What is an African Overland tour and who should go?

It has been said that the average person lives a life of quiet desperation, but then there are those feel the need to break free of those bonds and seek adventure, to explore uncharted territories. Those who wish to discover wild and remote places, where each dawn and sunset heralds a new experience. The only way to truly appreciate Africa is to sleep on her earth, to bake in her sun, to touch her grass and to be doused in her water. Allow our tented safari adventures to help you live in the great outdoors of Africa.

Our Adventure Tours are for people who love life and want to embrace it with unbridled passion, for those who care about culture, people and wildlife. As all of our scheduled departures are participation trips, it is very important that travellers have a positive attitude and are prepared to put in their fair share towards various everyday camping activities. Joining in is what turns a great trip into an unforgettable journey. With the right attitude, we can ensure that travellers will get the most out of their African overland tours experience!

Our belief is that it's not just the destination, but the total experience of the African Overland tour that is important. We travel together, learn about each others cultures and form a strong, supportive and fun team. Although our guides are FGASA registered, they are not heroes and won't pamper you. They are however, enthusiastic and ready for anything and will always get you through the tough times with a smile.

For a successful expedition, all we need is space under the stars and your eagerness to join in. A typical day starts when the sun comes up, as we live by nature's timetable and use as many daylight hours as possible. If you are camping, tents are set up by nightfall, kettles are boiled, the smell of cooking fills the air and we sit around the campfire chatting about the happenings of the day and the excitement of tomorrow. For those on the accommodated option, the only difference is that you will sleep on beds. Evenings are for writing diaries, playing cards or board games, or just listening to the African night. Every single tented safari is different and this is the way we like it!

Be ready for the experience of a lifetime as Africa does not tick like clockwork, so pack your sense of humour as there are sure to be a few surprises, which is why Africa is so endearing and do not worry, we will show you the way. An overland expedition is a journey along a suggested route aimed at the more adventurous and budget conscious traveller. It is off the beaten track, and many of the areas visited do not have the infrastructure that the package tourist may require. The route taken may also vary from time to time due to various factors.

Who is suited to undertake an overland expedition?

Our groups generally number from around twenty people, from all walks of life, and of various nationalities: most of our passengers are from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, North and South America. Although there are often couples and groups of friends who have booked together, most travellers are single and the male-female mix generally works out about even. The nature of overlanding tends to attract a certain age group, and experience has shown us that our camping trips are unsuitable for the majority of travellers outside the 16 to 55 age bracket. We do however accept a limited number of people older than 55 years on trips as we believe that it's about being willing and able to join in.

On our accommodated African Overland tours we welcome anyone with the right attitude! However, if you are older than 65 you will need to provide us with a letter from your GP to say that you are fit enough to handle the extremities of Africa. Suitability for our trips is not just about fitness, it's about being able to take the rough with the smooth, whether you're up to your elbows in mud rescuing your sinking truck, climbing the nearest tree in an attempt to escape from charging buffaloes or searching for the only bush in the desert to squat behind, you can always expect the unexpected!

Deciding which African overland tour is best for you

Often, people who are not experienced with Africa and adventure tours find the amount of information and choices both daunting and confusing. To simplify matters, we suggest the following steps:

Decide on the length of the African tented safari. Our tours are broken down by the number of days you spend on tour. How much time will you spend in Africa?

Southern Africa or Central/East Africa? When deciding to visit Africa, it is always a good idea to identify your key requirements as southern and eastern Africa differs vastly. Southern Africa is generally an easier region to travel in. There are better facilities, better roads, larger cities and it is closer in nature to a first world environment. Central/East Africa is more challenging to explore than the south. Facilities can be more limited (especially banking) and of a lower standard, but these trips offer more cultural interaction than those in Southern Africa.

Camping and accommodated trips follow similar routes, the main difference being the type of accommodation used. Are you happier in a tent or in a bed? On camping tours, nights are spent in two-man dome tents and we provide a foam mattress to ensure your comfort. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and towel.

Accommodated tours spend the night in basic chalets, bungalows, traditional huts and occasionally youth-hostels. Accommodation is two per room (sharing) except in East Africa where it is dormitory style and three to four people may share a room. In East Africa, you need to bring your own sleeping bag and towel. In Southern Africa these are provided.

What's included, what's not and why?

Let's face it, there is no such thing as an 'all-inclusive African Overland tour', there are always extra activities that you can do. We choose to let you make your own decisions. You don't have to spend anything more than the cost of the tour price, the odd meal out, drinks and souvenirs. You choose the rest. So what included? Transport in our specialised vehicles, the services of two qualified guides, meals, accommodation, activities as specified and most NP fees. What is not included though is the cost of Visas, vaccinations, items of a personal nature, alcohol, snacks and optional activities.

Transits
Many of our tours have the unique advantage of being extendable. Most of our tented safaris end as indicated but the vehicle often continues on to various points, offering travellers a useful service.

Linking the tours
Our African tours have been specifically designed to offer our travellers choice. You are able to customise our products so that when combined, they match your ideal African tented safari. Most of our trips fit seamlessly, enabling you to select your desired highlights and match them up exactly. Feel free to contact us for a more varied list of what is available.

Family tours
Africa is a wonderful place for children. Kids love the great outdoors and it's for this reason that we introduced our Family Departures in 2004. The affordability of our camping tours has allowed people to come to Africa for longer with their children. But, people did not just bring their children; many also brought their grandparents, who uniformly loved it. The minimum age on our Family Departures is eight and the maximum is eighty.

As we include three child-friendly crews on our African Overland tours, we are able to cater to the special needs of the family on holiday in Africa. Parents are able to have the occasional evening out alone while the children are supervised by our crew. Ensure an unforgettable African Overland Tour with us!