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Thursday saw the Overlanding Africa team taking on new roles as chef extraordinaires.
Together with the rest of the Discover Africa Group, we enjoyed an afternoon of team-building unlike any other: at Giggling Gourmet™, we were given the chance to enjoy “hands-on ExperientialCooking™, team-building TeamCooking™ and demonstration classes”, under the watchful eye of food fundi Jenny Morris.
Read the entire article and see more pics on our sister site: Drive South Africa.
There are varying opinions as to what is best to pack on an overland trip and throughout the years and after hundreds of overland trips one thing stays the same: everybody brings too much stuff!
You will not need all that ’stuff’, and you will be pleased to know that your overland truck does come fully stocked, kitchen sink and all…
Your best bet would be to follow the example set by more seasoned overlanders and who better than the Crew?
You will find most crew members agree that there are a few key essentials needed in every overlanders backpack.
Key Essentials:
- No suitcase allowed on the truck! Get a backpack instead. Be sure to have a day bag separate from your main bag.
- Sleeping bag! A must for those travellers wanting to doze off with a semblance of comfort.
- Towel: even the ‘Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ highlights the importance of your towel. Never go anywhere without it!
Though the above mentioned are sure to be found in any crew members backpack, I know you will find the following ‘must-haves’ included in said backpack as well.
Must-haves:
- Comfy shoes: 1x sandals (or any kind of open shoes – for the hot African days), 1x hiking shoes (for guided walks and hikes)
- A ‘scarfy’ (scarf) or sarong: perfect for the heat (when moistened it will keep you cool), perfect for the cold (simply wrap it around you, and be cold no more), perfect for dusty and windy conditions (use to shield eyes, ears and mouth against windy and dusty conditions), perfect when you lose your towel.
- A Sweater: a long sleeved sweater to shield against any cold weather. It will also shield against insects on the prowl for something tasty to bite into…
NB: don’t forget to bring along with you a mini first aid kit, just in case.
In Your Day Bag:
Your day bag should include all things that you will need with you during the day, as you may only have the chance to check your main bag in the mornings and evenings. Your day bag is likely to include the necessary to make your day as pleasant as possible, from sunscreen to sunglasses, a water bottle , and your current read.
What to wear?
When it comes to attire Overlanders need not worry about what they look like, no one will throw you dirty looks if you rock the same tee for the next day or two. Important to bring with you is a thick pair of socks, for those heavy duty walks that are almost guaranteed to crop up.
To prepare for the unpredictability of Africa’s weather it is recommended to pack at least one form of long trousers, and at least one form of short trousers, along with practical and easy to wash clothing.
The only ‘Cats’ you see have nothing to do with the catwalk, so forget fashion and opt for comfort instead.
The basics are really all you need to bring with you on your Overlanding Africa trip. In addition to the above mentioned essentials, don’t forget to pack your lust for adventure, an open mind and the willingness to muck-in.
Come prepared, and expect the unexpected – easy hey!
For all your overlanding requirements and advice, contact the team at OverlandingAfrica.com
Overlanders are a rare breed.
Being an adventurer that revels in trekking terrains off the beaten track, willingly signing up for weeks upon weeks of roughing it, all in the name of experiencing the wilds of Africa. Surely this is only something a mad man would do… right? Well, sanity is quite relative in this case.
True overlanders will be the first to tell you that an overlanding trip is anything but cushy; however, they keep coming back for more. It seems the rewards gained from living life for a few weeks as a nomad and traversing the lap of the land draws overlanders back like a moth to the flame.
Here’s a quick ‘health’ check to see if your heart drums to an overlanding Africa beat:
• You’re sick and tired of eating pasta
• The ’smell’ doesn’t bother you anymore
• Showers are a convenience
• A 7am start to the morning has you feeling like a sloth
• Going to bed at 11pm is late for you
• The burn marks in your clothes are evidence of nightly campfires
• You can’t tell which are your feet and which are your sandals
• Brushing your hair has become a distant memory
• You’ve got setting up camp and tents down to an art
• You keep wondering why the smoke from the campfire makes a beeline directly for you – always!
• You have adopted the “thirty second rule” (where any seat left vacant around the campfire for more than thirty seconds is up for the taking)
• The “five second rule” is your friend (any piece of food dropped on the floor is still edible if retrieved within 5 seconds)
• Night swimming in the nude is becoming the norm
If you have found yourself nodding fondly to any of the above mentioned checklist, then chances you’re an overlander at heart, and if instead you’re nodding your head in eager anticipation then you need to get yourself on an overlanding truck, pronto!
On the Overlanding Africa website, you will find all the information needed to transform the niggling urge into a very real and vivid adventure.
Explore the world and get to know yourself.
Africa’s wildlife spectacle is actually quite easy and inexpensive to access, if you’ve got the mettle of an overlander. Of course there are silver-service bush camps dotted throughout the wilds of Africa offering bespoke game viewing experiences, but unless you’re on a film star’s salary, chances are these types of safaris are something you’ll save for later, and besides we’ve got an option that is infinitely more entertaining.
Budget African travel from Overlanding Africa is definitely your best opportunity to experience Africa, her wildlife, landscapes, cultures and cities, plus you’ll do it with a bunch of like-minded people whose agenda begins with fun and ends with good times.
Here’s a fraction of the wildlife roaming Africa:
Wildlife Wonders:
Armadillo in Africa
Waterhole reflections
Cheetah Cubs in a Tree
A Herd of the Gentle Giants, Elephants
Giraffes at an African Sunset
A Horse Rider in Cameroon
Quirky Meerkats
Wild Dog Pups
The Greatest Show on Earth, Wildebeest Migration
Zebras
Although there’s no best time to visit Africa, generally the Southern Hemisphere winter tends to offer better game viewing in Africa, the sparser vegetation and general decline in water availability means wildlife is easier to spot and animals reliably congregate around water holes.
If you’re interested in visiting Africa on a budget holiday see our Overlanding Africa Tours page, or get in touch with one of our overlanding travel consultants, they’re veterans of overlanding Africa trips and will excite you into an itchy feet frenzy about experiencing Africa from a truck.
We were trawling through the image database last week, a little house keeping before the overlanding season kicks off, and while slotting images into the correct folders we pulled out a few of our photographs to wet your appetite. Here’s 16 snapshots of what it’s like to go overlanding in Africa.
Overlanding Exclusives:
Dune Climbing in Sossusvlei, Namibia
Game Drive at Sunset
Game Ride on Horseback
Lake Malawi Water-skiing
Overlanders in Okavango Delta, Botswana
Overlanders Getting their Feet Wet
Overlander Restroom
Overlanding Beach Drive
Overlanding Tent Site
Overlanding Truck Stuck
Overlanding Truck Stop
Paragliding
Quad Bike Adventure
Overlanders Recycle
Skydiving in Namibia
White River Rafting Adventure
If any of the images above struck a chord with you, or enticed that travel bug to rear its adventurous head, have a gander at our Overlanding Africa Tours page, we’ve got a 164 trips for you to explore Africa.
Overlanders across the planet will be the first to tell you that an Overlanding trip will more or less wreck your ambitions for one day sitting at a desk and a being a responsible corporate type. Yip, these trips are that much fun, and almost without exception, feed that greedy travel bug, just enough to fatten the little #%&%#@$ up. Beware the gluttonous travel bug people!
A post-trip daydream of adventure spanning the length and breadth of this planet is your doggy bag from an overland truck trip… you simply have to get your butt onto an overland truck, it’s the best way to see the crazy beauty that is Africa.
So first timers, the overlanding virgins, and seasoned overlanders, these are our 5 most popular overlanding trips in Africa!
This particular trip covers some of the best game parks in Africa. Starting in Nairobi, traversing the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and finally finishing up in Nairobi, 8 action-packed days later. This trip is a great introduction to the wilds of East Africa. Visit Overlanding Africa to find out more about the Wildlife Wonderland Trip.
Thread together tons of game spotting, meeting the local tribes, kicking back on beaches and a few adrenaline sports thrown in to keep your pulse bouncing and you’ve got a proper African expedition, we call it The Nairobi to Cape Town Epic, this overlanding trip does everything it says on the can. Get your memories of a life time on Overlanding Africa’s Nairobi to Cape Town Epic.
3. Discover South West Africa:
This trip is hands down, our best-seller. It’s 21 days of great game viewing, local tribes, adventure sports and dramatic scenery ranging from beautiful desolation in the Namib to the lush abundance of the Okavango. This overland trip takes you from the mighty Victoria Falls through Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, finishing up in the Mother City, Cape Town. Seriously, could you plan a better 21 days anywhere?!
This journey gets a massive thumbs up, get full details on the Discover South West Africa overland trip here
Discover the beautiful Mpumalanga Province en route to the world famous Kruger National Park where two days of game drives, wildlife and the Big 5 lie in wait. We explore the Polokwane Game Reserve on foot before a couple of days in Botswana and Zambia. A day in Livingstone is just a taste of the adrenaline adventures that await you at your destination, Vic Falls.
Got 7 days? Want to have your world rocked? See our Kruger to Vic Falls overlanding trip.
5. Ultimate Trans Africa Expedition:
This is the ultimate African adventure, actually, this is the ultimate adventure period. 280 days from London to Cairo is for the adventurous only. If you like pressed linen and daily showers stop reading now, if you love grit, getting stuck in, camaraderie and life altering experiences set against the most magnificent scenery on the planet then have a look at our tour itinerary for the Ultimate Trans Africa Expedition.
The Overlanding trips mentioned above are the top 5 overlanding trips we offer, but they’re by no means the only trips. We have 164 overlanding trips on our books and that number is growing. We can advise you, assist you and even tailor make a trip for you, contact Overlanding Africa and get trucking!
For detailed information on these trips, and how to get yourself a seat on a overland truck, visit the Overlanding Africa website.
