GS Motorcycle Tours South Africa | Cape Town to the Kalahari Tour

Cape Town to the Kalahari

Ride the best tarred and untarred roads of South Africa and Namibia with this motorcycle tour and see Cape Town, Africa’s most beautiful town, from the top of Table Mountain.
Enjoy South-Africa’s longest empty road to Tankwa in the middle of the Karoo and witness a spectacular African sunset over empty mountains.

Ride to Namibia and the hundreds of metres deep precipice of Fish River Canyon and climb the world’s highest dunes at Sossusvlei and then ride on to Swakopmund and the Cape fur seals along the Skeleton Coast.

No motorcycle tour through southern Africa is complete without a game drive through the Etosha N.P. Rhino’s, elephants, lions, giraffes, antelopes and many other animals pass before your eyes.

Suitable for the somewhat experienced rider, either with or without a pillion.

DAY 1. Welcome to Cape Town

Our representative is waiting for you on the airport. He will transfer you to your hotel. We provide you with a ticket for the hop on/hop off city bus, the perfect way to discover the most beautiful city of Africa. Admire the view from the top of Table Mountain high above the town. Enjoy a cold beer on one of the seafront terraces at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Or admire the colourful spectacles inside the beautiful see aquarium. You can choose where to spend your time, since your ticket is a day ticket. In the evening we have a ‘meet & greet’ in a nice restaurant where you can meet your fellow travellers.

DAY 2: The Winelands around Stellenbosch

Your first day on your motorbike. Your luggage goes into the back-up vehicle. We ride beautiful, quiet roads so you can get used to your motorcycle – and, if necessary, to driving on the left. After leaving town we arrive at the magnificent viewpoint of Chapman’s Peak. Will you be able see the Twelve Apostles, or are they hiding behind their ‘beards’ (clouds)? Then continue along the Wine route to Stellenbosch. The historical town centre is full of old houses from the early Dutch and French pioneers. And yes, you can go for a wine tasting!

DAY 3: Where two Oceans meet

The winelands are surrounded by impressive mountains with lots of curvy mountain roads. Enjoy the Helshoogte and Franschhoek mountain passes! Gently curving roads lead you through endless grain fields to Africa’s southernmost point: Cape Agulhas. Two of the world’s greatest oceans meet here: the Atlantic and the Indian. You overnight in the sleepy fishing village of Arniston. If you are real lucky you can see whales close to shore – they pass here regularly between July and November.

DAY 4. Over mountain roads to the Karoo

You ride north over two mountain passes towards the stunning landscape of the Karoo. Past Worcester you leave both mountains and tarred roads behind you when you turn on to the famous R 355 – the longest stretch of empty road in South-Africa! In the middle of this emptiness lies your tented camp for the night. Enjoy a sundowner at one of Africa’s most spectacular sunsets – and yes, a tie is obligatory! Later we make a campfire under the spectacular starry sky. Unforgettable!

DAY 5. Through the Karoo’s heartland

The immense size of the Karoo will impress you in no small way. Time after time new mountain ranges appear on the horizon, some of which you will cross. In the middle of this empty landscape you encounter old pioneer towns like Loeriesfontein and Kliprand. At the end of a long day you arrive in Springbok. In the local bar you can wash away the day’s dust with a nice ice-cold beer.

DAY 6. Africa’s grandest canyon: Fish River Canyon

After the border crossing you depart from the tarred roads again and ride to the spectacular Fish River Canyon. According to the Khoisan legends a giant snake left his track in the rocks. And the course of the canyon does resemble the curvy way a snake moves! From a viewpoint you look down into the depths where the Fish River runs.

DAY 7: The solitude of the Kalahari

Once again you leave the tar behind you, this time to ride along the edge of the Kalahari desert. The gravel road is so wide and straight you can’t help looking over your shoulder to check whether a plane is coming in to land. The solitude is interspaced with small towns like Bethanie, Helmeringhausen and Maltahöhe, often consisting of just a petrol station, a shop and a pub. In the light of the setting sun the red dunes of Sossusvlei appear to grow higher and higher.

DAY 8: The highest dunes of the world

At sunrise you leave for the dunes rising high above the surrounding desert flats. You’ll really realise how high they actually are once you climb Dune 45 on foot. The spectacular landscape of Dead Vlei is a mixture of dead trees, red sand and a blue sky. Another sight well worth a visit is Sesriem Canyon. The afternoon is free to enjoy those special luxuries only a lodge in Africa can offer.

DAY 9: Flamingos, apple pie and kirschtorte

Solitaire looks just like any other Namibian village: a petrol station, a shop and a bar. But there is one big difference: Moose’s apple pie!. Refreshed you continue your ride through the impressive Kuiseb Canyon/Gaub pass and the Namib desert till you reach the coast. You have lunch at the flamingo lagoon just outside Walvisbaai. Upon arrival in Swakopmund you have time for yourself. You could do laundry, use the internet or go for a piece of Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte in one of the German ‘Konditoreis’.

DAY 10: Adventure in the dunes or in the sky

Swakopmund is Namibia’s adventure centre. What do you want to do? Quadbiking through the dunes, a scenic flight over Skeleton Coast, visit a township? Or do you prefer making a tandemskydive 10,000 feet above the desert? This, and much more, is possible in Swakopmund. Alternatively, you can spoil yourself in one of the many restaurants, bars or café’s. Dinner these two day is not included, so nothing stands in the way of you going your own way.

DAY 11: Between ocean and desert

The whole day you’ll have an ocean on your left- and a desert on your right-hand side. A weird but unique experience! You might see one of the many shipwrecks after which the Skeleton Coast is named. But you will be sure to see thousands of Cape fur seals at Cape Cross. And smell them as well, so most people are rather quick to exchange the bustling noise of the seals for the solitude of Damaraland. You pass Hentiesbay to reach Mile 108, your stopover for tonight.

DAY 12: Immortal plants and wild animals

After leaving the coast you ride between ‘kopjes’, rock outcroppings, to the Petrified Forest. Here you find eon-old fossilized trees. Along the road you can find the Welwitschia. This unsighty looking plant is the oldest living plant on earth and can be as old as 2,000 years! During the day your chances of seeing springboks increase greatly. These are the first signs of all the wildlife you are going to encounter tomorrow. At the end of the day you reach a cosy guesthouse outside the Etosha N.P.

DAY 13: Big game safari in in Etosha

Early in the morning you board the safari vehicle for your full-day game drive. Etosha is home to the largest population of both black as well as white rhino in the whole of Africa. Did you know a white rhino is just as grey as a black rhino? You’ll also see many giraffes, kudus, gazelles and other antelopes. You’re also at risk to encounter predators like lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and hyenas. Most animals are active in the morning and at the end of the day. The warmest time of the day is for resting, an excellent example which we will copy.

DAY 14: Back to civilization

Your last day on the motorbike! You ride a good tarred road into Windhoek and the civilised world. The busy traffic makes you realise how far you have been from civilization the last weeks. Fortunately civilization has its advantages, like ice-cold beers, terraces and a scrumptious dinner in a nice restaurant.

DAY 15. Goodbye, or more Namibia or Cape Town?

Too quickly the time has come to say goodbye! Depending on your departure time we will transfer you solo or together with others to the airport. If you fly via Cape Town, you might want to make a stopover on the way back and spend some additional time in Cape Town. Cape of Good Hope, a wine tour, Robben Island or shark cage diving – Cape Town awaits you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 6

If the minimum number of participants isn’t reached, the tour may be cancelled or run with a different format.

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

All overnights (comfortable middle-class hotels) during entire tour
Breakfast every day
Picnics/lunches
Evening dinners
Motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage
Excursions
Third party liability insurance for motorcycles
Comprehensive vehicle insurance for motorcycles with deductible according to the booked motorcycle model
English and Afrikaans speaking tour guide on motorcycle
Support van for luggage transportation (1 piece per person) and space for passengers (limited) on entire tour

IS NOT INCLUDED:

All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature

OPTIONAL SERVICES:

All motorbikes come with a liability insurance, but everything you break yourself, you pay yourself. We use your credit card as a guarantee.
For the full duration of the tour, including extensions, a travel insurance policy is mandatory. This policy needs to include full coverage of motorbike riding with (if applicable) your pillion, any activities you plan to do and a Flying Doctor service. A good cancellation insurance is also mandatory to avoid problems in case of a cancellation. You will need to inform us about your insurance details before the tour departs.

TERMS OF PAYMENT:

Immediately after you receive our mail with the official confirmation of your booking, you need to pay a deposit of 20% of the tour price into the bank account of Zulu Overland in South Africa.
Make sure the remainder is in our bank account no later then 29 days before the departure date of your tour (= day 1 of the day to day description).
So if you book within 5 weeks before departure you need to transfer the whole amount when you book.
Note: if your payment is not in our bank account in time and in full, this constitutes a cancellation of your tour and the applicable cancellation fees will be applied.