inspired by an all-too-brief, five day tour of namibia, our plans to return grew rapidly in ambition. we travelled from home (loughton, essex, england) to cape town, overland, in our land rover defender, acquired specially for the trip. our route skirted the north and east coasts of the mediterranean and through the middle east, before heading south towards the cape. we aim for this site to be a chronicle of our trip, a showcase of our discoveries and a source of information for anyone dreaming of a similar adventure.

southernmost point, south africa

well we're back home now. and what an astonishing trip its been. it exceeded all our expections. africa is diverse to the extreme. it was both more and less developed than we anticipated, offered us more luxuries and dealt us more hardships. we were cheered with friendly smiles and frustrated by insistent demands. in over 50,000 kms we hardly had a dull drive or an uninspiring view yet the relentless progress was draining and the dust and heat at times oppressive. yet day after day we were jolted from our lassitude by the arresting sights of africa.

all in all the trip was easier than either of us expected. though i guess we'd feel differently if things had gone horribly wrong. of course there was the inevitable and occasional outrage at the beaurocracy, heated exchanges with officials, outbursts at touts and tools flung to ground. but isn't that all part of the experience?

not to be forgotten are the other travellers we met along the way. itineraries ran from a week long holiday to five years scouring the globe. they utilised every available means of transport from vintage motorbike to brand new 4x4 and from push bike to plane. all were good company, generous and encouraging. many were inspiring. thank you and good luck to you all.

lastly, a big thanks to all of you who've been visiting the site, particularly those who e-mailed their encouragement. it motivated us to keep typing when a good book, or even a bad one threatened to usurp the site.