Adventure Overland Safaris with Africa Travel Co

Activity/Tour

So you want to see Africa and all the wonderful things the continent has to offer, but the bank balance doesn’t quite stretch to that luxury safari! Solution – Overlanding! You get to experience this beautiful continent in a in a much more affordable (and fun) way. But, what is it, exactly, and how does it differ from a regular safari?

Every year hundreds of overland trucks cross the African Continent between Uganda and Cape (or vice versa) on what has become one of the most popular and well established overland routes in the world. Overland trucks are large, modified MAN or Mecerdes vehicles that seat 20 - 30 travellers and carry all the equipment necessary for camping and cooking on a trip that can be as short as 3 days or as adventurous 56 days. Through the use of these well maintained, long distance trucks, and camping along the way, costs are considerably cheaper than a luxury safari that utilises flights and luxury lodges. The wildlife experiences you will have in the game parks and reserves are no different than those you’d have on a luxury safari. (In fact, with 20 pairs of eyes peeled for a glimpse of that elusive Leopard, you may have a far more rewarding wildlife experience from the back of an overland truck than on a regular smaller safari!) Not only will you get fantastic wildlife experiences but, you also have the added excitement of sleeping under the African sky with the far off roar of a lion, the laugh of a hyena or the grunts, calls and whispers of the African night. The best partin all of this is that you can share all these experiences with like-minded travellers, many of whom will leave as life long friends.


Come camp with us under the stars, climbing the dunes of Sossusvlei, dive in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, relax on the shores of lake Malawi, white-water rafting down the Mighty Zambezi, bungy jump, abseil, skydive, share the in the odd job of cooking & washing up and perhaps even indulge in a nice cold beer (if we've managed to find ice) at the end of the day - it may not be a luxury holiday, but it’s undoubtedly a lot of fun and adventure!

Typical Day

You will be traveling in a custom built overland truck, these are fully equipped vehicles with tents, camp chairs, a full kitchen, drinking water and a driver that is also a mechanic. The trucks are built to endure the demanding terrain with comfortable coach style seating and spacious interior, they make for the perfect viewing platform as you travel through the different towns and landscapes.

Due to the nature of overland travel in Africa and the sheer size of the countries we travel through, driving days vary in length from a few hours to the best part of the day. On long driving days the truck will stop enroute for lunch and at points of interest, to help break up the drive.

We make supply stops every 2 - 3 days to stock up on fresh friuits & vegetables, meats and perishables and anything else we may need for the coming days. For you this is a great opportunity to experience the local markets, mix with the locals and perhaps even stock up on a few supplies yourself. If your realy lucky there may even be an option to send a quick email or two to friends and family back home.

The end of the day will find us in a campsite where will make our home for the evening. The campsites that we stay in are the best of what is on offer, some have great facilities some have the bare essentials but at the end of the day we are here from an adventure and to experience Africa so why would we want the comforts of home? Most of campsites do have showers (not always hot) and flushing toilets and some kind of bar where you can purchase refreshments (not always cold!) We must bear in mind that some of the areas travel through do reflect third world Africa but with the spirit of adventure your sure to have the time of your life.

Age range, type of group

If you’re the adventurous type who’d rather spend a night roughing it in a rain forest than luxuriating in a boutique hotel, then overlanding is for you. With overlanding you experience Africa first-hand; buying supplies from local markets, sharing a yarn with the villagers or just taking in the amazing atmosphere, it’s perfect for people travelling alone, as a group of friends or as a couple. We do our major activities as a group and chores are shared, so everyone works and plays together. But if you need that little bit of "alone time" there is pleantly of opportunity for this also. If you’re a first-time traveller, joining an overland tour still gives you that sense of adventure, with the added bonus of a Trip Leader, Driver and Safari Cook. The companionship of your fellow travlers means you’ll always have someone to share your experiences and adventures with. If you’re looking for a trip which goes beyond a mere holiday and gives you the opportunity to make a lot of new friends and see a lot of new places in a relatively short period of time, then overlanding is for you!

Sleeping and meals

Accommodation whilst on tour is camping, with a few exceptions on route. Tents are provided for you but, you will need to bring alone your own sleeping bag and camping matteress. Most nights are spent at campsites, however keep in mind that campsites in Africa can be very basic. We do have a few places where we will "bush camp", which means that there are no facilities and we are out in the bush for the night, 2 at the most, you will always be given pleanty of notice so that you are prepared for your night out in the wild! All the campsites have a great rustic under the African skies feel and most have a bar area for you to relax in at the end of the day. The campsites do have ablution blocks with hot/ cold showrs (sometimes cold only) Most have flush toilets and electric points but not all. Most people come expecting to find the bare minimum facilities and are generally surprised and the standard of campsites on route. Whilst on safari most meals are included, the meals are of an excellent standard cooked over the open flames in true Africa style. Being a participation tour you will be expected to help in the preparation of these meals as well as help clean up afterwards. Your Trip Leader will draw up a roster and allocate you your job for the day.

Restrictions

Age is from 18 years of age with no upper age limit. If you have an open mind, a sense of adventure and are fit and able, then you are more than welcome to join us on an overland adventure. We also run Family departures with the minimum age of 6 years when traveling with a parent/s or legal guardian.

Rates

As our Trips range from 3 days through to 56 days please contact us for a quote.

Other Information

These days not everyone (unfortunately) has 6 weeks or more to travel, as in the early days of overlanding. Therefore we, at Africa Travel Co have specifically designed, constructed and perfected our scheduled itineraries over the past 19 years to best suite the need of every adventure traveler. Whether you are a young professional wanting a 10 day break, the GAP student wanting to combine a tour with their exchange program, the retiree wanting a bit of adventure, the family wanting to experience Africa together or your just a die hard traveler … then look no further, we have it all!!

Discounts Offered

We offer a 10% discoount off the trip price to ISIC card holders, an Early Bird savings of 5% on the trip price of any trip 10 days or longer booked 6 months in advance. Group booking discount of 7% on the trip price when 4 or more people book together on a trip of 10 days or longer. Please note discounts are on the trip price and not the local payment, the discounts are only applicable to trips 10 days or longer and cannot to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Terms and conditions apply.