The Grand Tour

What a start! After picking up the bikes, we are off immediately to one of the top 10 ocean roads in the world – Chapmans Peak. We continue through the Cape Point Nature Reserve on quiet roads and panoramas of green fields, rocky cliffs, to the legendary Cape of Good Hope. This outcropping of south-west Africa has made sailors nervous for 500 years (and remains the mythical home of the damned Flying Dutchman), but from our land-side approach, we can admire the Cape without discomfort, staring out from the beach to the south where 4,000kms of Atlantic Ocean separate us from Antarctica. We spent tonight in South Africa’s second oldest city—Stellenbosch, famous also for its university and wineries.

Today will be a day full of spectacular riding and breathtaking scenery. We prefer to have an early start to the day to beat the traffic of this bustling university town and head for Gordon’s Bay, on the shore of False Bay. Dramatic scenery awaits along the famous Clarence drive, before we stop to spend some time with the cute African penguins at the Stony Point Penguin Colony in Betty’s Bay. Our destination today is to visit Africa’s southernmost point, Cape Agulhas, another two-hour ride away. Here we will make sure you get the obligatory photo and the chance to simultaneously dip your one foot in the Indian Ocean and the other in the Atlantic. Not far from the most southernly spot on the African continent we find our rest for the night in the charming beach village of Arniston. Beside the hotel are the nationally landmarked Fisherman’s cottages with their whitewashed walls and thatched roofs set off against a turquoise sea and colourful fishing boats, a magnet for photographers and artists from around the world, spurred on no doubt by the proclaiming of Arniston as one of the World’s Ten Best Hideaways by Time Magazine (May 1996).

Back down a few big sweeping passes to get to the coast and along a few secret roads until we get to Jefferys Bay.

For those interested, we can stop at the worlds tallest bridge bungee jump (216m, 700′) if you care to give it a go!

We will get to our beach side hotel in time for those who want to hit the surf. “J-Bay” is home to arguably the world’s best right-hand pointbreak and a stop on the Billabong Pro Surfing Tour.

An early stop at a Cheetah sanctuary helps to break up this day, and gets us away from the coast and into the Great Karoo, a semi-desert region stretching over several South African provinces. Our hotel for this night was built in the 1800’s but before we get there, we will visit the geological phenomenon known as the Valley of Desolation – a sheer cliff face and a South African national monument.

Our longest day of riding awaits! We track back down the pass and then find our way riding through sleepy Transkei villages. You will experience the Xhosa way of daily life in this remote part of the Eastern Cape province, while being rewarded with magnificent vistas of the Drakensberg. The next 400km or so will offer some of the most enjoyable pavement riding of this tour, as we meander through the foothills of the southern Drakensberg, before we arrive at our guest farm below the famous Sani Pass, our home for the next two nights.

DAY 9

Rest Day
No Riding
Accommodation near Sani Pass

Today is your first optional day. Included with the tour is a 4×4 ride up the world famous Sani Pass, leaving behind South Africa and crossing up into the country of Lesotho. Sani Pass has been described as “one of the most dangerous mountain passes in the world” and is considered “the mother of all South African mountain passes”. Statistically and in every sense, it out distances, out climbs, and out performs all its competitors to have become the most iconic gravel pass in SA.

We will enjoy lunch in Africa’s highest pub at the top of Sani Pass, at an altitude of almost 10,000ft. If we are lucky, the weather will present us with scenes that will remain with you forever, gazing from the top of the Drakensberg back into South Africa, overlooking the Kwa-Zulu Natal scenery below with views to the Indian Ocean on a clear day. Guaranteed one of the highlights of your visit in Africa!

After lunch we will descend back into South Africa for a leisurely afternoon catching up on some rest or just hanging around the pool, before we enjoy another homestyle cooked South African meal at our guest farm.

DAY 10

iSimangaliso Wetland Park
495km
Accommodation in St Lucia

We will need to depart early as another big day lie ahead (distance wise) with a hippo and croc tour awaiting at our destination. Leaving the farm and Sani Pass behind, we unfortunately have to spend some time riding a major highway as we head north through rolling sugar cane fields towards our lodge in St Lucia, situated in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This is a huge protected area along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, with the vast Lake St. Lucia being home to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, pelicans and flamingos that we will search for as we cruise the lake in the afternoon.

If we are lucky we could also spot elephants, giraffes and leopards that inhabit the lake’s western shores. Dinner will be a late affair tonight after our cruise.

DAY 11

Ponta Malongane
234km
Accommodation on beach in Mozambique

We continue our northernly journey, finding our way through the KwaZulu-Natal villages towards the border with Mozambique. We will have lunch at the border post between South Africa and Mozambique, where we will also leave the bikes behind for the next two nights.

Once we have cleared immigration, we will transfer by 4×4 to our ocean side lodge, on the beach behind the dunes in the tiny village of Ponta Malongane. Ponta Malongane is only reachable by 4×4 and is one of the most popular scuba diving spots in Southern Africa, if not in Africa.

Given its history of Portuguese colonial occupation, Mozambique is famous for its peri-peri prawns and chicken – on the menu tonight for those who like things a little spicy!

DAY 12

Relax
Rest Day. No Riding
Accommodation on beach in Mozambique

Today’s riding will be of the wave kind – for those that are up for it, we recommend doing an optional ocean safari. This entails an early morning departure in search of dolphins. Chances are about 90% that we will find these clever fish, who loves to frolic around the boat. If we do find the dolphins, then we will join them for a swim!

Also as part of the ocean safari we will stop on a shallow reef for snorkeling, as your visit to Ponta Malongane MUST include a view of the sights below the waterline on this magnificent reef. The rest of the day can be spent relaxing and tanning on the beach, loafing around at our camp’s swimming pool or spend shopping to buy some souvenirs for the less fortunate that had to stay behind at home.

Dinner tonight will be either peri-peri prawns or chicken, depending on what you had last night.

DAY 13

Swaziland
348km
Accommodation in Swaziland

While not a long day distance wise, expect some delays as we have to cross out of Mozambique into South Africa, and then again into Swaziland. Country number four today – Swaziland, or if you prefer the new name – Eswatini – is a small landlocked country entirely within the borders of South Africa and Mozambique, and is the worlds last true monarchy. Sugar cane cultivation made the Big Bend region famous in Swaziland, and we will stop for lunch in this area, before negotiating the crazy traffic in Manzini, Swaziland’s biggest city.

We overnight in a beehive village in the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Swaziland’s three national parks. Beware of the antelope and warthog roaming free through the camp – while they seem tame, they remain wild animals!

DAY 14

Hazyview
457km
Accommodation in Hazyview

We leave the idyllic Mlilwane behind and bid Swaziland farewell. After crossing back into South Africa, make yourself ready for some very enjoyable riding. We have the option of going directly to our lodge, or we can find our way to the famous Long Tom Pass, perhaps one of the most well known passes in South Africa for motorcycle riders. It is about 25km long and has an altitude variance of more than 670 vertical meters through a complex network of curves as it ascends up the Drakensberg escarpment between Sabie in the east and Lydenburg in the west. Note: It is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions.

After enjoying the Long Tom Pass, we descend back down to the village of Sabie, and then further down the escarpment via Bergvliet Pass, on the paved route between Sabie and Hazyview. Named after the Bergvliet plantation through which it traverses, this pass forms a lovely curvy and scenic experience, and is considered by some as being one of the best motorcycling roads in South Africa. Hazyview will be our stop for the next two nights.

DAY 15

Panorama Route
346km
Accommodation near Hazyview

Today’s riding will eventually loop us back to our hotel of last night, after experiencing one of South Africa’s most scenic rides, the Panorama Route. The road will lead us among the north-eastern section of the great escarpment of the Drakensberg, where the plateau comes to an abrupt and dramatic halt, falling steeply away into the Lowveld below and accompanied by incredible views out over the grasslands of Africa. We will not have enough time to visit all the highlights on this route, so an early departure is advisable. We will kick off the day by heading to the scenic outlook known as God’s Window, before heading to Bourke’s Luck Potholes for lunch. Thereafter we will stop at the Blyde River Lookout with its amazing vistas over the famous ‘Three Rondavels’, offering a view from a height of more than 1000 meters above sea level over the canyon with the Blyde River cutting its way through the valleys below and the Blydepoort Dam in the distance. If time permits, we can choose to visit a selection of waterfalls – the Sabie Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Mac Mac Falls awaits, before we ascend yet again down the escarpment via Kowyns Pass towards our hotel. What a day!

DAY 16

Kruger National Park
120km
Accommodation near Kruger National Park

Today is our shortest day on the bike in terms of distance, as we aim to maximize our time in the Kruger Park, where we will be spending the next two nights. Despite the short distance, we have another early departure, to be in time for our  tour at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center, where we will experience an educational tour of the great work that this organization is doing.

Here you will also encounter the extremely rare King Cheetah of which there are less than 60 animals on the planet. After our visit to the HESC, we have a short 40km ride to the west entrance of our private bush lodge for the next two nights.

DAY 17

Safari Day, Kruger National Park
No Riding

Today will be spend in the magnificent Kruger National Park and will consist of several game drives, with the option to also do a guided bush walk, which will focus on the smaller animals and plants in this world heritage site. There will be opportunities to just relax along the pool or on the lodge’s deck overlooking the bush and the park stretched out below.

DAY 18

Botswana
399km
Accommodation near Botswana Border

We unfortunately have to leave the Kruger Park area behind, and find our way northeast towards Botswana. With yet another early departure adviseable, today is mostly considered a ‘transit’ day, but we still get to ride the spectacular Magoebaskloof Pass, before we traverse the typical South African bush veld for the remainder of the day.

We overnight in a small roadside motel just before the South Africa / Botswana border, and dinner is provided by your guides – we hope you like to braai!

DAY 19

Nata, Botswana
454km
Accommodation near Nata

An early border crossing brings us into Botswana, country number five and it’s friendly and laid back Tswana people. Botswana is considered one of the most politically stable countries in Africa, and is very sparsely populated, making for a unique visiting experience.

Today’s riding will take us past the southern tip of the Tuli Block, an area rich in wildlife, so do not be surprised if we do encounter wild animals along the route. We will travel towards Francistown for lunch and to refuel, and then passing the Makgadigadi Pans to the east before we reach our overnight lodge near Nata.

DAY 20

Chobe River, Kasane
303km
Accommodation in Kasane

We continue northward through one of the main farming areas of Botswana (there is typically plenty of game on these roads so our low mileage for the day will be appreciated). We are adjacent to the Chobe Park here, which boasts the highest concentration of elephants in the world. After we check into our hotel in Kasane, prepare for another animal highlight of the trip – a sunset scenic river cruise on the Chobe River in search for more critters – giraffes, waterbuck, kudu, gazelles, baboons, zebras, Cape buffalo, crocs, hippos, they’re all here.

DAY 21

Victoria Falls
No Riding. 100km van transport to Victoria Falls
Accommodation in Victoria Falls

With the bikes parked in Botswana, we will use our support vehicle to cross the border into Zimbabwe, our sixth country on this tour. After our late morning arrival in the town of Victoria Falls, we will head straight to the falls – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After checking into our hotel during the early afternoon, we recommend you join for high tea at the 5-star Victoria Falls hotel (usually from 3-5:30pm), or wander the market in town, a mere 5 minutes walk away.

DAY 22

Victoria Falls
No Riding.
Rest Day in Victoria Falls

The day is yours to explore in the town of Victoria Falls, or to take part in the many activities that are on offer: Experiencing elephants up close and personal, horse back riding, jet boat rides at the foot of the falls, helicopter tours over the falls, a tour of the famous railway bridge, zip-line, bridge swing, bungee jumping and the world’s wildest commercially run white water rafting experience. Although these sound “touristy,” we usually get wonderful reviews from previous riders. Of course, just snoozing by the pool is also recommended!

Today is a short and easy ride, and the only backtracking on this tour. Hopefully we get to spot some more game off the bike again. Just be careful – depending on the length of the grass next to the road, wild animals may suddenly appear and cause a dangerous hazard on the road. Hopefully we are lucky today and have a few ostriches join the race next to the road – see how they run! We overnight amidst the big creatures of Africa, with dinner in the lodge’s open air restaurant.

We aim for a late morning arrival in the town of Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta. The Okavango is the world’s largest inland delta and spreads over 15,000 square kilometers and is the result of the Okavango river having no natural outlet, so it leaves its waters in the desert, creating a massive wetland wilderness. The only real way to appreciate the immensity of the delta is to see it from above. We drop the bikes in town and hurry to the airport where a private chartered airplane takes us on on a scenic flight over the Delta, before landing us at a private airfield to meet our bush crew, where we will spend the night in a bush camp with a canvas tent as bedroom. This site is properly ‘in the bush’ as there are no buildings or civilization visible. It is common to hear lions, hippos, and hyenas through the night.

We have a lazy start to this day as we head west on the Trans Kalahari Highway. Traffic is light and we often encounter running ostriches, warthogs and other plains game to entertain us as we travel through the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world. Our town tonight is a small but busy regional place, with the main industry being cattle farming. We will arrive in time to spend time walking through the shops and taking a peak into the everyday world of the folk who live here.

We are finishing our time in Botswana and will cross into Namibia for the first time. The border formality is usually quick for the riders, but the more cumbersome paperwork and entry documents for the bikes and support vehicle will be completed by the Renedian crew, and this can take some time. Best case will be an hour for the crossing, but if the power is out, or there is an usually busy crossing, we may need many hours to complete the entry. With luck we will arrive at our lodge in the early afternoon and enjoy the infinity pool – if we are lucky we should have animals joining us around the pool for a drink during the late afternoon.

Today is another rest day, allowing the crew to do any maintenance on the bikes, and to resupply before we head into the desert. You should use the day to explore Windhoek, shop, or relax. Windhoek will also be the last place for a while to stock up on prescription meds or ‘modern’ items like memory cards etc. and even here, your options will be limited.

DAY 31

Windhoek to Sesreim
100 kms tar, 233km gravel
Accommodation near Sesreim

Our appreciation of Namibia’s excellent gravel roads will start today. We exit the city and after a short spell on the highway, we say goodbye blacktop and hello dust. The famous apple strudel in the tiny town of Solitaire is on the menu for today. This is our first and also one of our longer days of gravel and we will arrive in late afternoon, just in time to experience the sunset against the mountains and sand dunes of the Namib desert, arguably the oldest in the world, and a World Heritage Site.

DAY 32

Dune Tour, Sossusvlei
No Riding
Accommodation near Sesreim

An early start will get us to the sand dunes just after sunrise. These dunes in the Namib Desert can rise 1,300’, and are among the highest in the world. We will visit Sossusvlei and walk into Dead Vlei, a surreal valley holding 900-year old standing tree skeletons, burned black from the sun and anchored lifeless in a valley that is too dry for them to decompose. The movie The Cell had several scenes shot here, allowing nature to deliver scenes of haunting solitude and isolation that not even Hollywood could dream up. We’ll be back to the lodge by early afternoon and get a well-deserved afternoon off to relax by the pool, read, or rest. If you’re still eager to get out, walking trails bring you into the small mountains nearby where you can enjoy the intimate sounds of the Namib’s bird and insect life that is normally blocked out by your motorcycle helmet. As the sun begins its fall onto the dunes to the east, the fire is stoked to provide another meal for us.

DAY 33

Aus
12km paved / 258km gravel
Accommodation near Aus

Another day of mostly gravel riding today! From morning to night we are on natural surfaced (gravel) roads. Part of the reason they do not pave these roads is because of low traffic volumes. It is not unusual to have hours pass by with no other vehicles on the roads. The group can stretch out and on this day more than most we get that wonderful feeling of riding somewhere very foreign, yet welcoming.

DAY 34

Namib Desert

Optional 250km paved
Accommodation near Aus

Today is another optional day. We do however suggest to join us for another ride cross the vast expanse of the Namib desert. Keep your eyes open for one of the last herds of feral horses left in the world. We aim to arrive during mid morning at the coastal town of Luderitz for a tour of Kolmanskop, a diamond mining town abandoned lock, stock, and barrel when bigger diamonds were found further south. The sand dunes are slowly reclaiming the town, but there is still a fascinating story that comes with the old buildings. This is a guided tour. After lunch we return to Aus for our second night. It can be extremely windy at the coast, so we have cancelled this day’s ride before, cross your fingers for calm winds!

DAY 35

Fish River Canyon
167km paved / 141km gravel
Accommodation in Fish River Canyon

Flora lovers will be fascinated with Namibia’s national tree, the kokerboom, which is actually a large flowering aloe, and exemplifies the beauty that can arise in such an arid place. We have a relaxed pace today as we continue to keep an eye out for wild game while riding on both gravel and paved roads. Before we check into the lodge, we deviate off our route to enjoy a relaxed visit to the second largest canyon in the world, the Fish River Canyon.

DAY 36

Springbok, Northern Cape
168km paved / 127km gravel
Accommodation near Springbok

Our last few kilometers of gravel road in Namibia brings us to the hot springs at Ais-Ais, and after a quick soak we continue on one of everybody’s favorite gravel sections to the junction with the tarmac road near the Orange River, the geographic border between Namibia and South Africa. The border crossing should hopefully go quickly, and we will then be on paved roads to hurry us along our first few kilometers in South Africa and our country hotel near Springbok, a quiet town known for it’s tough mining history. We are now in the Northern Cape province, the most sparsely populated and largest province in South Africa.

DAY 37

Clanwilliam, Western Cape
348km
Accommodation near Clanwilliam

We have a short travel day (distance wise) heading south. You will note a drastic change in scenery as we leave the Northern Cape province and enter the Western Cape province. Crossing the Olifants River sees immediate effects of irrigation and large, rolling citrus crops. We normally spend the afternoon working on bikes, while guests visit in town and learn about the health effects of rooibos tea, grown here and nowhere else!

DAY 38

Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve
155 km gravel
Accommodation near the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve

Leaving the town of Clanwilliam, we head straight into the heart of the Cederberg mountains – a spectacular and unique wilderness area. All riding today will be on gravel, and our first stop will be at the top of Uitkyk Pass, a fairly steep pass and true to its name, which translates as ‘Look Out’ or ‘Viewpoint’, providing endless vistas of the unique Cederberg mountains. Our overnight stop will be in a serene nature reserve, in this special wilderness area.

DAY 39

Great Karoo
152 kms paved / 130 kms gravel
Accommodation near Great Karoo

Leaving the Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve, we have two small passes to contend with, before we drop down into the Tanqua Karoo desert, perhaps one of South Africa’s harshest places. We will stop for refreshments at a funky roadside farm stall, before finding our way via a mix of gravel and paved roads to our overnight stop, another secluded spot in a narrow valley in the Great Karoo.

DAY 40

Arniston
125 km paved / 105 km gravel
Accommodation near Arniston

Today promises to be yet another highlight of the Grand Tour – spectacular scenery combined with spectacular riding. We will tick off three of South Africa’s iconic routes: The Seweweekspoort Gorge, The Swartberg Pass and Meiringskloof. Much have been said about these routes, but we will leave it to you to explore and experience for the first time. The day will bring us back into the Klein Karoo and another special overnight spot.

DAY 41

VanWyksdorp
178 km paved / 92 km gravel
Accommodation near VanWyksdorp

Departing our lodge we yet again leave the Klein Karoo and head towards the coast, dropping down to sea level with the Montagu Pass, another gravel favourite! We are now back in the heart of the Garden Route, and after a brief stop at a typical coastal holiday town to admire the ocean, we head back across the Outeniqua mountains to find our lodge – yet again in the Klein Karoo. Another enjoyable day of riding through stunning scenery. and our destination is a another game reserve – a last chance to spot some of the African critters on this tour and to enjoy the African bush before we start heading head back into “city life”.

DAY 42

Stellenbosch
306 km paved / 44 km gravel
Accommodation near Stellenbosch

Our penultimate day of riding will let us experience the best that the famous Route 62 has to offer. We will follow this beautiful road through the Robertson, Franschoek and Stellenbosch wine areas – South Africa’s finest. We will complete our grand tour loop with our arrival in Stellenbosch tonight, and yet again enjoy the best this town and area has to offer.

DAY 43

Cape Town
240 km paved
Accommodation near Cape Town’s waterfront.

Unfortunately, today is our last day on the bike in Africa on this tour. The plan is to head towards the Wellington wine area, ride the very enjoyable Bainskloof Pass, and then have an early lunch in Riebeek Kasteel. From there we will set our sights on Table Mountain and ride to Blouberg Beach for that iconic photo of the bikes in front Table Mountain, before returning the bikes for the last time – after having done north of 10,000km/6000mi on tour! Well done!!

DAY 44

Fly out

After breakfast the final paperwork is completed, and our trip is officially over. If you are curious to stay in Cape Town or the surrounding areas to do more riding, wine tours, shark cage diving, a visit to Robben Island etc. … let us know and we can get you on the right track!

Thank you for allowing us to get Africa into your blood!