- Kavango and Kwando Rivers
- The mighty Zambezi River, and Victoria Falls “The Smoke That Thunders” at the iconic Victoria Falls.
Included
- Airport Transfers
- Motorcycle rental – Late model, low mileage, BMWF800 GS, F800 GSA R1200 GS or R1200 GSA.
- Two support vehicles with passenger carrying ability, trailer, spare bike, spare parts and Mechanic.
- Breakfast everyday
- Dinner every evening
- 17 nights of luxury accommodation in excellent small hotels, remote African wildlife lodges & the 5-star Victoria Falls Hotel.
- Services of ride leaders (Charley Boorman and Billy Ward) and support vehicle driver (mechanic).
- Qualified FGASA Field Guide.
- Services of a qualified paramedic equipped with a comprehensive, professional medical kit.
- Pre-departure material and route maps
- Garmin GPS with pre-loaded waypoints for tour
- Access to satellite phone, pay per minute
- Charley Boorman / Compass Expeditions tour shirt
- Okavango River Cruise – Rundu
- Popa Falls cruise – Divundu
- Wildlife Safari Cruise – Chobe River
- Game Drive – Etosha
Not Included
- International flights
- Visas (if required)
- Pre Tour Accommodation (We recommend that you arrive in Cape Town no later than the 31st August)
- Post Tour Accommodation
- Fuel
- Tolls
- Lunches
- Personal items
- Personal travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
Upgrades
All accommodation is twin or double share, if you would like a single room there will be a single supplement: EUR 1,230.00
Limited Single Supplement places available.
Our motorcycles are insured and have a damage excess of US$ 1500, this amount will be held via way of a bond on your credit card for the duration of the tour.
Itinerary
Day 1: Your Cape Town airport transfer will take you directly to our joining hotel. We will get straight down to our “meet and greet” and tour briefing. In the afternoon Billy Ward will conduct a GPS familiarisation session and later it is off to collect the motorcycles. A ride back to the hotel just to get to know the bikes and then a welcome dinner.
Day 2: Leaving Cape Town’s famous Waterfront we ride along the coast to take in some of the key attractions, like Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Cape of Good Hope. We’ll then head north into the renowned wine region visiting Franschhoek.
Day 3: Today we will ride the superb gravel tracks through the Cederberg Mountains and then a hard/soft option for the Wuppertal loop. Both options are stunning. We finish the day in Clanwilliam, a nice little town with a bit of wild west character about it.
Day 4: We start this morning with an a long winding paved road, simply stunning. We will have some route options before meeting up again at remote Papkuilsfontain, we reach our destination of Springbok after a day of stunning back country riding.
Day 5: Today we cross the border into Namibia. Everything changes in Namibia as the temperatures increase and the landscape changes dramatically. After the border we visit wonderful Ais Ais then check-in at the superb Canyon Lodge before riding out to Fish River Canyon.
Day 6: Be prepared for some sandy sections today. We ride the stark beauty of the Namib Desert before stopping at the remote and welcoming Germanic village of Helmeringhausen overnight.
Day 7 & 8: It's a short ride today to one of the jewels in Namibia's crown, Sossusvlei. We arrive afternoon to experience the amazing Mirage Hotel its pool and spa set in the middle of the desert. We'll have a free day to rest up or enjoy the activities available at the hotel, enjoy organized quad tours into the veld or visit one of the highlights of Namibia the gigantic sand dunes around Sossusvlei.
Day 9: Although the distance doesn't appear too great, it's a full day to get to the Atlantic coast - the skeleton coast. We will ride close to the dunes of the Namib Naukluft National Park and the Tropic of Capricorn sign is a must stop! We will overnight at the Germanic city of Swakopmund.
Day 10: Today we follow the infamous skeleton coast with the fresh cool mist hanging in the morning air. Our destination is one of the most dramatic rock formations in Namibia, a 35 m high pillar of rock, the Vingerklip or Finger Stone in a valley called Ugab Terraces.
Day 11 & 12: Two nights will be spent at Etosha National Park, Etosha is teeming with wildlife and is one of the best places to spot the highly endangered black rhino. We will arrive early for awesome game drive.
Day 13: Traveling north-east, the scenery becomes more and more 'African'. Tonight we’ll stay at Rundu, you may get the chance to view crocodiles and hippo up close!
Day 14: A late start today as we only have a very short ride to Divundu. Riding parallel to the Okavango River we can see Angola in the distance. There will be two ride options today - along the gravel next to the busy life that surrounds the river or just parallel on the asphalt.
Day 15: We travel through Bwabwata National Park today, so keep a look out for more wildlife, especially elephants.
Day 16: Today we cross into Botswana and stay in the famous Chobe National Park where it’s literally just teeming with wildlife.
Day 17: Heading north now we enter into Victoria Falls – a magical part of Zimbabwe – where we finish our trip at ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ – the falls themselves! Our hotel, the legendary Victoria Falls Hotel, is the just a few minutes walk away from the actual falls and the famous Bungee Jump over the great Zambezi river. The town of Victoria Falls sits on the border with Livingstone in Zambia and is a fabulous place to hang out for a couple of days. There are so many activities you could do, we’d recommend you plan a day or two here before flying home – you won't regret it.
Departure day: Spend some time in Victoria Falls or fly home, the choice is yours.
Ride Details
Ride Profile
On the more difficult sections pillions can travel in the support vehicle, space permitting.
Tour Start/End
Climate
Accommodation
- 17 nights of superior accommodation in luxury hetels and lodges.
- Our accommodations range from small family run hotels through to 5 star hotels.
- A flexible attitude is needed as standards are not always what we are accustomed to.
- All accommodation is on a twin share basis. If you are traveling alone we will pair you up with another solo traveler. However, if you prefer single accommodation a single supplement is available: EUR 1,230.00
Meals
- On every day of the tour we include breakfast: 17 Breakfasts
- We include mentioned dinners in reliable restaurants we have used many times before: 17 Dinners
Important Information
- All riders must have a valid motorcycle license and at least two years riding experience.
- It is a requirement that all clients have appropriate insurance for this type of expedition.
- An experienced and qualified medic will be joining us and we always carry an extensive medical kit in case of injury’s, large or small.
- We will be utilizing two support vehicles to carry all of our luggage, equipment and other gear as well as to accommodate pillion passengers who may wish to have some time off the bike. This means that the bikes will be traveling light without the weight of any luggage to be worried about.
- Billy “Biketruck” Ward, Charley’s Manager and good friend, who has recently qualified as an accredited FGASA Field / Bush guide will be on hand with all sorts of information and knowledge of the region and the wildlife that we will encounter along the way.
Bikes
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Our late model BMW GS bikes are well maintained and with low mileage. On tour with us will be a mechanic and our support vehicles have the capacity to carry a bike if required.
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BMW R1200GS
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BMW F800GS
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BMW F750GS
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BMW F850GS
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