23th August to 4th September 2009

 3.000 Km.

This etapa starts in the heart of luxury in Cape Town and takes you to the wild, brutal landscapes of Namibia. It is a journey that will show you clearly all the rich diversity of Southern Africa.

Cape Town feels like a part of Europe at the bottom of Africa. The city´s skyline is dominated by Table Mountain, the view from the top is spectacular and all the more rewarding if you walk rather than take the Cable Car. Boulders Beach is home to a now famous colony of African Penguins, who make for a delightful day trip to the coast. To view the city from an entirely different perspective visit Robben Island and the former prison of Nelson Mandela and other members of the anti-apartheid movement. Finally, before you leave, try to visit Cape Point where the Indian Oceans and Atlantic Oceans meet at the Cape of Good Hope and the next stop is Antarctica.

As you head north you pass through the fertile wine country whose sheltered slopes lie beneath Table Mountain. In Paarl and Stellenbosch, you can enjoy the hospitality of the vineyards and sample the world class wines. Stellenbosch University is also worth pausing at, because it was here as students  that, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, first discussed their dreams of a new South Africa. To the east lies the Garden Route and the beautiful Otter Trail, but your road lies to the north and the border with Namibia.

Whatever your particular interest in life, there is actually too much to see in Namibia. To the west lies the Skeleton Coast, the dramatic Atlantic coastline that has become the graveyard of numerous boats over the centuries. It is a desolate place that reminds the visitor of the phenomenal power that nature can wield. In the centre of the country lies Fish River Canyon, the largest Canyon in Africa its steep sides provide a dramatic home to the native Quiver Tree, which can live for over 300 years, as well as numerous bird and animal species. 

There are numerous National Parks, the most famous is Etosha in the heart of the Namib desert. The opportunities for viewing animals are excellent as they flock to the scarce watering holes at sunset. In the Sossusvlei National Park, is the large lake pan of Dead Vlei. The old lake bed has been parched to a brilliant white, from which the skeletal remains of trees emerge. Here you will also discover the dramatic Namibian sand dunes that can soar to over 300metres.

Namibia is also home to what remains of the small population of indigenous San. Largely driven out from their homelands in the Kalahari, they exist on the edges of the desert. At Spitzkoppe (near Swakopmund) there are fine examples of their ancient rock art. The Herero are another unusual indigenous population with their distinctive Victorian dresses and enormous head scarves. At Okakarara village you can watch their elders communicate with ancestors over an eternal flame. Windhoek itself presents another face of Namibia, with its Germanic heritage from the years of colonialism. The broad streets and bright clean churches hark back to an earlier time and underline the variety of this richly diverse country