Cycling Through Africa on the TDA Cape to Kili Tour: My 11 Favorite Memories
Cape to Kili was my fifth tour with TDA Global Cycling, and while there were definitely some incredible highlights, I’ll be honest… it was also the hardest tour I’ve done. Probably my least favorite, if I’m being totally real.
Yes, the wildlife was amazing. The people and cultures were beautiful. And the sheer act of traveling from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro by bike was a feat in itself. But I struggled… physically, mentally, and emotionally. The heat, the dust, the endless camping, the lack of privacy (and quiet!), and the often non-existent infrastructure that we Westerners take for granted all took their toll.
Still, I’m glad I did it. It was my third time back in sub-Saharan Africa, and my first time visiting most of the countries we rode through. I’m especially grateful for the incredible crew I worked alongside, the riders who made the adventure worthwhile, and the fact that we somehow made it all the way to the end without any major accidents — just a broken-down truck and some post-election unrest in Tanzania that forced us to skip our final two days of riding.
Riding through South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains
Before flying to Cape Town to start the Cape to Kili tour, I didn’t really know much about South Africa’s landscape other than its reputation for great wine and great whites. But once we pedaled out of the city we soon found ourselves deep in the Cederberg Mountains and they are beautiful!
Rugged peaks rise out of wide, desert-y valleys dotted with vineyards, blooming orchards, and the occasional remote farmstead. It’s not a place I’d want to live (too dry and desolate for me—I need green and trees and some civilization!), but it was spectacular to ride through. The only downside? The freezing nights. One morning we actually woke up to frost on our tent and everyone huddled around the fire in the morning to get warm.
Stunning Sunrises & Sunsets
If there’s one thing Africa does really well, it’s the sunrises and sunsets. Every morning and evening felt like the sky was putting on a show.
Most mornings we were up before sunrise (like 4 or 5 am) eating breakfast as the red ball of sun rose up over the horizon. By evening, the sky would light up in deep oranges, reds, and purples, usually while we were setting up tents or cooking dinner. Even on the toughest days, it was hard not to pause for a minute and just take it all in.
The Remote Dirt Roads of Namibia
Namibia was both incredible and incredibly tough. It’s desolate but beautiful, remote yet dotted with quirky roadhouses and dusty little cafés. The roads were rough, the gravel chunky, and the headwinds relentless. Some days it felt like we were were never going to make it to camp…
But despite all that, there’s something about Namibia that just feels special. I’d love to go back someday and explore more. But in a 4×4, not on a bike.
Mountain biking in Windhoek
I’d heard rumors of decent mountain biking in Namibia (H+I Adventures even runs a tour there), so of course I had to check it out. We had two rest days in Windhoek, and after a bit of Googling, I found a local guide to show me around.
Turns out, there’s actually quite a bit of riding just outside the city. We ended up doing about 15 miles, and it was pretty solid! Not the most mind-blowing riding I’ve ever done, but still… mountain biking in Namibia? I’ll take it.
Namib Desert Dunes at Golden Hour
I’d seen photos of Namibia’s famous red and golden dunes before visiting, so I was super excited to check them out on our rest day in Sesriem. We stayed at a camp just outside the park and drove our support vehicles out to see them. Getting there was half the fun! We had to navigate deep sand, and it turned into a bit of an adventure trying not to get the trucks stuck. They were 4x4s, of course, but it still got the adrenaline going. I drove our Hilux and didn’t get stuck. Just saying 🙂
The dunes were incredible, especially as the sun started to set. The one we visited— Deadvlei —has 800-year-old petrified trees sticking up from a white clay pan at its base. The area used to get a lot more rain, but over time the climate shifted and the river stopped flooding, leaving the trees to die. Since it’s so dry here, they never decomposed. Pretty wild.
Elephant Sands Camp in Botswana
Cape to Kili was a 100% camping tour (that’s not to say I didn’t treat myself to a few hotel rooms…). And we stayed just about everywhere from lush resort lawns to dusty bush camps in the middle of nowhere. But one of my favorite stops was Elephant Sands in Botswana. It completely lived up to its name: plenty of sand, and plenty of elephants.
The camp is built around a natural watering hole where dozens of elephants come to drink, bathe, and splash around just a few feet from the main lodge. Sitting there with a cold drink, watching these massive wild animals so close you could hear them breathe, was absolutely unforgettable.
The Chobe River Cruise in Maun, Botswana
I almost skipped this one. A river cruise sounded kind of boring, but that’s only because I’d never done a river cruise in Africa. Holy moly, the animals! They were everywhere. Crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, antelope… you name it. It was pretty magical, especially as the sun started to set and the whole river turned red and gold
White Water Rafting the Zambezi in Victoria Falls
By far my favorite highlight from the Cape to Kili tour was an overnight rafting trip on the Zambezi River. A few of the riders generously invited me to join, and it ended up being the most fun I had on the entire trip. I’d done some whitewater rafting before, but this was next level. The Zambezi is world-famous for its rapids and even holds a few records, like the largest commercial “drop” rapid!
It was a wild ride, but somehow no one fell in and we didn’t flip the boat. That night, our guides cooked dinner over the fire, and we camped on the sandy banks of the river under the stars. It was an unforgettable experience.
Sunrise Breakfast Cruise in Vic Falls
This was another unexpected “treat” from one of the guests. She’d booked a private sunrise breakfast river cruise for herself, but there was room for two, so she invited me to join. Even though it was a rest day and I could’ve slept in, I wasn’t about to pass that up. So I set my alarm for 4:30am and went along.
It ended up being such a peaceful morning. The water was calm, the breakfast was delicious, and while we didn’t see a ton of wildlife—just a few hippos, some crocs, and lots of birds—it was a really lovely way to start the day.
The ferry ride across Lake Kariba
Cape to Kili was technically a cycling tour, but hey, why not take a little help when you can? Instead of grinding out 300 hot, dry, and dusty kilometers from Zimbabwe to Zambia on a busy road, we hopped aboard the Kariba Lake ferry. Yep, a 22-hour ferry ride.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t totally sure how “fun” that would be, but it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the trip. There was plenty of group bonding over bottles of wine, mattresses spread out on the deck under a sky full of stars, and even a mid-ferry swim in the cool waters of the mighty Zambezi River.
Zebras and Giraffes in Camp in Lusaka
We saw plenty of wildlife throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, but one of my favorite memories was in Lusaka, where we shared our campground with a few unexpected visitors: giraffes and zebra. They just wandered in, watched us do our laundry, snacked on some vegetation, and then casually carried on like it was no big deal.
Mt. Meru From The Air With A Full Moon
My last special highlight of Cape to Kili was flying out of Kilimanjaro Airport. My flight left at 6am, just in time to see Mt. Meru glowing in the sunrise above a blanket of clouds. (I originally thought it was Kilimanjaro, but quickly realized it wasn’t the iconic shape of Kilimanjaro.
And to make it even better, there was a full moon hanging behind it in the sky. It was the perfect way to end the trip.
Our Crew
I’ve worked with some amazing people from all over the world through TDA, and this tour was no exception. Our crew came from Belgium, Norway, Wales, South Africa, Tunisia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe — a pretty incredible mix. It was a fun, hard-working group, and even though this wasn’t my favorite trip overall, they definitely made it better.
Looking back, Cape to Kili was a pretty incredible feat. It definitely wasn’t an easy tour nor was it my favorite — there were tough days, long stretches, and plenty of dust — but it was also filled with unforgettable moments. From watching elephants at Elephant Sands Camp and rafting the Zambezi to riding through Namibia’s vast desert landscapes, it was a trip that pushed me in all the (best?) ways. The crew, the riders, and the sheer scale of traveling from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro by bike made it a pretty epic adventure. Am I glad it’s over? Yep. But it’s also a trip I won’t forget anytime soon.
Is cycling through Africa something you’d like to do? Which highlight(s) resonate with you the most? Let me know in the comments!
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