Meta
Highlights
– Wildlife in Etosha N.P.
– Swakopmund and Skeleton Coast
– The dunes of Sossusvlei
– Fish River Canyon
– Tankwa in the heartland of the Karoo
– Africa’s southernmost point
– Cape Town
https://ride2roam.com/webcontent/uploads/Namibie-Zuid-Afrika-motorreis1-e1359466478883.jpg
[new_section title=”Main features of this tour”]
- ca. 3380 km (ca. 2100 miles) of which ca. 2000 km (ca. 1245 miles) on untarred roads
- suitable for the average experienced motorbiker with some experience on untarred roads, but no hard off-road riding involved. On most gravel roads you will do around 80 km/hour. We planned the itinerary in such a way that you have plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent scenery.
- also suitable for riding with a pillion; if you want to skip a day riding pillion you can always board the back-up vehicle.
- Almost all meals included as indicated at each day with B (breakfast), L (lunch) and/or D (dinner)
- You can extend your tour with add-ons before or after your tour in Cape Town or Windhoek. Click here to see the possibilities.
[/new_section]
[new_column]
Day 1: arrival Windhoek
Transfer – D // Our representative if waiting for you at the airport. He will transfer you to your hotel. In the evening we have a ‘meet & greet’ in a nice restaurant where you can meet your fellow travellers. Do you want to spend some time before your tour in Windhoek, or are you flying in via Cape Town and want have a better look around there? Here you will find the possibilities.
[new_column]
Day 2: leaving civilization behind
405 km tarred road – B, L, D // 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. 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.
[new_column]
Day 3: big game safari in Etosha
Gamedrive – B, D // 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 follow.
[new_column]
Day 4: petrified forest and immortal plants
240 km tar, 100 km gravel – B, L, D // Riding westbound halfway through the day you leave the tarmac and 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 unsightly looking plant is the oldest living plant on earth and can be as old as 2,000 years! You follow the desert road to Uis, just 100 km from the coast which you’ll reach tomorrow.
[new_column]
Day 5: between ocean and desert
320 km gravel – B, L // The whole day you’ll have an ocean on one hand and a desert on the other hand. 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. Upon reaching Swakopmund you can spoil yourself in one of the many restaurants, bars or café’s.
[new_column]
Day 6: adventure in the dunes or in the sky
0 km – B // 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 tandem skydive 10,000 feet above the desert? This, and much more, is possible in Swakopmund. Alternatively, you could do laundry, use the internet or go for a piece of Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte in one of the German ‘Konditoreis’. Dinner these two day is not included, so nothing stands in the way of you going your own way.
[new_column]
Day 7: flamingos and apple pie
390 km gravel – B, L, D //You follow the coast till you reach the flamingo lagoon just outside Walvisbaai. Then you enter the desert once again and continue your ride through the impressive Kuiseb Canyon/Gaub pass and the Namib desert till you reach Solitaire. It 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! In the light of the setting sun the red dunes of Sossusvlei appear to grow higher and higher.
[new_column]
Day 8: the highest dunes in the world
140 km gravel – B, D // 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.
[new_column]
Day 9: the solitude of the Kalahari
90 km tar, 320 km gravel – B, L, D // You continue your 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 loneliness is interspaced with small towns like Bethanie, Helmeringhausen and Maltahöhe, often consisting of just a petrol station, a shop and a pub. Tonight you sleep in Seeheim (German for ‘Lake home’), which despite its name is located in the middle of the desert.
[new_column]
Day 10: Africa’s grandest canyon: Fish River Canyon
225 km tar, 160 km gravel – B, L, D // Your first stop today is at 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. After leaving the canyon you reach the tarmac road which takes you across the border into South Africa to Springbok. In the local bar you can wash away the day’s dust with a nice ice-cold beer.
[new_column]
Day 11: through the Karoo’s heartland
460 km gravel – B, L, D // The immense size of the Karoo will impress you in no small degree. Time after time new mountain ranges appear on the horizon, some of which you will cross. Scattered throughout this landscape you encounter old pioneer towns like Loeriesfontein and Kliprand. 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!
[new_column]
Day 12: where two Oceans meet
230 km tar, 110 km gravel – B, L, D // You continue your ride over the famous R 355 – the longest stretch of empty road in South Africa! Finally you reach the tarmac roads which will take you to the coastal plains. Here 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.
[new_column]
Day 13: over mountain roads to the Winelands
245 km tarred road – B, D // the Winelands. The winelands are surrounded by impressive mountains with lots of curvy mountain roads. Enjoy the Helshoogte and Franschhoek mountain passes on the road 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!
[new_column]
Day 14: the Wine route to Cape Town
140 km tar – B, D // Your last day on the motorbike! You ride along the Wine route to Cape Town and the civilised world. Before reaching the city you stop at the magnificent viewpoint of Chapman’s Peak. Will you be able to see the Twelve Apostles, or are they hiding behind their ‘beards’ (clouds)? After this it is time to leave the mountains and enter the bustling town. 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.
[new_column]
Day 15: goodbye, or extension in Cape Town?
Citytour and transfer – B // Too soon the time has come to say goodbye! Since most flights leave at the end of the day 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 sea aquarium. You can choose where to spend your time, since your ticket is a day ticket.
[new_column]
Extend your tour
Would you like to book an add-on in Cape Town? We can arrange it all. Cape of Good Hope, a wine tour, Robben Island or shark cage diving – Cape Town awaits you. Click here to see some possibilities. Whichever option you choose, one thing is for sure: this is a motorcycle tour you’ll remember for the rest of your life!