What is Overlanding - Africa Camping Adventures

Thirsty Zebras		Getting lost in Stone Town		Table Mountain, Cape Town

The History of Africa Overland Safaris

Ages ago, a few intrepid travellers bought a truck, converted it into some sort of a safari vehicle, gave up their jobs, said goodbye to husbands/wives/friends and left the United Kingdom with only one direction in mind: South! These overlanders built bridges to get their vehicle across raging rivers, were attacked by lions at night whilst camping out under the African stars, spent weeks sitting at almost non-existing border posts, waiting for the customs official to sign the necessary paperwork, ate Mopani worms because they ran out of food weeks ago and finally reached Cape Point about a year later.

Overlanding has come a long way since then but Africa is still waiting to be explored, just like many years ago.

What is Overlanding?

Overlanding is a safe way of travelling through Africa via road, with a group of like-minded travellers. It is not a bus tour from A to B, it is a way of experiencing Africa, the expected as well as the unexpected. You will be able to say that you climbed the tallest mountain in Africa, did the highest bungee in the world, rafted down the wildest river, but also that you spoke in sign-language with a Masai warrior, that you helped build part of a school for Ugandan children, that you joined the locals in eating “ugali” with your hands!

Your overland vehicle is custom built and designed to deal with travel conditions in Africa.

Most overlanding is based on camping adventures. This does not only allow you to experience Africa to its fullest, including the typical night sounds, but also to enjoy the group feeling of sitting around a campfire at night, talking about the experiences of that day, whilst devouring a delicious meal cooked on the coals!

What type of people go on overlanding tours?

You will need a sense of adventure and flexibility. Our itineraries are designed to show you most of the highlights for the area you will be travelling through, however, local conditions cannot always be predicted and your crew might have to alter the itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances such as a bridge that was washed away, a large herd of elephant on the road or a mechanical breakdown of the vehicle. As long as you keep your sense of humour, these changes often make up for the most memorable of stories.

You can either decide to go on a budget or a more luxurious overland tour (see About our Tours) but one thing is for sure, an African overland tour will give you an experience of a lifetime!

What are the other ways, beside overlanding, of exploring Africa?

If you do not wish to do the overland experience, then why not try doing a self drive through Africa? Hire a Land Rover and make your own adventure! Contact Drive South Africa who will gladly arrange a self drive holiday for you. Just remember, if you break down in the middle of nowhere it can be quite daunting, especially if you do not know the area. Overland crew are equipped for anything and know all the ins and outs of visa control at border posts and other nitty gritty things! If you are looking for accommodation whilst staying in South Africa then contact Accommodation South Africa, who will gladly arrange accommodation for you.

If self drive is not an option for you then you can always fly in and out of the various countries and get around via means of public transport. This can be fun, but you may spend ages waiting for a non-existent bus or spending a ton of money going from country to country.If you are interested in flying between various African countries then view our where to fly page which will give you some pointers about the main airports in specific African countries.