The original idea for a Trans-Africa trip was dreamed up in late 1996 by Michael Ladden. In the beginning stages it had been unclear whether or not the travels would be on foot or a mobile mounted affair. Michael spent the better part of a year in North, East, and Central Africa in 1992 on foot, and because of this, ultimately decided to make this adventure a mobile one. What better vehicle than a Land Rover! In celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of this legendary marque (1998) it was decided to conquer Africa the old fashioned way, or more appropriately, the Vintage way. All vehicles selected for the special journey were antique (at least 25 years old) and were as close to original specification as possible. After Vintage Rovers Across Africa had been officially named and an Expedition logo designed, Michael began to work on the most important task of route selection. Africa is a volatile land of constant change, political instability and extreme weather. The final route from North West to East Africa was developed and modified several times to suit both the yearly weather patterns and the political situations of the region. Paul Shumway joined the Expedition team and began to research local custom and acquired a large base of knowledge on both the expedition route and the cultural environment that this group would be encountering. By the middle of 2000 it had become clear that the goal of crossing Africa was daunting. The political situation sadly forced us to modify our route and it was decided to journey from Morocco to Ghana. In early 2001 the group of 8 men and 4 vintage vehicles successfully completed what has now become Stage I of our epic journey. Along the way they visited the imperial cities of Morocco, battled the sand dunes of Western Sahara and Mauritania and traveled to the famed desert town of Timbuktu in Mali. They then made their way through Niger, Togo, Benin and completed the adventure in Accra Ghana. (The Stage I links below highlight the journey in detail) In early 2002 it was decided to complete our "trans African" journey. We will begin in Ghana and travel to the Southern reaches of Africa, eventually completing the journey in Cape Town, South Africa. Nicknamed Stage II, this new adventure promises to be every bit as interesting as its' predecessor. This time around we plan to journey through 13 countries and complete nearly 7000 miles. The expected journey length is 2-3 months. Unlike stage I, we have eased the requirement of vintage vehicles (although a few are going). Much has changed since 1996. Drive The Globe | Overland Adventures now specializes in one of a kind trips to many other parts of the world. Africa still remains our prime focus though, and these epic adventures will continue to be the core of our business.