This tour is going to be an expedition.  The itinerary serves as an indication of the route, but due to bad road conditions and unforeseen circumstances the day-to-day programme may be adjusted.

Day 1: Cape Town to Verneukpan (South Africa)

Depart Cape Town for Verneukpan.  Captain Malcolm Campbell with his Bluebird car made an attempt on the World Land Speed Record here in 1929. A track of 17 kms long was cleared, which can still be seen and driven on today. A speed of 350 mph was reached, not enough to break the record.  Adventorous drivers can race on the track.

Overnight camp on pan

Distance:  700 kms

Day 2: Verneukpan to Kuruman

Established as a mission station by Robert Moffat of the London Missionary Society, Kuruman was a fertile oasis with fields, gardens, houses and a church. Livingstone was posted there in 1841 and started his travels north almost immediately.

Distance:  500 kms

Day 3: Kuruman to Palapye (Botswana)

Today we cross the border into Botswana.  Livingstone established a missionary in this area under the Bakhatla and Bakwena, but it was destroyed by the Transvaal Boers because they suspected Livingstone of supplying the tribes with guns.

Distance:  730 kms

Day 4: Palapye to Livingstone (Zambia)

Crossing the border into the third country, Zamiba.

Approaching by canoe from the west, Livingstone first set eyes on the falls that he named after his queen in November 1855. Not the first to see the Victoria Falls, but the first to come away with a written desription and tell the world.

Distance:  745 kms

Day 5: Livingstone

Day to explore the area around Livingstone.  Various optional adventure activities can be done:  view the falls, bungi jump, white water rafting, elephant back safaris, quad biking, helicopter flights.

Day 6: Livingstone to Kapiri Mposhi

Today we drive from Livingstone to Kapiri Mposhi.  Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between the Zambia Railway line from Kitwe to Lusaka and Livingstone.

Distance:  750

Day 7: Kapiri Mposhi to Kasanka National Park

A plain stone monument, under a simple cross, marks the place where David Livingstone’s heart was buried in 1873. His body was then carried for 1 600 kms to Bagamoyo in present-day Tanzania to be shipped home to London.  We will make a stop at the Livingstone Memorial.

Distance:  240 km

Day 8:            Kasanka National Park

Day trip to Shoebill Island in Bangweulu Swamps.  One of Africas strangest and rarest birds, the Shoebill Stork can be found in these swamps. This massive, grey bird, sometimes compared to a Dodo, breeds in the papyrus beds here, and nowhere else in Southern Africa.

Day 9:             Kasanka National Park to Kapisha Hot Springs

This campsite is beautifully situated at a hot spring where you can soak all your travel weariness away in the clear pool surrounded by gently curving raffia palms.

Distance:  380 km

Day 10:                        Kapisha to Mpulungu

On the way to Kasama we pass a monument which marks the place where General Von Letthow-Vorbeck, commander of German forces in East Africa during the First World War surrendered on 14th November, 1918.

Mpulungu is a town at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika

Distance:  360 km

Day 11:            Ferry on Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is the deepest of the Rift Valley Lakes (1 470m) and the MV Liemba Ferry on which we will travel started life as a German boat carrying troops during the First World War.

We will leave our vehicles at the lodge in Mpulungu

Day 12:            Ferry on Lake Tanganyika

Ferry stops at many small villages. Kasanga used to be known as Bismarckburg under German rule and boasts the ruins of an old fort. Karema has a history of slave trading, was named Fort Leopold under the Belgians and was “saved” by the “White Father” missionaries.

Day 13: Kigoma (Tanzania)

Ferry – get off at Kigoma.  Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has an elevation of 775 m.

Day 14:            Kigoma

Stay over at Kigoma and visit the Livingstone and Stanley’s meeting site at Ujiji. It is at this old Arab slave trading post where Stanley was to have uttered the immortal words “Dr Livingstone, I presume”. Other famous explorers like Burton and Speke also passed through here.

Day 15:            Kigoma

Kigoma. There might be time to visit the chimpanzees in nearby Gombe Stream National Park, made famous by Dr Jane Goodall’s 15 year-long study.

Day 16:            Ferry

Return by ferry and arrive back at Mpulungu.

Day 17:            Mpulungu to Karonga (Malawi)

Today we will cross the border into Malawi.  Karonga is a lakeside town and was once a great slaving centre and later, the scene of World War One’s first “naval battle”.

Distance:  400 km

Day 18:            Karonga to Livingstonia

After Livingstone’s visit to the lake during his Zambezi Expedition, the Free Church of Scotland established this mission in 1894 and many of its stone buildings are still in use today, one of which houses an interesting museum.

Distance:  150 km

Day 19:             Livingstonia to Senga Bay

Only one-and-a-half hours drive away from Malawi’s capital city of Lilongwe is Senga Bay. On the Lake Malawi shore, Senga Bay offers the visitor a beautiful beach, campsites, hotel and some of the best curios in Malawi.

Distance:  490 km

Day 20:            Senga Bay to Cape Maclear

Cape Maclear is an old hippy hangout with chilled out atmosphere and provides access to the nearby Lake Malawi National Park, home of the famous cichlid freshwater aquarium fish.

Distance:  170 km

Day 21:            Cape Maclear to Tete (Mozambique)

Originally an Arab outpost to trade with the gold fields of Monomotapa, it still has the remains of a Potuguese fort. Livingstone took a paddle steamer up the Zambezi to here and was prevented from going further by the Cahora Bassa rapids.

Distance:  450 km

Day 22:            Tete to Gorongosa Game Reserve

This famous game reserve is slowly recovering some of its lost glory and makes a pleasant stop-over.  The 4,000 square kilometer Park is located at the southern end of the Great East African Rift Valley. The Park includes the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus. Rivers originating on nearby 1862-meter Mount Gorongosa water the plain.

Distance:  500 km

Day 23:            Gorongosa to Vilankulo

Vilankulo (or Vilanculos) is a coastal town in Mozambique, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province. Vilankulo is named after chief Vilankulo, and some of the “bairros” (suburbs) are named after his sons. During colonial times the name was changed to Vilanculos since the Portuguese do not use the letter K much, and commonly use the ’ssh’ sound of the S. At independence the name was changed back to Vilankulo – with a K and no S. Today the district is called Vilanculos and the town Vilankulo, and many residents have Vilankulo as their last name.

Camp under the palms of this tropical resort and cool off in its clear seas.

Distance:  460 km

Day 24:            Vilankulo to Machaila

GPS co-ordinates and map-reading skills will help us navigate this little-used track through the wilds of Mozambique towards Kruger National Park.

Distance:  400 km

Day 25: Machaila to Pafuri (South Africa)

After fording the mighty Limpopo at Mapai (hopefully, the levels will be low!) we reach Pafuri and are back on South African soil.

Distance:  200 km

Day 26:            Pafuri to Polokwane

From Pafuri we drive through the Kruger National Park to Polokwane, formerly known as Pietersburg.  Polokwane is the capital city of the Limpopo Province in South Africa.

Distance:  250 km

Day 27:            Polokwane to Philippolis

The drive will take you through Gauteng and to Philippolis in the southern Free State.  This little Free State town is rich in history with people like Adam Kok, Emily Hobhouse and Sir Laurance van der Post all leaving footprint there.

Distance:  850 km

Day 28:            Philippolis to Cape Town

The last stretch of our journey is the last 850 km through the plains of the Karoo back to Cape Town.

Distance:  850 km

Total kms.     9 000

(2 Days extra for unforeseen circumstances)                            Period:         30 days

This tour is an African expedition, a journey of discovery.  This means that the tour program is only an indication of the route and it can be changed during the expedition.  Travel distances as indicated on the itinerary is also an indication, and it may change according to the route.  The tour leader is a professional individual, an expert African adventurer and extremely knowledgeable about the continent of Africa, and the discoveries of David Livingstone.

The route will take you through some of Africa’s most beautiful, hidden gems, not yet discovered by the tour masses! Accommodation on route will be bush camps (no hot water, ablution facilities, etc.) official campsites (some will have ablution facilities), and where possible also lodges / hotels / guesthouses.  As the expedition progresses, the tour leader will have a better indication of where the group will be able to use formal accommodation and the necessary bookings will then be made.  You must be fully self sufficient in terms of food, water, etc., but the tour leader will assist and make suggestions on where to buy food, etc. while on tour.

A detailed tour planning document will be provided in advance to assist with your planning.  For international travelers, Live The Journey will assist with vehicle hire and necessary documentation (visas, etc.).

Period : 30 days

Rate : Cost on request

Date : 11 June – 10 July 2010

Included : experienced guide with own vehicle,  guiding, tourleader, two way radio’s for vehicles, planning and organization

Excluded : transport, fuel, meals,  camping gear, visa’s, travel insurance and vehicle insurance, drinks, cross border taxes, ferry fee, camping fees, lodge/hotel/guest house accommodation,  vehicle hire (if not own) and things of a personal nature.

Budgeting R500 per person per day will cover the expenses under Exclusions.  This is just a guideline an may differ from person to person.

Note : To optimise your experience the number of participants will be limited.

Bookings are essential.