overland trips in africa

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Discover Africa on a Budget Travel Overland in Africa - Overlanding Africa

Absolute Africa organise budget overland safaris and African adventure tours, beach breaks on Zanzibar Spice Island and Kilimanjaro treks including charity climbs.

Our African budget tours visit the Migration & game drive to see the Big 5 including 4x4 safari tours. As the actual African budget tour provider we ensure you get the best price Africa travel. We bring a vast 40+ years experience to our African overland tours to make your Africa overland holiday a trip of a lifetime.

What makes an African Adventure?

Our Africa budget safaris are a guaranteed Adventure Tour. Camp in the wilds of Africa, visit remote destinations off the beaten track as well as the big highlights of Africa.

On our overland trips in Africa we head to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and the Masai Mara to see the great migration of herbivores closely followed by "the big cats". We journey to the Afromontane forest home of the mountain gorillas for treks to see this endangered primate. We trek rhino on foot with professional local guides, safari across savanna plains, visit the mighty Victoria Falls, hike on the dunes of Namibia and enjoy days on the Swahili island paradise, Zanzibar. There is time to experience a little of day to day village life and volunteer in a local school. Enjoy adventure sports like white water rafting, sky diving, gorge swings and scuba diving, Take a gap year or overseas year out, or just hit the road overlanding on one of our overland trips for adventure plus.

Overlanding Africa on a shoestring

We pride ourselves on ensuring the best price so you can do Africa on a budget.

Want a budget trip to Africa? Head off on an African overland tour in our big yellow overland trucks with a large fridge, sleeping mats, coach seats with seat belts, and power points to charge your equipment. Two experienced overland crew, a driver & tour leader, to lead your Africa adventure, with cooks on some trips. Follow our live african blogs and on the road news, view our African movies. Need help with your budget, visit our "budget check" for a quote for your Africa travel plans.

Talk to us soon to arrange your African overland tour!

The Absolute Team

The Absolute Safari

Kili trek and safari, maasai and migration, serengeti and ngorongoro crater, the gorilla stop, short safari in kenya, with game drives in the masai mara, wild wildebeest, a week in kenya, kenya and tanzania, the component, kenya & tanzania.

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Karibu! - "Welcome" to the world of Africa travel

In 1979 we headed out overlanding Africa crossing the Sahara Desert in a London taxi travelling from Britain to Kenya. Absolute Africa, the budget overland company, grew from there with the aim to allow you to discover Africa.

Our choice of vehicle has changed from the original taxi and on our overlanding Africa trips we now travel the continent in big yellow overland trucks. At the same time we have retained the core idea of enabling overlanding passengers to experience the best price African trips.

Travel Feature

Reaching Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, is attainable by most people of normal fitness levels, however in order to ensure that the climb is an enjoyable event rather than a tortuous slog some physical preparation is required. It is never too early to begin training for the climb, however to give yourself the best opportunity to build up stamina, strength and fitness your training should commence no later than 2 months before your climb.

Safari Search

Choose your overland safari.

Nairobi - Cape Town

Gorillas to Cape Town

Kigali - Cape Town

Northern Trails

Cape Town - Nairobi

The Wildlife Journey

Jinja - Cape Town

The Classic Safari

African drums, wildlife wanderer.

Nairobi - Maun

Flight of the Flamingos

Johannesburg - Nairobi

The Big Six

Nairobi - The Victoria Falls

The Southern Safari

Rivers of africa.

Jinja - The Victoria Falls

Classic Safari, the Component

Tusker trails.

Kigali - The Victoria Falls

The Southern Cross

Wildlife and spice island.

Nairobi - Zanzibar

Gorillas to Zanzibar

Kigali - Zanzibar

Northern Star

Southern explorer.

Lusaka - Cape Town

African Adventurer

East africa encounter.

Nairobi - Nairobi

Simba Sounds

Taste of africa.

Jinja - Zanzibar

Namibia Nomad

Victoria Falls - Cape Town

Face of Africa

Kigali - Nairobi

The Gorilla Trek

Nairobi - Kigali

African Sky

Zanzibar to gorillas.

Dar es Salaam - Kigali

Rainforests and Reefs

The garden route.

Cape Town - Johannesburg

Gorillas and Game Parks

Kampala - Arusha

Kilimanjaro - Kilimanjaro

Wildlife Encounter (Reverse)

Wild dogs and victoria falls.

Johannesburg - Victoria Falls

Wildlife Encounter

Kigali - Arusha

Maasai and Migration (Reverse)

Dar es Salaam - Nairobi

Vic Falls to Dar Es Salaam

Victoria Falls - Dar es Salaam

A Week in Gorilla Lands - Reverse

Kigali - Kampala

A Week In Gorilla Lands

Kampala - Kigali

Climb Kilimanjaro (8 day Lemosho Route)

8 day Lemosho Route -

Climb Kilimanjaro (7 day Machame Route)

7 days Machame Route -

Climb Kilimanjaro (7 day Lemosho Route)

7 day Lemosho Route -

Climb Kilimanjaro (7 day Rongai Route)

7 day Rongai Route -

Climb Mount Kenya Sirimon Chogoria Route

Kigali - Kigali

Climb Kilimanjaro (6 day Marangu Route)

6 Day Marangu Route -

Climb Kilimanjaro (6 day Rongai Route)

6 day Rongai Route -

Climb Kilimanjaro (6 day Machame Route)

6 days Machame Route -

Botswana Safari

Victoria Falls - Maun

Kruger National Park

Johannesburg - Johannesburg

Climb Mount Kenya Naro Moru Route

Other travel options.

• Climb Kilimanjaro
• Climb Mount Kenya
• Volunteering Projects
• Gorilla Trekking
• Zanzibar Island
• Pre and post safari
• Responsible travel
• What to expect
• Overland safaris
• Essential information
• The migration
• Wildlife - what and where?
• Travellers Feedback
• The Absolute Blog
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• Overland Tours
• Special Deals
• Types of Tour
• Country Guide
• About Overlanding

African Adventures

• South Africa
• Accommodated
• 7 - 14 Days
• 14 - 28 Days
• 28 - 42 Days

Our Overland Picks

Why book with Overland Africa?

When it comes to choosing an adventure in Africa that will deliver on your expectations, it’s hard to beat Overland Africa.

By blending the knowledge and experience of our overland experts with our strong bargaining power, we can offer you the holiday of a lifetime at a competitive rate – whether it’s a small group adventure through the Serengeti, traversing southern Africa in an Overland truck, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or Table Mountain – Overland Africa will design a holiday you won’t forget.

What our customers say

Just wanted to say thanks for your help in organising our amazing honeymoon in Africa. We had a great time and had really good luck with our animal viewings thanks to our fabulous guide/driver on our Safari, no one else we spoke to seemed to see 5 leopards and 3 cheetahs (on top of numerous lions) over 2 days in the Serengeti. I have attached a few of our favourite photos from the trip  (Although I am sure you have seen plenty of these!). We will be sure to recommend you to any friends we have planning any trips to Africa in the future! Thanks again!  

- Lisa and Ben / June 2016

Hi Leisha! Thank you for the welcome message. Obviously I am not caught up with my workload or my email. I very much enjoyed my Vic Falls activities. I took a sunset river cruise, went canoeing, attended the Boma Dinner and Drum Show and visited Vic Falls. I liked the Chobe Safari Lodge and those activities. There were many animals along the river which made the river cruises better than the game drives. My favorite was the Sango Safari Camp. The staff and the accommodations were both exceptional. I went on three game drives and one Mokoro river tour. We didn’t see many animals but the staff made the most of it. They were knowledgeable, friendly and excellent chefs! The food was outstanding! I like this property very much. It turns out that there was too much water in the Delta to see a lot of animals. It was really wet making animal viewing tough. Fortunately I like birds and there isn’t ever a shortage of those. I very much appreciate this package you put together, especially on short notice and with restrictive dates. You did a fantastic job! There was a great deal of flying with 10-12 hour stopovers both ways and several flights both ways. I definitely wouldn’t do that again but I doubt that if would be necessary if my dates weren’t restrictive. All in all it was an awesome experience!!!Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

- Traci / February 2017

Hello Gelle! We have returned safely and yes, we all had a great time! We did not meet any troubles. The flight transfers from Harare also went smoothly. It was very nice to see Zimbabwe with all the interesting past and current history. Our guides Tembe and Laban – Zimbabweans- were excellent. - Mokoro-trip – fantastic, with the setting, boat trip and the guides. - Vic Falls – a great time with lots of activities – elephant ride, bungee, rafting, sunset cruise etc. Laban organized some of the stuff. We got T-shirts! - Matopos – a great experience, Lovely camp site, Ian was a fantastic guide! San-history, walking safari with rhinos, the scenery etc! - Great Zimbabwe – very interesting, fascinating! We also had a lovely time in Mozambique at the Archipelago Resort /150USD per night for large bungalows self-catering, also with a lovely restaurant at the place. But so few tourist… both in Zimbabwe and Mozambique – we hope better days for these wonderful destinations will come. We all agreed that the overland-truck concept suited very well for a group of families like ours (with children approximately 10 and above) and is certainly something we would recommend to others. Very easy and convenient, better than driving all these long distances in separate cars on our own.  Combination of camping and hotels were great (all good hotels!). We hope we will be able to go in another journey in a few years. Thanks for great organizing and help! 

- Thomas / April 2016

Hey Gelle! We are (begrudgingly) back in the US and trying to get back in the work groove. I miss vacation life! Everything was incredible, thank you. We really appreciate all of your help in making our vacation so wonderful and easy. Specifically, there were a lot of moving parts to this trip which we didn’t know how to organize or schedule. With time I’m sure that we could have managed it but as busy professionals we don’t have the time. Having you educate us on those pieces and then handle all of the logistics with them and the transfers between them was invaluable. We enjoyed simply knowing that everything would be worked out so we could focus on enjoying ourselves. We will definitely consider working with you again for our travel needs.  

- Matt Goff / August 2015

Hi Leisha and Gelle Talk about timing. You send an email enquiring about our lost bag, and I am staring directly at it and its contents all over our dining table as I picked it up from the airport today. Egyptair facilitated its return via Emirates Air.  I don’t know how they got it from the Cairo Airport.  At the advice of the Australian Consulate in Cairo, I had engaged a lawyer to try and determine what requirements they needed to release the bag into the custody of my authority.  They CC’d me in on all the email correspondence and they were getting the run around from the airport.  I don’t know how it happened, but we are extremely grateful.  Perhaps the airport thought that I was a real pest and just gave up and decided that I should have back what is rightfully ours. We are both very grateful for the efforts that you both made on our behalf in trying to get our bag back.  We fully accept responsibility for losing it in the first place, but we never thought that once the bag was identified that we would have so much trouble getting it back.  Your efforts, and those of others, really add to the absolutely amazing experience that we had on our travels. I know that I have expressed it many times and you may be sick of it, but we really do appreciate the efforts that you both went to in organising the tour that you did for us.  Your advice and genuine efforts to make it a great experience for us was second to none, and something that we will cherish for a long time.  I would like to stay in touch as we will definitely be back to South Africa at some stage.  I am not very good at Facebook, but if you have an account, I would love to have you both as a friends. I hope that you and your families are both well, and that business is booming.  I am definitely spreading the word on our African experience, probably to the point where people are avoiding me. Kind regards David Rock from Australia

- David Rock / September 2016

We had a most excellent adventure! Thank you! We saw every animal on the “Big Seven” list and so much more! We soared in the hot air balloon over the Serengeti and had a fabulous breakfast. The Masai tour was so interesting,the people were so welcoming. Our guide Doc,with Drifters,went out of his way to make my 60th birthday a real celebration! It was amazing. The second half in Botswana and Zimbabwe had a few challenges. Kenya Air lost our luggage on our way from Zanzibar to Nairobi to Johannesburg. We had to go to the delta with just what we had on the plane with us! Our guide Joe with Drifters, And the staff at the lodges tried to help as much as they could in getting us stuff to buy,,borrow and share to get us through! People on the tour were so very generous in sharing too..being out in the bush was very exciting. Drifters did everything they could to help us get them back. But they wanted 500$ to get them to the delta.  We said no & come to find out they didn’t even have both bags. KenyaAir only sent Joan’s anyway! Which Drifters got to the lodge. We did ok..couldn’t get our bags until Maun ...6 days into our tour! Joe got us to the airport in Maun and my bag was there!We did good though in the bush…we saw so many animals in so many places.The delta was an amazing place. We learned so much… The four nights in the bush camp in Moremi National Park was probably the wildest time we spent seeing animals. We took the plane ride over the delta,saw a breading herd of elephants cross the Chobe River with little babies. We walked to Victoria Falls National Park. Took a game drive into Stanley Livingstone National Park and saw 4 black rhinos & Last but not least by any means…at 60 and 58 years old…my sister and I white water rafted the mighty Zambizi River!! Another dream come true! We couldn’t walk or move very well for 3 days…but we did it! Thank you for planning such a fabulous 32 days! We will never forget! Ann

- Ann / October 2016

WOW Gelle is amazing. After planning a wedding, planning a holiday was the last thing we wanted to do. We had been talking to one of our friends who was also thinking about going to Africa and told us that they had been talking to Gelle Richie from Go2africa who was based in South Africa. We emailed Gelle to see if she could help us and we got a reply back within hours asking us a few questions on what we wanted to do, time, price range. The only things that we really wanted to do was see the big 5, some camping and trek with the Gorillas within a 6 week period. Not knowing much about Africa we asked Gelle what she would do. So Gelle organised us 21 day TransKalahari Adventure where we saw the Big Five and amazing landscape. From there we went to Kenya and Tanzania were we camped in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro crater. Now this is where Gelle come in, two things i have told everyone that is thinking about visiting Africa is have a travel agent based in Africa and the other is only have Gelle to do it for you. While we were on our way back from Tanzania to Nairobi - Kenya we got a email and phone call telling us about the fire at the Nairobi International Airport. Our flight was the next day at 1240pm. Gelle gave us updates via emails and mobile phone. Having Gelle giving us information we felt comfortable that we still had our flights. Gelle also was in contact with our next tour in Uganda giving them updates so everything would run smoothly. Also at the start of our trip we had our bags go missing at the Australian end. We let Gelle know just to give a update. Gelle was right on the case ringing the airport giving us updates via emails, this was all done outside of office hours, some time 11 pm at night. Gelle thank you so much for helping us see and experience Aftrica. We will be telling everyone that has been thinking about Africa to do it and go though Gelle at Go2afica.com. The only thing we had wish we could of done was to meet Gelle face to face. Thanks again! Josh and Mel Watton

- Josh and Mel Watton / August 2013

“We are both very grateful for the efforts that you both made on our behalf in trying to get our bag back.  We fully accept responsibility for losing it in the first place, but we never thought that once the bag was identified that we would have so much trouble getting it back.  Your efforts, and those of others, really add to the absolutely amazing experience that we had on our travels. I know that I have expressed it many times and you may be sick of it, but we really do appreciate the efforts that you both went to in organising the tour that you did for us.  Your advice and genuine efforts to make it a great experience for us was second to none, and something that we will cherish for a long time.  I would like to stay in touch as we will definitely be back to South Africa at some stage.  I am not very good at Facebook, but if you have an account, I would love to have you both as a friends. I hope that you and your families are both well, and that business is booming.  I am definitely spreading the word on our African experience, probably to the point where people are avoiding me” -David and Bernadette Rock

- David and Bernadette Rock / July 2016

“I am back from the Masai Mara and Gorilla tour and I truly had a fantastic time, it was an incredible experience! Thank you so much again for your professionalism and kindness, it means a lot to me” -Charlotte Margniez

- Charlotte Margniez / July 2016

We wanted to touch base and let you know how our honeymoon is going. We couldn’t be happier with how everything is working out. Tour is wonderful and we can’t wait for all the adventures that await us for the next three weeks! -Denise Breen

- Denise Breen / November 2017

“Thank you so much for all your help in planning our Kruger tour. It was amazing! Lauren and I were so sad to leave such a wonderful camp. We are safely back home in the States, wishing we were back in South Africa!” -Kelsey Phillip

- Kelsey Phillip / October 2017

“Thanks for the "Welcome Back"!  It certainly was a trip that will always remain in my mind.  All in all, I would certainly recommend you and Overland Africa, especially Leisha:)” -Todd Miller

- Todd Miller / August 2016

I’ll definitely contact you again the next time I visit Africa. I really want to return in May but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’ll share your name with anyone who asks. You’ve been awesome! -Traci Wilson

- Traci Wilson / February 2017

“I had a great trip!!!!!! It was better than I expected. South Africa is home to some of God’s most beautiful work. The tour was fantastic” -Kelly Cole

- Kelly Cole / December 2016

Overland Africa Destinations

Okavango Delta. Chobe Park & Moremi Reserve. Mokoro Excursion

Lake Nakuru. Wildebeest Migration. Tropical Beaches. Maasai Mara.

Lake Malawi. Horse Riding. Mount Mulanje.

Tropical Paradise. Diving & Snorkelling. Bazaruto Island.

Arrid Grasslands. Towering Sand Dunes. Etosha National Park. Skeleton Coast.

Table Mountain. Kruger National Park. Addo Elephant National Park.

Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater. Zanzibar. Mount Kilimanjaro.

Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking. Bwindi Rainforests. Murchison Falls.

South Luangwa National Park. Canoe Zambezi River. Scenic Flights. Livingstone.

Victoria Falls. Hwange National Park. Bungee Jumping.

Tap on country to view info..

Arrid Grasslands, Towering Sand Dunes, Etosha National Park, Skeleton Coast

Types of Overland Africa Tours

Overland camping tours.

Means you sleep under canvas (after you put the tent up)

Accommodated Overland Tours

Swap the tent for a simple lodge or budget hotel

Private Group Overland Tours

Tailor-make your own dream overland holiday

Our Overland Africa Guide

Frequently asked questions.

We've put together a good sized list of all the things people want to know before they book an overland trip.

Overland Basics

Find out all there is to know about overlanding vehicles, guides, crew, health and safety, money and spending.

Overlanding Tips

Worried about passports, visas and all that good stuff? Wondering how you get to the start and end of your overland adventure.

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• 8 Africa Overland Tour Routes…

8 Africa Overland Tour Routes You’ll Love: the best African overland tours, Cape Town to Serengeti

Posted by Stephanie Parker on January 04 2024 in Adventure Travel & Activities Enquire Now!

Taking an Africa Overland Tour promises to be a lot more than a run-of-the-mill vacation! It is a voyage of discovery and an adventure of a lifetime. If you want to get under the skin of the African continent and experience as much of it as you can, there really is no better way to do it than on African overland tours . 

So buckle up and brace yourself for an immersive adventure through the heart of this continent, where vibrant cities, untamed wilderness and cultural gems blend into an overland journey of unforgettable experiences. 

And what a range of unforgettable experiences! 

With African overland tours designed to suit every intrepid traveller, no matter how much time you have to explore and how big your budget is, you’ll be able to find one that works for you.

In this guide, we spotlight our top picks from the 8 most popular African overland tour routes through East Africa and Southern Africa that run from 6 days to just over 3 weeks. 

Ranging from overland camping tours, right through to those favoring tented camping and even lodge accommodation, whether you’re looking for something wonderfully wallet-friendly or a luxury lodge trip of a lifetime, we’ve got something to offer.

So join us as we guide you through these 8 incredible overland itineraries that offer unique blends of African wildlife encounters, cultural richness and, of course, some of this continent’s most breathtaking scenery!

#1 Cape Town to Windhoek Overland Tour

One of our favourite African overland tours, this 14-day route from Cape Town to Windhoek encompasses some of South Africa’s top highlights along with the best of Namibia’s striking beauty. 

Kicking off in the ever-captivating  ‘Mother City’, which sits in the shadow of the epic Table Mountain and is surrounded by the meeting of two oceans, Cape Town is the perfect place to start this Africa overland tour.

Almost unrivalled by other cities in its breathtaking location, rich cultural heritage and buzzing metropolitan urban scene, what you undoubtedly have in Cape Town is one of the best cities in the world… not that we’re biased! 

After tearing yourself away, it's then on to South Africa's gorgeous wine region you’ll head for a few glasses of this country’s finest drops, straight from the vineyard. 

You’ll then continue north into the remote and unexplored beauty of Namibia . 

First gaze into the abyss of the mighty Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world, before soaking in the surreal beauty of the ancient Namib Desert. 

Hike the enormous and iconic ochre dunes of Sossusvlei, explore the charming colonial town of Swakopmund and witness the wildlife spectacle at Etosha National Park - Namibia’s premier wildlife reserve - before ending this overland tour in Windhoek, Namibia's capital. 

All in all, this diverse 2-week Africa overland tour takes you from buzzing city life into the stark isolation of the desert, giving you a great feel for just how magical this southwest corner of Africa is.

#2 Cape Town to Victoria Falls Overland, via Namibia and Botswana 

If you like the sound of the Africa overland route above and you’re lucky enough to bag yourself an extra week’s vacation, then it pays to know you can also extend the route above into a three-week adventure.

Starting from beautiful Cape Town and taking you to the jaw-dropping sights of Victoria Falls, you’ll weave your way through the wonders of Namibia and Botswana en route. This overland tour route includes all South African and Namibian highlights included in the first itinerary, taking a similar route from Cape Town to Windhoek via wine lands, canyons and deserts.

Then, from Windhoek, this Africa overland tour journeys on into Botswana's lush green landscapes, which jump out in unbelievable contrast to Namibia's stark orange deserts. 

In beautiful Botswana, highlights of these African overland tours include the Okavango Delta's unique waterways, where you’ll have the chance to glide through the delta's peaceful tributaries in a traditional mokoro canoe, fully immersing yourself in the tranquillity and unique geography here.

After this, you’ll head to Chobe National Park - one of those most abundant wildlife reserves on earth - to jump aboard sunrise game drives and mesmerizing sunset boat trips along the Chobe River. After all this, this epic journey culminates on an adrenaline high, visiting the thundering magnificence of Victoria Falls. 

If you’re looking to tick a lot of Southern Africa’s most majestic sights off in one overland trip, this Africa overland tour from Cape Town to Victoria Falls is hard to beat!

#3 Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, via Botswana Overland Tour

If you like the sound of the overland tour routes above, but Johannesburg is a more convenient starting point for you than Cape Town, then this 14-day Africa overland tour is the ideal option. 

Departing from one of South Africa's most bustling cities, you’ll then head into Botswana, exploring the watery wonders of the Okavango Delta, before heading to either Moremi Game Reserve or Chobe National Park (or perhaps both!) for world-class safari adventures. 

Then, as you travel onwards from Botswana into Zambia, the mighty Victoria Falls awaits!

There are loads of activities at Victoria Falls , each with varying levels of adrenaline involved, and we recommend selecting just 1 or 2 to get the most from your experience. Be that a Victoria Falls guided walk right into the spray, a lofty helicopter ride above the falls or a swim in Devil’s Pool at the edge of the precipice, there are many ways to get up close to this incredible waterfall that it can be overwhelming, so choose wisely!

As with many of these African overland tours, we also have several trips offering this itinerary in reverse, starting at Victoria Falls and finishing in Johannesburg; if that suits you better, it’s an option too.

Either way, you can anticipate exceptional wildlife encounters, thrilling adrenaline activities and jaw-dropping landscapes on this Johannesburg to Victoria Falls African overland tour.

#4 Victoria Falls to Nairobi Overland, via Zambia, Malawi, Zanzibar, and Tanzania 

If you’re looking for that magical African combo of gleaming golden beaches and safari encounters that will take your breath away, while also ticking off a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Victoria Falls, then this Africa overland tour route has got everything you want! 

This three-week odyssey kicks off with the wonder of Victoria Falls, before immersing you in the untamed beauty of South Luangwa National Park in Zambia - one of Africa’s top undiscovered safari destinations. Though lesser known, this national park holds an esteemed reputation as one of the continent’s finest destinations for spotting leopards (it boasts the world's densest naturally occurring population of them!) so if this is on your list, don’t miss South Luangwa !

After this safari excitement, take a few days to relax on the beautiful shores of idyllic Lake Malawi, before exploring southern Tanzania. 

Then it's a ferry hop over to Zanzibar Island for another slice of tropical paradise on the ‘Spice Island’. 

The grand finale of this Africa overland tour from Victoria Falls to Nairobi is more safari splendour in Ngorongoro Crater and the world-famous Serengeti National Park, where Africa's iconic Big 5 animals roam free across the vast plains.

#5 Johannesburg to Cape Town Overland, via Eswatini and Lesotho

One of the most jam-packed African overland tours, this route allows you to get under the skin of Southern Africa, exploring many of this incredible region’s most naturally beautiful areas. 

Begin your adventure in Johannesburg, heading first into Kruger National Park - this country's most famous Big 5 safari destination - it’s a game-spotting heaven! From there, it's then not far to the Panorama Route, where you can marvel at the spectacular Blyde River Canyon and gasp at God's Window lookout - on a clear day here, you can see all the way to the distant Mozambique mountains!

From here, you’ll venture into the ancient land of Eswatini - the small, landlocked kingdom formerly known as Swaziland. Renowned for its unique and rich cultural heritage, you can enjoy bountiful wildlife, rolling hills, dense forests, expansive plains, and unique cultures here. Then it’s on to delve into the captivating kingdom of Lesotho, known for its spectacular mountainous terrain. With rugged peaks, deep valleys and picturesque villages, Lesotho offers breathtaking scenery for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers, amidst a unique cultural heritage. Pony trekking or hiking through the mountains are the best ways to see these incredible scenes and should not be missed!

For the last stretch, it's back into South Africa, travelling overland through the Karoo and Garden Route to complete your epic journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town .

#6 Mozambique, Kruger National Park and Eswatini Overland Tour

This 14-day Africa overland tour weaves together safari, beaches and mountains, into a harmonious balance of wilderness and tropical bliss… what more could you want?!

Starting and concluding in the vibrant hub of Johannesburg, you can take advantage of frequent international flights that arrive here, meaning access is easy.

This overland trip then promises a thrilling adventure, melding Eswatini's wilderness, Mozambique's tropical beaches and Kruger National Park’s legendary safari experiences. 

Roam Eswatini's Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, sail to Magaruque Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, snorkel with whale sharks in Tofo and culminate your journey with unparalleled game viewing in Kruger National Park.

If you’re looking for the ultimate balance of nature, adventure and tropical chill time by the ocean, the African overland tours that combine Eswatini, Mozambique and Kruger  are made for you!

#7 Nairobi to Dar es Salaam Overland, via the Serengeti and Zanzibar 

This route seamlessly combines the best of Tanzania’s safari adventures and beachside beauty in a short 10-day Tanzania and Zanzibar  Africa overland tour.

Start in Kenya’s capital, before traversing the border into Tanzania to visit the legendary Serengeti National Park. Then, witness the wonders of nearby Ngorongoro Crater, before setting off for the coastal allure of Zanzibar Island . Bask in the sun on this island’s white sand beaches, dive (literally!) into a huge range of adventure activities, or explore the history-rich streets of Stone Town - the choice is yours!

This affordable Africa overland tour seamlessly blends Tanzania's top wildlife destinations with the idyllic charm of Zanzibar Island, creating a perfectly formed African adventure in the amazing east of the continent. There are lots of similar African overland tours, that combine Tanzania and Zanzibar with other destinations like the 13-day  Masai Mara, Serengeti and Zanzibar  tour from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam.

#8 Garden Route Overland Tour from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town 

South Africa’s Garden Route is widely agreed to be one of the country’s most dazzling regions. Hugging the southern coastline, this area is bursting with diverse beauty - from indigenous forests to mesmerizing mountain ranges, which give way to dramatic coastal cliffs, gorgeous beaches and panoramic ocean vistas. 

Take in the best this area has to offer, in one easy trip, care of this short but action-packed Africa overland tour, which can be completed in a week or less. 

Forest hike in the stunning Tsitsikamma National Park, where you can also take a treetop canopy tour through the incredible Outeniqua Yellowwood trees (thought to be a whopping 700 years old!), before kayaking down Storms River and crossing the epic suspension bridge!

Then, heading inland, you can explore the ancient limestone Cango Caves, visit the famous Cape Whale Coast and see a colony of endangered African Penguins at Stony Point Nature Reserve. 

Ending in the vibrant city of Cape Town - itself full of adventure - this Garden Route to Cape Town overland tour route offers a perfect mix of stunning beaches, top national parks and incredible landscapes in one short trip, with the ideal city finale!

As with most of these routes, we run overland tours that use budget-friendly camping accommodations perfect for young travellers and budget-conscious adventurers! Or, if you’d like a little more comfort, we also offer overland tour options that use lodge accommodation, still at unbeatable value. 

Options for African Overland Tours

Lots of these African overland tours (covering various routes) are also available as small group tours, private tours, family safaris and tours specifically for senior travellers; so whatever your travel style and budget, we have flexible overland tour options for your needs. 

So there are 8 of our favourite African overland tours, each one offering its own unique angle on this incredible continent!

No matter which overland route captures your imagination, connect with our African travel experts to customize the perfect itinerary for your dream African adventure today.

If you liked this post, these trips cover similar ground…

• 7 Day Botswana Explorer: Maun to Vic Falls (Camping Overland Tour)
• 8 Day Eswatini & South Africa Safari (Small Group Overland Tour)
• 12 Day Lesotho & South Africa Safari (Small Group Africa Overland Tour)
• 13 Day Dar es Salaam to Vic Falls Africa Overland Lodge Tour
• 14 Day Botswana, Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe Safari (Lodge Overland Tour)
• 15 Day Namibia to Botswana & Kruger Camping Overland Tour
• 18 Day Botswana, Zimbabwe & Kruger Overland Lodge Safari
• 20 Day Cape Town to Victoria Falls Africa Overland Tour (Camping Safari)
• 26 Day Africa Overland Tour: Cape Town to Kruger Camping Safari
• 30 Day Africa Overland Tour: Johannesburg to Nairobi (Lodge Safari)
• 37 Day Southern Africa Overland Tour: Cape to Joburg Lodge Safari
• 42 Day Kenya to Cape Town via Vic Falls Lodge Overland Tour
• 45 Day Johannesburg to Nairobi & Gorilla Safari (Lodge Overland Tour)
• 57 Day Best of Africa - South (Camping Overland Tour)

About the Author

Stephanie parker.

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Below you’ll find further reading and articles related or similar to this post.

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Find the 'Big 5' on a game drive through the Serengeti on our Short Safaris & Treks

New small group adventure tours.

We are excited to announce that ALL Adventure Tours are now  SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES  with a  new   maximum group size of 16 passengers (down from 24). We have expanded and broadened our Small Group destinations and realised the demand for TRUE small group travel in Africa. Small Group Adventure Tours will operate in our custom built 24-seater vehicles - the extra space and added comfort allows clients to really stretch out on longer drives and enjoy unequalled window access throughout.

All the memorable African experiences of Acacia's Adventure Tours will remain – but without the crowd!

SAVE up to 20% OFF the tour price on NEW Small Group Adventure Camping & Accommodated Tours & up to 10% OFF the tour price on Small Group Safaris

Book With Confidence

Acacia Africa is FINANCIALLY BONDED to ensure your money is 100% PROTECTED.

Why is Financial Bonding important?

With so much added uncertainty in the world brought on by COVID-19, it is now more important than ever to safeguard your hard-earned money. Booking with a well established and FINANCIALLY BONDED tour operator like Acacia provides you with security and peace of mind. Your dream holiday will operate to the highest standards with your payments to Acacia PROTECTED in the event of financial failure, no matter where in the world you are from. 

As a member of ABTA, we adhere to the highest standards set by the Association for quality and service. ABTA  Code of Conduct .

Experience Adventure Tours at their Wildest

Acacia operates a variety of tours across Africa from multi-country small group adventure tours and small group explorer safaris to city stays and adventure activity breaks. Our in-depth knowledge of destinations, local cultures, and the environment make our tours exciting, while still being affordable.

From the plains of the Serengeti or the iconic River Nile to thundering Victoria Falls and picturesque Cape Town, we at Acacia firmly believe there is nothing quite as fulfilling as a journey through Africa.

If you like to travel in a small group (maximum 16), with friendly like-minded people, believe the journey is as important as the places you visit, don’t mind roughing it a little, then Adventure Camping Tours is for you.

Our small group adventure accommodated tours offer the option to pre-book your bed on our routes so you know you'll be sleeping in comfort while on safari, or book a fully accommodated tour on our Small Group Safaris. Check out our accommodated tour style for more!

If you like being part of a smaller pack then our small group safaris are for you. Using smaller vehicles, and travelling on shorter more comprehensive routes, our small group tours are ideal for single travellers and families too.

Designed to be more country and activity specific, Acacia's Short Safaris & Treks are ideal if you've got limited time, want to upgrade your accommodation from budget to lodge, or only want to focus on a specific activity or adventure.

Our City Breaks & Short Stays are ideal if you want freedom to explore and are a perfect add-on to your longer overland safari and allow you to see the sights of the city before heading off.

Our tailor-made tours cater to those who wish to plan on their own time, and suits those who would like to hire a car and drive themselves, or need a little more luxury in their travel arrangements. Enjoy train trips, river cruises and private game reserves in this tour option.

If you're looking for a carefully crafted tour to highlight the best of Southern Africa then have a look at the short duration Signature Tours & Safaris. Family friendly, accommodated & expertly led, these tours include a variety of Southern African highlights & activities.

Acacia were absolutely fantastic on our 9 day tour. Our guide Krispen and our Driver Francis were top notch. Great food, lovely group, fantastic price. If you are looking into a trip around Africa I would highly recommend using Acacia.

Eric 25 October 2020

Stunning landscapes and amazing wildlife! Enjoyed watching the ever changing jawdropping landscapes and amazing wildlife with almost 360 views from your seat ... I LOVED IT. Elisabeth travelled on the Cape Town to Kenya tour that departed on the 28th December 2019. You can read her review in the link below.

eromaych 14 February 2020

An amazing way to see Namibia! Having local guides really made the experience and they gave you heaps of tips/recommendations. The truck made it easy to camp in awesome places and it was just an all round, incredible trip! Brianna travelled on the Cape Desert Safari - 11 day tour starting from Cape town, ending in Windhoek.

Brianna_98 28 December 2019

Best trip of my live! Thank you so much for the best trip ever Acacia. Everything was perfect and so authentic sleeping in tents and being able to contribute so you weren’t just a guest on tour - that made it feel like YOUR tour. The guides and drivers are so nice and friendly and the sites we visited along the way were incredible. Sitting around the fire every night and looking at the stars and hearing stories from the guides and the other participants on the trip makes everything so personal. I can highly recommend Acacia to everyone and I hope to be able to join a trip again some other time. Josephine travelled on the Desert Tracker - 19Day. Read the full review in the below link.

josephineolejas 11 December 2019

Emmalou2605 Just travelled on the Mozambique and Zimbabwe Explorer tour... I have previously overlanded with Acacia and another company so knew what to expect from the whole set up. I can honestly say this was the best of all my trips! Our guides were Servius and Clever - amazing guys who did everything they possible could to help us, the food was way better than I ever cook myself, they made sure we knew what was happening at all time, and also let us plan some of our own meals/eating away from the truck/special requests for Clever's Sadza and beef stew. The truck was a smaller overland truck and trailer (which I was worried about beforehand) but, as usual, it had all we needed and was perfect for the 6 of us on this tour. The 'walking with the rhinos' day with Ian at Matopos, and the Hwange game drives with Andy were highlights of all my trips to Africa. Make sure you ask lots of questions and learn as much as you can - these guys are experts. It was great to go to Mozambique and also Eastern Zimbabwe as not many companies do. The trip was a perfect mix of game drives, beaches, history and activities like bungee jumping and snorkelling. I've spent all my money, and 'done' all the East and Southern Africa routes - but I will be back! :) Read the full review from Emmalou2605 in the below link.

Emmalou2605 04 November 2019

I recently completed the 41 day Cape Town to Cape Town tour and I loved every minute of it! Africa has been on my bucket list for a long time and this experience did not disappoint. The tour itself was a fantastic way to really sink your teeth in and explore as much of the southern part of Africa as possible, taking you through spectacular landscapes, incredible animal sightings and unique cultures. Read more about Aussies epic adenture by clicking the tour review link below.

AussieStardust 11 October 2019

My husband and I are in our early 30s and joined Acacia Africa in February in Nairobi for the ‘28 days overland experience’... I went overlanding in Africa fully expecting to be on ‘Africa time’ – but we were very rarely delayed and managed to have time to do all of the activities we had picked this trip to do... Our guides stopped along the way to buy local produce from people selling on the road which we fully supported and felt we were properly supporting the local population during the trip. It was a very cost-efficient trip leaving lots of cash over for the activities... The wildlife encounters on the trip were phenomenal – we spent the whole time thinking we were on a David Attenborough show! This trip truly shows Africa at its very best.

jkerr2uk 18 September 2019

I just finished the 58-day Nairobi to Cape Town Ultimate African Overlander, camping the whole way down, and it was the GREATEST experience of my life... Our tour leader Pete and driver Francis were some of the nicest and funniest guys I had the pleasure of travelling with - and fantastic cooks! - as were Justin and Ali after our change of leadership in Livingstone. They offered a wealth of information at any time requested, and went a long way in making the tour even more incredible... I could never put in words just how fantastic this tour is, so suffice to say that if you’re looking for a change from your day-to-day life, if you somehow managed to get 2 months off work to travel, if you’re willing to let go of luxury and embrace simplicity, then don’t even hesitate about it and GO FOR IT!

Elodie C 21 September 2019

I booked a 3 week tour with Acacia Africa from Kruger to Cape Town & LOVED EVERY MINUTE! The guides are passionate, fun and full of information. The campsites are all diverse and great places to stay. The food surpassed my expectations and the activities (both included and optional extras) are FANTASTIC! I will definitely book again!

Tanyaghandour 31 August 2019

This is the only way to properly travel in Africa! The guides have done the routes so many times that they have so much local knowledge you can interact with. Hats off to our driver Sam who drove us the whole way with some very long stints! My 41 day tour was fabulous and I wish I could have stayed for longer!

Feecragg96 26 August 2019

AMAZING! The tour was good, crew was good, food was good, truck was good, and the group was amazing. Definitely would recommend!

Lucspetgens 19 August 2019

WOW, amazing time with the local tour leaders, drivers and the international group of people! The information was great and the places we visited were very beautiful!

Patrick Boersma 28 July 2019

AMAZING EXPERIENCE! We travelled with Acacia for 12 days; from Livingstone in Zambia, through Botswana and to Swakopmund in Namibia. It was a great trip, amazing adventures & memories for life. The guide and driver was local, telling stories about life in Africa, and those are the things that you really remember. Travelling to Africa for the first time, it was a great way to combine nature, culture and the different aspects of three countries. Will definitely recommend this tour if you enjoy outdoor- life and are not afraid to sleep in a tent, sometimes with elephants walking around and the sound of a hippo close by. Fantastic experience in an amazing continent.

Mari H 24 July 2019

Highlights of Tanzania 2019! I highly recommend booking an African tour through Acacia Africa. As a young, solo, female traveler I felt comfortable and safe the entire trip. Our lead guide Moyenda is an asset to the Acacia team, he is kind, knowledgeable, patient and funny. Our drivers Gledman and Clement were also incredibly kind and funny. The accommodated hotels were fantastic and the campsites were also very nice. I booked the camping option for the trip but was able to upgrade to a hotel room for a very reasonable price at each stop if I wanted (except the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, obviously). Zanzibar and Kendwa beach were spectacular and almost all of the excursions were fantastic. I’ve made so many friends on this trip and am so grateful for Acacia and their Africa expertise :)

Keirsten W 18 June 2019

A trip to Africa with Acacia was an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime! I have been to Africa before and I travelled to Southern Africa in 2015, and as the saying goes - once you go to Africa you never go just once. I went on this particular tour to tick off all the gems of East Africa in one go and the 36 days Rivers, Lakes and Mountains camping tour was unlike any other trip I had done before. I was apprehensive to say the least. However - it surpassed all expectations I had of a camping trip. The guides were so patient and helpful getting us set up and feeling comfortable. The tents are simple to assemble, that even an inexperienced camper will feel like a certified explorer in no time. Read more about Karlie's 36-Day Rivers, Lakes and Mountains tour review by clicking the link below.

Karlie B 12 June 2019

Once in a lifetime tour! Southern African Magic Accommodated exceeded my expectations. Not only did I experience what I called "National Geographic Live" and managed to see ALL the animals on my bucket list (but one), but the tour was also excellently organized. We had a great guide, Simon, who took care of us all. I have to specifically thank him for looking after my mom at times when she did not participate in scheduled activities. The accommodation were impressive considering that we sometimes were in the middle of nowhere. We always had a pool, great lounge areas and it was very atmospheric - really at times felt like one is on a luxury safari tour. The bungalows sometimes were in private game reserves (therefore increasing animal encounter possibilities) which I loved. I have to admit that I was nervous about the long drives, but the bus was spacious and comfortable and Simon was a very safe driver. The time went by painlessly looking out of panoramic 360 windows (yes, without curtains, but that meant unobstructed views) and listening to Simon on various subjects ( that we quizzed him on) including local life, history, food, etc. Also playing UNO with the rest of the gang. :) I work in the travel industry and I have to say I could not have picked a better tour for the quality and the price point. This was really a once in a lifetime experience, during which, my mother actually had to say: "Please, not another elephant." :D

Maderku 29 May 2019

The best trip I had to date! I would highly recommend Acacia Africa to everyone, in fact I have told several people about my trip as they were amazed by my posts online and wanted to book themselves. I was a solo traveler and opted to not camp and have accommodation throughout. If you enjoy camping this is a perfect trip for you as some of the places we stayed were amazing. For those who do accommodated it was brilliant out of all the places we stayed I wasn’t happy with two and that was only because we had been spoilt elsewhere. Great value for money all round. I met so many amazing people and would deffinitely do more trips with Acacia. Read Maxine B full review by clicking the link below.

Maxine B 13 May 2019

An excellent trip through Namibia! I recently took the desert explorer adventure. It's been an excellent experience, as it covered all highlights along the well-organized tour. The itinerary allowed enough time at every important stage but always kept it interesting. The insights of the tour guide and the friendly atmosphere along the fellow travellers even made the long bus drives interesting! I will definitely travel with Acacia again.

Trial24322962199 08 April 2019

Luck was on our side! Brilliant locations, excellent food, beautiful people and a great deal of fun. Our tour leader and driver made us feel we were on a trip with friends and family.

radaman1 31 January 2019

Would recommend for anyone! I had a great time travelling with Acacia and would recommend it to everyone. Eva and Joe were amazing guides and Stretch (Dom) was an absolute legend of a driver.

Discover45100882775 28 February 2019

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! My trip with Acacia Africa doing the 29- day East African explorer was absolutely incredible. Leading up to the trip I expected the bare minimum considering it is Africa, however, I was pleasantly surprised by the standards Acacia provided. The truck, whilst not luxurious, provided a good deal of comfort with safe lockers to store everyone’s luggage. The tents and camping was also better than expected, with the trip stopping at some really stunning campsites, most of which provided showers and wifi. Along the way we also had the option to upgrade to a room for the night if we wanted to get out of the tents. This was a great option, especially for the nights we arrived in the dark or if it was raining and there was always a variation of rooms with different prices available. Another pleasant surprise was the meals we were provided. My tour leaders Philile and Khumbu were fantastic cooks, always providing plenty of extremely delicious meals which were always bursting with flavour. Read Dream07140473293 full review by clicking below.

Dream07140473293 24 February 2019

MADE MY TRIP WORTHWHILE! Doing a tour with Acacia to Kruger National Park and Victoria Falls was by far the highlight of my trip. Our group leader Joe was fantastic and I'm amazed at how many great experiences we managed to fit into just one week. Would highly recommend booking a tour with Acacia.

Global0879439113337 23 February 2019

AMAZING EXPERIENCE! I had a great time with Acacia travelling around Eastern Africa. The layout of the trip and the smoothness to which it ran was amazing. The overland truck and its onboard facilities were of high standards and made the trip extremely comfortable and enjoyable. Our trip leader and driver were the best in the business - they were both very accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable people who made our trip the best it could be. Would recommend to anyone who wants to visit Africa.

Cruiser55651215695 22 February 2019

WOULD DO IT AGAIN! Loved everything. The food that Eva and Crispy served was divine every night! The campsites had amazing views. It's important to keep in mind to get places you have to ride on the truck - so you're on the road a lot but it's part of the experience. Definitely worth the money and would do a longer tour next time! We were very fortunate to have a cool diverse group of 13 mostly in the 20's so we all got along really well. Thanks Acacia!

Karise B 15 February 2019

AMAZING! I had the most incredible time overland trucking with Acacia Africa. The tents are easy if you aren’t accommodated, the food cooked by our wonderful tour leader Joe was phenomenal and our driver Phillip was just the funniest guy ever. I did a 34-day tour from Zanzibar to Livingstone, which I loved. There are lots of great activities to do along the way, and while you do spend some long periods on the truck there are two tables and you’re able to do lots with those you travel with such as cards, chess, games. There’s also a speaker on the truck that we were all able to listen to music here and there on. I never minded the long trips, and it was great meeting so many wonderful people along the way whom I will miss dearly. There is an age limit as well which I liked, being young I wanted to be with others who were also “younger” as well. Each group I travelled with had a range of 19-39 and we all got along so well. I personally highly recommend travelling with Acacia Africa if you’re looking for a tour to go with.

Trail585103 05 February 2019

Brilliant experience with various optional extras and experiences. We got to see the big five within a week of the adventure and everything there on was a blessing!

Tasha R 21 January 2019

Best Holiday! The best guide and chef, a perfect organised trip full of adventures, unique places visited- close to animals during the safari, fabulous Spitzkoppe with the most beautiful sunset, breathtaking canyon, famous dunes and Deadsvlei. Love Namibia thanks to Acacia.

Sisk1312 16 January 2019

I just got back from the Desert and Delta Express Northbound (12-day) route and I am happy with the tour overall. I enjoyed the camping and the tents and campsites were all good. You also could upgrade at most places if you ever needed. Breakfast/lunch was very basic and got a bit redundant (cereal/toast/sandwiches), but dinners were delicious usually something grilled at the campsite! We did make plenty of stops to restock on water and snacks. This was a participation tour, and we all rotated jobs between packing the truck, cleaning the truck, washing up, and cooking. I liked pitching in, but of course you have those that don't. Keep in mind this is an overland tour so you will have long days in the truck (with no a/c), and you just have the bare minimums! We did a lot of game drives and saw plenty of animals!...

Courtyard44 26 November 2018

We've been in 2 months Overland trough Africa; started from Nairobi, went trough Uganda, from east to west and than all the way down to Cape town. It's Been AMAZIN, even because our crew (Pete & Francis highly reccomended).

Pietro 14 November 2018

This was an amazing experience, exploring Botswana with a great group of 10 people for 7 days. We had some fantastic moments, watching the elephants cross the river in Chobe, seeing the milky way and the planets in the crystal clear Okavango night sky, watching the giraffes in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, seeing bush babys scamper down the trees at one of the lodges, doing the flight over the Okvango delta, playing volleyball with the group at Maun, and much more. There was a lot of driving, some of it on pretty bumpy roads, and some of the accommodation is pretty basic, but its all worth it for the amazing things you see the brilliant people you meet and the memories you make. Also the bus was actually very spacious and air conditioned, and our guides Simon and Servius were very knowledgeable, incredible helpful and professional, both of which helped enormously to make the experience so good.

Stuart 14 October 2018

It was my first tour with Acacia, but maybe not the last one. I did the tour from Livingstone to Swakopmund and really liked the set of the tour: it was a combination of a lot of different experiences: Vic Falls, Safaris, Okavango Delta and then the desert in Namibia. Our driver and guide were both very professional, enthusiastic, but also funny and we all had a great time. I can highly recommend it!

Theresa 02 October 2018

I did this trip as a solo female traveller as part of a 18-39 tour. My group size varied from 10 to 19 people, and consisted of a great mix of ages, nationalities, and travel experience. I did the tour as a camper, and so I was in a tent most nights - the tents provided are sturdy and well suited to the climate, and all of the campsites were very good, most of them having hot showers, electricity, and basic wifi. The Acacia bus was secure, comfortable, and well equipped. All of my guides and drivers were absolutely lovely people, who obviously love their jobs and are passionate about everything that Africa has to offer. All in all, I will certainly be using Acacia again!

Alice M 11 September 2018

If you have any hesitation, just book it. It's great value for your money, and if your trip is anything like ours, you'll see incredible things, spend time with wonderful people, and learn lots from some of the best guides your could ever ask for. Special shout out to Jack (Moyenda) and Masai (Paul) our guides from Cape Town to Livingstone, who made living in tents and riding a big truck with 22 people some of the best times we've had. Don't worry about it being a participation tour--that really just means you'll help pack up the chairs from around the campfire, might cut up some vegetables, and will take a few turns cleaning some of the cookware. If you're not uniquely lazy, you'll probably even enjoy the few assigned tasks which help bond the group--especially the dance of the dishes. A few tips: pack light (you don't need that many sets of clothes), bring warm clothes for the chilly nights if you're there in winter (the right clothes and a good blanket make all the difference), buy yourself a good pillow when you arrive (you can donate it at the end), plan to do some of the optional activities (almost all of them were worth it), and keep in mind that you'll see some incredible places that you'll certainly feel the need to come back to for a longer stay. Also, the food is incredible, so don't worry about that. Plus, the toilets, showers, and wifi were generally clean, hot, and working adequately where that was advertised.

Lisa J 14 September 2018

I just travelled through East Africa with Acacia Adventures and it’s been one of the best trips of my life. The guides throughout the trip were fantastic, being both hospitable and knowledgeable. The truck was spacious and comfortable and the lockers at the back for our bags were super convenient. The tents were easy to put up and pack up. The food was AMAZING! I never expected to put on weight on this trip but it definitely happened haha. I still can’t believe how Sam and Crispin managed to produce such amazing food while camping. As far as the itinerary goes, we got to see all the hot spots with some unexpected additions. For those going to see the Gorilla’s, the Chimpanzee trekking was an addition that I didn’t expect to be a highlight, but it went so far above and beyond my expectations. It was one of the most moving experiences and I loved every moment I spent in the jungle with them. The accommodation in Zanzibar was absolutely beautiful. I would definitely travel with Acacia again, this trip was the best way to spend six weeks and Africa was the adventure of a lifetime.

Steph B 24 August 2018

We visited nice places with really friendly people and guides. An adventure that we will never forget. I can really recommend travelling with Acacia!

Jelte31 20 August 2018

In my opinion, Acacia Africa is the perfect way to see the spectacular splendour of Africa. The trips combine a perfect combination of tourism and exposure to the real Africa. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. Each days itinerary is very carefully explained the night before. The drivers keep your safety in mind at all time and double as excellent spotters of animals while on safari. While the accommodations are not luxurious, they are perfectly satisfactory and I loved supporting local businesses rather than chains. The food provided exceeded my expectations. It was delicious and there was always enough to have seconds. While traveling through Africa itself can present unexpected challenges, traffic, bad roads, unexpected breakdowns, the team handled everything professionally and kept us happy and well cared for. It all just added to the experience. A special shout out to our guide Liz Njuguna whose energy and enthusiasm made our trip unforgettable. If you want a vacation, go to the Caribbean. If you want an adventure go with Acacia Africa.

Roldan L 13 August 2018

I had a fantastic time on this accommodated Cape Desert Safari Tour which was perfectly organised. The accommodation was great and we also slept 2 nights in a tent, which was easy to put up. The truck we used was perfect for this kind of trip and well equipped with all the travelling necessities including a freezer. Our driver (Khumbu) and guide (Philile) were amazing, professional and shared a wealth of knowledge. The meals they prepared were outstanding! Read the full review here.

wernervanvlasselaer 23 July 2018

I joined the Kruger, Swaziland and Beach 7-day tour as a camping guest but only actually camped for 3 nights where we had excellent facilities. In Swaziland, we were able to upgrade from camping to log cabin dorms for just R15 a night. On the final night we were in permanent tents with beds and linen. All locations had excellent communal facilities. There were lots of meals included and catered for vegetarians and gluten-free too. The food was very very good. Jack was our guide and a fabulous guide and chef! There were lots of included activities and everything was arranged perfectly. Compared with other tour operators, Acacia was much cheaper but do not compromise on quality so highly recommended. It was also cheaper than doing this route independently too.

travelaholic007 14 July 2018

I travelled on the Desert Tracker 19-day tour and it was my most memorable trip ever! My favourite part was the mokoro canoes in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. 100% recommend Acacia😊 Remember to bring warm clothes and a solid sleeping bag if you’re camping, the temperature drops ALOT as soon as the sun goes down.

Embla V 11 July 2018

I am not long back from the East African Explorer 21 day tour and thought I would share my experience. Overall, the tour was well organised and the guides ensured we felt safe at all times. The truck was well equipped and I was surprised at how comfortable the seats were - so comfortable I was able to sleep despite the 'African massages' along the way. Some of the journeys on this trip are quite long but they are unavoidable if you want to see these parts of Africa. Anyway, the route was quite scenic and the guides provided info about the surrounding area along the way and we stopped every so often to stretch our legs. The main guide, Sammy, also informed us when to stock up on snacks and drinks at the better supermarkets as a lot of the local shops were poorly supplied as you can imagine. Most of the stops had some form of toilet however my group found that the bush toilets were generally cleaner (this is Africa after all). The tents provided were pretty good and the mattresses were spot on too. I have to say, one of the things I was anxious about before going on the trip was the quality of the meals as catering for large groups often leads to small portions of massively overdone food but both Sam and Ali were great cooks and we always had plenty to eat. Read more about RCrozier's East African Explorer tour and find out about the highlights along the way by clicking on the link below.

rcrozier 28 June 2018

I travelled from Livingstone to Nairobi with Acacia. The service provided was second to none. I was worried about travelling to Africa due to safety but at no time did I feel unsafe. Our tour leader and driver were very professional and offered a lot of information and went out of their way to help with anything we needed. The camp sites were all great. I loved there was an option to upgrade for a small fee in a lot of locations. The food was awesome and there was always plenty available. I would highly recommend Acacia Africa. I would definitely travel with them again.

Jessicalpulver 16 June 2018

9 days Gorilla Trekking - Troop to the Gorilla (TTG9) This is my 2nd review for Acacia Africa as I decided to go back and do another tour as my first tour was life changing and they did not disappoint. I did a 9 day tour from Kampala to Jinja around Uganda - the main reason was to see the Gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The tour was run by Masai and Maja and they were incredible! They are both such lovely people and made the tour run smoothly and ensured we got the most out of our trip. I would highly recommend Acacia Africa for an incredible life changing experience. It is great value for money and you will honestly experience things that you will never forget.

Tej_Chau 13 June 2018

Amazing! 7 Day Camping INSIDE National Parks from Vic Falls to Okavango Delta We heard the lions roar! The "7 Day Best of Botswana" tour had us camping inside the National Parks. No fences! Inside our tents with elephants roaming around outside... and lions. When a lion roars at night you wake up - instantly. They can be heard up to 8kms. One night after the elephants had passed us by maybe 100 meters from our tents I started to hear a male lion's deep roar... that kept getting closer... I must have dozed off till a hugely loud roar seemed just meters away. Later roars told it was moving away. We jumped up early into our LandCruiser and quickly found the lion tracks as close as 300 meters from our camp. If a close-up adventure with the animals is what you are after there is nothing I can recommend better than camping right along with them. It has an expert driver/guide (Morgan) and a chef (Noga). All we had to do was put our tents up and they did the rest, from feeding to educating us. We had 7 on our trip which is just about full so there's not a whole gaggle of tourists but a small group of really interesting people. My memories of sleepless nights under the stars with wild animals so close to camp will remain with me the rest of my life. At any price, a lifetime memory is worth it... that this safari is one of the

AusieMark1 11 June 2018

Our guide Colin was hands down the best guide I have ever had, there is honestly nothing he could have done better. Our driver Philip was also a great guy with the biggest laugh.

Emmalou 01 March 2018

Our driver Lawrence was absolutely amazing and took care of all our needs and wants!

Daviescolley 05 January 2018

We started our tour in Cape Town then headed towards Cederberg and all the way up to Swakopmund. Our tour guide, Pete, was INCREDIBLE and our driver Ben was awesome too!! They were both so inviting and fun. We were unsure what to expect with the food as well but we were pleasantly surprised with how good it was and well portioned. I HIGHLY recommend this company and this tour. I wouldn't go with anyone else after my amazing experience I had.

Shelby W 14 July 2017

I just finished a tour with Acacia (African Insight - NAI7) to Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Guides Justin and Khumbu did an excellent job. The food was outstanding and better than a 5 stars restaurant. Very Yummy!!!! Overall, a great experience camping.

Beautyking2017 27 June 2017

I hopped onto the Kruger to Durban 7 days (KSB7) tour (also part of Kruger to Capetown 19 days). The tour guides were lovely and they cooked the best food! I did not find this tour expensive and if you want to travel around for a good price with a group, I can certainly recommend this tour. There was a fair bit of driving, however there were plenty stops too. The table in the truck was great to play cards and kill some time on the long drive days. I highly recommend Acacia and would use them again.

Molly T 02 June 2017

Our group of 3 women traveled with Acacia Africa in August 2016 on their small group safari, Southern African Magic Accommodated. We cannot say enough good things about our tour. Our tour leader, Lawrence, was attentive, knowledgeable, and had a good command of the English language. Our safety was his main concern and we were thankful for that. Our tour group consisted of 12 travelers, ranging in age from 25 to 67 and women outnumbering men 9 to 3. We found all accommodation on the tour to be comfortable with some lodges even having pools. The food served at the lodges was delicious and plentiful and gave us the opportunity to sample some local cuisine. Thank you for selecting lodges with local colour and flair. It brought us closer to the African people. Our itinerary included the main game parks and tourist sights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Yes, there were long days on the road but it gave us an opportunity to get to know our fellow travelers better. Read more about hsterghi's adventure on the South African Magic tour on Trip Advisor.

hsterghi 03 February 2017

I did the 43 day trip from Kenya to Cape Town and it was the best thing I have ever done! The trip covered so many highlights which have made it hard to narrow it down to which ones were the best! The trip started off at the famous parks of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti before making our way to the beaches of Zanzibar and Lake Malawi. We then headed for Livingstone to enjoy the adrenaline activities such as Devil's Pool and Bungee before crossing over to Botswana, the Okavango Delta and Namibia, the Namib desert, ending at the beautiful city of Cape Town. This is just a nutshell but there is a lot more activities involved at all the places. The thing that made this trip incredible was our tour guide Rachel and truck driver Sam - they are the perfect team and made this experience unforgettable. I would happily book another tour with Acacia, it was very organised and completely blew my expectations out of the water. Thank you for giving me the experience of a lifetime.

Tej-Chau 30 January 2017

I have just come back from the 19 Day South West Safari from the Vic Falls (Zambia) to Cape Town. This is a camping tour in an overland truck for 18 - 39-year-olds. I thoroughly recommend this route if you don't have time to do the full circuit from Uganda to Cape Town. We have seen so many different landscapes like the open plains in Botswana to the sand dunes in the Namib Desert. I went to Africa with no expectations for what animals I was going to see as I didn't want to be disappointed if I didn't see them... oh boy, was I impressed! We had seen over 100 elephants (Botswana has the highest population in Africa), countless Zebra, Giraffe, Hippos, Lion, 7 Rhinos (people who had been on the tour since Kenya hadn't even seen one yet), Buffalo + so much more. The only animal we didn't see was a Leopard, but they are really rare and remember this is the wild, no sighting is guaranteed! Our driver Sam and tour guide Rachel are both two of the nicest people I've ever met, both from Kenya. They were so informative, like two books of knowledge about everywhere our tour went and the countries we visited. Rachel is a fabulous cook, it was like eating at a fine-dining restaurant every night. They were the best guide's I've ever had, out of all the tours I've been on over the world. Overall - we are going back to Africa next year to do East Africa and I wouldn't even consider a different tour company to Acacia for a second. Read more about Katy's response on Trip Advisor about the tour pricing and tips.

Katy P 30 January 2017

I just came back from a 7-day Small Groups accommodated tour from Johannesburg to Vic Falls with Acacia Africa. This was one of my best travel experiences ever! The itinerary was great as it allows you to see all the main highlights along the route. We were able to see four out of the big five - just because leopards are very difficult to spot during the day. We stayed in very nice places and the lodges/guesthouses/hotels were nice and clean. Our tour guide, Lawrence, was incredible - with a great sense of humor and he made sure everybody's interests were met. He was fantastic at creating a true family spirit within the group despite that the composition of the group was changing along the way. All local tours in the national parks were amazing as he provided lots of information along the way, even taking us as close as possible to the animals. At some point, we were as close as 5 meters to white rhinos. Oh, and the food was amazing! I didn't expect steaks, nice big salads etc. included in the package. If I ever decide to take another tour in Africa, Acacia will be my go-to company. Well done! I will definitely recommend this to other travelers.

Liza B 09 January 2017

“BEST TOUR EVER!” I did a 14-day overland from Vic Falls to Johannesburg including Mozambique and it was the best two weeks I have ever spent! We saw all the attractions you could ever want to see and had plenty of time to do our own exploring if we wanted to. There were also plenty of opportunities to do our own activities and have as much fun as we could. The camping facilities were amazing! Tents and food were provided including a cooked breakfast every morning and dinners to die for. Our tour leader Shingi was the most enthusiastic person I have ever met and is really knowledgeable, helpful and flexible. (We love you, Mama). Our driver Jairos was equally lovely and drove our truck amazingly on the bumpy roads of Africa. I would definitely recommend this tour for 18-39-year-olds and is a must do adventure.

Weesiepe 04 January 2017

We are a German family with 3 teenagers and had a wonderful tour through South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Acacia has put together a very exciting trip through these three countries, visiting Kruger NP, Victoria Falls, Chobe NP and Okavango Delta. We were travelling with a small group of German, English and Italian people, all very nice. We had the perfect tour guide, Simon, who was always very supportive, calm and reliable in all situations. A big, big thank you to Simon. The lodges were clean and comfortable, we enjoyed the African style and friendly people. We booked the tour via the agency African Budget Safaris, which also was very good, providing all information about the tours. Especially the agent Claire Monson helped us a lot, a big thank you. We really recommend this tour, if you are looking for an adventure trip for the whole family without driving on your own. The National Parks were amazing, we never saw so many wild animals so close in nature, the rangers were very skilled and explained all details.

Stefan M 01 September 2016

I just finished the overland camping trip from Cape Town to Victoria Falls/Livingstone. Amazing!! The guide and driver - yo Big Sam! - were great, nothing was too much trouble and they really worked hard to make sure we all had an incredible time. The itinerary was perfect, we got to see and do so many amazing things - the Okavango Delta, dune 45, sandboarding, skydiving, Chobe National Park, Vic Falls... I could name so much more! And the campsites were incredible, think watching shooting stars on a huge rock in the middle of nowhere, or camping literally next to a elephant watering hole with no fences around you! If you have doubts about camping please don't - the mattresses were A LOT more comfy than i expected, the tents were HUGE and i had hot showers most of the time! And the FOOD. I definitely put on a few kgs. Overall it was an incredible experience with an amazing group of people that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend! Thanks acacia!

Lucy34_12 23 July 2016

The highlight of our tour to Victoria Falls was our excellent guide Simon. He really went above and beyond to keep us happy and safe. Simon's enthusiasm is infectious, he is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about show what Southern Africa has to offer. We had an unavoidable change of itinerary due to the political situation in Zimbabwe and Simon was able to keep us well informed and make alternate arrangements. The tour itself was a great way for us to see Kruger, Botswana and Victoria Falls. There are some long days driving but the spectacular views of Victoria Falls are worth it. The accommodation is adequate, with the first 2 nights at Nsele Lodge a highlight. The host are very welcoming and the food amazing. We would recommend Acacia Africa to anyone looking for a guided tour in Africa.

David R 08 July 2016

From Vic Falls to JoBurg - camping all the way. So much fun and what an experience. Great guide! Beautiful places to visit. Highlight was Elephant Sands!!

Lori26 02 June 2016

The whole trip was spectacular from the border crossings to the safaris in the truck every bit of it was cultural and enjoyable. The scenery is something from a story book, from lush rainforests to salt lakes and sand dunes it's incredible that you get to see so much in one continent.

Alex M 06 April 2016

As a solo woman traveler I would totally recommend booking with this company! You get to meet a lot of people on the truck and the tour guide makes everything so much easier and pleasant.

andreaperezdeacha 26 April 2016

Fantastic tour from joburg to Victoria falls. Very knowledgeable guide who gave great facts without personal opinion. Fantastic value also.

Dean R 13 May 2016

I can't pick my favourite moment - Sleeping under the stars at Spitzkoppe, skydive in Swakopmund, swarms of elephants in Chobe, rafting on the Zambezi, bushman walk in the Kalahari, scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. These incredible experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life.

K M 03 April 2016

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African Overland Tours & Safaris

Traveling as part of an overland safari is something of a rite of passage for travelers to Africa. And it’s a fabulous introduction to the continent. It may not be for everyone. The low-budget feel, the close and relentless proximity with other travelers, and the sense of always being on the move doesn’t suit every traveler. But traveling in this way has many upsides. This includes the opportunity to see as much of Africa as you can while spending as little money as possible. Most likely, it’s the sort of epic trip that will stay with you for a lifetime. And it may perhaps even sow the seeds of a passion for the continent that will last just as long.

9-Day Namibia's Best of North & South Safari

$2,039 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Budget Camping & Lodge

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Etosha NP, Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Namib-Naukluft NP (Namib Desert) , Aus (Town) , Keetmanshoop (City) , Windhoek (End)

Indigo Safaris

4.8 /5  –  128 Reviews

3-Day Kenya Under Canvas

$627 pp (USD)

Kenya: Shared tour (max 15 people per vehicle) Budget Camping

You Visit: Nairobi (Start) , Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)

Jambo Travel House

5.0 /5  –  2 Reviews

3-Day Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Manyara National Park

$1,375 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle) Budget Lodge

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)

Going Green Safari Tours

5.0 /5  –  149 Reviews

14-Day Botswana Wild Side

$2,401 pp (USD)

Botswana, Namibia, South Africa & Zambia: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Budget Camping & Lodge

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Khama Rhino, Maun (City) , Okavango Delta, Moremi GR (Okavango Delta) , Savuti (Chobe NP) , Chobe NP, Kasane (Town) , Livingstone (End)

Sunway Safaris

4.5 /5  –  30 Reviews

4-Day Zula Sun City Wonder Escape

$1,085 to $1,095 pp (USD)

South Africa: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Mid-range Resort

You Visit: Johannesburg Airport (Start) , Sun City (Highlight) , Pilanesberg GR, Johannesburg (End)

Zula Zula Adventure Bus

1-Day Special Offer Safari to Ngorongoro Crater

$517 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Day tour Shared tour (max 4 people per vehicle)

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)

Tanzania Roadside Expeditions

5.0 /5  –  250 Reviews

2-Day Kruger National Park

$446 pp (USD)

South Africa: Shared tour (max 20 people per vehicle) Mid-range Hotel

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Kruger NP, Johannesburg (End)

Pure Diamond Tours and Safari

Not yet rated

4-Day Swakopmund & Sossusvlei Adventure

$1,046 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Mid-range Hotel & Self Catering Accommodation

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Windhoek (End)

17-Day South Africa Rainbow Route

$2,730 pp (USD)

South Africa & Eswatini: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Mid-range Lodge & Tented Camp

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Greater Kruger, Kruger NP, Malolotja NR, Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal) , Royal Natal (Drakensberg Mountains) , East London (City) , Addo Elephant NP, Knysna (Garden Route) , Hermanus (Whales) , Cape Town (End)

7-Day Namibia Highlights

$1,802 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Mid-range Lodge & Hotel

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Etosha NP, Damaraland, Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Windhoek (End)

14-Day Walking Safari in South Africa and Swaziland

$2,237 pp (USD)

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Mpumalanga, Greater Kruger, Malolotja NR, Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal) , Isandlwana (KZN Battlefields) , Royal Natal (Drakensberg Mountains) , Drakensberg Mountains (Mountain Range) , Johannesburg (End)

12-Day Classic Namibia Camping Tour

$2,501 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Budget Camping & Hotel

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Okonjati GR, Etosha NP, Damaraland, Skeleton Coast NP, Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Aus (Town) , Kolmanskop (Highlight) , Keetmanshoop (City) , Windhoek (End)

13-Day Botswana Trans Kalahari Camping Safari

$2,321 pp (USD)

Botswana & South Africa: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Budget Camping

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Serowe (Town) , Kubu Island (Makgadikgadi Pans NP) , Makgadikgadi Pans NP, Maun (City) , Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari GR, Khama Rhino, Johannesburg (End)

7-Day Southern Namibia Adventurer

$1,481 pp (USD)

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Aus (Town) , Kolmanskop (Highlight) , Keetmanshoop (City) , Windhoek (End)

15-Day Zambia and Namibia Camping Safari

$2,268 pp (USD)

Namibia & Zambia: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Budget Camping & Guest House

You Visit: Livingstone (Start) , Victoria Falls, Zambezi Region, Rundu (City) , Etosha NP, Brandberg Mountain (Rock Art) , Spitzkoppe (Damaraland) , Swakopmund (City) , Namib Desert, Windhoek (End)

9-Day Namibia's Wildlife, Coast and Dunes Safari

$2,066 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Budget Camping & Hotel

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Okonjati GR, Etosha NP, Palmwag Concession (Damaraland) , Cape Cross (Seals) , Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Windhoek (End)

15-Day Namibia to Zambezi

$2,965 pp (USD)

Namibia & Zambia: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Mid-range Lodge & Guest House

You Visit: Livingstone (Start) , Victoria Falls, Zambezi Region, Rundu (City) , Etosha NP, Brandberg Mountain (Rock Art) , Swakopmund (City) , Namib Desert, Windhoek (End)

3-Day Dunes Express

$859 pp (USD)

Namibia: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle) Mid-range Self Catering Accommodation

You Visit: Swakopmund (Start) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Windhoek (End)

14-Day Mozambique and Kruger - Beach and Bush

$2,469 pp (USD)

Mozambique & South Africa: Shared tour (max 12 people per vehicle) Mid-range Lodge & Tented Camp

You Visit: Johannesburg (Start) , Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal) , Kosi Bay (iSimangaliso WP) , Ponta do Ouro (Beach) , Maputo (City) , Inhambane (City) , Xai-Xai (Town & Beach) , Kruger NP, Greater Kruger, Johannesburg (End)

6-Day Wildlife & Dunes Experience

$1,641 pp (USD)

You Visit: Windhoek (Start) , Etosha NP, Swakopmund (City) , Sesriem (Town) , Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes) , Windhoek (End)

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7 Questions About Overland Safari Tours

Answered by

Anthony ham.

Why should I choose an overland safari?

“Overland safaris enable you to travel on a tight budget and for longer. You also get to see far more of the continent than would otherwise be possible. And you can share the experience with like-minded travelers. Africa can be an expensive place and not everyone’s budget extends to the costs of a dedicated safari package. Not every traveler wishes to restrict themselves to one destination; nor does everyone have limited time to allocate to their safari. If your idea of the perfect safari is to rest in one place and contemplate the horizon and those animals that move slowly across it, this won’t be for you. With an overland safari, you get a feel for the continent. Its wildlife and its myriad habitats, its people and its parks are unrivaled in scope, and a true reflection of the continent’s astonishing diversity. And if you like what you see in a particular place, you can always plan to come back.”

What are the popular routes?

“The classic trans-African journeys from the Cape to Cairo do still happen. However, most overland routes are less ambitious, coming together around Nairobi (for East Africa), and Cape Town or Johannesburg (for southern Africa). Flexibility is a byword for the overland safari industry, so you can often just join for the sections that interest you. The parks of central and southern Kenya and the country’s coast are a staple. So is the northern safari circuit and coast of Tanzania. In East Africa, Rwanda is often combined with central and southern Tanzania, while those heading north may take in Uganda and even Ethiopia. Another common route begins in Cape Town, takes in major South African parks such as Kruger, then traverses either Botswana or Namibia on its way north through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and/or Mozambique. Join up all the dots, as some itineraries do, and you’ve the makings of a grand African journey.”

Will I have any chores or duties?

“Yes, you do. On an overland safari everyone is expected to contribute. It usually works on a fair roster system, with chores such as cooking, washing up, setting up camp and packing it all away again later. Part of the appeal is the sense of everyone pulling together to make things work. So, you’re not paying any more for your safari than is absolutely necessary. Overland safaris generally travel with a very small staff, often just a guide and driver. That’s why everyone needs to pitch in and, in that sense, traveling in this way is no holiday. But in no time at all you’ll get into a rhythm and the sense of working together as part of a team has considerable appeal for many travelers.”

What type of vehicle should I expect?

“Overland safari vehicles are rather impressive beasts, designed in such a way that they’re as functional for major African highways as for deep-sand national park trails. The cabin is like a bus – a party bus on some trips, hence the fridge. And there’s a seating area and big windows high above the level of other vehicles. Massive tires are common to make sure that no trail will be too difficult. Large storage areas down below are for carrying camping and other equipment, as well as supplies for those areas where shopping in supermarkets is impossible. For wildlife viewing, some tours use the larger overland truck, others change to smaller, open-sided 4x4 vehicles, and some also use a combination of both.”

How much time is spent driving on an overland safari?

“The amount of time you spend on the road while on an overland tour will vary from one safari to the next. In some ways, you’re always on the road. Your vehicle is your means of transport to get from A to B, but also the safari vehicle and home base for each night’s camp. Most travelers’ memories of these trips are those of a road trip that rolls on and on across Africa. There will be days when you’re not driving at all (when you’re in towns like Nairobi or Arusha or some coastal idyll). Then there are other days when long hours in the vehicle are a necessity to make the whole trip work.”

How much will this safari cost?

“Prices vary but most overland safaris start at around US$45 per person per day. The key is finding out what’s included. Are you expected to bring your own camping equipment? Will you be expected to contribute to any costs (such as fuel, which is unlikely, or food supplies, which is expected) along the way? Are national park fees included? What happens if the truck isn’t full? Will you be expected to make up any shortfall? Remember also that many overland companies require a payment up front as well as a separate local payment. The local payment covers optional activities and many activities are actually considered optional (and therefore extra to the up-front payment). On one level, this allows you to pick and choose the activities in which you wish to participate, and ensures that you only pay for those that you choose. At the same time, the trip may be a lot more expensive than you realize if you are only quoted the up-front payment because many activities will not be included in this price. One final thing: Sometimes, discounts are possible if you take the journey in reverse. Drivers occasionally need to get the vehicle back for the next trip and value having some company on the way back.”

What should I consider when choosing an overland trip?

“Your choice will probably come down to a combination of dates that work for you and what it is you want to see. That’s assuming that you’ve already made the decision that this kind of traveling is for you. If wildlife is your main reason for traveling, quiz the operator about how much time you actually get to spend in the parks themselves. If local culture is a priority, check whether there’ll be dedicated time allocated for interacting with locals. Find out also whether there are any rest days built into the itinerary. Or whether you’ll have any free time to go off and explore on your own, where appropriate. Ask about the level of experience of your guide-to-be. Also query whether it is possible, and how much it costs, to leave halfway through your trip if you discover that it’s not for you.”

We do Guided overland tours Differently

Welcome to Endless Africa, we offer carefully designed, small group guided overland tours to unique, remote and rustic locations across Southern Africa.

Embark on a stress-free journey behind the wheel of your own vehicle, to break away from civilization, recharge and connect with like-minded individuals.

Our self-drive overlanding tours promise adventure full of rich culture, beautiful landscapes and peaceful moments to connect with nature. 

FIND YOUR NEXT OVERLAND ADVENTURE

Find that far-off feeling closer to home with one of Endless Africa’s guided overland tours.

Dog Friendly Overlander

South Africa

Kalahari Safari

Untamed Mabuasehube

South Africa & Botswana

Wild Zambia

Why travel with us?

A tour guide can make or break a travel experience. Our incredible guides are the first and biggest reason for traveling with us. 

You’re experience are in the hands of  personable, friendly, qualified and knowledgeable guides, who will make sure every aspect of your trip is safe, enjoyable, and full of lasting memories.

Your assurance that your tour guides are registered with either CASSETHA or FGASA and comply with the Tourism Act is a significant commitment to professionalism and adherence to industry standards.

Meet our Guides

Travel confidently with us. From a comprehensive supply of spare parts ensuring seamless journeys, to a satellite phone ready for emergencies, your safety and convenience are our top priorities.

We guarantee more focused attention as group sizes average 5 vehicles and generally don’t exceed 12 adults. Setting ourselves apart, we take pride in being among the very few—if not the sole—overlanding companies providing such an exceptional low guest-to-guide ratio. Our small group setting ensures a richer and more engaging journey for every adventurer.

Need more convincing, check out our client reviews on Google and Facebook .

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Frequently Asked Questions

Overlanding is vehicle-based, on-road and off-road, self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal.

All tours are guided self-drive, so you need your own vehicle and be completely self-sufficient. Bring your own camping gear, water and food (for meals not provided) for the duration of the trip. All tours are lead by a qualified overlanding guide and depart on fixed dates throughout the year. Endless Africa will arrange all accommodation, activities and permits. 

No, not all tours require 4×4 however some tours do. Get in touch or see trip details for more information.

Yes, get in contact with us for your 4×4 vehicle needs.

No, all tours are designed to cater for beginners and regular overlanders. Come and let us guide you to your first overland tour.

We focus on small group travel thus group sizes generally do not exceed 12 adults.

All guests are responsible for their own vehicle and travel insurances. In the event of a vehicle breakdown the tour group will do everything within its means to identify, fix and repair the problem, however if an on-site repair is not possible the guest will have to make alternative arrangements.

Yes, this is a group tour therefore we stay in convoy when travelling between locations. Self-drive is possible in some locations, for example where game viewing is offered.

All tours are overlanding camping trips. The campsites on Endless Africa tours are rustic with basic or no facilities.  Guests need to bring their own camping gear and tents.

You can view our complete cancellation and refund policy  here .

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Africa: what to expect on an overland tour

May 16, 2019 • 6 min read

Overlanding is the only way to get to many spectacular settings such as Spitzkoppe, Namibia, without your own vehicle @ Sarah Reid / Lonely Planet

Bumping across Africa in a converted lorry isn’t exactly luxurious, but overland tours provide an ideal way to visit corners of the continent that are difficult – not to mention expensive – to reach on your own. It’s not just for the gap year crowd either, with most companies catering to all ages, including families. But is an adventure on an overland tour for you? Here’s everything you need to know.

Overland tours rebooted

Compared to overlanding’s early days when tours were conducted in ex-army trucks with wooden bench seats, overland tours today are somewhat cushy. Purpose-built vehicles, carrying up to two dozen people, have coach-style seats, personal lockers, a fridge, charging points and a fold-away kitchen. You still camp, assist with the cooking, and learn to make peace with dust (everywhere), but it’s a manageable trip for anyone with a sense of adventure who is capable of pitching a tent. Many campsites also offer the opportunity to upgrade to a room.

Overlanding is still among the cheapest ways to visit Africa , and provides a great introduction to the continent for first-timers, with all the logistics taken care of: the tour leader handles things like national park entry permits and border crossings, while you enjoy the exquisite scenery.

A typical day on the road

Although no two days are the same, there’s generally a pattern. Early starts are the norm, either because you have a long way to go, or you’re heading out on a dawn wildlife drive. Tents are usually required to be down before breakfast (tea and coffee, cereal, fruit, and a hot dish if you’re lucky).

Lunch is typically a packed sandwich on the truck, a fresh pasta salad whipped up at a roadside stop, or, if not included, a stop at a supermarket, with toilet breaks generally of the ‘wild wee’ variety. Upon rolling into camp (occasionally after dark), some of the party will be rostered to prepare dinner. During the evening meal, your tour leader will discuss the plan for the following day before the group heads off to bed, or enjoys a few beers around the campfire or at an onsite bar. Keep in mind that everything, from the weather and security issues to corrupt border officials, may force your driver to alter the programme – do not take your itinerary as gospel.

Campsites in East Africa and Southern Africa are generally of a high standard, with hot showers, and usually a bar. Most offer wi-fi, but it is rarely free, or working. Some also have fancy facilities such as swimming pools, and a few are set in game farms or in or near national parks where elephants and hippo are known to wander into camp. There are some days, however, when campsites will have no facilities at all. On West Africa trips, these basic bush camps are more common – don’t forget to pack plenty of biodegradable wet wipes. In cities, accommodation is usually provided in hostels or cheap hotels.

Note that campsites in East and Southern Africa can get busy, with earplugs recommended.

Packing hacks

Operator packing lists spell out the essentials, but to make the journey more comfortable, a pillow, a good book, and a fully-loaded music device are key – free, reliable wi-fi in campsites is rare, and purchasing local sim cards can be surprisingly expensive. Colds and other viruses tend to spread quickly in overland trucks, so it’s handy to have medication for common travel ailments on-hand, as well-stocked pharmacies can be few and far between. Healthy snacks can also be difficult to come by in some countries, so stock up in advance. You may also wish to bring a power bank to charge your devices in your tent.

Overland tour operators supply camp chairs and sleeping mats, but if you’re opting for a long trip or have a bad back, it’s worth bringing your own inflatable mat to layer over the one supplied.

Sustainable overland tours

Overlanding produces far less emissions than flying, but there are still plenty of ways you can further reduce your impact on the fragile ecosystems you pass through. Plastic can be minimised by filling your own reusable water bottle with treated water provided by operators, and using your own carry bag when shopping for supplies. You can also avoid adding to the worrying volume of toilet paper and wet wipes by the roadside by depositing yours in a reusable zip-lock bag, and emptying it into a bin at your campsite later on.

Child protection experts advise against visits to orphanages and schools en route, and don’t forget to ask permission before photographing locals. Visiting captive wildlife attractions, which have been linked to various animal welfare issues (check out the excellent documentary Blood Lions for a primer on Africa’s tragic ‘walk with lions’ industry), is also strongly discouraged by animal welfare experts. If you’d like to give back to the communities you visit, check if your itinerary matches up with a Pack For a Purpose drop-off point, or consider donating to a charitable foundation recommended by your operator. Some run their own, such the Intrepid Foundation , and G Adventures’ Planeterra Foundation .

Tipping explained

Africa has a strong tipping culture, so remember to bring small change (ideally in US$) to tip local guides (up to US$5 per person is sufficient). Tipping your tour leader, driver and cook at the end of the trip is also customary – most companies suggest each passenger contributes US$2-4 per staff member, per day. You should not feel obliged to tip, however, if the service provided is poor.

Choosing an operator

More than a dozen overland tour operators ply very similar routes across the continent, with cheaper itineraries typically indicating fewer included activities and meals (and attracting a younger, fun-loving clientele). Guides are typically from Kenya or South Africa (though sometimes from the UK, Europe or Australia), and have varying degrees of local knowledge, so it can be handy to bring a guidebook along, too.

Some operators still require a kitty or local payment (a compulsory payment of cash, on top of the tour price, by each traveller to pay for things along the way) which can bump up the total price significantly. Overland tour companies offering a happy medium of optional and included activities include Intrepid Travel , G Adventures , Dragoman , Absolute Africa , Acacia Africa and Nomad Africa , though this is by no means an exhaustive list. Check out the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree for independent feedback on the various companies, routes, and Africa overlanding in general.

Sarah Reid travelled with support from Intrepid Travel. Lonely Planet writers do not accept freebies for positive coverage.

https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/africa-travel-guide-14

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GUIDED OVERLAND TOURS AND SELF-DRIVE SAFARIS

Waypoint Adventures

Come and join us! We have created exciting travel adventures, experiences and holidays with your own or a rented vehicle on one of our guided overland tours and self-drive safaris tours and expeditions.

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Namibia update: see the latest on our upcoming namibian adventures here. we're bursting with enthusiasm and eagerly counting down the days let's embark on this journey together, my african dream "mad", we're thrilled to announce the release of our inaugural detailed itinerary for african dream tours if you're eager to embark on this adventure, the itinerary is now available in the exclusive "mad" members-only section below. join our members' area to access all the exciting details.

Prepare yourselves for the journey of a lifetime! Your aspirations of exploring the wonders of East Africa are about to materialize with “My African Dream” (“MAD”)! We are delighted to announce the launch of our exclusive bucket list tour to this extraordinary region. 

Brace yourself for an epic 75-day overland adventure, with a blend of camping and lodge accommodations along the way. Are you ready to experience the ultimate overland adventure? Envision spending time with Rwanda’s and Uganda’s majestic gorillas, venturing into the mountains to encounter the Chimpanzees. Picture yourself exploring the breathtaking Great Lakes, marveling at the Ngorongoro Crater, venturing through Masai Mara National Park, witnessing the Great Migration in Serengeti National Park, and embarking on numerous other unforgettable journeys to remarkable places.

To keep you informed and provide essential details, we kindly request you to click the link below and fill out a short form to join our exclusive “Info Page.” By doing so, you’ll receive an email with further instructions and gain access to a wealth of exciting information about the tour. We have many more exciting updates to share in the coming months.

The response we’ve received so far has been overwhelming, and we are truly grateful for your keen interest and enthusiasm. However, please be aware that due to the intimate nature of our tours, we can only accommodate 11 vehicles per tour. The available spots are filling up rapidly, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Don’t delay any further; secure your spot now and become one of the few who will embark on this extraordinary adventure with “My African Dream.” Let’s create memories that will last a lifetime together!

Best Regards,

Jean and the “My African Dream” Team

Join our members' area to access all the exciting details!

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WELCOME TO A PLACE WHERE WE WILL MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE…

Our guided overland tours and self-drive safaris were created to share experiences and to provide comfortable, more personal and interactive travel holidays. Our self-drive adventures are designed to provide you with an affordable product; whether it’s a budget or an upmarket holiday, we cater for those who are looking for a value-for-money safari experience…

Come and join us! We have created exciting travel adventures, experiences and holidays with your own or a rented vehicle on one of our guided overland tours and self-drive safaris tours and expeditions. We love travelling off the beaten track.  Most of our trips will be on gravel roads, jeep tracks and the lesser known routes and trails. Many of our guided overland tours and self-drive safaris include some of the most scenic routes in Southern Africa.

You do not have to be experienced in overlanding, safaris or driving a 4×4 vehicle off-road.

Your adventure guides have many years of experience and will guide you every step of the way.

Many of our guests drive an off-road 4×4 (or 2×4) vehicle for the first time when they go on our adventures, don’t be intimidated by this; it will be an experience you will never forget!  We will share and teach as much as we can and by the end of the tour you would have forgotten your first day nervousness. Let’s Go!

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Our  g uided overland tours and self-drive safaris  are guaranteed to provide you with a sense of adventure and a great safari experience. We are on a mission to explore as much as we can in our lifetime. We take those turn-offs; sometimes we get lost, sometimes we get stuck.  We just call it “getting delayed…”

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Do not be disappointed; follow the links below and see all the information. Make your African Dream come true!

Where the Adventure Starts!

Overlanding and safari travel adventures and holidays are not only for 4×4’s. We have many opportunities where you can come and enjoy an overland adventure with your 4×2 or SUV. Many of our tours are created with this in mind and for this type of vehicle. We will always be there to assist you.

We also guide self-drive  day-trips  in the Western Cape where we will take you on some of the most scenic routes and trails. You have the option to discuss your self-drive requirements with us and we will custom create a dream travel adventure for you, your family and friends. You tell us where you want to go and what you want to see, we will do the research and plan the route and requirements.

We do exploration adventure tours every now and then. If you are keen to do one of these “recce” overland tours where we explore new areas, you are welcome to join in. These 4×4 self-drive tours are offered at discounted rates. We will do all the research before and ensure an enjoyable trip; these overland tours are all about exploration and discovering new places. You need your own vehicle (4×4 or 4×2), fuel and a  few other items  as per the tour requirements and join in on this adventure.

Camping is where it all started; camping where no one normally camps.  We love to go on camping holidays, adventures and safaris.  Most of the accommodation consists of camping out of the way and rush and off the beaten track. We try and avoid the typical caravan type camping sites. We will always try and find the best campsites, and in most cases it will be very remote and rustic. Sometimes you will get spoiled with some nice lodge accommodation. A different experience…

Our mission is to provide a comfortable, personal and interactive overland safari adventure holiday in the form of guided overland tours. We have positioned ourselves to provide customers with a unique travel product and holidays they desire, whether it’s on a budget or upmarket. We cater for those who are looking for a value-for-money experiences or adventures. Some of our adventure tours are short weekend trips and others are longer.  It does not matter which you prefer, but we will have a tour that suits your requirements.

We love adventure travelling. Exploring new places and sites is what we do. Taking that lesser known turn-off is why we know about the secret places; we will take you there and share these places with you. We like stopping along the way if time allows. Waiting for something to happen at a waterhole can be very rewarding.  We are not going to rush to the next campsite or overnight stop, you determine the pace. We get up early and we are never in a rush.

We have many years of safari experience in overlanding and self-drive 4×4 travel all over Africa: planning trips, arranging logistics and figuring out technical requirements for overlanding and remote camping and safaris. We are keen to share these adventures with you.

Our guided 4×4 overland tours allow us to take you into the wild and connect you with the most wonderful landscapes on earth, to broaden your horizons, to be exposed to the wild, to be hungry for adventures and embrace the unknown.  LET’s GO!

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Choosing the best overland tour in Africa can be tricky. With so many tour operators and so many trips, I find that backpackers are often overwhelmed. I worked as an overland tour leader for two different companies. I also encountered every other company on the road and got to know exactly what does (and does not) make for the best overland tour in Africa. Let’s take a look at some of the best options available. Please know, I will only recommend options with a particular tour operator because I know they are consistent in terms of vehicles, staff and travel itinerary.

Quick Answer: The Best Overland Tour in Africa

Overall Best Overland Tour –   Serengeti, Falls & Cape Town Adventure (40 Days)

Best Value Overland Tour – Serengeti to Victoria Falls Adventure (20 Days)

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania – East Africa Overland Tour (19 Days)

Less than 2 Weeks – Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar (13 Days)

Less than 10 Days – Nairobi to Zanzibar (10 Days)

*Scroll down to see a closer look at each of the above overland tours

How to Choose the Best Overland Tour in Africa

I want you to feel comfortable with your decision and know that you have picked the best tour operator. However, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to choosing the best overland tour in Africa. I don’t know if you have two weeks or two months to explore. It could be the case that you really, really want to see Victoria Falls in full flow or maybe you just want to experience a cultural or more primitive part of East Africa. Either way, I will try to help you make a decision by outlining what I believe to be the best overland tours in Africa that you should consider.

About Choosing the Best Overland Tour Company

Firstly, and I say this honestly, there is no such thing as a bad overland company. However, the quality of your trip will still depend on certain aspects relating to these operators.

1. The Crew (Driver, Tour Leader & Cook) 2. Equipment and Organization 3. Your Attitude 4. The Group

I list these in the order of importance. Your attitude and the attitude of your group will play an important role. These attitudes are also managed by the crew and I say this because I worked as an overland tour leader for many years. If you have excellent crew, you can be sure that this will translate as a happy group and an unforgettable trip. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with overland tours in Africa and you can easily join an unhappy group with an incompetent crew.

About the Crew

Having worked for two different overland operators, I have encountered every tour company on the road. These companies have the right intentions but the crew are often a disappointment. Some crew are more interested in making commissions, others pay little attention to individuals and many more are simply focused on getting drunk at the bar every night. Sad, but true.

But how can you know that you will have awesome crew? Simple – you pick an overland tour operator who carefully selects and manages their crew members. The company I recommend in this post have a rigorous interview process and they monitor performance like clockwork!

About the Trucks & Equipment

You want a company who takes care of their equipment. Some of the overland trucks in Africa are falling apart. There was a huge accident with a large tour operator a few years ago and this accident was down to the state of the truck. You may not get the same crew members on every trip but you can pick a company that uses solid transport options.

Who Goes on an Overland Tour in Africa?

Most passengers on an overland tour in Africa are aged between 18 – 35. That being said, there is usually a nice mix and people from all walks of life. In my experience, the group always benefits from having people with life experience in the group rather than a merry band of twenty somethings. Also, there are always couples who bring a nice balance to any overland tour!

How Much Time do you have for your Overland Safari?

Your destination for an overland tour in Africa will depend on the time you have available. For example, if you have an unlimited amount of time (60 Days/2 Months) – the first thing I will say is to stop procrastinating and  book this tour from Nairobi to Cape Town . But not everyone has this sort of time available which so you might need to consider the options below.

The Best Place for an Africa Overland Tour

What an incredibly broad question – “Where should I go on an Africa overland tour?”

I always recommend that people take their first overland tour in East Africa. This offers an experience which is likely closer to the ‘Africa of your mind’. Also, while places like Cape Town are beautiful, I don’t think you should decide the route of an overland tour in Africa based on one destination. By the way, my advice is not only based on first-hand experience but also feedback from hundreds of people whom I have guided on the best overland tours in Africa.

Kenya –  Wildlife, culture, and variety of experiences.

Tanzania –  Wildlife, Kilimanjaro, and beaches.

Uganda –  Gorilla Trekking, white water rafting, and local experiences.

*Namibia –  Landscapes, camping in the desert and sunsets.

Botswana –  Okavango Delta and lion country.

Malawi –  Primitive life, friendly faces, great opportunities to meet locals.

*Namibia is one of my favourite places in Africa. But if this is your first time to the continent, I genuinely believe that East Africa is a much more exciting trip. You can visit Namibia another time and you will come back to Africa, trust me.

Most Impressive Attractions on an Overland Tour in Africa

Something that strikes you on a long distance overland tour, is the incredible number of experiences. One day you might be mountain gorilla trekking in a jungle, while the next you would be standing with a hill tribe in Lake Bunyoni. Roll on a few days, you might be on Zanzibar or watching a pride of lion staring hungrily into your safari vehicle. Here are some of the most recommended attractions/experiences according to my guests:

• Wildlife in the Masai Mara
• Cycling in Hells Gate National Park (Lake Naivasha)
• Taking a Serengeti / Ngorongoro Crater Safari
• Trekking Mountain Gorillas in Uganda
• Relaxing on the north beaches in Zanzibar
• Visiting Stone Town in Zanzibar
• Meeting the locals in Malawi
• White water rafting the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls
• Wildlife and landscapes in Etosha National Park
• Camping at Spitzkoppe in Namibia
• Desert Landscapes in Namibia
• Attractions in Cape Town

When to Book an Overland Tour in Africa?

If you want to travel during high season or between May and September – book in December or early January. Although if you know the dates, book it right now as these tours fill up fast. Anyway, why wait – get it done so that you can look forward to the adventure!

Which Tour Do I Recommend for your First Overland Tour?

Well, if you want me to be even more specific, here are the Africa overland tours that I recommend to friends and family:

Best Overland Tour in Africa –  Serengeti, Falls & Cape Town Adventure (40 Days)

Route – Nairobi to Cape Town

Days – 40 Days

Highlights – Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Vic Falls, Okavango Delta, Etosha NP, Swakopmund, Cape Town

Seriously, just book it. Nairobi to Cape Town is the most magical and memorable travel experience you will ever have in Africa. This trip can be broken into sections. However, when my passengers were leaving at the end of a section, it was heartbreaking to say goodbye and to know that the rest of the group would continue without them. It is the absolute best overland tour in Africa. If you can make it happen, choose this epic adventure and look forward to an incredible journey with a bunch of new friends who will soon become your truck family.

Check Out More Information About this Tour

Best Value Overland Tour –  Serengeti to Victoria Falls Adventures (20 Days)

Route –  Nairobi to Victoria Falls

Days – 20 Days

Highlights –  Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Vic Falls

Pick this option if the previous tour is not possible and you do not have enough time for Nairobi to Vic Falls. You get to experience Kenya and Tanzania which I believe is the core of the best overland tour in Africa. There are  too many attractions and highlights to mention so go check them out on the link below and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

Route – Kampala to Zanzibar

Days – 19 Days

Highlights –  Serengeti, Zanzibar, Mountain Gorillas, Jinja.

Travelling around East Africa is the most culture orientated part of an overland tour in Africa. You can enjoy local experiences and a primitive side of life that is not so common later on. To be honest, this could easily be second place and I find it hard to choose between them. I guess it depends on how much you want to see the mountain gorillas or Uganda.

Important Word About Travel Insurance

As a tour leader, I have witnessed enough accidents and incidents to turn me into a full blown advocate for travel insurance. Seriously, even though overland companies insist that you have travel insurance for Africa before joining a trip, you should have it anyway. My pick is always World Nomads as they have come through for so many of my guests. In my own experience, their support team is also second to none and they guided me through some pretty awful situations. Travel insurance from World Nomads  is available to people from 140 countries. It’s designed for adventurous travellers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities.

About Booking Your Africa Overland Tour

I am not a travel agent and I provide this information for free. However, at no extra cost to you , if you click through to the operator using one of the links in this post, I receive a small kickback for sending you their way. I wish you the best of luck on this adventure of a lifetime!

Disclaimer:  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you book your tour or insurance, I might earn a small commission at  no extra cost to you . Please know that I value the trust of my readers and will never endorse something I do not personally support. Namaste 😉

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I worked as an overland tour leader in Africa for many years. I now want to help you book the trip of a lifetime and find out everything you need to know about taking an overland tour in Africa.

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Big thanks for unforgettable experience in Africa. Especially to our driver, Mark, who was awesome. Nairobi to Victoria Falls, Nov 2019. Robert from Australia

Africa Tours – Travel Africa overland safari, an adventure of a lifetime

African Trails has been running African overland camping safari using overland trucks to take groups of people around the whole of Africa since 1980. Read testimonials from previous travelers. We run trips from 5 day game park tours to 41 week Trans Africa overland enabling us to cover the whole of Africa. From north to south and west to east. With over 60 African adventure tours; covering 26 countries. With departures every month, you’ll find the right safari for you.

The Best Africa overland tours

Travel by overland safari truck is the safest, most friendly  and cost effective way to have an Africa camping tour. On our big Trans Africa and Cape Town to Cairo Nile Expedition.

We go to places where public transport is unreliable, roads are rough, and finding accommodation can be difficult. Safari in Africa with African Trails and when you join our trip with your backpack you will find everything you need on our well equipped expedition truck.

Safari Overland Trucks

Late model Mercedes Benz and Scania, with Euro 4, fuel efficient and enviro-friendly motors with ABS braking and air-ride suspension give a smooth ride.

Our overland tour trucks have comfortable coach seats, with a wide aisle for leg room and space; a great place to socialise and to see the sites.

Heavy duty overland trucks allow us to get to those hard to find, rugged, out of the way places. Dirty and dusty roads with potholes and corrugations are no hindrance in our adventure tour off the beaten track to remote detonations.

Our Most Popular Trips

Our overland trips are so different to the usual game park safari to the  Masai Mara in Kenya,  the  Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater   in Tanzania. Or  Etosha Pan  Namibia, or one  of the seven natural wonders of the world; Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Instead of a short visit to game parks that you can book through any travel agent on the high street at home, on our African overland camping safari we visit the game parks and all the sites and sights in between.

Starting a trip in Cape Town is a popular choice, a great city for a food safari.

We see African villages, towns and meet the people of Africa in Africa. In East and southern Africa you can take a sample of the best game parks in Kenya and Tanzania by going on our 15 day Kenya Tanzania Game Parks to Zanzibar. Travel further afield on our 21 day  Nairobi to Victoria Falls. Or take in the whole region with an 8 weeks Gorillas to Cape Town.

Waiting for a Camel Train to Pass

A snapshot of a day on an Overland Trip

Travelling through Africa, Asia & South America by safari truck is an experience in another world. Early starts, something new around every corner of the road.  Each day’s different. That’s the beauty of an overland trip You could be spending an afternoon by a lake or driving along a dusty road complete with bumps and potholes.

Most nights are spent at campsites

In most campsites you can charge your equipment, wash clothes, and have a cold drink at the bar. Meanwhile, the cooks of the day are busy lighting the fire, and starting dinner. W ith nights watching the stars and the best nights sleep  you’ll ever have; by the campfire, under the stars. Trip Life.

Big Trips – Trans Africa, Trans Asia, Cape Town to Cairo overland route

Come with us to do the biggest trip in your life, an African overland camping safari. Great if you have time or a gap year, make it part of a trip around the world. Join our 22 weeks London to Morocco heading to Cape Town, or a 41 week London to Morocco to Cape Town and Cairo . An Istanbul to Peking and Singapore.   Or even a  25 weeks or a full circuit of South America.

Videos and Social Media – Facebook –  Pinterest  –  You Tube  –  Twitter

You can take a good look at our overland adventure tours to remote destinations on our various social media sites. Take a look at other travellers tales going overlanding on a shoestring

Phone: +44 (0) 7938 726 334 (WhatsApp)       Email: [email protected] African Trails, 28 Grange Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 6BW, UK

Guide to Overland Tours In Africa

[vc_row fullwidth=”true” parallax=”content-moving-fade” parallax_image=”3491″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”400px”][mk_page_title_box page_title=”Guide To Overlanding in Africa” page_subtitle=”How to travel cheaply through Africa” section_height=”150″ font_size=”70″ font_color=”#ffffff” font_weight=”300″ sub_font_size=”22″ sub_font_color=”#ffffff” sub_font_weight=”300″][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Overland tours should be referred to as “Adventure tours” and they are exactly that. Overlanding through Africa is the cheapest, and most convenient way of seeing as much of Africa as possible. Yes you’re on a vacation but they don’t want you to think of it that way. It’s an “active adventure”. It is a rough it out, camp in tents with sleeping bags , and sit in a big truck for hours and hours. If you think you can handle this, then prepare to have the best of times, and make the best of friends.

Why Overland Tours in Africa?

Price difference.

I’ll be honest, overlanding isn’t for everyone. It’s a basic, rugged, bare-boned way of traveling Africa. Let’s be honest, some people just require a bit more of the luxuries in life when traveling. This is fine, and I don’t blame anyone for that but be warned that Africa is  NOT a cheap place to travel to if luxury is in your mind. Africa is not catered to the locals but very much Europeans, Americans, and Australians nearing their twilight years that are willing to spend mad cash to check off that safari off their bucket lists. Because of this, affording even a little bit of luxury can cost hundreds of dollars a night.

Overlanding offers the perfect alternative as it is mostly camping, and favors experiences and adventures over luxury.  Accommodation is in a tent at a campsite so where one sacrifices on comfort, one gains in experience and price.

Overland Tour Transportation

Transportation options around Africa are very limited. Unlike Europe where one can catch cheap flights or the Eurail around the entire continent, flights are damn expensive around Africa and land transportation is usually locally run group “taxis” that are neither convenient, or likely to get you to your destination in any timely fashion.

In addition, we visit Europe to tour the big cities because that’s where all the history, culture, and sights are. No one comes to Kenya to visit Nairobi! Everyone overnights in Nairobi because it is the main airport but leave early the next morning to the Masai Mara. In fact, the only city that is worth visiting on this continent is just Cape Town (and it’s very much worth it).

So with that said, to see the main sights of each African country requires chartering a car to drive the however many hours it takes to get there. This costs money, and is not cheap. Overlanding takes care of this as it drives you from one highlight to the next.

Great for Solo Travelers

Not all of us have friends that are willing to journey out to Africa together. Traveling alone can be fun but organizing transport and lodging for one can be very expensive and cumbersome. But let’s be honest, it’s more fun to travel with a good group of people.

Follow an itinerary because it’s already been made

For those that do not want the headache of planning an itinerary of Africa, then this is for you. These tours have every day planned out and all you do is just pay the money and go along for the ride.

Who are overland tours for?

As overland tours are pretty rugged, roughing it out type of trips, the recommended age range by the tour companies are from 18-40. However, I say that’s nonsense. As long as you feel like you’re somewhere in that age range, you can be any age and do these trips. Of course, these trips likely aren’t for the retirees with health problems and on their second back operations but I met an Australian man on one of my trips that was nearing 60 but had the spirit of someone half his age. He was probably one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met actually.

It is not for the divas of the world that want luxury and pampering on their vacations. There will little to none of that on these tours. You’re getting what you pay for and people pay A LOT more to be pampered and treated to luxury in Africa.

Short vs Long Overland Trips

Overland tours come in all shapes and sizes. For the extreme travelers, there is a six month Accra to Cairo overland trip that goes from Ghana, down the entire west coast, and then up the east coast of Africa ending in Cairo with Oasis . Then there are trips that last less than a week like the Gorilla trek tour through Uganda with  Acacia . 

Companies like Nomad and Acacia offer one long six week trip from Cape Town to Nairobi, traversing through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and finally Kenya.

This can either be done in its entirety for all 6 weeks, or can be done in individual segments if you aren’t part of the 2 month vacation crowd. For example, I did the Kenya, and Tanzania leg of a Nairobi to Cape Town trip. My leg of it was only 2 weeks and after our tour ended in Zanzibar, half of the group continued onto Zambia before reaching Victoria Falls where they picked up new people to finish the trip in Cape Town.

From a price perspective, the overland companies make more money from people that do short trips. It’s a much better deal for the traveler to do a longer trip. I did a trip from Cape Town to Windhoek for about 10000R (~950$), but had I continued on for another week to Victoria Falls, it would have been just another 3000R (~275$).

Local Payments and Optional Activities

You may have looked a trip already and thought wow what a cheap price to go through Kenya and Tanzania and see the Masai Mara and Serengeti! Then you click on this small disclaimer sized link titled “Local Payments” and out pops up another 1000$ charge on top of the trip price.

Local payments is what the overland companies refer to as the price for the activities on the tour . The “tour price” is actually just referring to the transportation and the guides. So if your tour incorporates going to a few game parks, these cost more money, and a lot of it. These are separate costs that need to be paid on top of the tour price and are referred to as the local payment. Many times, these local payments are in USD because that is the currency universally accepted in Africa.

Nomad, Acacia, and Africa Travel Co all display their prices by “Tour Price” & “Local Payment” whereas companies like Gadventures sum the price into one. In other words, don’t look at Gadventures and wonder why the same trip costs twice as much as compared to Nomad. It’s likely because of the local payments!

Most tours that I’ve been on, if you for some reason did not bring your local payment on the first day in US dollars, they will allow you to pay in the local currency of whatever country you’re in, at an exchange rate that’s most likely less favorable to you.

Optional Activities

On top of the local payments, there are many optional activities that are exactly that, optional. These activities are offered as a part of the tour because the tour stops in the area that the activities are offered. Victoria Falls is the best example as there are at least a dozen activities one can do. The white water rafting around Vic Falls for example costs $140. This is paid once you arrive at Victoria Falls to the company that leads the activity. The overland tour company are not the ones that put on the activities, they are merely the people that drove you to Victoria Falls so you can have the opportunity!

Most trip dossiers will have a list of all optional activities available on the tour so you can plan for it well in advance.

The trucks and crew

To the point of why overlanding isn’t for everyone, we first start with the truck. This is the beautiful vehicle, somewhere between a medium sized truck and semi, that will drive you from point a to point b for however many days. It is . The back has been completely stripped and fitted for long distance travel with 24 seats, and 24 lockers.

The big distinction to understand with overlanding is that you’re driving 100% from point a to point b. If that means Cape Town to Nairobi, then that means you’re driving the entire way. Look on Google Maps, and it’s clear that it is no short distance. Throw in the fact that you’re traveling on a truck so any little bump or pothole will feel like an earthquake and the roads with the exception of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana are mostly horrendous. Whatever estimate google maps’ directions give you, be sure to double that and that is conservative. There were some days where we drove for 15 hours!

The crew is usually 2-3 people where one drives, one cooks, and the other guides the group. Most of them are from the countries that are visited on the tour. At first I thought this was because they could speak the local language but there are hundreds if not thousands of languages spoken throughout Africa so as soon as we’d leave their home country, they could no longer converse in their language. Thankfully English has been made the official language of most of the countries visited (except Mozambique).

Where do they go?

Pretty much any part of Africa that is not in conflict or have serious political unrest. The majority of overland travel is concentrated in East Africa and Southern Africa. East Africa includes Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania  and Southern Africa includes  South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and even Madagascar.  Countries like the DRC, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Somalia are absolutely not tourist friendly and no overland tours will be going there any time soon.

East Africa

East Africa offers a much more rustic and basic experience for the adventure seekers looking for out of their comfort zones. Aside from the big national parks in Eastern Africa, the rest of the country is very behind in pretty much everything. Roads are littered with potholes, houses are more like shacks, and towns get DARK when the sun sets.

Southern Africa

The southern African countries are far more developed than their Eastern African counterparts in terms of infrastructure and tourism support. South Africa and Namibia are in fact pretty modern countries and they may not provide the “Africa” experience that many first time Africa tourists are thinking of. I’m guilty as charged on this one. Prior to moving to South Africa, I thought it would be a bit more chaotic in the cities and less developed but how quickly I learned the Southern African countries are probably closer to America in terms of infrastructure than to their Eastern African counterparts.

The food on overland tours

Food is mostly provided for on overland tours. The guides will explicitly tell everyone ahead of time when food isn’t provided for, and this is usually when the tour stops in a town for a few days. The food served depends on the country you’re currently in and the guide’s ability to cook although even a master chef can only do so much with limited ingredients.

Food in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa has limited culinary options so expect to eat a lot of stews, pasta and just basic food. In Namibia and Botswana however, meat is much cheaper and easily obtained so expect to chow down on some local game and steaks. Breakfast is usually something simple with bread and cereal. Lunch is also simple with basic pastas and/or make your own sandwiches. Again, overland tours aren’t luxury, so don’t expert 5* food. It’s an “adventure” tour, not a “relax, and be serviced 24 hours and get fat” tour (although good chance you’ll gain weight on one of these tours if you’re on it long enough).

The guides try and cook something that’s local to the area but keep in mind that there’s 2-3 crew members trying to cook for 20+ people with limited supplies. There will be some mediocre meals but some delicious ones as well. The best meal I had was a beef stew with pap (Maize meal, Asia has rice and Africa has pap).

One of the best parts and potentially worst parts is the crowd. After going on so many overland trips, I’ve learned that the trips are always a good time because well? You’re seeing some amazing stuff. However, the group you’re with will make the difference between a good trip and a great trip.

The overland groups usually range between 12-22 people. Thankfully, all the trips I’ve been on have yielded some of the coolest people I’ve met. Some, I’ve seen again in some capacity even after our tour. Many, I still keep in touch with! I honestly think it’s hard to be in a bad group because at the end of the day, we’re all like minded people; eager to see and travel the world.

The most common nationalities I’ve come across on my trips are from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. I’ve yet to meet a single American on my overland tours which is no surprise given how awful our vacation allowances are as well as the general mentality towards seeing the world vs Europeans and Australians. Hell, I’ve seen more Canadians on my trips than Americans and we outnumber that country 10-1. I am American but I’m a bit of an outlier as I live in South Africa, and have twice as much vacation as the average American.

Camping vs Glamping vs Accommodated

If you love everything you’ve read up until here about overlanding except the camping part, worry not, there are alternatives to camping. Trust me, after a week of camping, it gets old quickly having to set up the tent every night and sleeping on a mat instead of a bed. For those that can’t stomach camping in a tent, there are accommodated options for a premium. These accommodation options aren’t anything to write home about and certainly aren’t luxurious but they provide a proper roof over your head and at the very least, a twin sized bed. No sleeping bags, and no tents required.

The accommodated tours function separately to the camping ones but they will all take the same routes, but just stay in different areas for the night. For the overland trip to Uganda, the accommodated and camping people will be together as all the campsites had camping and lodging available. It’s at these campsites that a camper has the option to upgrade to a lodge for an extra premium, called “glamping”.

What to pack for overland tours?

Depending on the countries visited, one should pack different things. The obvious things are

• Sunscreen (the sun is strong in Africa)
• Insect repellent
• Ample change of clothing
• Cash (USD in post 2006, large bills for Eastern Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia)
• Large backpack (Do not bring a suitcase)
• Good camera (it’s a trip of a lifetime so make sure to capture it)
• Yellow fever certificate (absolutely necessary)
• Malaria tablets, the countries in East Africa are more of a threat

Overland Tour Companies

There are many companies that do overland tours in Africa. There’s no shortage of demand for these tours, and with good reason, it’s amazing here! The main overland companies I’ve come across are

• Nomad Tours
• Acacia Africa
• Africa Travel Co
• G-Adventures

Nomad and Acacia are both South African companies that quote all their prices in Rand. With the current weak rand environment, these two companies are significantly cheaper than the others that charge in either dollars or sterling. I’ve traveled with Nomad, Acacia, and Africa Travel Co. I’ve had good experiences using all three. Nomad and Acacia are almost mirror reflections of each other in the way they operate. Africa Travel Co is more on the budget side with bigger groups and cheaper prices.

I used a booking agent, who had access to all of these companies and always quoted in rands (which made the trips cheaper) and would highly recommend them.

• African Budget Safaris

The local experience

One of my favorite parts of the overland trips are the experiences with the locals. Because we are driving from point a to point b, we see a lot of a country that vacationers of the more luxurious route wouldn’t see. We stop in random towns to pick up supplies and it’s just very eyeopening to see the way of life in these countries and talk to local people that are equally as perplexed to see a large group of foreigners that are in an otherwise completely untraveled part of their country, aka not the game park.

In addition, as these tours are not luxury based at all, many times the campsites are situated right next to a local village. In Uganda, we ventured out of our camp and just walked around the village, talking to people and playing with the kids that were so awe-stricken by seeing foreigners around.

Travel insurance

This one is pretty self explanatory. The tours all require you to have travel insurance for unforeseen consequences. It’s absolutely a smart move. If for some reason you just don’t want to get it, you can just give the tour companies BS policy information and there’s really no way for them to check. Don’t be stupid though, get trip insurance.  World Nomads is a great site with cheap rates.

Well I’m no stranger to these tours. I’ve done a total of five now. One with Acacia, one with AfricaTravelCo, and three with Nomad. Again, these companies all take the same routes through Africa, so the Cape Town to Namibia Tour I did with Nomad, I could have done with Acacia as well. The timing just happened to work better with Nomad at the time.

13 Day Nairobi-Zanzibar with Acacia 12 Day Cape Town-Windhoek with Nomad 8 Day Uganda Gorilla trek with Nomad 8 Day Okavango to Vic Falls with AfricaTravelCo 14 Day Mozambique Explorer with Nomad

In my opinion, if you want to visit Africa but do not want the responsibility of organizing anything, then consider an overland tour. If you have 2 weeks or more, and you want to see as much as possible, the overland tours are the best way to go. Organizing transportation in Africa to go long distances is tedious and expensive. Flying is expensive as well and flights within Africa will only take you to the African capitals, and you’ll still have to charter a car which is more $.

The combination of the different people on the tour with a knowledgeable guide makes these tours a great way to see Africa. Albeit not luxurious at all, these overland tours are the best way to see Africa, especially for those on a budget.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

16 Comments

Johnny, I read lot of blogs and based on my readings schedule my travels. Your blogs about South America and Africa are very real and informative. Thank you very much. Travelled couple of months to Peru and was heading to Uyuni on Peru Hop when the border was closed past Puna. All the information you provided was real and great. Thank you and keep posting. Your writing is a great asset for fellow old adventurers (62) like me. Thanks again!!!! Working on my Africa overlanding trip as soon Coruna Virus thread is eliminated and borders are opened up.

Hey Sonny, glad you liked the post and you foudn it helpful! Let’s hope the coronavirus gets settled sooner than later. It really is an extreme time that we live in but I am hopeful! By the way, did you make it out of Peru once the borders closed?

Hi, thank for sharing. many of your writing are pretty honest and true. Maybe if i built up my gut, i go on one of these tours. Thanks

Hi Johnny, thanks for the great write up! I came here from the Kenya and Tanzania itinerary post you made. I wanted to ask you if you think overland tours are good for couples looking to have somewhat of a romantic time but also want to save money?

Yes absolutely! There were loads of couples on my trips (myself included). Sure I probably wouldn’t recommend it for a honeymoon (if you’re the type that wants a fancy intimate one), but it is the best way to save money for sure!

Wow! Africa is amazing, Thanks for this guide. Love it.

Hi Johnny I have a question that perhaps some people are wondering but are too afraid to ask. What are the toilet and shower situations? What happens if you get sick on the truck? Like ya gotta go! Are there toilets on the trucks?

Great question! And yes, very important :).

There are no toilets on the truck. When you’re on the road on the overland truck, the toilet situation is bush toilets. They’ll occasionally pull over to the side of the road and people will just find a bush to pee in. Totally unfair to girls I know, ESPECIALLY if you’re in Namibia where it’s just all desert but this is Africa after all!

Each campsite is different depending on the country you’re in. Southern Africa usually has better facilities and Eastern Africa has questionable facilities by Western standards. Most places I went to have regular toilets but make sure to bring your own toilet paper!

On my Okavanga Delta trip, we camped in the complete wild and there were no facilities at all there. We had to dig our own drop toilets but that’s probably the most extreme experience I’ve had.

In my years as a tour operator with Kenya safari tours , overland is one of those trips I have wished for but dreaded. reading Johhnny’s story gives me the courage to undertake one and I know I will do this sooner than I thought.

Thanks Martin, glad to hear it!

Hi, Loved the article. I live in England but I am obtaining dual citizenship (British-Kenyan) as we speak, I have been to Kenya at least once and often twice a year for my whole life (I’m 18 now), so I know the place pretty well and have lots of contacts throughout. I am planning on doing a road trip around eastern and southern Africa in a Land Rover Discovery with 2 of my mates from school, this is a gap year plan that is in the making and one of my mates also has plenty of contacts in SA which will obviously be helpful when we get there (for accommodation purposes etc.) We are all happy staying in dead basic accommodation and camping in a roof tent on top of the car. Obviously it is not advisable to camp on the side of the road in a lot of areas, as it is unlikely to be safe to stay overnight and not be bothered… You were speaking about the campsites (basic ones) and I was just wondering how frequently these were available? Cost? And if they were available for anyone, or just the tour companies that one pays to travel with? Would be of great help if you could fill me in! Thanks

Hey Charlie, awesome plans! There’s DEFINITELY camp space available for you and your mates. On our overland trips, we saw loads of 4x4s camping out next to us, doing exactly what you guys plan to do with the tents above the car. At least in Southern Africa, there were many camp sites all over (as it’s more developed). Eastern Africa had its share too but defiinitely need to plan beforehand and make sure you know where youre going. All in all, they’re very cheap too. I’d be surprised if they were more than $20 a night for the car.

Great article Johnny… I am keen to do an overland, main thing I am tossing up between is the camping or the accommodation on a bed. I have a feeling that pitching and breaking a tent everynight for 3-4 weeks would get old…. but on the other hand I don’t want to miss the noises of the bush etc if I am in a building, rather than in a tent. Last question… how thick are the sleeping mats? Are they like a thermarest – too thin for me now in my old age… or are they a little thicker?

Hi Tim, the sleeping mats are pretty basic to say the least. They don’t provide much comfort and you still need to bring your own sleeping bag and pillows. Neverhteless, there were some places I’ve very glad I camped (Serengeti, Queen Elizabeth NP in Uganda, etc.) and other places where I just really wanted a bed. Pitching a tent got old to me in a week so 3-4 weeks would have been etoo much!

Thankfully, mostly places have the option to do camping or accommodated if you’re willing to pay a small upgrade fee. There were plenty of times where I said screw it and paid the extra $20-30 to get a room with a bed, whether that be in a lodge or a permanent tent. Your guides will usually tell you exactly which places will have both options so I think you’ll be fine regardless of which option you use! Enjoy your trips, wherever they’re taking you around Africa!

Hi, Great article! I am planning a trip to South and East Africa for 2 months. So I might either do a long 73 or 58 days tour or few short ones and give myself a break in the main cities, with either G adventures, Dragoman or Absolute Tour; would you have any recommendations?

I have never camped before but I can rough it though not too much. However I am 30 years old and my main issue is that I don’t want to be stuck with 20 something party goers, or on campsites with blaring loud music. Does this happen with most tours?

Thank you so very much for your help!

Hi Aanchal! I never did the super long trips with those companies so can’t say. I was apart of many overland trips where some of the travelers were going for 6+ weeks and at the end of it, they had nothing bad to say. Personally, I don’t know if I could camp for that long.

As for partying and noise, I don’t think you need to worry about that because campsites usually have enforced quiet hours and most of the time you’ll be so tired, or have to wake up so early the next day that no one is staying up late. Also, most campsites are pretty bare so buying alcohol is limited.

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All Africa Tours from Oasis Overland

25 oasis overland trips through africa.

• Overland Truck

Nairobi To Cape Town (56 Days) Coast To Coast

I did the Coast to Coast from Nairobi to Cape Town, finishing during the Worldcup and I don't regret one single moment of it! The trip is good value for the money, there are plenty of optional excursions so you can pick whatever you want. It's a good combination of nature, culture and party. All countries are different but they all offer some really special things to see and do. I especially loved the fact that Oasis brought back Zimbabwe into their trips, it's by far the most beautiful African country! We saw plenty of trucks (busses) from other overland companies and every time I was happy I picked Oasis! Driver Steve and tourleader Iain were amazing, in all possible ways! It's true that they loved to party with us, but they were also responsible and extremely helpful too. Without them the trip wouldn't have been so good! Also the contact with the Oasis people in the office was great, they helped out with preparing for the trip wherever they could! I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to meet Africa and it's people in a laid back vibe with great people. I can't wait to travel with OAsis again!

Nairobi To Cape Town (75 Days) Grand Adventurer

Oasis Overland isn’t a household name in Australia and you only tend to hear about Oasis from people that have travelled with them before. Each and every person who has travelled with them absolutely loves them! I was referred to Oasis by my soon to be sister in law who did the coast to coast overland a few years ago and raved about it. My now fiancé (I proposed on the trip… sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Serengeti!!) and I planned our trip two years prior and made some big sacrifices to make travelling for 3 months possible. So as you can image we had massive expectations. Expectations I didn’t think any company could ever meet. Oasis not only met my expectations, they blew them away! From the very first correspondence to the end of the trip and beyond everyone involved within Oasis were amazing. As I was planning to propose to my girlfriend on the trip I emailed Oasis prior to my trip to discuss ideas/locations for the proposal. I was amazed by the amount of help I received. Not only help but genuine interest and excitement in my situation. You won’t find that service anywhere else. Once the trip started Malcolm (tour leader at the time) pulled me aside to discuss some ideas further. The entire crews help was beyond what I could have ever asked and made my dream proposal possible. I can’t thank them enough. We were lucky enough to have 4 crew members at different points of the trip who were all fantastic. The majority of the trip was with Grace as tour leader and Malcolm as TRUCK driver after Iain left in Zimbabwe to start his silk road adventure. I not only regard the crew as great people who are fantastic at their jobs but also as close friends who enjoyed the trip as much as anyone. Oasis crew are everyday down to earth people who have all done the trips as passengers so they know firsthand what passengers want from an overland tour. They too just want to have a good time and enjoy the trip just as much as you or I. It's the simple things the crew does every day that make the trip unforgettable. Things like ‘The Game Of Life’, ‘3 Second Rule’, ‘Truck Olympics’, ‘Assassin’. It’s these simple things that create memories of a lifetime. If you’re looking for the adventure of your life and reading this you are on the right track. If your wondering if Africa is the right destination... don't! It's the most amazing Continent on earth! You just have to do the trip to find out why as it just can't be explained. There is something about Africa... when she grabs hold.. she never lets go! Book an Oasis trip… It will be the best decision you’ll ever make!!!

• Desert Hikes

MARRAKECH to MARRAKECH (12 days) Souks, Sand Dunes

• Sightseeing

CASABLANCA to MARRAKECH (14 days) Morocco Encompas

• Gorilla Trekking

Nairobi To Nairobi (19 Days) Gorillas & Gameparks

Great tour. Guide and driver were knowledgeable and helpful. A couple of accommodation sites weren't to good for tents. Cold showers at some accommodation sites. Food was good

Nairobi To Johannesburg (93 Days)

Amazing experience! Before arriving, I was nervous about what overlanding would be like, especially as someone who had never camped before. It was exactly what I expected it would be and the staff did a great job being their for anything you could possibly need. They clearly explained daily/weekly itinerary, how to put up your tent, what to buy, where to eat, what to see etc. And they will even fix your flip flop if it breaks! Overlanding as a type of travel may not be for everyone, every overlanding company drives longs days and does some camping. But if you want to slow down, see the land and meet really cool people I couldn't recommend Oasis more. The best part was that all of the staff are incredibly helpful, from answering questions online prior to my trip, to their caring CEO, to my amazing driver and group leader. I did 93 in africa and I've already booked another trip on the silk road. Can't wait to be back!

Nairobi To Victoria Falls (53 Days) Apes & Lakes

I returned home from this incredible trip about 3 months ago and I'm STILL missing the fun and excitement we experienced. If I had the chance, I would do it all over again. For safe, fun, well-organised and good-value overseas travel, Oasis Overlanding is definitely the way to go. Our guide, Derek, was extremely knowledgeable, competent and organised and really brought the group together with his fantastic personality and sense of humour. His interaction with the locals was compassionate and heart-warming and we were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to meet several local communities and get involved with them in lots of different ways. Derek really put his own individual stamp on our tour and if/when I go on another Oasis Overland trip, I would make sure he was my guide again. The truck was really comfortable and had plenty of room for all our gear. The tents were very roomy and kept the mozzies out and the excellent kitchen/dining facilities made cooking and eating out under the stars a nightly highlight. The itinerary was well thought out and had something for everyone. Definite highlights were trekking to the Mountain Gorillas, white-water rafting the mighty Nile, safaris in the Serengeti and seeing the Great Migration, snorkeling and sunset cruises on Zanzibar (quite possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth), walking with lion cubs, game viewing on elephant and horseback, gorge-swinging and microlight flights over Victoria Falls, the list goes on! Our group included some of the friendliest and funniest people I have ever met – people I now call great friends and will hopefully meet again in the future. I will never forget my 2 months in Africa and out of our entire 12-month overseas trip, it was easily the best part.

Nairobi To Kigali (13 Days) Gorillas & Gameparks

Walter and Jim are a power couple, tour was fantastic

• Christmas & New Year

MARRAKECH to MARRAKECH (9 days) Souks & Sand Dunes

MARRAKECH to MARRAKECH (15 days) Morocco Encompass

• In-depth Cultural

Moroccan Circuit

MARRAKECH to MARRAKECH (8 days) Marrakech and Saha

Moroccan Highlights

Nairobi To Victoria Falls (34 Days)

Nairobi To Dar Es Salaam (33 Days)

All africa oasis overland tour reviews.

I went on the 56 day Coast to Coast Trip from Nairobi to Cape Town. I’ve written more detail on three sections. The Tour Leaders: Kim (Tour Leader) and Often (Driver) were AMAZING! These two went above and beyond in all aspects. Having done this route several times, Kim was a wealth of knowledge & very informative. It will be a huge loss to Oasis as this was her last trip as a tour leader. Often was always happy, smiling, cheerful & asked us how we were going every morning. Kim & Often volunteered to cook multiple meals for us (which is not part of their job) even if it meant them getting up at the crack of dawn to make sure we could all sleep in for longer. Often was incredibly handy and was always happy to help fix anything ranging from air mattresses to tent poles and sunglasses without expecting anything in return. The Route: I was happy with the route and felt that Oasis went at a steady pace. It wasn’t too rushed and for most places we were able to spend at least 2 nights and enjoy each place. My only complaints were the 5 hour immigration wait and $50USD visa fee for Mozambique when we spent less than 24 hours there (we drove through on the truck) and didn’t get to see much of the country. As Mozambique is notorious for the difficult land border crossing, it would be nice to spend at least 2 -3 nights there and make it worth the time & money. The other part that I really disliked was the unnecessary 14 hour overnight train ride to Vic Falls. It made no sense to me that I had to spend a sleepless night on a train when the truck was driving to Vic Falls anyway. The train ride was not at all enjoyable or scenic. The truck would have made it there a lot quicker & we could have had a restful night at camp. I enjoyed the majority of places we visited. Just bear in mind that doing an overland trip means everything is organised for you and most of the optional activities have a touristy element to them (especially the village tours). It makes it difficult to immerse yourself in true African culture when you’re on a tour like this. But doing an overland is the best way to see Africa. To try and travel on your own would be difficult and dangerous. The Truck: I’m not going to lie. Being one of the first overloading companies in Africa, the Oasis truck at times feels like it is from the Stone Age. The seating arrangement has its pros & cons and will vary depending on what you like. The storage space is massive! At times I found the sideways seating very handy when we spotted something and everyone got the opportunity to look out. On the other hand, I found it hard to see out the window sitting down (because you only see the people opposite you and their heads) and the only way to see properly is if you turn around and stand up or kneel on your seat. That can get tiring after a while. I prefer to sit facing forwards and get a good view out the window. The majority of companies these days use electric fridges. Unfortunately Oasis still has eskies where the passengers are responsible for buying ice. There were times where it was not possible to get ice, so sometimes we’d have food for cook groups that wasn’t properly refrigerated & warm drinks (which is not nice at the end of a 38 degree day!) Because of the truck layout the two eskies along with everyones backpacks etc. are scattered in the middle which makes it difficult for people to walk up and down the truck. Oasis doesn’t provide bedding, so make sure you bring a comfortable mattress. I enjoyed the fact Oasis has their passengers cook & prepare meals in groups, it made for a great atmosphere and the majority always pitched in to help out! Food was good for the most part and I didn't get sick for the whole trip! All in all, I loved my African overland with Oasis and I’d definitely travel with them again. Highly recommend!

What a trip of a lifetime! Strongly recommend traveling Africa with Oasis - it was a truly unforgettable experience! I did the 75 day Nairobi to Cape Town trip with on average about 13 people. I’m so glad I did the entire route as it really gave you the chance to experience the diversity of Africa. It felt a bit tiring towards the end but I have no regrets. If you did want a shorter trip I would recommend Nairobi to Nairobi or Nairobi to Vic Falls - although Namibia is AMAZING! The truck itself is great - the line of seats down both sides of the truck are perfect for ensuring you socialise with everyone and relationships don’t get too cliquey. Great way to play card/board games, sleep and admire the amazing views. I sometimes get car sickness and it didn’t happen at all on the truck! The truck had UK charging points, drink bottle holders and speakers to plug music in which were all very handy! My tour leaders were Often and Alexis. Often was the most amazing guide you can imagine! After 75 days on the trip I learnt that there was nothing he couldn’t do! He was so helpful with fixing anything that broke - air mattress, zips, tyres etc not to mention helping with a million other things - when he saw you struggling to fit your tent into its bag, making his famous garlic bread for your cook group etc. He cooked the most delicious food! He always ensured his beloved truck was in perfect working order. He was so open in sharing his life experiences and ensured we fell in love with Africa just as he had. Essentially, the trip would have been very different without him. Like Often, Alexis has been doing this route for years and it showed. She was very organised - with the days and border crossings always going smoothly. She was great at making sure if there was a specific African meal or something we wanted to see that wasn’t in the itinerary we would get to experience it! Alexis was also really helpful when it came to meal times. The food cooked by Alexis and Often was some of the tastiest meals I’ve ever had! So yummy! Being in a cook group can be a bit of a pain but it’s a great way to get to know everyone, learn new recipes, have some laughs and foster that family feeling. I spent a lot more money than I thought I would but you’re only in Africa once (hopefully more)! There are a lot more atms available than what the info Oasis provide states. You also don’t need as much USD as it implies as you do end up using local currencies in the countries you’re in. For me, I had a tonne of USD so I just exchanged it at the borders and rarely used an atm. In saying that, having too much USD actually worked out well as some people didn’t bring enough so I was able to help them out. There will be supermarket/grocery store stops about every 3 days too so there is no need to bring all your toiletries etc. The tents, dorms etc were absolutely fine! Tents are really quick to put up and down and are comfortable. There are upgrades available and a few of us always took a dorm room if it was less than $8. My number one tip is to buy a pillow at the start of the trip - you won’t regret it! Bring a spare set of headphones and flip flops because so many of us lost or broke both! Don’t worry about over packing - you get a lot of space to store your things. I’d also recommend bringing binoculars for all the game drives - we were always fighting over who got to use the two that we had! Do both of the village walks in Malawi and make sure you go down the slide in Jinja! Overall, it was just the most amazing trip. I have travelled quite a lot but never seen and experienced a place like Africa and I’ll always be so thankful for the memories and friends I now have.

Amazing experience! Before arriving, I was nervous about what overlanding would be like, especially as someone who had never camped before. It was exactly what I expected it would be and the staff did a great job being their for anything you could possibly need. They clearly explained daily/weekly itinerary, how to put up your tent, what to buy, where to eat, what to see etc. And they will even fix your flip flop if it breaks! Overlanding as a type of travel may not be for everyone, every overlanding company drives longs days and does some camping. But if you want to slow down, see the land and meet really cool people I couldn't recommend Oasis more. The best part was that all of the staff are incredibly helpful, from answering questions online prior to my trip, to their caring CEO, to my amazing driver and group leader. I did 93 in africa and I've already booked another trip on the silk road. Can't wait to be back!

Destinations

• Morocco tours (7)
• Tanzania tours (2)
• Namibia tours (1)
• Complete Safari Packing List: Clothes, Medicines, Gear & Essentials
• Wildebeest Migration in Africa 2022 (incl. Migration Map)
• 10 Best African Photographic Safaris 2024/2025: Tour Deals & Tips
• 10 Best Self-Drive Safaris 2024/2025
• 10 Best African Wildlife Safari Deals 2024/2025
• Compare Hot Air Balloon Safaris in Africa 2022
• 10 Best African Camping Safari Vacations 2022
• 10 Best Walking Safaris 2024/2025
• 10 Best Beach Safaris: Places & Packages 2022

• AFRICA ENCOMPASSED

This 326 day overland expedition is one of the world’s last true adventures! Starting in Morocco this tour travels down the remote west coast of Africa all the way to Cape Town before turning around and heading up the wildlife-rich east side of Africa all the way to Cairo. On this trip you will visits iconic sights as well as remote areas of Africa including Marrakesh, Sahara Desert, Freetown, Lake Ganvie, Kalandula Falls, Etosha NP, Kruger NP, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, Zanzibar, Mountain Gorillas, Masai Mara, Khartoum and the Pyramids!

In total you will visit 38 countries on this madventure including Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, DATES & BOOKING

Price: £9867 Expedition Payment + $5000 Local Payment (£30 + $15 per day)

Length: 326 days

Accommodation: 75% camping, 25% hotels, guest houses & hostels

Meals:  2 meals per day while camping

Transport: 100% custom-built Madventure overland truck

Age restrictions: none, all ages are welcome

Group size: 25 is average, minimum is 15, maximum is 36

Start Fes, Morocco 03 November 2024

End Cairo, Egypt 25 September 2025

ROUTE MAP & TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

PROPOSED ITINERARY

Our proposed itinerary is here to give you an idea of where we will be going and what we will be doing during this expedition. This itinerary is the ideal route we would like to take providing all political and natural situations are acceptable during the time of our travels. Situations sometimes change during an expedition so please be prepared to take an alternative route in the event we encounter any problems. It’s all part of the adventure!

If you can’t do the whole tour you are welcome to do a shorter section of your choice so please get in touch and we will be happy to work out a bespoke itinerary and reduced price for you .

DAY 1 - 14, MOROCCO & WESTERN SAHARA

Our tour begins in the beautiful Moroccan city of Fez, the largest living medieval Islamic city in the world, and it is here that we will spend our first 2 days exploring the city’s famous covered markets, leather tanneries, winding alleys and beautiful mosques.

Entering central Morocco we are now in the High Atlas mountains where we travel along the Draa valley, an area of earth-red Kasbahs and stunning Berber villages where we visit the spectacular pink canyons of the Todra Gorge.

Our next stop is Marrakesh, an ancient caravan town that today offers fantastic souqs and the awesome Djemaa el-Fna, a nightly spectacle in the old medina where you can wander streets full of acrobats, snake-charmers, food stalls and musicians – amazing!

On the coast we now visit the laid-back fishing port town of Essaouira where you have the opportunity to relax and just soak up the Moroccan atmosphere.

Our final few days here are spent travelling down the rugged coast of Western Sahara where we will be wild camping on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

DAY 15 - 22, MAURITANIA

We now enter the Sahara proper where the desert camping is fantastic and reveals a night-sky that is probably one of the clearest in the world and littered with stars.

In Nouadhibou we restock our supplies before heading into The Adrar, a spectacular Saharan jewel in Mauritania’s crown. From our base in Atar you have the option to explore the ancient caravan towns of Chinguetti & Ouadane, steeped in history in a vast sand ocean of magnificent dunes.

Mauritania’s young and unassuming capital city, Nouakchott, is our last stop where the highlight is the colourful and frantic fish market.

DAY 23 - 38, SENEGAL & THE GAMBIA

We spend our first couple of days in a National Park offering great kayaking and bird-watching opportunities. With its crumbling architecture and peaceful ambience the nearby town of St. Louis is also a great day out.

At our next stop we camp at beautiful Lac Rose which is a short drive away from the lively Senegalese capital Dakar. Here we spend a few days exploring the city and applying for visas.

Further south we get the chance to relax on the tranquil beaches of Palmarin with it’s soft lagoons and tall palm groves.

The sliver of land known as The Gambia is a tranquil place where our first experience is to catch a ferry over the Gambia River to reach the country’s island capital Banjul. This is a laid-back city where the highlights include visiting the local markets and wandering the back streets just soaking up the atmosphere.

A real highlight of our visit to The Gambia is visiting the Tumani Tenda Eco Lodge, a self-sustaining local community where the villagers are happy to teach you about their daily lives which include oyster collecting, soap making, bee keeping, fishing & farming.

Back in Senegal we visit one of West Africa’s finest beaches at Cap Skirring where great seafood & live music is the order of the day.

DAY 39 - 50, GUINEA BISSAU & GUINEA

Entering the friendly country Guinea-Bissau we head straight for the capital city Bissau. Don’t let the crumbling colonial buildings fool you, when the sun goes down the stylish restaurants and bars open and offer great evenings out on the town.

From Bissau we head east through some lush countryside and eerie ghost-towns on our route to Guinea where out first stop is at the Fouta Djalon region where the area’s rolling green hills and waterfalls make for great trekking from our bases in Labe & Dalaba.

The beautiful Bride’s Veil waterfalls are our final stop on our route through Guinea towards Sierra Leone.

DAY 51 - 56, SIERRA LEONE

Our first stop is at the white sand beaches south of Freetown from where you can enjoy the sand & surf, explore the relaxed capital and visit the nearby Tacugama Chimpanzee Reserve.

We continue to the friendly village of Kambama where we stay at an eco-camp and have the option to visit the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary. An afternoon river cruise or evening nature walk will reveal the island’s high concentration of primates as well as pygmy hippopotamuses and river otters.

DAY 57 - 64, LIBERIA

Having only recently opened its doors to tourists Liberia is fresh and exciting and our first port of call is the marvellous beach town of Robertsport, a little slice of heaven for surfers and sun-worshippers.

Monrovia is the capital where we base ourselves on a beach just outside of town allowing you the chance to explore sites such as the abandoned Ducor Hotel and the National Museum, both offering great insights into this once war-torn city.

In the interior we wild camp at the beautiful Kpatwe Falls where you can either laze in the rock pools or hike up to the falls, one of Liberia’s most picturesque spots.

DAY 65 - 71, IVORY COAST

We first visit the sleepy town of Man where a succession of green-clad mountains rise out of the dusty earth giving our trekkers the option to hike up Mt. Tonkoui, the second highest peak in the country affording awesome views over 3 countries at the summit.

Inland we arrive at the capital city of Yamoussoukro where the absolute highlight is a visit to the spectacular Basilica Of Our Lady Of Peace with it’s stained glass windows and towering dome.

Down on the coast we base ourselves at a beach resort between the modern city of Abidjan and the colonial town of Grand Bassam allowing you the chance to enjoy the old & the new side of Cote d’Ivoire.

DAY 72 - 79, GHANA

Arriving in the west we camp on a spectacular beach near the town of Axim where you can enjoy a lazy day in the sun or explore the Portuguese Fort Santo Antonio.

Further along the Gold Coast we visit the historical Cape Coast Castle, once the largest slave-trading centre in Africa.

In Kakum NP you have the opportunity to get a bird’s eye view over the forest from a canopy walkway where if you are lucky you have the chance of spotting elephants, flying squirrels, colobus monkeys & antelopes, as well as over 300 species of birds and 600 species of butterfly.

The capital city of Accra offers us a taste of big city life with shopping malls & cafes and the old district of Jamestown’s dishevelled colonial buildings and fishing port are well worth a visit.

Heading inland we visit the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary where you have the chance to get up close & personal with Mona monkeys that will gladly sit on your shoulder as you feed them bananas.

Our last stop is at the beautiful Wli Waterfalls, the tallest in West Africa, where you have the day to hike to the falls and enjoy one of Ghana’s best natural sites.

DAY 80 - 86, TOGO & BENIN

Togo is only 50 km wide and on our first day we will visit the artistic town of Kpalime which is famous for its traditional crafts of woodcarving & batik.

We continue to the capital Lome where a day out can include visiting the bizarre fetish markets, marvelling at the displays in the Museum of West African Arts and exploring the labyrinths of the colourful Grand Market.

Across the border is Benin, the birthplace of voodoo. Here our first day is spent camping on the shores of Lake Aheme and if our luck is in we will get the opportunity to watch the locals perform the traditional Zangbeto voodoo dance for us.

The remarkable town of Abomey is our next stop where you can explore the ruined temples and palaces of the Dahomeyan empire.

At Lake Ganvie you have the option to take a boat out to a village in the middle of the lake that is home to 30 000 Tofinu people who reside here in stilted bamboo huts.

Passing through Cotonou for a brief stop we now head for the Nigerian border.

DAY 87 - 95, NIGERIA

Abeokuta is our first destination in Nigeria where we visit the Olumo Rock formation, an historic natural fortress used during inter-tribal warfare in the 19th century.

In Osogbo we visit the Sacred Grove Forest to explore the sanctuaries, shrines, sculptures & artworks created in honour of Osun, the Goddess of Fertility.

In Benin City the national museum offers us an insight into the Benin Empire with a significant amount of ancient artefacts. For those more interested in modern art a walk down Bronze Casters Street will show you some fine bronze works of art.

Our last stop here is the lively colonial port town of Calabar where highlights include a visit to the Slave Trade Museum, National Museum and Drill Monkey Ranch.

DAY 96 - 103, CAMEROON

We continue inland to the capital Yaounde where you can visit the local markets & monasteries and enjoy one of West Africa’s most pleasant cities

DAY 104 - 113, GABON

Situated on the equator we get a real taste of Africa at the Reserve de la Lope where we spend a couple of days in the reserve with the option of game drives or trekking through the forest in search of mandrills, forest elephants and buffalo.

In the capital Libreville the National Museum of Arts & Tradition will give you a good insight into local culture. If you are feeling more adventurous you can take a boat over to Pongara National Park, a beautiful mangrove reserve and favorite spot for nesting turtles where you also have the chance of spotting elephants, chimpanzees & buffalo.

In Lamberene we visit Dr Albert Schweitzer’s hospital which is now a museum where we can get an understanding of the Nobel Prize winning work he done here for the African community.

DAY 114 - 120, CONGO

Our first 2 days in the friendly Congo are spent on dirt tracks which often turn into thick mud and test our vehicles off-road ability.

The small town of Dolisie is a welcome relief where we have a couple of days to get a feel for the local culture and sample the delicious street food.

On the coast we visit the red Gorges of Diosso which are referred to as Congo’s Grand Canyon. The local museum is a quaint place that explains the areas history.

In the town of Pointe Noire you have the chance to visit the African Circle Museum and also stock up on goods at a rare supermarket. From our base here you also have the option to visit the Conkouati-Douli National Park on an organised tour. This park is a highlight of the Congo where you have a good chance of seeing the thriving chimpanzee population that inhabit the area’s islands. The park is also home to elephants, leopards, turtles and gorillas.

DAY 121 - 125, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (& CABINDA)

We have a short day’s travel through the oil rich Angolan exclave of Cabinda before we reach the DRC and encounter more mud tracks on our way to the mighty Congo River.

Boma is a bustling little port where you will have the chance to get out and visit a true Congolese river town.

We cross over the Congo River via the huge Matadi suspension bridge and spend a day in Matadi town to sample the local fare and explore the bustling markets.

DAY 126 - 136, ANGOLA

The town of Mbanza Kongo is the first Kingdom the original Portuguese navigators discovered and here today you can visit one of the oldest churches in sub-Saharan Africa as well as explore the Royal Museum.

Travelling through scenic landscapes we arrive at the impressive Kalandula Falls. These falls are one of Africa’s largest waterfalls but because they are so remote they are also rarely visited by tourists so we will most likely have the place to ourselves.

The capital city of Luanda offers us some modern convenience as well as a step back in time with wonderful colonial architecture and fabulous historical museums.

On our route south we visit the Miradouro de Lua where bizarre rock formations form a sort of mini Grand Canyon stretching out into the Atlantic.

A brief stop in the town of Benguela will give you enough time to get a feel for this ancient slave port.

Our last stop here is at the cool & picturesque Lubango where Christ the King Statue overlooks the town and the surrounding mountains offer us spectacular views from the Tundavala Gap.

DAY 137 - 148, NAMIBIA

Our first stop in Namibia is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife viewing venues, Etosha National Park, where we spend a couple of days driving through the parks desert & bushveld landscapes in search of lions, buffalo, elephant & giraffe, plus many of Africa’s other great mammals.

After exiting the park we will then visit a traditional Himba village and get an insight into these indigenous nomads way of life.

Near Kamanjab we will be visiting a Cheetah Park where we get to see these incredible animals up close and watch them feeding.

On our route to the coast you will have the option to visit a petrified forest with 45m long trunks and also take a guided tour around the bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontein.

The Skeleton Coast is a desolate place and a drive through this wilderness will allow us to see an abandoned oil rig, numerous shipwrecks & a noisey seal colony.

Spitzkoppe is ‘Namibia’s Matterhorn’ and the sight of these bold granite outcrops rising dramatically out of the flat surrounding plains make it an awesome spectacle.

The adventure sports capital Swakopmund is where you will have the opportunity to go deep-sea fishing, quad-biking, sand-boarding, camel riding & skydiving, or just relax on the deserted beaches and enjoy the German influenced resort towns hospitality.

We now head to the iconic towering red sand dunes of the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei where you will have the option to climb the famous Dune 45 for sunrise. The more spirited ones can attempt the climb up the much more arduous Big Daddy dune to get a view over one of the driest landscapes on earth.

Our last stop in Namibia is at the awesome Fish River Canyon NP where you will be amazed by one of Africa’s most incredible natural rifts

DAY 149 - 175, SOUTH AFRICA, LESOTHO & ESWATINI

The Cape West Coast offers us a beautiful introduction to South Africa and we get our first taste of this country at Highlanders Vineyard where we sample a few of SA’s famous wines and enjoy a traditional dinner.

We continue south to Cape Town, one of the world’s most incredible cities dramatically set beneath Table Mountain. Here you will have a few days to relax and enjoy the area’s attractions such as the nearby penguin colonies, Robben Island, cage diving with sharks and brilliant V&A Waterfront. Not to be missed is a day trip around the Stellenbosch wineries, a must-do for any wine lovers.

We now head east along the Whale Route, a stunning drive, where we will be visiting the famous whale-watching area of Hermanus as well as the penguins at Stony Point before setting up camp Cape Agulhas, Africa’s most southerly point.

On the Garden Route we now arrive at the lagoon town of Knysna where we will base ourselves for a couple of days to explore the wonderful forests and beaches of this area.

As we travel towards the Sunshine Coast we stop off at Bloukrans River Bridge, the world’s highest bungee jump at 216m, giving our adrenalin-junkies the chance to get their fix before continuing to the surfing mecca of Jeffrey’s bay.

We now visit Addo Elephant National Park and get the opportunity to see the large herds of elephants, buffalo & kudu as well as lions, hyenas, black rhino and the largest remaining population of the flightless dung beetle.

Heading inland we enter the mountain kingdom of Lesotho where you will have the chance to explore dinosaur footprints at Quthing, towering peaks at Malealea, dramatic waterfalls at Maletsunyane and historic cultural villages at Thaba Bosiu during our 4 day visit.

Back in South Africa we spend a couple of nights in the beach resort town of Durban where you have the chance to visit Ushaka Marine World, one of the best oceanariums in the world.

We continue our journey to the kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) where you will get to experience walking amongst wildlife such as giraffes, warthogs, kudu, zebra, hartebeest & impala during our visits to Nisela Lodge & Mlilwane Sanctuary.

In Eswatini you also have the option to climb Sibebe Rock, the world’s largest granite dome.

We re-enter South Africa and head straight into the incredible Kruger National Park where we spend 2 days in the southern section of the park searching for the big 5. This is one of the world’s best game viewing experiences!

Our last couple of days in SA are spent in a beautiful area known as the Panorama Route where we visit sites such as the Maholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre, Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window & Pilgrims Rest.

In the town of Nelspruit we have the opportunity to restock our supplies before heading to Mozambique.

DAY 176 - 184, MOZAMBIQUE

With its flame-tree-lined streets, sidewalk cafes, pumping salsa bars and Mediterranean-style architecture, the capital Maputo is easily one of Africa’s most attractive cities and our first taste of this beautiful country.

A little further north we reach the legendary white-sand-beaches of Tofo, a great stop with its azure waters, rolling breakers and party atmosphere.

Our last stop is at the resort town of Vilanculos, the gateway to the beautiful Bazaruto archipelago, an area with pristine coral reefs and turquoise waters making for excellent sailing, snorkelling & diving.

DAY 185 - 191, ZIMBABWE

We enter Zimbabwe in the rarely visited Eastern Highlands, an area of outstanding natural beauty with forested mountains, lush valleys and rushing rivers where we have a day to trek into the mountains and visit the Bridal Veil Falls & an Eland sanctuary.

We continue on to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, once the greatest medieval city in sub-Saharan Africa. The ancient site provides evidence that this was home to a very advanced society.

In Gweru we visit Antelope Park where you have the opportunity to meet elephants, join lions on an evening hunt and even take a morning walk with lion cubs!

In Bulawayo we visit the gravesite of Cecil John Rhodes before spending an afternoon in Matobo NP, home of balancing boulders, ancient rock art and the rare black rhino.

DAY 192 - 205, BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA & ZIMBABWE

Our first stop in Botswana is at the world’s largest inland river delta, Okavango, where you will have the option to take a trip on a mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe) through the vast waterways of the delta in search of crocodiles, hippos & elephants that make this park so special.

Namibia’s Caprivi Strip is a wild area well off the tourist trail where we have a few days to explore the regions abundant wildlife.

Back in Botswana we visit Chobe National Park where you have the opportunity to take a sunset cruise with a front row seat to one of Africa’s finest wildlife settings. With herds of elephants crossing rivers using their trunks as snorkels, pods of hippos wallowing in the pools & the rare puku munching on the wetland grass this is a memory that will stay with you forever.

Crossing back into Zimbabwe the highlight of the country is surely the incredible Victoria Falls where we will spend a few days allowing you time to explore the falls and take part in the adventure activities that abound including grade 5 rafting on the Zambezi River, abseiling, bungee jumping and gorge swinging.

DAY 206 - 212, ZAMBIA

After a visit to the Zambian side of Victoria Falls we head towards Lake Kariba, one of the world’s largest artificial dams, where upon arrival in Siavonga you have the option to overnight in a houseboat with a great view over the hippos & crocs that inhabit the lake. Tiger fishing is also a popular sport here.

The South Luangwa National park is our next stop, an area of majestic beauty with a high concentration of animals along the banks of the Luangwa River where our camp is perfectly set up for wildlife viewing. Those wishing to venture deeper into the park have the option to join the famous ‘walking safari’ in search of lions, leopards, buffalo and whatever else may cross your path!

DAY 213 - 217, MALAWI

Our first stop here is in Malawi’s chaotic capital Lilongwe where you will get the chance to explore the sprawling city’s modern malls & sample the local fare.

Following Lake Malawi north we reach Nkhata Bay and camp on the lakeshore to enjoy the natural beauty of one of Africa’s friendliest nations. Boat trips to the beautiful islands are a popular outing and for those who want to learn how to dive this is a cheap place to do it. The lake is also home to colourful tropical fish that are found nowhere else in the world.

A little further along the lakeshore we camp on the golden sands of Chitimba Beach from where you also have the option of doing a short trip into the mountains to visit Livingstonia, a quaint colonial town built by Scottish missionaries in 1894.

DAY 218 - 232, TANZANIA

Our first stop here is at Lake Ngozi, Africa’s 2nd largest crater lake, where you will have the option to take a short hike up to the caldera for stunning views of the emerald-green lake.

Passing through the Mikumi NP area you have the chance to see zebra, giraffe & elephant crossing the main roads before we arrive at Dar es Salaam and base ourselves on a beach close to town while we apply for a couple of visas.

While we wait you will have the option to visit Zanzibar, a beautiful island where you can discover the slave-trading history in the winding alleys of Stone Town and relax on the palm-fringed beaches of this idyllic paradise.

On our journey to Arusha we pass close by Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, where weather permitting you will get a good view of this immense mountain.

From our base at Arusha’s Snake Park you now have the option to visit 2 of Africa’s most iconic wildlife areas, Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater, where you are likely to see the big 5 along with cheetahs, wild dogs & flamingos. From here you will also have the option to visit a Maasai village to get an insight into their traditional way of life.

We now travel west breaking new ground as we head towards Tanzania’s recently opened border with Burundi.

DAY 233 - 239, BURUNDI & RWANDA

Our first stop in Burundi is the beating heart of the nation, the Gishora Drum Sanctuary. Here the local drummers put on a display of specific rhythms mixed with combat-style dance, a true Burundian experience not to be missed!

We continue to the capital Bujumbura on the shores of Lake Tanganyika from where you can explore the quirky museums, beautiful beaches and languid villages dotted around the lake. An optional boat trip through the Rusizi National Park is often a highlight of our stay here where you can see crocodiles, hippos and numerous bird species.

From Bujumbura you also have the option to take a day trip to visit the southernmost source of the Nile River, a bumpy trip through the mountains of Burundi.

From Burundi we cross into Rwanda, heading straight for the attractive capital Kigali where we have the opportunity to visit the Memorial Centre, a sombre reminder of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

A short drive away we reach the sleepy town of Musanze from where you can visit the Karisoke Exhibit, a small museum explaining the conservation efforts of Dian Fossey who studied and protected the gorillas in the nearby Virunga massif.

From here you also have the option to trek to Dian Fossey’s gravesite where she and a few of her beloved gorillas are buried. Along the way you have a good chance of encountering gorillas and golden monkeys, all for a much smaller fee than a dedicated gorilla trek.

For those who want a guaranteed gorilla experience you can arrange a trek into the beautiful rainforest covered slopes of the Volcanoes NP where you will get to spend an hour with these gentle giants in the Virunga mountains, a truly moving experience! Please note that gorilla trekking in Uganda is much cheaper so most people choose to do it there and opt to do the Dian Fossey gravesite hike here instead.

DAY 240 - 246, UGANDA

Our first stop in Uganda is at the magical Lake Bunyoni where it is possible to take a sunset cruise amongst the lakes 29 islands. From here you also have the option to go gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and spend an hour with these amazing creatures.

Crossing over the equator we head for the relaxed capital Kampala where you have a day to explore the Hindu Temple & Uganda Museum as well as enjoy the great restaurants and wonderful nightlife the city has to offer.

Our final stop in Uganda is at Jinja, the source of the Nile River, where we base ourselves near the Bujagali Falls giving you the opportunity to raft the grade 5 White Nile, go fishing for Nile perch and take a sunset booze cruise!

DAY 247 - 260, KENYA

Our first destination in Kenya is the incredible Maasai Mara Game Reserve which is home to a great variety of wildlife including lions, leopards, giraffe, elephants, buffalo and rhino. If we are fortunate we will get to witness the start of one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles – the annual Maasai Mara migration. If this happens you will see huge herds of wildebeest & zebra waiting to cross the Mara River in search of greener pastures. If we are lucky enough to witness them crossing you will see the Mara River become chaotic with thousands of desperate animals swimming for their lives, crocodiles feasting on any stragglers and predators waiting on the opposite river bank, an unforgettable experience!

We continue to Lake Naivasha where you have the opportunity to visit Elsamere, the home of the late Joy Adamson of Born Free fame. Close by you also have the option to cycle or walk unguided through Hell’s Gate National Park, a unique experience especially considering buffalo & leopards inhabit the park!

We now head for the bustling capital Nairobi where we camp in a quiet neighbourhood just outside the city centre. Popular day outings include the local giraffe centre and elephant orphanage. The modern shopping malls are a pleasant retreat after a hard day’s sightseeing and Carnivore Restaurant is a must-do for any meat-lovers.

Driving north we pass by Mt. Kenya, Africa’s 2nd highest peak, and continue into the remote northern part of the country where you will have the option to take a safari into Samburu National Reserve, famous for its array of rare species such as Grevy zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Beisa oryx. The park is also home to predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah & wild dogs as well as having over 450 species of birds.

Our journey now takes us north through a typical African landscape where we wild camp amongst the Acacia’s growing in the red earth.

DAY 261 - 273, ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley is a true African gem with a real ethnic diversity that will fascinate you. Here you will have the opportunity to meet the Karo tribe with their intricate body painting, the Hamer tribe with their ‘Jumping of the Bulls’ ceremony and the Mursi tribe with their mind-blowing lip plates!

Following the spectacular Rift Valley we pass by numerous crocodile-filled lakes with great camps on our way to the capital Addis Ababa where we will base ourselves for a few days to obtain visas required for onward travel. While we wait you can explore the city’s famous Merkato (Africa’s largest open air market) and enjoy the convenience of a modern city.

From Addis we now head east to Awash National Park where you have the option to take a safari in search of Beisa oryx, Soemmering’s gazelles, greater & lesser kudus, defassa waterbuck and colobus monkeys. Keep an eye out as other mammals such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, black-backed jackals, caracals, servals, wildcats and aardwolves are also found in the park, but are rarely seen.

With its crumbling walls and animated markets Harar is a travelers delight where during the day you have the opportunity to visit Ras Tafari’s house, the Smugglers Market & Jamia mosque while in the evening on the outskirts of town you can see locals feeding wild hyenas sticks of meat by hand, and even by mouth!

From Harar we continue on a real adventure into Somaliland.

DAY 274 - 285, SOMALILAND & DJIBOUTI

Hargeisa is the slightly odd capital of Somaliland where we have a couple of days to explore this friendly city and get a feel for a place that is undergoing a rapid transformation after a long civil war.

We continue to Laas Geel where you have the opportunity to view hundreds of ancient rock art paintings in perfect condition adorning the walls of a series of interconnected caves. One of Africa’s best-kept secrets!

The coastal town of Berbera is an eerily quiet & brightly colored slice of heaven where we have a day to enjoy the areas superb beaches and sample fresh seafood.

Crossing into Djibouti we first visit the busy port of Djibouti City where highlights include a visit to the imposing Hamoudi mosque, a stroll through the colourful Les Caisses market & wreck diving off the islands of Maskali.

We continue to Lac Assal situated 155m below sea level, a spectacular crater lake encircled by dark, dormant volcanoes. The aquamarine water is ringed by a white salt field which contrasts starkly with the black lava fields surrounding it, an incredible sight!

Our last stop here is at Lac Abbe you will get to see an eerie plain dotted with limestone chimneys belching out puffs of steam making for sensational photos.

DAY 286 - 308, ETHIOPIA & ERITREA

Crossing back into Ethiopia we now visit Lalibela where you have the option to visit the areas fabulous 12th century rock hewn churches originally built to give Christians a place of worship and spare them the dangerous journey to Jerusalem.

Further north we visit the laid-back town of Mekele from where you have the option to visit the Danakil Depression, one of the hottest, lowest and driest places on earth. Driving over salt flats dotted with warts of twisted orange sulphur you will also get the chance to swim in natural spa pools and watch the Afar people hack blocks of salt out of the ground to be loaded onto the famous camel caravans.

An optional add-on to your Danakil tour is the incredible Erta Ale volcano. Provided the volcano is not too active you will have the opportunity to hike to the rim for a view over an incredible lake of bubbling lava.

We now start an exploratory leg of this tour as we aim to be the first ever overland truck to enter Eritrea. The country’s border has only recently opened and no official customs office has been opened yet but with the assistance of our agent in Eritrea we aim to get permission from the government to enter with a foreign vehicle. Should we however be denied entry with our vehicle we will have to conduct this part of the tour on local transport.

Our first visit will be to the impressive Qohaito ruins near Adi Keih, where a few hours can be spent exploring the areas tombs, temples & rock art sites.

Winding our way through a series of canyons we reach Massawa, a beach town displaying historic whitewashed Ottoman, Italian & Egyptian architecture. The nearby Dahlak islands can be visited by boat and are a great day out for any beach lovers.

Back inland we travel through villages displaying traditional round thatched huts on our way to the historic market town of Keren where you will have the chance to visit the Mariam Dearit Shrine, a Catholic place of worship built into a 500 year old baobab tree.

In the delightful capital city of Asmara we have a couple of days to explore highlights such as the Opera House, tank graveyard & central market, as well as hang out at the authentic coffee houses where locals will gladly give you an insight into the country’s recent turbid history.

Back in Ethiopia we travel to Aksum, famed home of the Queen of Sheba and supposed resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The area is also filled with ancient tombs making this an explorer’s dream.

Travelling along a snaking mountain road of switchbacks we now head into the Simien Mountains where you have the option to trek into the beautiful national park famous for its incredible scenery and grass-eating Gelada baboons.

Once out of the Ethiopian Highlands we visit Gondar where you have the option to visit the castle and discover the history behind the huge stone walls that stand proudly as this intriguing town’s centrepiece.

From Gondar you have the option to do a day trip to Lake Tana to explore the monasteries on the islands within the lake as well as visit the Blue Nile Falls along the way.

DAY 309 - 316, SUDAN

The Sudanese are perhaps the most hospitable & friendly people in Africa and our first destination is the surprisingly modern capital city of Khartoum. Here we camp near the confluence of the Blue & White Niles where highlights include a visit to the National Museum, a wander around the camel market and lunch at the R2D2 building.

We continue into the red sands of the Nubian desert and visit the spectacular Pyramids of Meroe where we will probably have the site to ourselves. The pyramids also house some well-preserved hieroglyphics and the ruins of the ancient Royal City are nearby.

Travelling north we get to see more Pyramids near the town of Merowe before camping at a petrified forest in the Nubian desert.

Our final stop in Sudan is at the small Nubian village of Abri situated on the banks of the Nile from where you have the option of visiting historic Sai Island as well as the Temple of Soleb, a clear indication that we are now close to the land of the Pharaohs.

DAY 317 - 326, EGYPT

A short ferry ride across Lake Nasser brings us to the iconic temple of Abu Simbel, a colossal monument to the Pharaoh King Ramses II and perhaps Egypt’s most impressive site.

We continue to the town of Aswan which lies on a particularly beautiful stretch of the Nile with palm-fringed islands and flotillas of white sailed feluccas. Highlights here include the botanical gardens, the craft market & high tea at the Old Cataract Hotel.

From Aswan you now have the option to travel for 2 days on a traditional felucca boat which will take you down the Nile and stop off at the spectacular temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu. Those who opt not to do the felucca trip will have extra time in Aswan and Luxor.

In Luxor you will have the opportunity to visit the temples of Hatshepsut, Luxor & Karnak, as well take a trip to the incredible Valley of the Kings where you will be amazed by the well-preserved ancient tombs filled with hieroglyphics.

Hugging the Nile River we now travel north to Cairo where you will get to see 2 of Egypt’s most iconic sites, the Sphinx & Pyramids of Giza. A trip to the Cairo Museum is also a must-do and houses over 100 000 ancient artefacts including the golden treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamen, a magnificent ending to an incredible overland journey around Africa!

ADDITIONAL INFOMATION

Booking & payment.

How to Book

To make a booking please fill in our online booking form and then pay a £300 deposit by direct bank transfer or Paypal, or call us to pay using your credit or debit card over the phone. Once we receive your online booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking by email and send you all relevant information necessary for your expedition preparations.

Expedition Payment

The Expedition Payment of £9867 is the main bulk payment for your expedition and is payable in the U.K. in GBP (£ Sterling). In order to reserve a place on this expedition you must pay £300 as a deposit. Eight months prior to departure a further payment of £4000 must be paid to secure your booking. The final balance of your Expedition Payment £5567 must then be paid in full at least four months prior to the expedition start date. If you book between 4 to 8 months prior to the departure date a deposit of £4300 should be paid upon booking. If you book within 4 months of the departure date the full Expedition Payment of £9867 should be paid upon booking.

The Expedition Payment can be paid by direct bank transfer, Paypal or credit/debit card.

Bank Details for Direct Transfers

NOTE: Please use your full name as a reference when paying by direct transfer.

Account name: Madventure Ltd.

Sort code: 400810

Account number: 91618415

IBAN : GB14HBUK40081091618415

Swift/Bank BIC: HBUKGB4B

Branch BIC: HBUKGB4116A

Bank address: HSBC Bank, 6 High Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 5AZ, United Kingdom

Paypal account name: [email protected]

Local Payment

This is a cash payment of USD $5000 that must be paid to your expedition leader at the beginning of your trip and will be used to pay for all expenses while you are on the road.

Please bear in mind that this is not a kitty and is not refundable. The local payment is simply a way for us to get cash to the expedition leaders so they can run the trip.

Please bring your local payment in new unmarked $100 bills if possible.

Although all local payment amounts are advertised in USD you may be asked to bring the equivalent amount in either Euros or GBP

WHAT’S INCLUDED & WHAT’S NOT

We realise that not everyone is going to visit every site or take part in every activity along the way so we have left most of these activities as optional and therefore kept the expedition payment to a minimum.

• Services of your expedition leader/driver
• Use of our own custom-built expedition vehicle and equipment
• Diesel, mechanics, shipping and any other costs relating to the vehicle
• Ferry tickets (when travelling as a group)
• An average of 2 meals a day while camping (usually breakfast and the evening meal)
• All accommodation costs (75% camping, 25% hotels, guest-houses & hostels)
• National Park entry fees when we enter as a group with our vehicle
• Local transportation costs (if required)

Not Included

• Personal travel insurance
• Personal spending money (£100 – £120 per week recommended)
• Visas & Letters of Invitation (approximately £2200 depending on nationality)
• Meals while staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels
• Accommodation upgrades
• Entrance fees to optional sites and parks
• Any optional activities
• Any flights (no flights expected)
• Tent, roll mat, sleeping bag & pillow

OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS

Below is a list of the most popular optional excursions along with the most recent prices. Prices can of course change and are not controlled in any way by Madventure so please use the list below as an approximate guide only.

Morocco Fez guided wal k £5 Marrakesh guided walk £5 Todra gorge Free

Senegal Kayaking in NP £10

Sierra Leone Tacugama Chimpanzee Reserve £15

Tiwai Island wildlife sanctuary £15

Liberia National Museum   £5

Ivory Coast

Yamoussoukro Cathedral £5

Kakum NP canopy walk £25

Cape Coast slave fort guided tour £10

Museum of West African Arts £4

Lake Ganvie canoe trip £12

Mt. Cameroon 3 day trek £120

Reserve de la Lope guided walk £35

Reserve de la Lope river safari £35

Pongara NP day trip £40

Conkouati NP £200

Kalandula Falls £10

Skydiving £160

Sandboarding £30

Quad-biking £50

Game fishing £100

Hot air ballooning £300

Scenic flight, Sossusvlei £250

South Africa

Cable car to Table Mountain £15

Abseil Table Mountain £60

Cage diving with Great White sharks £150

Robben Island guided tour £20

Stellenbosch wine tour £40

Stony Point penguins £5

Bloukrans bungee jump £60

Ushaka Marine World £12

Moholoholo rehabilitation centre £10

Panorama route entrance fees £10

Basotho pony trek £30

Thaba Bosiu cultural village entrance £6

Sibebe rock climb £6

Diving in Bazaruto archipelago, per dive £35

Bridal Veil Falls hike £10

Great Zimbabwe ruins £15

Walking with lions £70

Lion night encounter £75

Lion feeding £20

Elephant interaction £10

Matobo NP tour £70

Zambezi rafting at Vic Falls £100

Bungee, gorge swing & highwire day at Vic Falls £160

Bungee jump off Victoria Falls £130

Flight over Victoria Falls £120

2 day Okavango Delta Mokoro trip £120

Okavango Delta scenic flight £80

Chobe NP morning game drive £40

Chobe NP sunset cruise £30

Victoria Falls entrance fee £20

Lake Kariba 2 day houseboat trip £100

South Luangwa NP walking tour £40

Diving, per dive £40

Horse riding £40

Village tour & dinner £5

Zanzibar Island ferry return ticket £60

Zanzibar accommodation, approx. per night £20

Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater 3 day tour £600

Maasai Village tour £5

Genocide memorial £10

Gorilla trek in Virunga Mountains £1250

Gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest £620

White-water rafting on Nile £100

Source of the Nile sunset cruise £30

Elsamere £10

Hell’s Gate NP entrance fee & bicycle hire £35

Giraffe centre £7

Elephant orphanage £5

Samburu NP safari £100

Ethiopia Lower Omo Valley tribes tour £50

Lalibela £40

Danakil Depression 4×4 tour  £150

Erta Ale volcano add-on £150

Aksum historical sites £10

Simien Mountains guide fee per day £15

Lake Tana & Blue Nile Falls day trip £60

National Museum £1

Meroe pyramids £15

Blue & White Nile boat trip £10

Merowe pyramids Free

Sai Island & Soleb Temple day tour £40

Abu Simbel £10

2 day Felucca boat trip on Nile £40

Kom Ombo £5

Edfu Temple £7

Valley of the Kings £12

Hatshepsut Temple £6

Balloon flight over Luxor £70

Luxor Temple £8

Karnak Temple £8

Cairo museum £10

Pyramids & Sphinx £12

VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

We will be travelling in a purpose-built Madventure overland vehicle 100% of the time on this expedition. A standard bus simply wouldn’t be able to tackle many of the roads we travel on. Please note that we may have to use local transport in Somaliland, Djibouti and/or Eritrea if we are refused entry for any reason.

The overland vehicle we use is a custom-built expedition truck which can accommodate up to 36 people although most of our expeditions travel with approximately 25 people.

Comfort and safety is of course a big factor during expeditions of this length and nature so all our vehicles have high-backed coach seats with safety belts. The seating is on the upper level of the vehicle giving you an almost 360° view of the surrounding scenery.

Our vehicles are designed to allow sufficient luggage storage and are also equipped with lockers to keep all your gear safe.

Our long range diesel and water tanks ensure our self sufficiency in remote areas and the equipment we take with us is also of vital importance. In case of a breakdown we are equipped with a good selection of spare parts as well as a comprehensive tool kit to undertake any necessary repairs on our own as and when we need to.

There may also be times when we get stuck in the sand or mud when travelling off road so all necessary recovery equipment such as sand mats, cables, ropes, shovels and pickaxes are also on board.

We spend a lot of nights around the campfire so we take along good axes and saws for the times when we have to replenish our wood supply.

We usually carry 500 litres of treated drinking water and we are equipped with a good kitchen which includes all cutlery, plates, cups, pots and pans, utensils, gas cooker, BBQ grate, etc.

All our vehicles are equipped with a small fridge which is used for the cook groups food only. For personal food & drinks we have cooler boxes for everyone to use.

Fold up chairs are provided for outdoor seating and we also have a large tarpaulin to keep us dry on those rainy days.

Our vehicles are equipped with USB charging points only so try and bring all of your important electronic devices such as telephone, tablet & head-torch to charge from a USB socket. We do not have a 120V or 240V power supply on the vehicle but you will have the opportunity to charge your 120/240V electronic equipment when we stay at campsites & hotels.

We carry solar showers and a toilet tent with us for those times when we are bush camping without amenities.

We carry a comprehensive first aid kit for emergencies but we recommend you bring your own for general use.

FOOD & COOKING

Eating well is a very important factor on our expeditions and good food is vital for everyone’s health and well-being so we always strive to prepare healthy, wholesome and plentiful meals.

We will be cooking a lot of meals from our own kitchen on the truck. When we are camping we usually eat breakfast and the evening meal from the truck. For lunch we usually stop at a cheap local restaurant giving you a chance to taste the local fare too. Lunches are at your own expense. When we are staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels (usually in cities) it is often impractical to cook on the truck so we do not provide any meals at these times.

When it comes to shopping and cooking we will divide ourselves up into groups of 3 or 4 people (depending on group size) who will shop for and prepare the day’s meals and clean up at the end. This will work out that you roughly get to cook once a week (depending on numbers).

Fresh food is generally available daily so we try and eat meat and vegetables for every main evening meal. We do also cater for vegetarians but we cannot cater for fussiness. In these group situations everybody must appreciate we cannot cater for individual likes and dislikes.

Don’t worry if you are not a gourmet cook as your crew are also always there to give advice.

Cleanliness plays an important role throughout this expedition and your crew will make sure an acceptable level of general hygiene is maintained throughout your journey to ensure the wellbeing of the group.

ACCOMMODATION

You will spend 75% of your time on this expedition in your tent camping and 25% of your time staying in local hotels, guest houses and hostels.

Quite often we will wild camp by ourselves out in the bush or in the desert and other times we will use designated campsites with amenities. The majority of our wild camp locations are usually very scenic and we always strive to find the perfect spot on the banks of a river, overlooking a canyon, behind a dune in the desert, etc. but sometimes we just have to camp wherever we can find a spot.

From past experience on expeditions of this length and nature we have found that people prefer to supply their own tents as they are then not forced to share and they can pick a tent that suits their needs. As a general rule, try and choose a good quality lightweight and waterproof free-standing tent that is easy to erect, take down and carry.

When we are not camping (usually in cities) we always try to use decent, clean budget hotels, guest houses and hostels, however, taking into consideration the sometimes unpredictable nature of this expedition and the remoteness of some of the areas we visit, please be aware that in some circumstances we just have to take what we can get – good or bad. When staying in hotels/guest houses/hostels you can expect to share your room with other expedition members of both sexes.

In many of the places we stay there are upgrade options available so should you prefer not to camp or you just want some time alone you can often rent yourself a private room at your own expense.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Your contract is with Madventure Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Company No. 6809461) whose office is at 10 Ablett Close, Oxford, OX4 1XH, United Kingdom.

2. A deposit of £300 is payable at the time of booking. The deposit is non-refundable unless Madventure is unable to offer you a place or you cancel within 14 days of the initial booking date. Madventure guarantees not to increase the tour price once the deposit has been received.

3. A booking is made in the name of the client and is not transferable to another person. You are only permitted to transfer your deposit once to a future tour, after that a further £300 non-refundable deposit will be required to book another tour. Please note that you will be affected if you have transferred and there is a price increase as you will have to pay the current tour price at the time that the tour balance payment is due.

4. Eight months prior to departure a further payment must be received to cover 50% of the total tour price in order to secure your booking. This payment is non-refundable unless we can not provide the tour. The final 50% balance of your tour payment must then be paid in full at least four months prior to the tour start date at which time the tour will be confirmed to run. Once the tour is confirmed to run you will not receive any refunds of any monies paid. If the full payment is not received 4 months prior to departure Madventure may deem the booking cancelled and all monies paid will be forfeited. If you book within the 4 to 8 month period prior to departure a non-refundable 50% deposit of the total tour price should be paid upon booking. If you book within the 4 month period prior to departure the full non-refundable 100% tour payment must be paid upon booking.

5.  Cancellation of a booking must be notified in writing and when received by Madventure any monies paid will be forfeited. You acknowledge that payment for the tour is an intrinsic part of the tour’s income and contributes towards the overall costs of equipment, vehicle running costs, staff administration, travel permits, etc. and Madventure will have incurred a large part of its costs before the actual departure date. You will not receive a refund of any amount after the tour has been confirmed to run (which will usually happen no later than 4 months prior to the tour departing). We therefore recommend you take out your travel insurance from the date you make your final tour balance payment, 4 months prior to departure, so you are insured if you have to withdraw off the tour. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

6. It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your tour, but we do plan all tours many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your tour. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular tour is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your tour less than 4 months before your departure date (except for reasons of Force Majeure). If we are unable to provide the tour for any reason you can either have a full refund of all monies paid within 14 working days of the tour being cancelled or accept an offer of an alternative tour of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value).  In the event of the tour being cancelled prior to departure, all monies paid by you towards the tour cost only will be refunded. In the event of a cancellation Madventure is not responsible for reimbursing equipment, flights, visa costs, vaccinations, medication, etc. purchased by yourself so we therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance to ensure these types of expenses are covered under the terms of your insurance policy as you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

7. In the unlikely event of a Force Majeure situation that forces us to cancel the tour within 4 months of the planned departure date because of unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, you can either have a full refund of all monies paid within 14 working days of the tour being cancelled or accept an offer of an alternative tour of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). In the unlikely event of a Force Majeure situation that forces us to cancel or change the tour while it is underway because of unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control we will not refund you or pay you compensation, so we therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for the tour cancellation while underway is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company. Force Majeure situations can include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, epidemics, pandemics, health risks, closed or congested airports, ports or stations, poor local infrastructure, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of transport by the transport supplier such as flights by airlines or main charterer, the alteration of transport or transport types, adverse weather conditions (actual or threatened), avalanche and technical failure with transport, Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice changing and advising against travel to the tour destination.

8. If you choose to leave the tour for any reason on your own accord once the tour is underway you will not receive any compensation from Madventure including any refunds of the tour payment and/or the local payment. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for your departure is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

9. We reserve the right at any time prior to the departure date, without prior consultation with yourself, to merge your tour with one or more other tours travelling at the same time. This will not constitute a major change and would usually just mean swapping vehicles.

10. The tour payment and local payment cover transport, accommodation, some related ferry and train tickets, meals and national park entry fees as specified on the website, repair of our expedition vehicle as well as repair and replacement of camping equipment including stools, cooking equipment & utensils.

11. The tour leader has sole responsibility for the local payment. Any local payment monies or stock remaining at the tour end are non-refundable.

12. You undertake to comply with the laws and regulations, whether in respect of health, immigration, currency exchange control, dress or any other matter of all the countries visited during the tour.

13. You undertake to obtain a valid passport and have enough blank pages in the passport for the tour and your specific passport and visa requirements. Immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassies and/or consulates. We do not accept any responsibility and shall not be liable if you cannot travel or cannot participate in any part of the tour because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements. You are responsible for obtaining and having available the necessary documents (including but not limited to full, current passport with enough blank pages to complete the trip and valid for at least 9 months from the last day of the tour and visas for all periods, countries and territories within the tour) enabling you to participate in the tour and shall comply with all local legislation and regulations of the countries in which the tour takes place (including immigration requirements, customs regulations and currency exchange). You shall indemnify us against any loss or expense that we may incur or suffer as a result of breach of this condition by you.  We cannot guarantee visa prices and availability of visas. Ultimately visas are your own responsibility to obtain.

14. Madventure reserves the right to deviate from the advertised tour route if in their reasonable opinion such deviation is necessary for the safety or well-being of any or any one of the members of the tour or for the satisfactory progress of the tour. In the event of it becoming necessary to fly over a country or countries in order to satisfactorily and safely continue the tour, all costs of your flights will be borne by yourself.

15. Madventure accepts no responsibility for matters arising out of political disputes, border closures, epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, climate, armed robbery, terrorism, etc. Should it become necessary to abandon a tour because of such an event Madventure will be entitled to retain all monies paid. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

16. You accept that owing to the nature of countries visited, all tours involve an element of personal risk and are of a potentially hazardous and unpredictable nature. In many countries we visit, the basic infrastructure, such as roads, is very poor and therefore less safe than that familiar to people from many western countries. In particular, lack of road markings or warning signs, unmarked speed bumps, seasonal flooding of roads and bridges, local vehicles which are poorly maintained and driven and which are hazardous to other road users etc. are factors beyond the control of Madventure. You accept that in some areas we drive off-road and that this involves personal risk when the expedition vehicle can be negotiating rough terrain. Madventure owns and operates many of its own expedition vehicles and employs its own crew. Where stated, locally arranged transport and crew, including trains, ferries, buses or coaches are used. Where Madventure’s own vehicles and/or crew are not used for the above services, you agree that the obligation of Madventure to yourself is to select normally competent, independent subcontractors to provide the necessary services related to the tour and to exercise reasonable care in selecting such suppliers to provide these. You also accept that you undertake this tour at your own risk and your participation is your own decision and does not form any part of your contract with Madventure. Madventure does not take responsibility for cancellations, unreliability of services or safety of operators, agents or contractors.

17. You accept that local emergency facilities are usually of a very limited nature. Hospitals outside of large cities often have no accident and emergency facilities and emergency transport facilities can be non-existent.

18. If you have a problem during your trip please inform the tour leader immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally please follow this up by emailing or writing to our office giving all other relevant information and, where possible, evidence. We must receive any such complaint no later than 28 days from the date of completion of your tour in order to take appropriate action. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

19. We do not accept any liability or responsibility for any personal possessions (including but not limited to cameras, jewellery, valuables and money) which is carried on or in our vehicles, carried on public transport or transport supplied by independent subcontractors, left in accommodation provided by us or our suppliers during a trip or left in our care during a tour. Such items are carried and/or left at your own risk.

20. Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on our tour are not part of your tour arrangements provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator. You accept that the prices quoted for optional activities are approximate as local prices can and do change. Any of the optional activities listed are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by Madventure. You also accept that you undertake any activity at your own risk and your participation is your own decision and does not form any part of your contract with Madventure. Madventure does not take responsibility for cancellations, unreliability of services or safety of operators, agents or contractors.

21. Whilst a tour is in progress you will at all times be expected to act in accordance with all reasonable instructions from us and/or the tour leader. We may exclude you from the tour or any part thereof at any time (including during the tour itself) if we are of the opinion that you are likely to prejudice the good order, discipline or safety of the tour, including as a result of failing to comply with the tour leader’s instructions, breaking any law or regulation of any country where the tour takes place or failing to adhere to the tour code of conduct, provided that we exercise our discretion reasonably in this regard. In such an event you shall reimburse to us any reasonable costs, losses or expenses which we incur or suffer as a result of our decision to exclude you from the tour, and Madventure shall cease to have any responsibility to/for you. No refund will be given for any unused services.

22. By completing the booking form you confirm that you appreciate the risks involved in the tour and that you do not suffer (or have ever suffered) from any pre-existing medical condition that may prevent you from actively participating in the tour other than those that have been declared to us. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are medically fit enough to undertake the tour and to ensure that you have received the necessary vaccinations and medications (and taken them as prescribed by your doctor) relevant to the destination country. Unless informed otherwise in writing we will assume that you are in good health and are not aware of any reason why you may be unsuitable to take part in the tour. We recommend that you consult your doctor before making a booking to ensure that you are medically fit and are fully aware regarding the immunizations and medical issues related to your destination countries. If you have any pre-existing medical condition, illness or disability, are undergoing medical treatment or, since entering into the contract, develop any medical condition, illness or disability or undergo any medical treatment; you will give us full particulars at the earliest opportunity and at the latest sixty (60) days before the departure date. If it is later discovered that a pre-existing condition was not declared within the specified time, and such condition would, if we had knowledge of it, have led to our refusal to accept or to cancel your booking, we reserve the right to withdraw you from the trip without any refund or recompense. In such an event, you shall reimburse to us any reasonable costs, losses or expenses which we incur or suffer as a result. In the event of you being withdrawn from a tour, no refunds will be given and we will not be responsible for (and you agree to indemnify us against) any costs, claims, losses and expenses arising including costs of repatriation, eg. flights and legal expenses. By agreeing to these conditions, you provide your consent to us and our insurers obtaining your medical records should we consider it necessary. You will be responsible for any charges for the provision of the information. We reserve the right to inspect your vaccination book at any time and to withdraw you from the tour in the event that you have not received and/or taken all the requisite inoculations and/or medication. If the information provided by you is incorrect and we discover that the correct information affects your suitability to take part in the tour, we may terminate the contract and withdraw you from the tour without refund or recompense, including during the trip. You agree and acknowledge that certain activities undertaken whilst you are on the tour may be inherently hazardous and have risks associated with them. You agree to abide by all instructions given to you whilst you are on the tour and you acknowledge that we cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may arise as a result of you failing to comply with such instructions.

23. You must be covered by personal travel insurance to undertake any Madventure tour. We recommend you take out a travel insurance policy that covers you fully against the cost of tour cancellation by you or by Force Majeure, medical care and repatriation should you become too ill to continue and above all covers you against the cost of air evacuation should sickness or injury necessitate such a course of action. You should also note that passenger liability insurance covering vehicles, particularly in third world countries, may be inadequate. It is therefore important that your travel insurance cover makes sufficient provision for your dependents in the event of an accident. Please note however that we have no control over the availability or standard of medical and repatriation services and facilities in the areas we visit and these do not form any part of our contract with you. Please remember that many of the areas we visit are not as developed as the UK and the availability and standard of such services may well be lower. Please read your travel insurance policy details carefully and take them with you when you travel. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We do not check individual insurance policies for suitability.

24. It is understood that on the Madventure tours where we use our own expedition vehicles the sections of the tour that travel through Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico are provided to you free of charge. You will not have to pay any additional fee to travel through Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico with us but it is understood that we do not operate for hire and reward in these areas. We do this purely as a legality in order to operate our specialised overland vehicle in these areas legally.

25. Privacy & Data Protection – we shall ensure that appropriate security measures are in place to protect your personal data (as defined in the European GDPR act 2018 and the UK Data Protection Act 2018) and we do not store our customers financial details. When you make a booking, you do however consent to all the information you provide being passed on to our suppliers, agents, subcontractors, employees or volunteers whether based inside or outside of Europe for the purposes of us providing you with the tour.

26. By agreeing to these terms and conditions you consent (unless otherwise stated on your application form) to our staff taking photographs and or video footage of you during the tour and that these images may be used by us for publicity and training purposes including, but not limited to, brochures, websites, marketing material and in the media.

27. We shall be entitled to novate or assign the contract or any part of it to any third party. You shall not be entitled to assign the contract or any part of it. This contract is made on the terms of these conditions, which are governed by English law, and subject to the provisions of condition you agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. If any of these conditions is found by any court or other competent authority to be wholly or partly unfair or unenforceable the validity of the rest of the booking conditions and the rest of the condition in question shall not be affected and shall remain valid and enforceable to the extent permitted by law. A reference in these conditions to a statute, convention or regulation shall be as a reference to that statute convention or regulation as amended, re-enacted or extended at the relevant time. The headings in these conditions are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation. Where the context otherwise requires, words importing the singular meaning shall include the plural meaning and vice versa and words denoting the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders. Where the context so admits, words denoting persons shall include natural persons, companies, corporations, firms, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint trips, trusts, voluntary associations and other incorporated and/or unincorporated bodies or other entities (in each case, whether or not having separate legal personality) and all such words shall be construed interchangeably in that manner.

28. The information given on the website, on social media, in newsletters, in the brochure and other literature supplied is given in good faith but no warranty is given that it is correct.

29. No servant, agent or authorised representative of Madventure has authority to commit Madventure to any liability whatsoever and Madventure will not be bound by any statement or representation unless it is in writing and signed by one of the directors.

30. ABTA – We are members of ABTA, membership no. Y6801. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com

31. Financial Protection – In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018, Directive (EU) 2015/2302 or the local applicable law in the country of residence of the passenger(s) booking with Madventure Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Madventure Ltd.

The respective laws according to the country of residence of the passenger(s) usually only requires us to provide cover for Package & Linked Travel Arrangements, there is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided unless the local law requires such. If you have questions on this then please contact Madventure Ltd.

Madventure Ltd has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE’s registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés).  LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Madventure Ltd.

In the event of our insolvency please make contact as soon as practically possible giving full details of what has happened quoting the name of your Travel Operator:

For UK & Worldwide excluding EU Passengers

IPP Claims at Sedgwick

Telephone: +44 (0) 345 266 1872

Email: [email protected]

or online at http://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp

For EU Passengers

Telephone: +31 103120666

Email: [email protected]

or online at https://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp

PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION

Personal budget & travel money.

Personal Budget

We recommend a budget of £100 – £120 per person per week to live comfortably during this expedition. This budget should cover day to day things like lunches, snacks, soft drinks, meals when not camping, the odd few beers, etc.

Budget approximately £2200 for your visas, security clearances and letters of invitation.

Souvenirs are something that can be very cheap or very expensive so if you are going to be buying things like silk carpets you should budget for it.

Please also have a look at our Optional Excursions list as you may want to budget for a few of those activities too.

Travel Money

We recommend you bring ¼ of your money in cash US Dollars, ¼ of your money in cash Euros and the rest of your money on your Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card.

They generally accept all major currencies for exchange but Euros are best for the first 3 months of this tour and US Dollars are generally accepted everywhere.

ATM’s are sometimes available for you to draw local currency using your Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card except in a few countries in north & west Africa where it is recommended you have cash available for exchange.

To keep your money/credit cards/ipod/camera/laptop safe we recommend you purchase a ‘Pacsafe Travelsafe’ product. They offer various size portable anti-theft bags that can be attached to the vehicle when travelling and also attached to the toilet/bed/closet in your hotel room when off the vehicle.

VISAS & PASSPORTS

Below is general information and recommendations regarding visas and passports. Visas are ultimately your own responsibility to obtain and visa requirements may vary according to your nationality and place of application, so use the information below as a guide only. Madventure is in no way responsible for obtaining your visas or passports.

We recommend you obtain the following visas in your passport before departure if possible – Ghana and Nigeria (both valid for 6 months).

Please note: many nationalities can’t get 6 month Ghana and Nigeria visas issued prior to departure so if that applies to you then don’t worry, you can get them issued en-route, it just means you have to visit 2 more embassies during the trip

All other visas for this trip can be obtained en-route.

You can either obtain visas yourself or use the services of a visa agency such as www.thevisamachine.com

Some nationalities may also require a Letter of Invitation in order to apply for certain visas (for example, Americans need an LOI in order to apply for the Sudan visa). Sometimes we can provide these for you for a fee.

Approximately 3 months prior to departure you will be sent the information required in order to complete your applications and apply for your visas (there are often time restrictions on visas so you can not apply earlier). We recommend that you make your passport available 2 months before departure in order to obtain your visas comfortably.

Budget approximately £2200 for all your visas and letters of invitation.

Please ensure you have 40 free pages in your passport in order to accommodate all the visas and ensure your passport is valid for at least 18 months after your departure date.

You will need approximately 20 passport photos for the duration of the expedition.

VACCINATIONS & MEDICAL

Vaccination requirements are constantly changing so we recommend you seek the latest professional medical advice at least 8 weeks before departure to ensure you allow yourself enough time to obtain all necessary vaccinations. Nomad Travel’s website has up-to-date information on vaccinations, malaria and other general medical advice for all the countries we will be visiting and they also administer vaccinations at their Travel Clinics in various locations in the UK.

www.nomadtravel.co.uk

Alternatively speak with your local Health Professionals for current accurate information. You will need to make an appointment with your GP or Travel Clinic and take a list of the countries you are visiting and the approximate dates when you will be there.

NB: YOU MUST HAVE AN UP TO DATE YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION CERTIFICATE WITH YOU DURING THIS TOUR AS IT IS A REQUIREMENT AT CERTAIN BORDERS.

Medically Fit & Able

You need to be in good general health for this expedition and be reasonably fit and able. The main concern is that everyone is able to pitch in equally and do their fair share when it comes to group activities like the communal cooking and cleaning up, packing gear in and out of the truck, erecting your own tent, etc. You do not need to be super-fit by any means and all ages are welcome. We always attract a very broad age range on these expeditions, from people in their 20’s through to people in their 70’s.

Please inform us of any medical conditions that you have before departure so that your crew know how to deal with a medical situation if it should arise. All information will be kept confidential unless you request us to inform your fellow travelers. For example, it may be wise to inform fellow travelers if you are allergic to something like bee-stings so they know what to do if you get stung.

First Aid Kit

We carry a comprehensive first aid kit aboard the vehicle but it is recommended that you bring your own basic first aid kit for general use.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is compulsory that every person who travels with Madventure obtain travel insurance for the complete duration of the tour. Proof of travel insurance must be shown before joining a tour.

You may be covered under your credit card’s travel insurance so it might be worth checking with your credit card provider first.

There are various travel insurance companies to choose from and a Google search will bring up a vast selection but for a comprehensive reliable policy that includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation we recommend a London based company named Campbell Irvine, Telephone: +44 20 7938 1734, https://microsite. campbellirvinedirect.com/ madventure/ . They are familiar with what we do so if you mention Madventure and the tour you are travelling on they should be able to provide excellent cover for you.

For people based in North America a company called Allianz offers good cover – Telephone: +1 866 884 3556, www.allianztravelinsurance.com

If you choose to obtain your travel insurance through another company please ensure you read the small-print and make sure your policy includes Covid Cover and Medical Repatriation.

WHAT TO BRING

Tent: A good quality lightweight and compact waterproof free standing tent is recommended for this expedition. A removable fly-sheet will help you stay cool on hot dry nights. If you are travelling on your own you are restricted to a 1-2 man sized tent. If you are sharing a tent, you are restricted to a 2-3 man sized tent.

Sleeping bag: Any good quality 2/3 season sleeping bag will be fine but one with a ‘Mummy Hood’ is a good idea for the times that it will be cold. Please make sure that your sleeping bag has a ‘crush bag’ so it can be compacted down.

Sleeping bag liner: A Thermal Fleece or Silk Liner will bring your sleeping bag up a season when it’s cold and they are good to use on their own when it’s too hot for your sleeping bag.

Roll Mat: A compact inflatable Thermarest roll mat is recommended. A non-compact mat will not be permitted as they take up too much room.

Pillow: If you do wish to take a pillow (although most just bring a pillow case and stuff their fleece in it at night) then Thermarest do a good stuff pillow that compacts down small.

Backpack/sports bag/suitcase: We recommend you carry your luggage in a backpack but irrespective if you prefer a sports bag or a suitcase you are restricted to a maximum 100 liter volume.

Day bag:  You are also permitted to bring a day bag with a maximum 40 liter volume that you can carry in the overhead luggage rack on the back of the truck with you.

Pacsafe: in order to keep your valuables safe we recommend a Pacsafe product. They make a range of anti-theft bags which vary in sizes and can accommodate your money, credit cards, passport, camera, laptop, etc. They can be attached to the overhead luggage rack on the back of the vehicle when travelling and/or to a fixed item in your hotel.

Headtorch: an invaluable investment! Check out the Petzl range of USB rechargeable headlamps.

Water purifier – quite a handy thing to have to purify contaminated water and avoid ‘Delhi Belly’. Check out the range of Lifestraw products.

Kindle: optional but great to keep all your travel guides and books in 1 place.

Ipad/Tablet: not a necessity but many places have WiFi available these days so having your own Ipad or Tablet will save you hanging around internet cafes.

Smartphone – not a necessity but very convenient for emailing, taking photos, mapping, and calling home using local sim cards.

Camera: completely up to you but most people bring one.

Toiletries: available everywhere but start with some toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, deodorant, soap and shampoo.

Towel: a microfibre travel towel is a good option as it dries quickly and packs down small.

First aid kit: only a basic one is recommended but should include plasters, antiseptic cream, bandage, pain relief tablets, scissors and safety pins.

Passport photos: You will need approximately 20 passport photos for the duration of the expedition.

Passport: please ensure you have 40 blank pages in your passport to accommodate all the visas required on this tour.

Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: an up to date certificate is required to enter certain countries.

Clothes & shoes: 1 pair of flip flops 1 pair of walking shoes, trainers or boots 4 pairs of socks 4 pairs of undies 4 bras 4 t-shirts and/or vest tops 2 pairs of zip-off trousers which can be worn long or short 1 swimming trunks/bikini 1 lightweight long sleeve top 1 decent fleece top or fleece jacket 1 beanie/woolly hat for the cold days 1 wet weather jacket 1 light-weight dress/skirt for the ladies 1 collared shirt for the blokes A pair of thermal gloves

NITTY GRITTY

As our expeditions are not your average run of the mill overland tours we would like to go through every aspect of the trip with you to ensure that you are as informed and prepared as possible. At Madventure we believe in giving you the nitty-gritty details as well as the obvious highlights, as in our opinion these are just as important and we want to explain the expedition in as much detail as possible so you can be sure you are suited and prepared for one of our overland adventures. If after reading this, you decide that this expedition is not for you then, as long as it is within 14 days of your initial booking, you can cancel off the expedition and receive a full refund of your deposit.

The following may sound a little negative at times, but it’s just so we are secure in the knowledge that we have provided you with as much information as possible, the good and the bad, to ensure everybody is completely aware exactly what type of trips we run for the benefit of you, us and your fellow expedition members as there is nothing worse than getting someone booking on the trip when it is not what they actually wanted or expected as our expeditions are too long and too full on. You need to know what you are in for and be able to handle it!

At times you will be exposed to all the elements, from extreme cold to intense humid heat and high altitude. And, for example, as wonderful as places like Nigeria & Sudan are, they do not have a western infrastructure and their acceptable level of hygiene standards are very different to ours.

Mucking In: This is a full participation expedition so you need to be able to participate fully in all aspects of the trip including cooking, cleaning, truck security, carrying water, collecting firewood, digging your vehicle out of sand & bogs, etc.

We get everyone to agree that you are medically fit and able and can physically participate fully in all aspects required. Don’t worry, you don’t need any prior experience or knowledge or to be a fitness freak, just to be happy to do your share and have a willingness to get stuck in when necessary.

When things go wrong: The only thing we can guarantee is that at some point things will not go according to plan! We have to follow the legislation of each individual country and they may all have different regulations and attitudes towards us. Generally everyone is always friendly and it’s usually obstacles such as breakdowns, bad roads and natural disasters that have a bearing on the expedition. Everything changes from trip to trip depending on what the current situation or problem is, so it’s not ‘if’ something goes wrong, it’s ‘when’.

Please be prepared to expect the unexpected and accept that things will go wrong from time to time. These instances are usually the stories that remain with everyone so enjoy the experience. An easy-going approach will help the situation immensely. Moaning about every little thing that doesn’t go our way will not!

Attitude & Group Living: A good, easy-going attitude will help you get through this trip and ensure you are liked by your fellow travelers as well as the locals. The one thing that is extremely detrimental to an expedition such as this is your common ‘moaner’. It has nothing to do with age, sex or nationality, it just matters that although they signed up for this ‘in theory’ they can’t cope ‘in practice’ and it’s always got to be someone’s fault. It sounds a bit harsh but by weeding out any moaners early on we can have a chat with them and ensure your expedition is as good as it can be. It’s hard enough at the best of times without in-house problems so by ensuring everyone is on the same page from the get go will start us off in good stead.

We have no age restrictions and if there is one thing we have come to realize, through experience, is that it’s the mental attitude that counts the most and a broader age range is better on a long trip as it stops the stereotyping – the more in the mix the better.

There will be parties and there will be quiet nights. There are no set rules and it always sorts itself out depending on the individual personalities of who’s on board.

Laziness and selfishness will also be spotted early on so we advise everyone to pull their weight. We can guarantee that at some stage during the expedition you will have to just fit in and go with the flow when it’s not what you personally wanted to do. When situations arise where we can’t please everybody we always aim to please the ‘majority of the group’, not the individual.

Please be aware that if any particular person is constantly causing the rest of the group (or the crew) grief due to their behavior they will be warned and then asked to leave the expedition if nothing improves and no refund will be given. This is obviously the most extreme situation but we will not let one or two lazy or selfish individuals spoil it for everybody else. Everybody knows the score from the start and this is for everyone’s benefit. Usually everybody who does our trips has a relaxed approach and everybody gets on very well and any unsuitable people do not last long and leave on their own accord.

This is a once in a lifetime experience so let’s all enjoy it!

Drive times, routes and proposed itineraries: We are driving a long way across Africa in a restricted time frame, so yes, there are going to a lot of drive days and some of them will be long. This is where you have to be able to take pleasure in the scenery or a good book from time to time.

As a general rule on a drive day we leave in the morning around 7-8am (after breakfast) and pull up just before dusk in order to set up camp in the daylight, but this really depends on the distance between destinations.

Sometimes it will be a full day’s drive between destinations and you’ll have the following day free. On rare occasions it will be a 3-4 day long drive where you’ll leave early, stop late and wild camp in-between, then have a few free days at your destination. Sometimes it’s only a few hours between locations. Driving is a huge part of the trip so be prepared for a lot of it and expect the odd long drive into the night.

Please note: at times we may placed under military or police escort when travelling through troubled areas. If this occurs then we are at their mercy and they make the decisions with regard to driving hours and routes. We do not argue with those who are trusted to ensure our safety, so please be aware that sometimes the pace will be faster than we would personally choose and the route they pick will be the one we follow, regardless of our proposed itinerary.

Delays: We always strive to arrive at our destinations on time but if we experience any delays we will adjust our itinerary accordingly. If we experience any major delays our end date can be extended to suit our needs. The proposed itinerary is just that, ‘proposed’, and can and will change at the crew’s discretion if need be.

We advise you not to book onward flights until we get within a week of our final destination.

Drugs: In a lot of the countries we travel through drugs such as marijuana are in abundance and readily available. Please be aware that they are still illegal and some countries hold the Death Penalty as punishment for being caught in possession. Obviously you are free to do whatever you want to do in your own free time but there is NEVER to be any illegal drugs onboard the expedition vehicle at any time.

If you are caught with any kind of illegal drugs on the expedition vehicle, regardless of the amount, you will be asked to leave the expedition immediately and no refund will be given. This is a very strict rule as any inconsideration can lead to the vehicle being impounded, the expedition cancelled and other innocent parties arrested. We will not hesitate to remove someone if we have to so please respect your other expedition members.

Your Crew: You will normally have a crew of 1 experienced person who fills the role of being the driver/expedition leader. Sometimes our crew prefer to work with a partner so there may occasionally be 2 crew who share the roles of driver and expedition leader. On some expeditions we may also have a cameraman who is there to help market our tours and update our social media accounts.

Your crew member will drive and maintain the vehicle as well as sort out all the accommodation, permits, border crossings and generally ensure the smooth running of the expedition. Your crew member is not a tour guide and will not be giving you the history and facts of every country you travel through. Apart from the odd optional extra that needs to be organized in advance, we leave most of that stuff to you guys, this way ensuring you get to do what you want, at the price you are happy to pay.

You do the reading up on the places we are going to in advance and decide how you want to spend your time and what activities you want to do. Apart from some basic truck rules this is not a trip where we hold your hand, it’s an expedition and we expect that you will want to be as independent as possible when it comes to your free time.

Your crew will be hand-picked and trained by Madventure and will have experience of overland travel but they may or may not have done this expedition before. They will however have detailed notes from previous expeditions and backup from the office in the UK.

Tipping: Tipping the crew at the end of your expedition is always appreciated. As this is a long expedition, but also a budget one, we recommend you tip your driver/expedition leader a minimum of £1 per day if you are happy with their service. Thank you.

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• ISTANBUL TO TOKYO
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• NAIROBI TO CAPE TOWN
• MOROCCO TO CAPE TOWN
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• CAPE TOWN TO CAIRO
• CAPE TOWN TO NAIROBI
• KENYA TO CAIRO
• HORN OF AFRICA
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• ARABIA OVERLAND
• SAUDI ARABIA 12 DAY TOUR
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• 24 March 2025 – 11 August 2025
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DAKAR to FREETOWN

Freetown to accra, accra to accra, accra to freetown, freetown to dakar, dakar to marrakech, email: [email protected],   +44 (0) 1728 862 247, west africa overland trips & adventure travel in liberia, guinea sierra leone, ivory coast, benin, ghana, guinea-bissau, mauritania senegal (inc casamance), togo, gambia, morocco & western sahara.

Overlanding West Africa is an independent travel company operating adventure trips throughout the West Africa region.

We visit countries and places that few other overland operators venture to – taking our time to explore and travel off the beaten track.

We like to bring together groups of people who share a genuine love of overland adventure travel, focussing entirely upon this magical part of the world and nowhere else.

Largely unspoiled by mass tourism, the countries of West Africa will intrigue and fascinate even the most experienced traveller.

We won’t bump into other overland trucks every other day, and we won’t share campsites with dozens of other tourists.

Travel with us and experience colourful and vibrant markets, talented musicians, incredible landscapes, larger than life characters, rich and traditional cultures, pristine beaches, and an unrivalled arts and crafts scene.

Overlanding in the region can sometimes be tough and unpredictable. All of our trip itineraries are therefore entirely flexible to allow for the challenges and opportunities that crop up along the way. However, we guarantee you’ll be rewarded with some truly unforgettable experiences and magical memories! 

“West Africa is a quite different Africa from the countries on the opposite coast. The countries of West Africa are travellers’ lands” –   Telegraph Travel

WEST AFRICA TRIP VIDEOS

Experience the magical culture of west africa with the stilt dancers of ivory coast, life on the road in west africa - bustling markets, pristine beaches & stunning landscapes, click here to see more incredible footage from our overland trips.

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?

2023-24 bookings open.

We’re pleased to announce the bookings are now open for our 2023-24 season of trip, the dates for which can be seen here:  New Dates For...

Bookings open for 2022-23 season of trips!

** Our 2022-23 season of trips has been cancelled so this post is no longer relevant ** Hi everybody, As many of you already know, we...

Updates from the road & trip dates for 2020-21!

Hi everybody, It’s been some time since we last posted as we waved goodbye to Zoe, Adam and Aminah from the UK last October – so...

Aminah gets a respray and a recon...

Hi everybody, We hope you’re all well and that you’ve had an enjoyable summer (or winter, depending on which hemisphere you live in!) David (Hatter) and...

Preparing Aminah for our 2018-19 season of trips...

Hi everybody, It’s been some time since our last update so here we go with all that’s been happening at OWA over the past few months!...

Africa by Intrepid overland truck: 9 things you need to know

Most recently, I developed a serious attachment to MuRasta.

MuRasta was the affectionate name of our overland truck that ferried us across Africa on my Cape Town to Zanzibar tour.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I stepped foot on the truck on day one. I had searched for info online about what these trucks were like, but I didn’t find anything concrete. So, here it is! Here’s what you need to know:

The overland truck holds a maximum of 24 passengers, including guides and the cook. Some seats are better than others and so it is expected that everyone should rotate every time they get on the truck for the day. Sit somewhere different, sit with someone new and try out all the seats.

Day 1 in the truck

Four of the seats face backwards and share tables with the four seats facing forward. These are located in the middle of the truck and are really good for playing card games or doing some writing.

Our guide told us that we won the prize for the most mingling, and being that Intrepid travellers are 99.99% amazeballs, it’s worth it to mingle.

MAKE FRIENDS AND SEE INCREDIBLE SIGHTS ON AN INTREPID ADVENTURE IN AFRICA

There are also 24 lockers that line the back wall of the truck. Each person gets one and you can pick any one that is empty. There are two doors at the back of the truck that open on either side. The best locker to have is the low right corner, because you can stand outside to access your gear, instead of having to stack up on top over everyone trying to get their stuff out of the middle lockers.

Me, with the truck

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Securing your gear

Bring your own lock. It would be cool if the lock used a key instead of a combination. Combination locks are a plus because you don’t have to keep track of a key, but all of your fellow travellers will be waiting for you to spin the dials.

Hint: if you have a key lock, safety pin the spare key somewhere in your day pack. The driver will lock the truck at night, so everything will be safe. Once the truck is locked, you can’t get in until the morning, unless you dare wake the driver up (sorry Ben).

Our amazing driver, Ben

The best ‘luggage’ to bring on an overland trip is a backpack. The lockers are not huge. They are 26” deep, 10” high and 18” wide, so soft-sided bags are best. Your sleeping bag needs to fit in the locker also. Sleeping mats are provided and are in a bunk above the lockers. There is a storage area above the seats that can hold your day packs. This will look organized and pristine on day 1, but by day 40 will be full of snacks, empty bottles, snacks, laundry, souvenirs, more snacks and shoes.

READ MORE: 10 ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES FOR ANY AFRICA OVERLAND TOUR

Outside the truck and running along both sides are huge storage lockers that haul all the food, water, tents, camp chairs, cook tables, stove, and dishes for the trip.

Loading up our food after a grocery store shop

Each couple is assigned a numbered tent at the beginning of the trip. It is the camper’s responsibility to unload the tents and erect them on arrival, and take them down and get ’em on the truck in the morning.

The tents are heavy and have to be lifted up to chest level to get them on the truck. Day one of setting up your tent, you will look like a toddler that is trying to assemble a Mensa-level physics problem; day 40, you will have the tent up in under 3 minutes.

READ MORE: HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAMPING IN AFRICA

All the food needed for meals is bought by the cooked and hauled on board. There is a freezer on the truck behind the back seat that is for the cook.

There is also a cooler behind the back seat on the other side that can be used by the group. It is the responsibility of the group to keep it clean (e.g.don’t forget about that cheese you bought in Swakopmund two weeks ago) and provide the ice to keep things cool. This is best used for drinks. Ice can be purchased at supermarkets or some gas stations. There’s nothing better than a cold drink when it’s 9000 degrees outside.

At a gas station!

READ MORE: WHAT TO EXPECT ON AN AFRICAN OVERLAND TRIP

The overland trucks have huge windows that allow for maximum views of the landscape. They lower from the top down and are not tightly sealed, which means that dust will make its way into the truck. The roads are very rough in many parts and so the windows will rattle.

Because it is so hot, the windows need to be open for air circulation. Opening the two in the front and the two in the rear is the best scenario. If any of the middle ones are also open, the wind will whip through the truck and everyone’s hair will look like a thoroughly dust-tossed salad.

Can you tell which side of the truck the animal is on?!

Charging stations

There are plug-ins along the lower wall of the truck. There are two per seat so everyone can charge up their devices. Adaptors are needed, depending on where you are coming from. Because the roads are rough and bumpy, the adaptors can bounce their way out, so we would kick our day packs underneath of them to try and keep them snug.

READ MORE: WHAT IT’S LIKE EXPLORING SOUTHERN AFRICA ON AN INTREPID TRIP

The bathroom at the back of the truck comes complete with shower. HAHAHA – okay, no, there’s no bathroom on board. But the bushy-bushy ‘bathrooms’ that you experience along the way are very palatial, and have amazing views.

The truck, plus bush camp in Namibia

There is toilet paper and hand-sanitizer in the back pocket of the last seat. If you take toilet paper with you, you should bring it back and throw it in the garbage. This all becomes way less awkward than you would think.

When we started out from Cape Town on the first day of the trip, everyone was so shiny and shampooed. The truck was spotless, we were sitting straight up in our seats, and there was a lot of boisterous conversation. Everyone was busy introducing themselves and sharing the excitement and expectations of the trip.

By the end of the trip, the truck had become part of the group. There was a familiarity with the feel of the seats, the bounce and weave of the roads, the hums and rattles. The truck became a second home. Everything, including us, was covered with a layer of dust. We had pretty much given up on combing our hair and we allowed our bodies to stretch across seats and across people. We became quieter and more comfortable with each other; content to snooze, or watch the movie that passed before us as we gazed out the window.

EXPERIENCE AFRICA WITH INTREPID TRAVEL

Fully at home in the truck

Saying good bye to the truck on our last day was harder than I thought it would be. I had grown attached to it. This truck kept me safe, over rough roads, through cities and villages, in all weather conditions. It took me over 6000 km across the continent and was a passive bystander for all my African adventures.

That’s my truck. It was full of my favourite people.

It goes where the Intrepid ones go.

Ready for an epic adventure of your own? Get acquainted with one of our trucks on a small group tour of Africa.

(All images taken on Intrepid’s Cape Town to Zanzibar trip. Namibia bush camp photo by Shane Spoor, all other photos courtesy of Carla Powell.)

Feeling inspired?

Carla Powell

Tattooed on her shoulder in Arabic is the word ‘nomad’. Seeking sweet experiences in small corners of the world with authentic cultures is what makes her tick. Nova Scotia is home, writing is her passion and her quill is never far from hand.

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EU tightens visa requirements for Ethiopians over a lack of government cooperation on deportations

FILE - A passport of an Ethiopian fighter pilot on display at a residence, in Tok Mok, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday Aug. 16, 2010. The European Union is tightening visa requirements for people from Ethiopia, it was reported on Monday, April 29, 2024. It says the government there is not cooperating on the deportation of citizens found to be living illegally in the bloc. (AP Photo/Dalton Bennett, File)

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BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union announced on Monday that it is tightening visa requirements for people from Ethiopia, accusing the government there of a failure to cooperate in taking back citizens found to be living illegally in the 27-nation bloc.

EU headquarters said the time it takes to process visas for Ethiopian nationals will triple from 15 to 45 days. EU countries will no longer be permitted to waive requirements for certain paperwork or issue multiple-entry visas. Ethiopian diplomats and officials will now have to pay for travel visas.

The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, has vowed to use visa rules as a way of applying pressure on countries to cooperate in deportation procedures. Only around one in three people ordered to depart the EU ever actually leave.

The Commission says the action is being taken due to “a lack of response from the Ethiopian authorities with regard to readmission requests,” as well as shortcomings with “the organization of both voluntary and non-voluntary return operations,” which is the way the EU describes deportation.

Most people staying illegally in the EU arrive without breaking any rules via airports or ports but never go home once their visas expire, outnumbering those who arrive on unseaworthy boats or travel overland in search of refuge, jobs or better lives in Europe.

Ethiopia is mired in conflict and a humanitarian crisis. The two-year conflict in the northern Tigray region , which ended with a peace deal in November 2022, left most of the region’s population of 6 million relying on international help.

The country is both a major place of origin and transit for migrants and refugees in the Horn of Africa region, often serving as a hub for people from Eritrea and Somalia aiming to reach Europe or other northern parts of the African continent.

Middle East Crisis Netanyahu Again Vows to Invade Rafah ‘With or Without’ Cease-Fire Deal

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• A Palestinian man passing destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock
• The funeral of an Israeli reserve soldier in Carmiel, northern Israel. Ariel Schalit/Associated Press
• A displaced Palestinian woman in Rafah, southern Gaza. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• An Israeli artillery unit fires toward Gaza from near the border. Amir Cohen/Reuters
• An aid airdrop over the northern Gaza Strip. Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press
• Palestinians in Deir el-Balah. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Netanyahu’s pledge to invade Rafah could undermine efforts to reach a cease-fire deal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel once again pledged on Tuesday to launch a ground invasion into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, a move that could undermine efforts to negotiate a cease-fire agreement after seven months of war in the Palestinian enclave.

The United States, Qatar and several countries have been pushing to get a cease-fire deal, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visiting the region and expectations rising that Hamas and Israel might be edging closer to an agreement.

But with Hamas arguing that any agreement should include an end to the war, and with right-wing politicians in Israel threatening to leave the government coalition if the long-planned incursion into Rafah is delayed, Mr. Netanyahu made clear that Israel would reserve the right to keep fighting.

“The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” he said in a meeting with the families of hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory.”

Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they plan to move into Rafah, but over the weekend, they made clear they were open to holding off if it meant they could secure the release of hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. One official also suggested that Israel was using the threat of an imminent military maneuver to press the armed group into a hostage deal.

In anticipation of an offensive, some families in Rafah have been moving north into areas of Gaza that had already been attacked by Israeli forces, but on Tuesday, the scale of the evacuation remained unclear. As of last week, more than one million Gazans, many of them previously displaced from other parts of the territory by Israeli bombardment, were still sheltering in the city in makeshift tents.

American officials and other allies have been pressing Israel to either avoid an assault on Rafah or develop specific plans to adequately minimize civilian casualties.

On Tuesday, Mr. Blinken met with officials in Jordan to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, and to press for peace and an increase in humanitarian aid. There was no immediate reaction from the State Department to Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain spoke to Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday, his office said in a statement. The British leader “continued to push for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow more aid in and hostages out” and said that Britain’s focus was on de-escalation, it said.

For weeks, cease-fire talks had been at a standstill. But Israeli officials have said that negotiators have reduced the number of hostages they want Hamas to release during the first phase of a truce, opening up the possibility that the stalled negotiations could be revived.

A senior Hamas official said on social media on Monday that the group was studying a new Israeli proposal.

A Hamas delegation met with officials in Egypt’s intelligence service on Monday, according to a senior Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions between Hamas and Egypt.

Adam Rasgon contributed reporting.

— Damien Cave

The White House presses Hamas to accept the cease-fire deal on the table.

The White House said on Tuesday that “time is of the essence” for cease-fire talks in the Middle East as negotiators tried to broker a deal to pause the war in Gaza and secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

President Biden’s advisers feel a sense of urgency to finally break through the months of stalemate while Israeli leaders appear open to an agreement and before they open their long-threatened military assault on Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than one million Palestinians have taken refuge.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re overly confident,” John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters, attempting to lower expectations given the history of failed talks until now. “I would say we’re being very pragmatic about this. This is a good proposal. This is a very good proposal and Hamas ought to jump on it and time is of the essence.”

The American-sponsored proposal would halt the war for about six weeks in its first stage in exchange for the release of women, older men and hostages with health conditions. Israel has agreed to lower the number to be released in that first stage to 33 from 40 and would also release hundreds of Palestinians held in its prisons.

Mr. Kirby made clear that the United States remained opposed to an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah without an effective plan to protect civilians, which American officials have said they have not seen. “We don’t want to see a major ground operation in Rafah,” Mr. Kirby said. “That hasn’t changed.”

But he gave Israel credit for doing more to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza since Mr. Biden threatened to rethink his support for Israel’s military operation during a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel four weeks ago.

He said more than 5,000 trucks of food, medicine and other goods have entered Gaza since then, with about 200 more trucks a day and sometimes as many as 400.

— Peter Baker

As Israel plans to invade Rafah, a family makes the difficult choice to uproot itself again.

Mohammed Foara said his wife could not stop talking about how much she wanted to flee Rafah, where their family was among more than a million people who had sought safety from Israeli bombardment and fighting elsewhere in Gaza.

Their oldest child had already been killed by an airstrike in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, where the family had sheltered before they came to Rafah. As Israel warned it was preparing to invade Rafah, she asked him: Is that not reason enough to leave?

Finally, Mr. Foara agreed, he said, and the family packed up their meager possessions and moved for a fifth time in nearly seven months of war. They joined some Palestinians who have begun to flee, once again, this time leaving Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, before a widely anticipated Israeli attack.

“I escaped Rafah just to keep the other children alive and safe,” said Mr. Foara. He has been haunted by the death of his son, Anas, 21, who was killed by an airstrike when he went out to find cigarettes.

“I fear for them more and more,” he said of his four surviving children.

Israel has called Rafah the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and said that invading the city is key to its goal of dismantling the group behind the Oct. 7 attack, which Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, according to local health authorities. Some 1.7 million — in a territory of roughly 2.2 million — have been driven from their homes, many of them multiple times, according to the United Nations.

The Foara family fled their home in Gaza City early in the war, where they moved within the city twice, and then spent four months in Nuseirat. They went to Rafah after their son was killed.

They are now in an area near the central Gazan city of Deir al Balah, in a camp that is so new that there are not yet any humanitarian groups working there, and there is no medical assistance, either, Mr. Foara said. They received a nylon-and-cloth tent from local residents marked with the number 170.

“That means there are more than 170 families in this area,” Mr. Foara said on a recent day last week, the hot sun beating down. “I hope to not evacuate this place.”

Residents in the area who have remained in their homes amid the war helped Mr. Foara build the tent, he said, and gave his family water.

At the entrance to the camp, there are vendors selling falafel and other food at prices that have been inflated by the war. A tank of water costs about $100, but before the war it cost about $25, Mr. Foara said.

That is too much for Mr. Foara, who before the war was paid about $400 per month as a civil servant for the Palestinian Authority, a rival to Hamas. He is determined to keep his family alive, but sometimes the weight of the tragedy that has befallen them — and the rest of Gaza — is almost too much to bear.

“I feel like I am just a block of negative feelings — anxiety and depression,” he said. “We used to watch these scenes of tents in Yemen and Syria, and now it is a reality here.”

— Liam Stack and Bilal Shbair

The U.N.’s top court declined to ban Germany’s weapons sales to Israel.

The United Nation’s highest court on Tuesday rejected a request from Nicaragua to order Germany to stop supplying arms to Israel.

The judges on the International Court of Justice said no special court order was required, citing Germany’s arguments that it has stringent licensing standards to avoid the misuse of weapons and that it had issued few export licenses since late last year.

The judges’ decision pertained to a broader case brought by Nicaragua against Germany with potentially wide implications on whether suppliers of military aid to Israel share some responsibility for how the weapons are used.

Still, the judges did not grant Germany’s request to throw out the main complaint that Nicaragua has filed against Germany, meaning that case is likely to go ahead.

Nicaragua has argued that Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention because its military and financial aid to Israel is facilitating the possible commission of genocide in Gaza.

A final decision on that Nicaraguan complaint may have to await the court’s decision on a separate case brought by South Africa, alleging that Israel has committed genocide. The decision in the South African complaint could take up to two years.

With the death toll rising from the conflict in Gaza, however, Nicaragua had also asked the I.C.J. to issue an emergency order for Germany to halt its arms exports to Israel altogether and to ensure that weapons already supplied were not unlawfully used.

A majority of the panel declined the request in a 15 to 1 vote, but the court said in its ruling that it “remains deeply concerned about the catastrophic living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

The ruling, signed by the court’s president, Nawaf Salam, reminded nations of their obligation to avoid providing arms that might be used to violate the Genocide Convention. “All these obligations are incumbent upon Germany as a State party to the said Conventions in its supply of arms to Israel,” the decision said.

William Schabas, a professor of law at Middlesex University in London, said that warning “has provided ammunition to lawyers who will challenge arms shipments to Israel before domestic courts, as is happening right now in several countries.”

The German Foreign Ministry welcomed the court’s ruling.

“Germany is not a party to the conflict in the Middle East — on the contrary: We are working day and night for a two-state solution,” the ministry said in a statement on social media.

The statement added that Germany was also working to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gazans and that Hamas was responsible for setting off a “spiral of suffering” in the region, against which it said Israel had a right to defend itself.

Germany and Nicaragua are parties to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which binds them to act to prevent genocide, defined as the intent to destroy a group not only by killing or causing serious bodily or mental harm, but also by inflicting “conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

Israel has repeatedly denied accusations that it is carrying out a genocide in Gaza, arguing that its military has worked to preserve civilian life and that Hamas has used civilians as human shields.

Earlier this year, the I.C.J. found in the South African case that the risk of genocide taking place was plausible. The court issued separate interim orders, requested by South Africa , specifying that Israel must prevent its forces in Gaza from taking actions that are banned under the Genocide Convention, must prevent and punish public statements that constitute incitements to genocide, and must allow more access to humanitarian aid. The judges also called for immediate release of all hostages still held by Hamas.

Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, is second only to the United States in providing it with military assistance. But in presenting its case before the I.C.J., it argued that its shipments to Israel are always licensed under German and European rules. The main thrust of Germany’s argument was that almost all of its recent military assistance to Israel was nonlethal aid.

Unlike Germany, which has given the I.C.J. full jurisdiction, the United States has shielded itself and on most issues has to consent to a case. It has protected itself even further from the Genocide Convention, signing the convention but explicitly refusing the court’s jurisdiction here.

Critics of the Nicaraguan government say that its pursuit of Germany for breaking international law is hypocritical: A recent U.N. report accused Nicaragua of “systematic human rights violations” and increasing repression of government opponents at home.

Erika Solomon contributed reporting.

— Marlise Simons reporting from Paris

Germany’s military support of Israel is being challenged, despite the I.C.J.’s decision.

Even as the U.N.’s highest court declined to order Germany to stop sending arms to Israel, another lawsuit in a German court sought to cut off the flow of military aid.

Several rights groups filed a joint lawsuit against the German government in an administrative court in Berlin in early April. The suit seeks to suspend the delivery of weapons yet to be sent to Israel under current export licenses issued by the German government, and to block any additional arms deliveries. This week, the court said it expected that Germany would not authorize any more exports until it had issued its ruling.

Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, is the second-largest provider of military aid to the country after the United States.

Earlier this month, Nicaragua brought a case against Germany at the International Court of Justice, where it argued that Germany was violating the Genocide Convention by providing Israel with military and financial aid amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. On Tuesday, the I.C.J. decided against issuing an emergency order that would have required Germany to stop providing arms to Israel.

Germany’s legal team had argued before the I.C.J. that most of its exports to Israel were nonlethal, such as protective gear, communications equipment and defense equipment against chemical hazards .

But Nicaragua and the rights groups have mentioned that Germany has delivered 3,000 antitank weapons, as well as items like spare parts for vehicles, which could be used as part of the ongoing military offensive even though they were described as nonlethal.

The Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, or E.C.C.H.R., joined with three Palestinian legal and human rights organizations to file the lawsuit on behalf of five Palestinians living in Gaza who have lost family members during Israeli rocket attacks.

The lawyers argue that Germany is violating its obligations under international law, as well as its own weapons control act, by supplying arms to Israel. The weapons, they say, are “being used to kill and displace civilians, destroy civilian infrastructure in Gaza, as well as control and limit the transfer and distribution of humanitarian aid.”

On Tuesday, Berlin’s administrative court said it had told the German government last week that it must not issue any additional export licenses while the case is being deliberated, and to inform the court if it intends to export any more weapons so that the court could make an emergency ruling on the matter. A ruling is currently expected by June, according to German news media reports.

“A basic prerequisite for a rules-based and human rights-oriented German foreign policy is respect for the law in its own decision-making,” Wolfgang Kaleck, the general secretary of the E.C.C.H.R., said in a statement when the lawsuit was filed on April 12. “Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war where serious violations of international humanitarian law are apparent.”

Israel’s conduct in the war has increased both international and domestic pressure on the German government to take a tougher stance toward Israel.

In recent months, Germany has begun to signal the limits of its support for Israel’s military campaign: It has voiced objections to Israeli plans to attack the southern border town of Rafah, where more than a million Gazans have sought shelter. Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said during a visit to Israel last month that she would send a delegation to the country to “remind” it of its obligations under international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel once again pledged to launch a ground invasion into Rafah, despite ongoing efforts to negotiate a cease-fire agreement in the war in Gaza.

— Erika Solomon and Christopher F. Schuetze

Blinken’s Mideast tour continues in Jordan, where he discussed humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited a warehouse in Jordan on Tuesday where workers were loading trucks for the first attempt to send medical and food aid overland from Jordan to the Israel-Gaza border crossing of Erez. He praised the start of the new aid corridor and also said a pier being built by the U.S. military to bring aid by sea to coastal Gaza would be operational in about one week.

“This is real and important progress, but more still needs to be done,” he told reporters traveling with him across the Middle East this week. “And in particular, we have to make sure our focus is not on inputs, but on impact and really measuring whether the aid that people need is getting to them in an effective way.”

Distribution of aid in Gaza has been a challenge, especially in the devastated northern part of the strip. That has been made more difficult by the fact that the Biden administration recently said the United States had stopped giving money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the main aid agency operating in the strip, after Israel accused some of its workers of taking part in the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel.

The trucks bound for Erez are organized by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, and the aid has been donated by various international groups. The first of these trucks were scheduled to leave the warehouse near the city of Zarqa, Jordan, on Tuesday night and to arrive at Erez on Wednesday, when Mr. Blinken will be in Israel to speak with Israeli officials. Workers put wooden pallets of boxes of aid onto the trucks using forklifts.

Shortly before arriving at the warehouse in the early evening, Mr. Blinken met with several Palestinian women who had left Gaza during the war and who still have family members there.

“I heard the suffering that they endured and that their friends and family continue to endure every day,” Mr. Blinken said.

Mr. Blinken also called on Hamas to commit to an agreement to release some civilian hostages in exchange for a temporary cease-fire and the liberation of scores of Palestinian prisoners.

The Biden administration is trying to increase pressure on Hamas to accept the deal. Israeli officials said this week that they were willing to lower their demand for the number of hostages in an initial release to 33 from 40.

Mr. Blinken discussed the proposed deal at meetings in Saudi Arabia on Monday and again in Jordan on Tuesday. He planned to do the same in Israel on Wednesday, according to State Department officials.

After arriving in Jordan on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Blinken first went to separate meetings with the foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, and with King Abdullah II.

Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, said Mr. Blinken and the Jordanian king discussed the cease-fire proposal along with Jordan’s humanitarian aid contributions to Gaza.

On his seventh trip to the Middle East since the war began last October, Mr. Blinken and his aides have been trying to work on a range of issues, including Israel’s continuing need for U.S. weapons, the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and a plan for a political solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Before he went to the aid warehouse on Tuesday, Mr. Blinken also met with Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations coordinator for Gaza, to discuss humanitarian aid needs in Gaza.

“This is a critical moment in making sure that everything that needs to be done is actually being done,” Mr. Blinken said at the start of the meeting.

In talks with Jordanian officials, Mr. Blinken also spoke about issues involving the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Biden administration has called for a more technocratic Palestinian Authority, which is considered by many Palestinians to be authoritarian and corrupt , in the hopes that it could help govern postwar Gaza — an idea that Israel’s government opposes. Jordanian officials have close ties with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the authority, and other prominent Palestinians in the organization. Mr. Blinken has not met with Mr. Abbas on his trip.

— Edward Wong traveling with the U.S. secretary of state in the Middle East

Officials from Hamas and Fatah, longtime rivals, met in China.

Officials from Hamas and Fatah, the main Palestinian factions that have long competed for power in Gaza and the West Bank, met in Beijing recently for what Chinese officials on Tuesday called “in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation.”

The discussions in Beijing were not expected to produce much. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has deepened support for Hamas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority — controlled by Fatah — has administered cities and towns for decades. U.S. officials have suggested that the Palestinian Authority could help govern a postwar Gaza, though that would most likely require approval from Hamas.

And that kind of power-sharing would require more compromise than currently seems possible. Fatah and Hamas met in late February in Russia without any apparent progress toward a unified government. They remain canyons apart on many issues, especially with Fatah demanding that Hamas dismantle its armed wing — a move that the militant group has repeatedly dismissed in the past.

And yet, for Beijing, the meetings most likely served a larger purpose: to present China as a great power and peacemaker in opposition to the United States.

Beijing helped restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia , and it has also floated a set of principles to end the conflict in Ukraine, although Ukraine and its Western allies have said those principles lack credibility . Declaring solidarity with the Palestinian cause adds to the case China hopes to make to smaller countries around the world that feel alienated by the West, according to analysts.

“The thread which ties these initiatives to Beijing’s broader foreign policy is its claim to be able to represent developing countries, or what they like to call the ‘global south,’” said Richard McGregor, a senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

“Such gestures, and they are in large part gestures for the moment,” he added, “fits with China’s current priorities, which is to learn the habits of a great power with the heft and skill to bring warring parties to the table.”

The officials who attended the gathering in the Chinese capital included Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of Hamas’s political wing, and Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, according to Palestinian officials.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Tuesday that representatives of Hamas and Fatah had “recently” held talks in Beijing and had agreed to continue a dialogue. He did not specify when the meeting was held.

Fatah and Hamas have a fraught history . When Israel withdrew all its troops and citizens from Gaza in 2005, it handed power there to the Palestinian Authority. But Fatah lost a legislative election the next year to Hamas. In 2007, Hamas seized power in Gaza in a short and brutal civil war, dividing the Palestinians not only territorially, but politically.

Joy Dong contributed research.

— Damien Cave and Adam Rasgon reporting from Jerusalem

Biden speaks to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to press for Hamas’s agreement on a new cease-fire.

President Biden spoke on Monday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar as he sought to increase pressure on Hamas to accept a deal that would result in a temporary cease-fire in the war in Gaza and the release of some of the hostages held there.

According to a statement from the office of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, he and Mr. Biden discussed the negotiations and Egypt’s efforts to broker a cease-fire. They also reiterated their support for a two-state solution, discussed the importance of containing the conflict to the region and emphasized their opposition to a military escalation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, which Israel seems poised to invade.

Mr. Biden also spoke on Monday with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. According to the White House, Mr. Biden urged the Qatari leader “to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas,” saying that “this is now the only obstacle” to an immediate cease-fire.

Mr. al-Sisi and Mr. al-Thani have been prime intermediaries with Hamas through months of fitful negotiations to reach a deal to halt the hostilities, and Mr. Biden hopes they will prod the group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, to accept the U.S.-brokered proposal on the table. On Sunday, Mr. Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, expressed a hopeful view of the prospects for an agreement. “In recent days, there has been progress in talks,” she told reporters at the White House.

Like other American officials, Ms. Jean-Pierre said that Hamas, not Israel, was the obstacle to an agreement.

“The onus is indeed on Hamas,” she said. “There is a deal on the table, and they need to take it.”

— Peter Baker reporting from Washington

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