The moment you leave Windhoek you’ll experience the solitude of the Kalahari Desert. Your first encounter with the rich wildlife will take place on a cheetah farm.

After crossing the border, you continue your ride through the Kalahari. The solitude is only broken by small towns like Tshootsa and Ghanzi. At the end of this long riding day you reach Maun. After seeing nothing but desert today it is hard to imagine that you are actually on the edge of one Africa’s largest river deltas – the Okavango Delta lies in the middle of the Botswana desert!

A Delta in the middle of the desert

A beautifully situated tented camp is your base to explore the Delta and close-by Moremi game reserve. Your camp is in the border area between the wet Okavango Delta and the much drier Moremi game reserve. As a result of these differences between dry and wet habitats, this area is one of the richest in wildlife. The open safari vehicles are by far the best way to spot animals and birds and to take the best pictures. Mokoro boat rides and/or walks are other great ways to discover this wonder of nature.

Once we return from the Delta, we mount our motorbikes again. The ride leads between endless salt flats and leafless Baobab trees to Nata. Here you go for a sundowner so you can enjoy a typical orange African sunset over one of the immense salt flats!

In Chobe wildlife reserve you’ll board a boat to go looking for hippos, crocs and elephants.

The Smoke that Thunders

Early in the morning you have a transfer across the border into Zimbabwe. From far you can see mist rising above the landscape from the Victoria Falls. This is what gave them their local name: Mosi-oa-Tunya, the Smoke that Thunders. You’ll have ample time to admire this natural wonder. Walk along the edge of the gorge into which the waterfalls drop, take a flight high above the falls and lunch in cosy Vic Falls. At the end of a long day you return to your lodge in Botswana. Now you know why it’s called the Wildlife and Waterfalls motorbike tour!

You ride across a corner of Chobe game reserve to the border with Namibia. Maybe you’ll spot some more game before crossing the border. The road continues through the Caprivi Strip, very different from the desert you have mostly seen till now. With a bit of luck, you will catch glimpses of a bushbuck, a kudu or an elephant. From the sundeck at the edge of the Okavango River you will see this river turning orange from the light of the setting sun.

At Tsumeb you leave the last of the villages and towns behind you and ride through a fertile area with large farms. As the day goes on, the desert starts taking over again and you’ll start spotting springbokkies, a first sign of the rich wildlife you’ll encounter later. Etosha national park is the perfect place for a game drive to find lions, giraffes, rhinos and antelopes.

Etosha wildlife

Early the next morning you’ll board the open safari vehicle for your full-day game drive. Etosha is home to the largest population of both black as well as white rhino in the whole of Africa. Did you know a white rhino is just as grey as a black rhino? You’ll also see many giraffes, kudus, gazelles and other antelopes. You’re also at risk to encounter predators like lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and hyenas.

The last day you ride a good tarred road into Windhoek and the civilized world. The busy traffic makes you realize how far you have been from civilization the last weeks. Fortunately, civilization has its advantages, like ice-cold beers, terraces and a scrumptious dinner in a nice restaurant.

This 14-day motorcycle safari is ca. 3,000 km on tarred roads. Some short stretches are on gravel roads, for instance to reach an accommodation. The tour is suitable for all bikers who like a couple of long riding days, but you don’t need experience on gravel roads. No hard off-road riding involved. Most roads you’ll ride around 80-100 km/hour. Very suitable for rider with a pillion.

We normally use sturdy, dependable BMW F750GS or F1250GS motorbikes, but Honda Africa Twins or KTM Adventure bikes are also available for the Wildlife and Waterfalls motorbike tour.