We just received a high five from one of our Overlanding Africa clients! We booked Luiz Carlos, and his flair for photography, on the Kalahari and Okavango Delta and Best of East Africa trips and he high fived us by sending a compilation of his favourite moments captured. Now that he's returned from his African adventure he's shared the visual journey below:

Compiled by Luiz Carlos

The best part of the Overlanding Africa team's day is when it's a consultant's 'follow-up-on-how-clients-have-enjoyed-their-adventure' time. When travellers share their photos, videos and highlights with us we share them with our team, because nothing beats that feeling you get from knowing that you've worked together to ensure that a client trusts Overlanding Africa to book them a safe African safari of a lifetime. Thanks for the high five Luiz. You rock.

Robin Hutchinson and her son, Matthew, went on our Best of Egypt overland trip.  Share their experience and read about the highlights of their 14 day adventure from Robin herself...

My son's highlight of the adventure was a trip down the Nile on a felucca - hands down. I have to agree, but at first glance we were disappointed - everyone on the trip sleeping, eating, and living together on the boat? Oh boy. Don’t let the boat fool you - it offers a type of forced relaxation; no phone, no traffic, and no noise. The calming sound of the water and the sights of life on the Nile as you float from Aswan to Luxor are simple, yet amazing. Within the first hour, I could feel the stress of all the early mornings and travelling leaves my body. Relaxing and having an Egyptian beer in the sun while quietly sailing down the Nile, was rejuvenating to say the least. For two days we relaxed, read, swam, fished and got to know our travel companions. Matthew got to know Mohammad and Whiled, the brothers who sailed the felucca. They shared their experiences growing up in Egypt with him, which was an amazing way for Matthew to learn about Egyptian culture, family and religion. By the time we reached Luxor we were recharged, relaxed and ready to resume exploring the sights and culture Egypt has to offer.

Above: Feluccas tied together sailing up the Nile

Above: Matthew with his new friends

Above: Watching camels walk through Dahab

Above: Robin diving on her birthday

Above: A view of Luxor Temple

Above: Watching a shwarma being made in Cairo

Above: Matthew had a go at fishing

Above: Temple of Abu Simbel

Above: A rickshaw being pulled by a horse

Above: The oven used for making pita bread

Above: Evening market, old Islamic Cairo

All photos were taken while Robin and Matthew were on their Best of Egypt trip. It's obvious that they had loads of fun on this 14 day trip of this ancient country. If you'd like to go on this trip or any of our other epic trips, contact us and we'll be glad to help you plan your next adventure.

After enjoying the Falls to Serengeti trip (Zimbabwe to Kenya), Robyn Preston decided to spend an extra fortnight in Kenya exploring on her own steam. Below if Robyn's recollection of her experience at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge.

Today we headed for a place called Lake Naivasha. Most of Kenya's flori-culture industry comes from here. As we drove to Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge, there were many hothouses along the roadside. Roses are grown here for export and a large percentage of UK's cut flowers are imported from here.

Above: View from Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge

After entering the lodge's gate, I was blown away by this place. It's huge and luxurious. Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge was not what I was expecting. The walk to my room was one of the longest I've ever had, but it was worth it. My room was upstairs with a stunning view out over the grounds. I saw giraffes wandering around and a few waterbuck eating grass. Quite a few other travellers were staying at the lodge too, quite a few of which took a leisurely stroll. A lovely idea, however, it was time for lunch. I walked up the path to the main building, when suddenly a huge giraffe waltzed out of the garden right in front of me. I jumped! I tell you, when you are standing directly beneath one of these beasts, they are taller than you can imagine. The rest of the way I was extra careful to watch where I walked. After lunch I spent time downloading photos and using the internet, then decided to go for a walk and take some photos. I got up to be on my way and realised that it was already dark outside. At night the lighting wasn't great for photos and on this particular evening, the sky opened up with an absolute downpour of rain anyway. This is the first time I've experienced rain in Africa. I was instructed that I'm not to go to dinner on my own as hippos frequent the grounds at night. I called reception for a guide and was taken to the main camp where I enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner. Later on that evening the rain had more or less stopped. I walked out onto the balcony and, in the radiance of the lodge’s lights I watched several sodden waterbuck hunch together. The smell of the dry earth awakened with the moisture. Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge was stunning.

Anyone visiting Africa might wonder, where do rangers go when they have holidays? Well, Africa is still the perfect place! I decided to become a safari guide after travelling to Africa on overlanding trips and have now made South Africa home. By keeping in contact with friends and family over Facebook I was invited to enter a competition by Overlanding Africa that could lead to winning a trip from Zanzibar to Johannesburg. What do you know, I won! Starting out on the beaches of Zanzibar, I was introduced to my group. We swam with turtles, we drank cocktails in hammocks on the beach, my camera even decided to take a trip without me around a local village before making its way back… luckily unharmed. Above: Zanzibar Beach Many days were spent driving through the vast expanses that Africa is known for but this meant that everyone in the truck was forced to interact to keep each other amused – and this is where friendships are made. This is what overlanding is mostly about and why people will always come back to this style of travel. It’s the people - everyone travelling together, initially as strangers and then leaving as friends. You can visit some fantastic places and see wonderful things but you know you’re going to meet some great individuals along the way. Malawi, too, is all about the people and, of course Lake Malawi, or “Ocean Malawi” – so big you can’t see the other side. Being able to meet a witch doctor on these shores was a highlight. Apparently I’ll be married within 3 years with 3 children and a successful career, great stuff! But it was surprising just how moving it was seeing the children around there. Above: Left - Lake Malawi / Right - Alex Tweedie with a witch doctor As we walked through little villages the younger children, not old enough to be in school, would yell out “The muzungus* are coming!” as they would crowd around and reach for your hand (or belt loop as I gathered a growing brood of 6 children at one point). On the shores of the lake we collected sunbeams and discovered “Exotic Fanta” during games of “Funny Bunny.” The favouritism of Exotic Fanta was only lost over the border in Zambia when a new drink “Janta” was discovered. It’s often about the little things when you travel, the stories that come out that often only your group will ever understand. Janta came about during a Birthday Cruise on the Zambezi. With drinks aplenty, the sun shining after the first storm of the season and birthday hats and party blowers for everyone we watched as the sun set over elephants crossing the Zambezi. It even overtook the fact that my tent got completely flooded – Janta can cure all of your woes apparently. Above: Children in Malawi Livingstone, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe is the centre for an adrenaline rush related activity you can think of, the most well known of these is the bungee jump over Victoria Falls. As I had done this previously, I didn’t feel the need to go again but went to support the overlanders who were tempted. Even those that came for moral support along with me ended up jumping by the end of our visit! For some it can prove a life changing moment of overcoming fears (or in the case of a friend, realise that your fears are not of heights… rather of bridges). For others it is a pure excitement of living in the moment! I often get told to “bring out the Indiana Jones in yourself” at work, and this is a prime example –WWID, What Would Indy Do? For the quieter types, there are always options available, high tea overlooking Victoria Falls rather than jumping might be more to the liking of some (the scones are worth it I hear!). With the mix of people, you’ll get reviews first hand of places to consider going to on your next visit. Above: Livingston Waterfront Seeing the wildlife from the point of view of a guest rather than the ranger is something not to be taken for granted in my line of work and the possibility for wildlife sightings on an overlanding trip is unlimited. Of course you’re at an advantage having someone with knowledge of the environment around you rather than going it alone, and most guides have travelled the routes numerous times and gained an insight into the workings of each location – natural world and otherwise. Above: Stalls in Victoria Falls Chobe and Kruger were the stand outs for wildlife on this tour. Botswana’s Chobe National Park provided us with a never-ending supply of elephants, crocodiles, buffalo and hippos on the Sunset Cruise. Red lechwe, water monitors, and amazing birdlife including the rare saddle-billed stork were also located in a photographers dream setting. Taking the land option, Chobe gave us many other animals but the brief sightings of wild dogs and sable made the day for this little ranger. It doesn’t have to be the big things to make it memorable. In Kruger National Park, probably South Africa’s most famous National Park, watching a dragonfly in love with a backpack or reacting to a very cheeky vervet monkey who had a taste for Doritos (inside our vehicle!) were just as fun as seeing the rhinos and elephants not five-minutes from the gate. Buffalo, mating lions a fantastic Giant Eagle Owl spotted by one eagle-eyed guest, were some of the other delights of the day. With the final evening at hand, we said hesitant farewells around the fire and blessed Facebook for an easy method of keeping in contact. Many of the group since being on the tour have already caught up further in their travels again in various places around the world – South Africa, Brazil, Australia to name a few. Although some may have gone straight home, for others, they’re always travelling. But in this sense it makes a tour like this even more memorable – now you have more friends to either live vicariously or to plan your next adventure with!

Check out the itinerary and book the

Zanzibar to Johannesburg trip here

Post written by Guest Blogger Alex Tweedie Alex is an Aussie expat now living in South Africa as a Field Guide (ie. ranger). She has travelled extensively through Southern and Eastern Africa on a number of overlanding trips as well as taking people around the lowveld of South Africa herself. *foreigner or white person

[Photographs by Anna .B]

Overlanding Adventurer Anna .B has just returned from our picturesque Mozambique Magic Tour.

Anna toured through the stunning and wildlife rich scenery of Swaziland before being released onto Mozambique’s golden beaches where she could choose between fishing, snorkeling and surfing or enjoying a leisurely cocktail at sunset.

“I had a wonderful time- a truly varied and inspirational trip and the opportunity to travel with like-minded people”

Her highlight was the traditional dhow boat trip through the tropical waters of the Bazaruto Archipelago, over spectacular coral reefs rich with marine life.

“ The boat trip was perfect escapism- made me feel like Robinson Crusoe!”

The historical African City of Maputo then offered Anna the chance to explore Mozambique’s cultural riches and fascinating colonial past before experiencing the unbelievable beauty of South Africa’s Panorama Route and its awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.

Keep Discovering Anna