Overland trips: 2-4 people  

                                                                                                                                       

25 Nov 2009 to 2 Jan 2010

From Here 2 Timbuktu                                                       London to Timbuktu, Tunisia-Algeria-Mali

Leaving London in Toyota Landcruisers, my season begins with the mythical journey to Timbuktu. We leave the gloom of pending winter, drive across France to Marseilles, take the ferry to Tunisia and onto the Algerian border. From here we will take an Algerian Tuareg guide to take us across the desert through some of the most impressive landscapes of the Sahara, before being met at the Mali border by my Tuareg guides who will take us on to their community of Aguelhoc.

We will join up with the Tuareg Xmas Festival trip for a From Here 2 Timbuktu sponsored mini Festival, 4x4 and camel exploration of the Adrar Des Iforas mountains to the ancient Tuareg site of Essouk. This will be followed by one of the larger Tuareg festival gatherings which pop up at this time of year - hopefully either The Festival of Camels at Tessalit or The Festival Téneré. These are authentic Tuareg festivals and therefore hard to programme in too far in advance because they are not arranged for the tourist agenda. But we keep our ears to the ground, we have the contacts and there is always a party somewhere.

Go To Tuareg Xmas Festival Trip

           

                                                                   

4 March - 1 April 2009

From Senegal 2 Cameroon                                                 Dakar to Douala, Senegal-Mali-Niger-Cameroon               

From the coast at Dakar in Senegal we will travel 4000 km along the course of the Niger River, through the Sahel cultures of Mali Niger and northern Cameroon, from where we will travel through the gamut of Cameroon’s terrain  - desert to sahel to savannah to highlands and finally the equatorial forest back on the coast at Limbe. This trip will also include a game safari in Senegal and time with my Tuareg comminuity of Aguelhoc in the Sahara and Esu, the kingdom at the end of the road in in the highlands of Cameroon.

Small group trips.

    

19 Dec 09 to 5 Jan 10

From Bamako 2 Tuareg Xmas Festival                                                                                                   Mali

This is a very special, unique trip. It takes you deep into the Sahara of northern Mali. Our guides are a family of Tuaregs from a desert community which is very close to my heart.  It includes  a 3 day Niger River trip to Timbuktu, a 4x4 desert safari, a From Here 2 Timbuktu sponsored xmas Tuareg festival and  a 4 day camel trek through dunes rising up mountains of granite, azure blue spring lakes, sandy plains,  to arrive at the Oasis of Essouk for New year. Words cannot describe this trip adequately.

27 Dec 2009 to 1 Jan 2010 

31 Dec 2009 to 14 Jan 2010

3 Jan 2010 to 19 Jan 2010

From Bamako 2 Festival in the Desert                                                                                                         Mali

A trip to the famous and spectacular Festival in the Desert, including the World Heritage city of Djenne, a 4 day Dogon country trek and 3 days on the river Niger to Timbuktu.

19 Jan to 2 Feb 2009

From Bamako 2 Festival on the Niger                                                                                                         Mali

A fantastic music and dance Festival celebrating the full diversity of Malian culture in Segou, the former capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom on the banks of the Niger River. The festival ends a trip which Includes the World Heritage city of Djenne, a 3 day  Niger River trip to Timbuktu. a 4 day Dogon country trek,

               

11 - 21 Feb 2010 

From Dakar 2 Cruise Senegal                                                                                                                  Senegal

A touch of African style and luxury: a 6 day Senegal River Cruise on the magnificent and mythic Bou El Mogdad  from the desert through Wolof, Tukolor and Maure cultures to the Parc d’Oiseaux de Djoudj, one of the world’s most important breeding grounds for Flamingos Pelicans and migrating birds. The trip includes time in Saint Louis, the former capital of French West Africa, and Dakar, the vibrant modern capital of Senegal with an optional additional 3 days on the beaches of La Petite Côte. A great introduction to Africa with very good hotels, great food and Senegal Jazz night-life. If you want the buzz and style of Africa without the roughing it this trip is for you!

             

1 - 15 April 2010

From Douala 2 The kingdom at the end of the road                                                                    Cameroon

          Primate conservation, wild gorilla trek and the kingdom at the end of the road

20 April - 9 May

From Douala 2 Dzanga Sanga Gorilla                                                                                              Cameroon

A journey deep into the equatorial forest of south Cameroon to Dzanga Sangha reserve in Central African Republic. Here are the only habituated group of gorillas in West Africa. Aslo in the forest clearings we will see forest elephant and buffalo. We spend time with the extraordinary people of this region - the Ba’Aka “pygmy” - who will take us on a forest net hunt. Beach holiday to finish off.

May 2010

From Dakar 2 Saint Louis Jazz Festival                                                                                                                Senegal

Dakar, Saint Louis Jazz Festival and Senegal River cruise from the Atlantic to the Sahara desert.

October 2010

From Lilongwe 2 Festival of the Lake of the Stars                                                                            Malawi and Zambia

Festival trip to the beautiful Lake Malawi including  big game safari in Zambia and the highland plateau of Nyika in Malawi, and of course the wonderful Festival of the Lake of the Stars.