Lamu – Kipangani Explorer
Perched on the edge of Kipungani Bay, where the protected mangroves of Kipungani Creek meet the end of a deserted 14-kilometre beach on the southwestern tip of Lamu Island, Kipungani is the ultimate dream destination for those seeking a true desert island holiday.
This unique spot is actively involved in the local school which we will be visiting and handing over some sponsored balls, as well as organizing a local village football game.

Watamu – Turtle Bay
At Turtle Bay Beach Club, we have a special relationship with the community and have a history of supporting local conservation projects.

They are currently involved in the local school in Watamu which we will be visiting and promoting the beautiful game.

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Pinewood – Fishing Village
Pinewood village is situated on the Southern Kenyan coastline where they have developed a sustainable working relationship with the local fishing village who they are working very closely with.

Fundu Lagoon, Pemba School
Fundu Lagoon is on the Wambaa peninsular on the Western coast of Pemba island. There are over 6 small villages on the peninsular, and the nearest one is Kutukuu. There is a very poor road to this village, but no running water or electricity. Subsistence farming and fishing is the way of life here, unchanged for hundreds of years.

Thanks to guests' voluntary donations the village is building a school. The nearest government school is too far for the village children to walk to. We will be visiting the school which would have been completed and once again distributing sponsors balls.

MOTO Handicraft
This project has been set up on the Islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. It is focused on promoting the use of alternative sources of energy, in order to protect the forests and the natural resources. The local ladies are making beautiful handicrafts, which are receiving international recognition.

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The Cabo Delgado Biodiversity and Tourism Project
The project aims to ensure the financial viability of the marine conservation and associated community programs through an exciting eco-tourism initiative, which will be independently funded by private investors with a strong commitment to conservation. We will be visiting the project and documenting how far they have come and what their final goal is.

EXPEDITION
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Leg 1 Lamu – Mombasa
Leg 2 Mombasa – Tanga
Leg 3 Tanga – Dar
Leg 4 Zanzibar
Leg 5 Dar – Mafia Island
Leg 6 Mafia Island – Lindi
Leg 7 Lindi – Pemba
Leg 8 Pemba – Vilanculos
Leg 9 Vilanculos – Kosi Bay

see full map
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LEG 1 Lamu – Mombasa (15 Aug to 31 Aug, Approx 280 km)

General: Being our first leg of our journey this will naturally be very exciting and full of hype.
Lamu: Said to be one of Kenya’s oldest living towns. It is rich in tradition and has plenty reefs, beautiful coastal forests and fantastic diving.

Kiki an ecological wonderland is also on the cards for a spot of sightseeing.
Potential problems: Somalian pirate attacks have been reported in this area!!!

LEG 2 Mombasa – Tanga (1 Sept to 15 Sept, Approx 235 km)

General: This is going to be one of the easier sections of the trip, we are not going to be covering too much distance. This leg will involve a border crossing.
Highlights: The Southern Kenyan coast is one of the more touristy spots with stretches of unspoilt beaches and plenty to see and do.
Pemba Island, is one of Tanzania’s pearls, similar to Zanzibar but less developed and unspoilt.

LEG 3 Tanga – Dar (16 Sept to 30 Sept, Approx 240 km)

General: This will be our first full leg in Tanzania. Long stretches of beach.
Highlights: This stretch of the Tanzanian coast is unspoilt and will offer a real adventure. Unspoilt beaches aren’t going to be too hard to find along this leg. The coast line takes a slightly concave dimension which should make for a more protected paddle.

LEG 4 Zanzibar (1 Oct to 15 Oct, Approx 250 km)

General: This leg will include a trip out to Zanzibar, from Dar, either by paddling out or via ferry, and then a paddle around the coastline.
Highlights: Zanzibar, and its surrounding archipelago, this as we all know is one of the most visited locations along this part of the coastline. We will spend a couple of days paddling round the island visiting all the quaint little villages as we go.

LEG 5 Dar - Mafia (16 Oct to 31 Oct, Approx 240 km

General: This is going to be one of the shortest sections of the trip.
Highlights: Mafia island, again this is a surreal under-explored island surrounded by unspoilt reefs - perfect for diving.

LEG 6 Mafia - Lindi (1 Nov to 15 Nov, Approx 180 km)

General: This leg will include Mafia Island and we will be paddling down some of the most unspoilt and uninhabited sections of our trip
Highlights: Mafia Island, as noted above. Kilwa Masoko, this is one of the Tanzania’s fastest growing tourist areas, which is surrounded by numerous smaller islands. Kilwa Masoko is home to a number of ancient Swahili ruins.

LEG 7 Lindi - Pemba (16 Nov to 10 Dec, Approx 460 km)

General: This is going to be our longest and last paddling stretch, crossing the Tanzanian boarder and the great Ravuna River. We will meet our ground crew and vehicle at Pemba which will be where we start the driving leg.
Highlights: We have spoken to a number of experienced paddlers who have done this route and they have recommended it as one of the most unspoilt spots there is, being up in the remote northern corner of Mozambique nothing from the western world ever seems to disturb the peace and tranquillity. There are numerous small islands scattered all along this stretch.

LEG 8 Pemba - Vilanculos (11 Dec to 21 Dec, Approx 1400km)

General: This will be our first driving leg; and will provide a much needed rest after a long paddle.
Highlights: Pemba – superb coastline to be enjoyed with a hard earned beer in hand.
Vilanculos, there is the possibility of visiting the beautiful Bazaruto archipelago!

LEG 9 Vilanculos – Kosi Bay (22 Dec to 31 Dec, Approx 1100km)

General: The final leg of the trip! There will be eagerness and anticipation of finishing such an adventure.
Highlights: Mozambique in all its glory. We will be visiting many beautiful coastal villages along the way. The road isn’t too bad and should provide for some chilled sundowners without the worry of having to pull our boats out of the reach of the rising tide!

Inhacca, this beautiful little island is situated 30 km off the Maputo coastline, and offers diving and snorkelling.
Arriving in Kosi Bay !! Completing the marathon of K2K!

Click on the link above to view the regular team updates!!!

HOME
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The East African Coastline has been mapped by ships, which for centuries have sailed the waters of its majestic coast. But who has felt the wind blow like a desert storm on the lost beaches of Kenya, who has played with the untamed children of Africa, who really knows what the coastline has to offer and what in future it could provide? We speculate with fear and uncertainty, but now is our chance to exchange our ignorance for knowledge and of course adventure…

WHAT WE ARE DOING
We are going to be sea kayaking down the East African coast from Lamu, Kenya to Pemba, Mozambique which will take us four months. From Pemba we will drive the remaining stretch down to Kosi Bay, South Africa which is expected to take a further month.

We are going to be visiting various community / conservation projects en route. (see community page for details) As a token of our visit we will be distributing soccer balls to the children, giving them something which will last longer than our brief visit. (see Our balls for further details

WHO IS DOING IT
Two adventurous, recently qualified CA’s will form the core of the team completing the entire expedition. They will be joined by two additional team members who will be substituted every two weeks.

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

“Because everybody can, but few ever do!”

Graham Leslie, Richard Thomas

WHY SOCCER BALLS?
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Soccer is the most popular form of entertainment for the children in Africa. Unfortunately many of these children do not have proper soccer balls and have resorted to using anything from a Coke can to a ball of grass.

As we are going into these communities to film documentaries about them, we are in a position to give soccer balls (and a pump) to the children which will be a lasting benefit to them. This is by no means going to solve all their problems but will make a small part of their lives that much more enjoyable.

We are also in the process of raising money for our expedition and therefore think that if we can take a small part of all sponsorship received to buy soccer balls to give to the children, we will be creating a more immediate benefit to the communities. BDO Spencer Steward have sponsored all the balls for the expedition (soccer balls that is!)The documentaries that we are going to be making will create awareness of the various community and conservation projects and are aimed at increasing the pool from which these projects could get donations. This is obviously the longer term objective of the expedition.

DONATE A BDO BALL
This is your chance to bring a smile to a child on the East African coast by sponsoring a soccer ball which we will deliver on your behalf. We will give you a certificate for your donation and you will be able to track where your balls have ended up by visiting our website.

The table below sets out the pricing for our balls (please note that, contrary to logic and economies of scale, our balls get more expensive the more you donate. This is due to the fact that we are very limited by the space in our kayaks):

Pricing of a ball and a smile(R)
1 Soccerball, delivered: R100
20 Soccerballs delivered with Golden ball, certificate and website ad: R4000

Payment
1. Please deposit funds into the following bank account and include a personalized reference which will allow us to identify your specific payment in our bank statements.

2. Then could you please e-mail us with this reference and the details of your deposit ie amount paid and number of balls, who you are and who you would like the credit for the ball to go to on our website. Could you please give us as much detail about yourself (website, phone number, what your business does etc) as possible so that we can put it on our site and can also contact you:

Bank: FNB
Name: K2K Expedition
Number: 62084460816
Type: Current/Cheque
Branch Code: 210514

E-mail Address: info@k2k.co.za

LINKS
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In Africa
Gareth and Kate are leaving Cape Town in July 2005 and heading towards Morocco and onto the UK. Besides seeing the many wonders of the continent, we are aiming to visit various community development and conservation projects along the way and hope to be able to spend some time helping and working on some of them. See you in Africa! - www.inafrica.co.uk

CONTACT US
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Richard Thomas: +27 83 561 1151

Graham Leslie: +27 82 822 5613

E-mail: info@k2k.co.za

Resort Sponsors

To book a holiday at these resorts click here.

Kipangani Explorer
Perched on the edge of Kipungani Bay, where the protected mangroves of Kipungani Creek meet the end of a deserted 14-kilometre beach on the southwestern tip of Lamu Island, Kipungani is the ultimate dream destination for those seeking a true desert island holiday.

Kizingo
Kizingo is the ultimate 'no news, no shoes' beach resort - a wonderful secluded and tranquil escape from the modern world. The lodge is situated at one end of a spectacular 12-kilometre beach.

Pinewood Village
Pinewood Village is a small boutique Beach Resort offering an experience that is truly special. It is ideally situated on the quiet and deserted shores of Galu Beach, one of the finest beaches in Kenya, South of Mombassa.

Fundu Lagoon
Fundu Lagoon is a beautiful hide away located on Pemba Island just north of Zanzibar. This unique spot is reachable only by boat. It is a divers paradise where you could spend months without a worry in the world.

Turtle Bay Beach Club
Turtle Bay Beach Club is situated in Watamu on the Kenyan Coast on one of the top 5 beaches in the world. It is one of the first hotels along this coast to be awarded the bronze rating from the Eco-Tourism Society of Kenya due to its interaction with the local communities and the environment.

Technical & Financial Sponsors

www.bdo.co.za
The staff at BDO Spencer Steward are "Specialist advisers to growing businesses" and focus mainly on small to medium sized companies. They form part of BDO International, which is the 5th largest accounting and auditing firm in the world.

www.duesouth.co.za
Due South are the latest manufactures and suppliers of high quality outdoor clothing and equipment, with international brands like North Face and Columbia filling their shelves they are definitely a step above the rest. Their slogan,"Be an outsider", was a natural choice for our expedition. They have supplied the team with clothing and various camping equipment, with weight and quality being our highest priorities their equipment fitted right in! We could have spent days kitting ourselves out with the latest outdoor gear at their flagship store in Canal Walk, definitely worth a visit, even if it is only to drool over their gear!

www.ikraal.co.za
iKraal is a fusion of old and new media. Combining a history of print advertising and design with expertise in the media formats of the future such as web and digital video, we are able to offer tailor-made products and services that best suit our clients' needs. iKraal has kindly offered to host this site for K2K free of charge.

ENDERMOLOGIE
Endosport
Endosport are involved in the rehabilitation and muscle strengthening of sportsmen. They are assisting us with muscle strengthening and our nutritional requirements as well providing financial support.

toescapeto.com has been very helpful in the organizing of our trip. They have put us in contact with numerous resorts along the way due to their expertise and extensive contacts in the region. They have sponsored us a link on the popular Google search engine so that any searches related to kayaking expeditions will draw attention to our trip.

Tel: (082) 562 2455
Matlou Ranch
The Matlou Ranch is situated in Botswana and has 3 luxury camps situated along the Limpopo River. The Ranch has already donated $1 000 to help us with our trip. They are also in the process of trying to secure sponsorship from outdoor stores in the United States.

www.virginactive.co.za
Virgin Active South Africa’s premier health and fitness club are leading the way in their dynamic approach to maintaining ones health and well being in the 21st century. They have provided the K Team with gym time to ensure they are in the right shape and physically prepared for the challenges which lie ahead.

www.tihan.org
Through the efforts of the many volunteers of TIHAN they hope to ensure that accurate information regarding HIV and AIDS is available to all of their communities in Tucson USA, and that the fear surrounding the epidemic will be replaced with knowledge and compassion. TIHAN has been a great financial sponsor of the expedition.

Equipment Sponsors

THE K-TEAM
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Graham Leslie (26 years old)

Although born and bred on a farm in the Free State, Graham has adapted to the water quite well. He went to school in Natal, studied at Stellenbosch University, and then completed his articles and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO Spencer Steward in Johannesburg. He is currently unemployed in Cape Town and claims to be the brains behind the trip.

Richard Thomas (26 years old)

Richard grew up in Cape Town after his parents saw the light and moved from his city of birth, Johannesburg. He spent a gap year in Europe where his love for travel and adventure took root. He studied at the University of Stellenbosch, followed by 3 years with KPMG in Cape Town where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant at the end of 2004. His passion for the outdoors and his concern for Africa meant that this was an opportunity which he could not ignore.

Aaron Yeats (20 years old)
Aaron Yeats currently 20yrs old, has been studying a Degree in Business at a University in Melbourne Australia. Aaron is a Wildwater kayaker whose successes in Australia’s under 18’s category, led him to New Zealand as a member of the Australian Kayak team. Aaron sees the Expedition as an awe inspiring feat that he is overwhelmed with elation to be involved in, and his dream of exploring the wilds of Africa is just one of the many motivations that have enthused him to take this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Shayne Marshall (20 years old)
Shayne was born in Natal, but went to live in Gaborone, Botswana for 6 years. At 12 he moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he completed his schooling. He is at University, studying for his Business Marketing & Management Degree. He finds it difficult, if not impossible, to get Africa out of his blood, and has decided to join the expedition to live his dream and once again experience Africa at its best.