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Home » Budget Travel » The ULTIMATE Guide to Overland Travel (2024)

The ULTIMATE Guide to Overland Travel (2024)

It is absolutely without question that my best travel journeys to date have been overland.

Some were on motorbike, others were by way of a cardboard sign on the side of the road, and I have visions of future journeys that involve a big old school bus traversing the lands between Europe and Asia.

Overland travel is inspiring, and it is undoubtedly the best way to hit the road, especially as a backpacker looking to save money and dig deep into countries and cultures. While social media may have you thinking that you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a tricked out 4×4 to become an overlander, I’m here to completely dispel that myth.

Sure, van life and Land Rover Defenders are certainly a type of overlanding, but they’re not the end all be all.

Overland travel can be as simple as sticking out your thumb and hitchhiking, or using trains and shared taxis to get from one place to another. But regardless of the rig you choose, I guarantee you the experience of coasting along wide open plains at your own pace, sharing meals of yak yogurt with nomads, and getting to pitch your tent (or park your ride) just about anywhere will be absolutely worth it.

But still, I totally understand that it can all be intimidating. So let’s set the record straight with this ultimate guide to overland travel – where you’ll see that this is very much a “do as you like” adventure.

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What is Overland Travel?

While you most likely already know the literal definition – traveling by land AKA avoiding flights – there’s a lot more to overland travel than just what’s in the name.

Overland travel – whether it be by foot, by bicycle, by rail, by van or whatever method you choose – is an art in and of itself. Closely intertwined with my other favorite form of budget backpacking – slow travel – overlanding allows you to get to know the places you visit far more deeply than a bunch of flights ever could.

Overlanding is TRULY where the journey matters even more than even the destinations themselves. It’s what gave me some of the best moments of my life, something I know virtually all of my favorite adventurers would agree on when reflecting upon their own journeys. 

And once you get started, I promise you you’ll only want to dig deeper and deeper into what it means to become an overlander…

Why YOU Should Overland

Before we REALLY get into this, I want to make something clear.

Overland travel doesn’t HAVE to be an odyssey. While it is for many travellers – like my journey from the UK to Papua New Guinea – you can travel overland without crossing a single international border.

The thing is, there are no rules to this type of travel. There’s no right or wrong way to become an overlander. You don’t need a tricked-out Land Rover Defender, you don’t need a van, you don’t need a bicycle. Hell, plenty of inspiring adventurers have embarked on incredible journeys with nothing but their backpack, a sign, and a stuck-up thumb.

So that, my friends, is one of the reasons WHY you should try overland travel: it’s truly for everyone and anyone.

But beyond that, in all my years on the road, it’s this type of travel that’s kept me addicted to life on the road. It’s absolutely not the most comfortable, but it will teach you the most about the world, and about yourself too. 

Overland travel will push you to your limits, and really make you work for each and every view and experience you attain.

For some – like cyclists – that work may be physical. For others, it may be mental: such as moving past introverted tendencies to get around by hitchhiking or dealing with driving in brand-new countries with insane motorists.

It allows you to experience life on the ground to the fullest: minute by minute, mile by mile.

Ways to Travel Overland

This is no one-size-fits-all all method of travel, as there are so many ways to overland. I’ve even seen people do it completely by foot or on something as crazy as a unicycle.

But the following are the most common, and popular, ways to get around on the ground: 

While I am not a cycling fan myself, those who have done it have nothing but incredible things to say about bikepacking – which is essentially overlanding with a bicycle strapped with a whole lot of stuff. Travelling by bicycle gives you the chance to slow down and see more than virtually any other way of overlanding.

For one your speed (most cyclists don’t do more than 70km per day, depending on the terrain) will allow you to take in just about every village and turn – you’ll get to camp in places far off the tourist trail and meet an incredible lot of locals.

But moreover, cycling is as simple as it is cheap: you don’t need to worry about fuel or engine oil, it’s significantly easier to repair issues, and spare parts don’t tend to weigh that much. It’s also a hell of an accomplishment: unlike all the other forms of overland travel aside from walking, you’ll be physically putting in work every single day.

By Motorbike

As much as I love hitchhiking, traveling by motorbike truly ignites a passion that I have rarely found in other methods of exploring. The feeling of crisp mountain wind on my face as I coast through surreal scenery is one that just doesn’t get old, and it’s certainly something I’d like to try out for longer periods.

The one thing to keep in mind though is that start-up costs will not be cheap. Good bikes that can actually make it across continents are not cheap, and you’ll also need to buy extra tires, tons of fluids, and other parts that likely will not be available in the places you intend to ride.

But still: it’s worth it. You get the benefits of cycling without the intense struggle, and you’ll be able to maneuver in places where cars cannot. You’ll be able to carry a lot more than a bicycle could, and it will still be cheaper than any van or 4×4.

By Van/Your Own Vehicle

Perhaps the most OG form of overland travel is with your own car: whether it be a van, a 4×4 or an old ambulance, I’ve seen adventurous souls carving their own paths in virtually every type of rig you could imagine.

With the popularity of vanlife these days, I’m sure you’ve thought about or at least heard about this craze. I mean, the upsides are many. Your home is with you at all times, you can carry so much more stuff, and you can design your ride exactly as you like. For many, the process of building their house on wheels is just as special as the trip itself.

But there are negatives too: many countries require a carnet de passage that often requires a hefty deposit, repairs can be super expensive, and it’s a whole lot of responsibility. But if you’re determined to make it happen, this is undoubtedly the most comfortable and adventurous way to travel overland, as you can go just about anywhere and won’t be as limited by weather.

By Hitchhiking

My overland hitching journey from UK to Papua New Guinea may not have been completed, but it certainly brought me some incredible (and life-changing) travel memories that I’ll hold on to forever.

Exploring overland by way of the thumb is not for the faint of heart, or for those lacking patience. But it will bring you closer to strangers and teach you more about the world than any other type of travel. When you’re in a vehicle of any kind (even a bicycle) it somewhat separates you from locals: you’re self-sufficient, right?

But when you’re relying on the kindness of random folks to help you see the world, it opens up doors you didn’t even know were in sight. It leads to unexpected family dinners in local homes, to long chats alongside crackling fires, and to hours spent in random places you would have never visited otherwise. Hitchhiking will change you for the better if you let it, and all you need to get started is a smile, a sign and a stuck-up thumb.

Overland Travel Tips

My top travel tips for making your adventure as smooth as it can be…

1. Do your visa research 

While most Westerners are privileged to be able to enter many countries without a visa, you can’t just roll up everywhere. Places like Pakistan, Vietnam, India, and Azerbaijan still require e-visas in advance, and China (often a pain for a lot of overlanders) has a set of very specific rules that usually requires applying for a sticker visa from your home country.

Make sure you read up on every destination you plan to overland through to ensure you don’t find yourself caught out in no man’s land. Sometimes visa rules can change abruptly too, so it’s key to stay on top of them.

2. Bring a LOT of Spare Parts 

I cannot stress this enough: if you’re travelling by way of ANY vehicle, it is absolutely essential that you have a good amount of spare parts in tow. Many of the best places to overland are NOT known for their equipment, which means you could potentially be caught out far, far away from civilization.

Spruce up your rig before heading out into super remote areas, and prepare for the unplanned. It’s far better to be a bit overloaded but have everything you need for a mishap than to travel light and become stranded.

3. Don’t forget the little things

You won’t realize how much you need a laundry bag, an eye mask or a good headlamp until you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with none of the above to be found.

For little things like these, it’s definitely worth it to double up on your supply. You never know when something can get lost or break on the road. 

4. Bring a first aid kit 

Whether you’re walking, cycling, or traveling in a jacked-out 4×4, the need for a first aid kit remains. You never know when you might need it, but when that time comes, you’ll be incredibly happy you added it to your packing list.

While these honestly aren’t that cheap these days, it’s worth it to splurge on a large, well-stocked one that will actually last you a decent amount of time. If you have any favorite OTC medicines, I highly recommend hoarding them before you head out: pharmacies out in the wild leave much to be desired. 

5. Go slow 

The art of slow travel goes hand in hand with overlanding, but sometimes it can be easy to fixate on the destination rather than the journey.

But unless you have a hard deadline to meet, take it easy out there. The whole point of overlanding is to experience the route, not just each individual destination.

Take some rest days where you do nothing but take it all in. Perhaps dive into some journaling, or park yourself at a nice lake or even a beach. The road has infinite pleasures to indulge in. 

6. Download Maps in Advance

Even if you’re well prepared with a local SIM card, there will undoubtedly be places without service somewhere along your journey.

Unless you have a paper map like the kind I used to travel with back in the day, get all your necessary navigation downloaded and ready for use when you find yourself with a solid data or Wi-Fi connection.

7. Use Google Translate or Dictionaries 

While English speakers are pretty privileged in that we can get by in most of the world, most does not mean everywhere. Take Central Asia for example where Russian rules – you’re going to need some assistance.

While learning a bit of the language in advance is certainly helpful, Google Translate’s offline abilities have truly saved me many times, and it’s a free app you should definitely download. The old-school dictionary method is useful too, especially if you plan to spend time in one place or region for a while. 

Overland Travel Packing List

While your specific adventure packing list may look different depending on your method of overlanding, these are a few universal expedition items that anyone will need on the road.

Osprey Aether 70

• Features: Stow-On-The-Go™ trekking pole attachment >
• > External hydration sleeve in backpanel
• > New IsoForm? CM™ hipbelt

ORIA Combination Lock

• Features: 2 pack : set includes 2 zinc alloy 4-digit re-settable combination travel locks >
• > Offers 10,000 combinations
• > Small volume, light weight, fit through the holes of a lot of suitcases

World Travel Adapter

• Features: Input socket: Euro, USA / Japan, Australia / China, United Kingdom (UK version not in Switzerland) >
• > Retractable plugs: Euro, UK, USA / Japan, Australia / China
• > Charge a laptop and two usb devices at once

• Features: Higher resolution display (300 ppi) – with twice as many pixels >
• > Built-in adjustable light – read day and night
• > A single battery charge lasts weeks, not hours

MacBook Pro

• Features: 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz >
• > 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
• > 128GB SSD storage

Where to Start Overland Travel

You can certainly overland anywhere: from somewhere as simple your home state/province to any country that calls to you, but overall I’d say these are the best places for a truly epic overland travel journey.

Central Asia

The 5 Stans are some of the most adventurous places left on this planet, and they’re home to some of the most mesmerizing roads at that. As of 2023, it’s easy for Western passport holders to travel through all of them (save Turkmenistan), and each one (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) has something incredible to offer.

Public transport is also expensive and lacking in most of these locales, which makes overlanding that much more valuable.

All four Stans are all interconnected, safe, and essentially a big old playground for overlanders. Do not underestimate the size of this region though: I’d recommend blocking out at least 3 months to get a real feel for what it has to offer.

South/Southeast Asia

Ah, South and Southeast Asia . Home to some of my favourite countries in the world that have made the most indelible marks on my travels and my life.

India, Pakistan, Nepal and the infamous Banana Pancake trail (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) are perfect places to give overland exploring a try.

Public transport is widespread, and you’ll get a feel for what it’s like to cross borders. But of course, having your own vehicle will make things even more accessible and give you access to rural areas most do not get to see.

When I rode a rickshaw around India , I found myself incredibly off trail in places that had never even seen foreigners before.

Every year, thousands of Europeans head East to Asia in their own cycles, 4x4s or by way of hitchhiking. And while the journey from Europe to Asia is absolutely epic, you can also opt to travel within the continent too.

With so many countries to check out, it may be the easiest (though certainly not the cheapest) place in the world to overland. Border crossings are simple, and so many countries are interconnected, that it’s a breeze to spend months moving about.

For Brits, Americans and other non-EU nationals, it’s key to be aware of the 90-day visa rule within the European Union. Luckily, there are some fantastic countries out East that you can visit once your time is up.

Many van lifers take to the wide open roads of the United States , with 49 to choose from (discounting Hawaii) and the ability to head north into Canada, I can see why this massive country has become so popular in the world of overland adventuring.

Personally, the USA is not at the top of my bucket list for many reasons, but if you’re already living there and want to get a feel for overland travel, incredible landscapes and opportunities await. Just note that public transportation and hitchhiking are definitely not recommended, as the former barely exists and the latter is not safe .

So van lifers, this is your time to shine. I know many folks who have fixed up relatively cheap vans and set out to see virtually all the states in the Union. If you have limited time or money, definitely focus your energy on the West Coast . That’s where you’ll find all the national parks and the scenery that makes the country worth exploring.

Getting Insured BEFORE Hitting the Road

Regardless of where or how you plan to overland, you should definitely sort some solid travel insurance before leaving home.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Final Thoughts on Overland Travel

I hope I’ve now convinced you that your next trip should be an overland one. Ditching flights and committing to crossing borders and provinces on your own wheels (or by way of hitchhiking) will take your travels to entirely new heights.

You’ll have experiences that aren’t possible if you’re jetting about between places, and you’ll get to know each country and region like never before.

With so many ways to make it happen, from cycling to van life to even public buses, overland travel is something that is truly for everyone and anyone.

So what are you waiting for – get to planning and get the hell out there.

Will Hatton

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Will is a freaking trooper!!! I retained great advises from this articles like: Little things we dont think about, hoard your otc in advances, travel by train, buses, mini vans, bike, download your map is a great one when you out of wifi!! Visas if we go to china or india, google translate a must have and to talk t locals and meet people on the journey, enjoy the journey more than the destination, and to buy a kindle to read if no internet, i myself always have been wanted to explore asia and reading this give me ideas on how to get there cheaper and to see the best of all places.

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7 of the Best Overland Routes in North America

It is not a journey with a purpose.  The journey is the purpose.

Originating from cattle herding, overlanding has been around for more than a century. Only in recent years has it become a mainstream sport and recreational lifestyle. Modern-day overlanding is driving an off-road vehicle across technical terrain, with a focus on the journey, not on the destination.

Many trails and roads are in remote areas that can be nearly inaccessible and require overlanders to be completely self-sufficient, that’s why we compiled seven of the best overland routes in the country to add to your bucket list.

These self-reliant, modern-day adventurers are setting out to explore the far reaches of the earth — one mile at a time. Whether you’re a seasoned overlander or itching to feel the thrill of a remote journey, the best overland routes are worth checking out. Be sure to plan your trip beforehand by using The Dyrt PRO  where you can download campgrounds and maps for offline use.

From Challenging to Scenic, The Best Overland Routes Cover it All

1. the mecca: moab, utah.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moab Cowboy Cricket (@moabcowboy)

With old mining roads and 4×4 tracks making up hundreds of miles of trail, it’s no surprise that Moab is often considered a 4-wheeling Mecca. You can take a tour with an experienced guide, rent a jeep, or bring your own rig. With everything from easy 2-wheel drive scenic routes to adrenaline-pumping trails for the most experienced drivers, there’s something for everyone.

The spectacular red rock formations and endless trails make this rugged landscape an overlander’s paradise.

2. The Historic: The Mojave Road, California

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maxwell Frank (@maxwellfrank)

The historic 138-mile Mojave Road takes visitors back in time. With virtually no improvements since its inception, the historic Native American trade route and wagon trail remains the same as it was 150 years ago.

Overlanders should take 2-3 days to explore the stunning desert landscape and Joshua tree-lined routes.

3. The Legend:  Rubicon Trail, California

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeeps and Beyond (@jeep_vibe)

Another historical road to add to our list of best overland routes. The trail began through exploration for a safe route across the Sierra Nevadas. The Rubicon Trail is known for its ruggedness and versatility, inspiring the Jeep namesake. As a popular training grounds for Jeep, the overland classic has a variety of terrain ranging from beginner to expert.

Don’t be fooled by this route’s popularity; it’s still considered one of the most dangerous and difficult. Experienced overlanders shouldn’t miss this one.

4. The Infamous:  Black Bear Pass, Colorado

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jason Adams (@ifoundmyjeepgirl)

The infamous Black Bear Pass promises unrivaled views of Bridal Falls and Telluride. As one of the highest mountain passes in Colorado, it’s not for the timid. Weather conditions only allow the complete route to be open for a few weeks from late summer through the early fall.  This trail earned its notoriety from steep descents with nasty switchbacks and loose falling rock.

Technical terrain and breath-taking views make this bucket list-worthy for those who crave challenges.

5. The Brute: The Dalton Highway, Alaska

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ivan (@flyvan87)

Slightly more civilized than other trails on the list, the Dalton Highway is still no cakewalk. Crossing the Yukon River and ending at the Arctic Ocean, this road stretches for 414 miles through the wild Alaskan bush and barren tundra. Built in the 1970’s as the service road to the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. The highway has earned fame through the controversy of the pipeline and the reality show “Ice Road Truckers.”

With steep grades, avalanche danger, and hundreds of miles between gas stations, this brutal gravel highway is not for the faint-of-heart. Those brave enough to try will be rewarded with dramatic views and if they’re lucky, a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

6. The Wild West: The Continental Divide

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matthew Griffiths (@toyotapilot)

Border to border adventure! Stretching from Canada to Mexico across the Western United States, this route winds through iconic American landscapes, including Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and the Rio Grande National Forest.

Prepare for your overlanding trip by downloading maps . The Dyrt PRO  lets you download maps and campgrounds without cell service. “My alternative to using pro would be to drive back out to cell service.”

With a wide variety of terrain and a border-to-border showcase of some of most beautiful American wilderness, it’s easy to see why it’s often referred to as the Great Divide .

7. The Colossal: The Pan-American Highway

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Follow The Hound (@followthehound)

Since you already made it to Prudhoe Bay on your Dalton Highway expedition, you might as well turn around and head south — really south! If you have the time, resources, and dedication you can complete the colossal 18,640-mile Pan-American Highway. If earning some miles is your goal, then you can drive from the Arctic Ocean in Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina at the southern tip of South America.

The Pan-American Highway promises to be the road trip of a lifetime.

Wherever your trails take you, stay safe and stay connected. This article is brought to you by our friends at Midland Radio, and they’re experts in staying connected when you’re off-grid. Check out their Micromobile GMRS Two-Way Radios for staying in touch with your pals on your next overland trip. 

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Kayla is an award-winning outdoor photographer and published author who's enthusiastic about travel and storytelling. She loves to ski and hike, and is alway looking for a new outdoor adventure. She is passionate about increasing women’s participation in the outdoors.

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The complete guide to overlanding: What you need to know to get off the grid

Not to be confused with off-roading, here's everything you need to know in order to have a safe and successful overlanding trip

By Marvin King

Getting outside and exploring nature has become exceedingly popular over the past few years. And while I’ve always considered myself to be an avid traveler and seasoned camper, I found myself wanting to push the limits for how far “out there” I could go. My Toyota 4Runner SUV and all-terrain tires have been stable, constant companions on all my adventures. However, I recently learned there were some relatively simple updates I could do to my SUV that would make my escaping easier and more enjoyable. And that’s when I discovered overlanding.

Maybe you’ve never heard of overlanding before, or you’ve heard about it but never tried it. Either way, I’ll break down everything you need to know—from clarifying what overlanding is to sharing the best overlanding gear to suggesting some of the best places to test your overlanding skills. Consider this your complete guide to overlanding.

Related Interested in overlanding? Here’s where to start and what to know

Overlanding vs. off-roading

First, it’s important to note the difference between overlanding and off-roading. These two terms are often used interchangeably but they shouldn’t be. It’s valuable to know that overlanding includes off-roading, whereas off-roading doesn’t always include overlanding.

Off-roading can generally be defined as any driving activity that takes a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or over natural terrain. Overlanding, then, is technically a form of off-roading because you almost always cover some unsurfaced roads—but the goal of overlanding is to travel long distances and have a vehicle that can house you for the duration of the journey. And because overlanding is typically done over multiple days, in a variety of environments, more equipment is required.

Related How to off-road like a pro in your own vehicle

When I started making updates to my 4Runner, I had two major goals in mind: I wanted a vehicle that could get me from point A to point B (even if that meant taking dirt roads), and I wanted a vehicle that could take me completely off the grid for days at a time. The ability to be self-sufficient and self-reliant for long periods of time ultimately meant that I was building my 4Runner for overlanding.

Overlanding includes off-roading, whereas off-roading doesn’t always include overlanding.

Overlanding gear and equipment

Now that we’ve clarified what overlanding is, let’s get into some of the specifics around proper gear and equipment. Overlanding requires a lot out of your vehicle, as the intention is to stay outdoors for long periods of time with little to no maintenance. When evaluating a vehicle for overlanding, there is no one “right” option—it really depends on the driver and personal preference, and you definitely don’t have to own an SUV or truck to have a successful overlanding trip. However, here are a few important things to consider:

Four-wheel drive is a valuable feature on any overlanding vehicle. Even if you don’t plan to scale boulders, you may find yourself driving through uneven terrain, and having that extra traction and power will make all the difference.

Tires are non-negotiable when it comes to overlanding—having a set of reliable tires can be the difference between a good trip and a great trip. After all, the tougher the tire, the easier the escape. Look for tires that specifically mention off-road or all-terrain (sometimes listed as AT or A/T). I’m currently running a set of Toyo Open Country A/T III tires. They have gotten my 4Runner through every type of condition—including snow, mud, sand, and gravel. Remember to check your tires at least once a month, as well as any time you return to the highway after an off-road excursion. This includes checking tire pressure, tread depth, and inspecting the tires for any tears or damage.

Suspension is another important factor, as this helps maximize vehicle performance and absorb bumps for a safer, more comfortable ride. Look for a vehicle that has independent front suspension (IFS). This means that if you hit a bump or uneven ground, only the contacted wheel is affected while the rest of the wheels keep their own traction. Suspension is also important for weight. Depending on how long you plan to overland, you may be packing weeks’ worth of food and supplies, which can add significant weight to your vehicle. Even a simple tent topper on your car’s roof or truck bed adds extra strain, so be mindful of your vehicle’s maximum weight limit.

High ground clearance is not necessarily required for an overlanding trip, but it is something to consider. Having higher clearance on your car or truck means you can take on more unexpected terrain and not have to worry about scraping the undercarriage. To help increase the ground clearance on your vehicle and prevent damage, you can add undercarriage protection, such as skid plates, or raise your vehicle using torsion bars and spacer lifts.

Lastly, it never hurts to carry a few additional pieces of safety equipment —you never know what you might run into on (or off) the open road. Some safety items that I always carry with me on an overlanding trip are a recovery traction board , an air compressor , winch recovery straps , and a basic tool kit (hammer, pliers, screwdriver, and level).

Related 20 overlanding essentials: Gear and gadgets for the ultimate off-road camping adventure

What to pack for an overlanding trip

In addition to food, water, and the usual assortment of clothing and toiletries, I’ve found the below items to be crucial for a successful overlanding trip.

Coolers are really useful, especially when overlanding for multiple days in hot, desert-like conditions. You can even buy small, collapsible cooler bags to help preserve space. Another tip is to add a few frozen water bottles to your cooler—they can double as ice and fresh drinking water once they melt. If you are thinking about overlanding for longer than a week, you may want to consider investing in a small refrigerator that can connect to your car’s battery. Just be aware of the refrigerator’s voltage and how much power it will pull so you don’t end up draining your battery and getting stuck somewhere.

A camp stove gives you the option to cook different meals, especially if fires aren’t allowed where you’re overlanding. Try to get a multi-fuel stove if possible, which will allow you to burn different types of fuel (white gas, kerosene, unleaded gasoline, even alcohol) and not be so reliant on propane. However, if you want to forgo a stove completely and stick to campfires, then I suggest packing a cast iron skillet (you really only need one medium-sized skillet). These pans are extremely durable, reliable, and ideal for cooking over an open flame.

A tent or sleeping foundation adds extra space and comfort, especially if you plan to overland with passengers. I opted for a rooftop tent on my 4Runner because it gives me and my family more space and is super easy to install. It also allows us to be elevated off the ground, where we can stay dry and feel safer. If you don’t want to deal with a tent, then I still suggest having some sort of sleeping pad or blow-up mattress on hand. And if you have the space, some extra pillows and blankets from home can make a big difference. Overlanding can be physically demanding on your body so it’s important to get a good night’s rest.

Topographic maps and a compass are really valuable to have since, more often than not, overlanding will take you to far-out places with no cell service. Topographic maps help you chart your driving course and give you a much better idea of the terrain and elevation, while a compass helps guide which direction you should park your vehicle (especially important if you want to sleep in and not directly face the sunrise).

Comfortable camp chairs might seem unnecessary since you’ll be driving a lot during an overlanding trip, but there’s something to be said about being able to sit outside and enjoy the outdoors. Just be sure you bring chairs that can recline and have adjustable legs and feet to fit whatever terrain you’re sitting on. There can be a lot of downtime on an overlanding trip, and having some comfortable camp chairs to relax in will help pass the time.

A first aid kit should be an essential for any outdoor trip. I always keep a first aid kit in my 4Runner, that way I never forget it. In addition to some of the basics—Band-Aids, alcohol swabs, tweezers, and ibuprofen—I also like to carry materials for more serious injuries, such as gauze, splints, and wound irrigators. And lastly, my first-aid kit also includes a small fire extinguisher and a DeLorme inReach satellite tracker . This tracker not only allows me to send out an SOS signal but it also acts as a two-way messaging device and can download weather updates.

Best places to try overlanding

The best part about having an overland-ready vehicle is the freedom to go almost anywhere. Local and state campgrounds are a great place to ease into overlanding, especially if you have to drive a ways off the main highway to reach them. Call ahead and ask about road conditions leading to the campground, and find out if the campsites are paved or have hookups. To get a more authentic overlanding experience, look for remote campgrounds that have dirt roads and no hookups.

Related The ultimate guide to overlanding the California Crest Trail

Once you’ve mastered the more rugged campgrounds and you really want to get the most out of your overlanding vehicle, then it’s time to explore places that are completely off the grid. Start by purchasing a state atlas, and then picking a specific area that you want to explore. Look for public lands (sections labeled Bureau of Land Management, or BLM) and fire roads—both of which are great places to start since they offer wide open, safe options for overlanding. You can also check out maps on the United States Forest Service (USFS) website , which often include specific overlanding routes, 4×4 trails, backroads, and remote forest pathways. And lastly, there are some free overlanding apps, like onX , that are great for discovering new places and extremely helpful when it comes to planning your first trip.

Just remember, the whole point of overlanding is to break away from the hustle of daily life and enjoy some secluded time in nature. Plan a route and just go. And then go a little further the next time. Adventure is out there, you just have to find it.

After your overlanding trip

Once your overlanding trip is complete, your work isn’t finished just yet. You still have to unpack, clean, and do a maintenance check.

Before you leave the dirt roads and start driving on paved highways, always make sure your tire pressure is at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. To get the most accurate reading, tire pressure should be checked when tires are “cold,” or have been driven less than a mile.

Back at your home base, be sure to give your vehicle a wash—or at least a good hose down—to get rid of any dirt or buildup that has accumulated on and under your vehicle. This will also help prevent rust if you do any overlanding in snowy or wet conditions. Be sure to wipe down and shake out all of your gear as well.

Once your vehicle has been cleaned off, it’s time to do a maintenance check (getting rid of the dirt and grim first will help you notice if anything is wrong or looks damaged). Some things I always check after an overlanding trip are the suspension, tire tread, tire pressure, wiper blades, and all fluid levels, including the oil.

Even though these aren’t the most fun or glamorous parts of overlanding, they are vital for maintaining the longevity of your vehicle so you can get back out there and do it all over again.

This article has links to products that were carefully selected by our editors. We may earn commission on your purchases from these links.  Visit this page  for the full details of our affiliate marketing policy.

Meet the Author

Marvin King

Marvin King is a full-time dad and part-time designer. He loves photography and long trips in his 4Runner. He is currently residing in the City of Trees, California.

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Welcome to Nomadic Road

We curate motoring expeditions to the far ends of our planet, it’s not your usual holiday, the urge to explore takes us to the farthest reaches.

Pioneering new roads may seem like a thing of the past. With digital traveltech at our fingertips, adventures are redefined in our age to give us a sense of control. Yet there are remote lands on this earth that invite us to surrender what is “known”, to explore the uncharted, — and that’s where we come in. ‍ With Nomadic Road, you’ll embark on overland motoring expeditions to places never imagined in ways never thought possible. Every journey of ours is unscripted. Think vast expanses of driest deserts, tallest mountains, deepest canyons, largest glaciers, impenetrable jungles - where mother nature has the last word. Live a story you’ve been wanting to tell the world.

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“Going on this trip, you are allowed to take a little bit of risk, something very different, but you actually feel very comfortable all the time. Because there is always someone to help you in each type of situation. So, it’s like taking all the risk, but completely calm while taking off, which is the best.”

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“There was a moment during the expedition – endless white on my right and left. That’s the moment I felt, I’m a single small point in this whole universe."

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“The worst moment was not having control over time. Madagascar’s RN5 is not a forgiving road, and a lot can happen there. So, I have taken something positive out of it. Yes, sometimes it’s good to not have control of time. It’s nice to let go and go with the flow.”

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You are doing things yourselves and not being told by somebody to do this or do that. It’s all about you. You are experiencing it yourselves. It’s unbelievable. It’s totally a different experience.

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I think one must accept that all adventure trips would have their share of problems. And many of them are unexpected. Looking for a pond in the middle of nowhere and also being warned that there could be crocodiles in it, and we are camping next to it. That was an out of sight experience.

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My advice for those who wish to embark on a journey with Nomadic Road. You should be aware that it’s an experience. It’s not a holiday. It’s really something else. Consider it before you go. But go. Just do it.

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“There was a moment during the expedition – endless white on my right and left. That’s the moment I felt, I’m a single small point in this whole universe.”

"You are doing things yourselves and not being told by somebody to do this or do that. It’s all about you. You are experiencing it yourselves. It’s unbelievable. It’s totally a different experience."

Deepak , Bombay, Tibet Expedition 2018

"I think one must accept that all adventure trips would have their share of problems. And many of them are unexpected. Looking for a pond in the middle of nowhere and also being warned that there could be crocodiles in it, and we are camping next to it. That was an out of sight experience."

"My advice for those who wish to embark on a journey with Nomadic Road. You should be aware that it’s an experience. It’s not a holiday. It’s really something else. Consider it before you go. But go. Just do it."

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Be ready to expect the unexpected during an expedition. Taking the brunt of  a sandstorm,  hailstorm, snowstorm or even a heavy downpour is just one of the many ways you’ll come face to face with mother nature. Keep in mind that this is an expedition and not your usual holiday. You need to be mentally ready to face these challenges which constitute a holistic experience. Be rest assured, our experienced expedition team will be watching you from a distance and will always be there whenever needed.

Be ready to expect the unexpected during an expedition. Taking the brunt of  a sandstorm, hailstorm, snowstorm or even a heavy downpour is just one of the many ways you’ll come face to face with mother nature. Keep in mind that this is an expedition and not your usual holiday. You need to be mentally ready to face these challenges which constitute a holistic experience. Be rest assured, our experienced expedition team will be watching you from a distance and will always be there whenever needed.

When we say we take you to remote places, it entails hot deserts, wet jungles, tall mountains, cold glaciers, or wherever nature is at its best. You can’t script this level of reality. Our expedition programs are designed in such a way that we leave our comfort zones and head out in the back of beyond. We orchestrate eye-opening journeys, with our exclusive insights and access to some of the most uncharted places on Earth. This is as real as ‘real’ can get.

Our expeditions are designed with curious and intelligent people in mind. With us, you’ll see a destination in a different light and discover things you won’t find out about any other way. If you are someone who is open to travel in a niche group of explorers from across the globe, then our Signature Expeditions should be right up your alley. Or if you are someone who prefers to keep things to yourself or prefer to travel in your own natural group, then our Custom Expeditions should be your choice.

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Oasis Overland Review: Across Africa – Nairobi to Cape Town

December 10, 2016 By John Widmer 45 Comments

It was an incredible adventure to take an overland trip across Africa, 56 days coast-to-coast from Nairobi to Cape Town. Finding it difficult and costly to pursue such a trip independently, we put our faith with adventure tour operator, Oasis Overland, to pursue this trip.

And since returning from this grand journey across southern Africa, we’ve had so many questions about our experience with Oasis Overland. Ultimately, it has gone down as one of our favorite travel adventures during all the years we’ve been roaming around the world.

We were equally astonished at all the amazing African destinations we visited as we were by the fantastic value this overland trip across Africa offered.

Be sure to check out the highlight video below, before we continue with this Oasis Overland review.

Ahh, it was really such an awesome overland trip across Africa!

It was such a great trip with excellent value. But we realize people also want to know:

• How was camping for two months straight?
• How much did this Oasis Overland trip cost , including extra fees & excursions?
• What was it like traveling long distances across Africa in the Oasis Overland truck ?
• What did you eat when crossing Africa overland?
• Was this overland trip across Africa safe ?
• What are some travel tips to know before taking an overland tour across Africa?

We’re here to explain everything to you in detail during this Oasis Overland review to show what it’s like to take a two-month Africa budget safari from Nairobi to Cape Town . We had no idea what to expect going during this overland journey across Africa. So we’re now happy to fill in these gaps from our first-hand experience.

🏕️ Oasis Overland Review of Camping Across Africa

🧭 Oasis Overland Itinerary Review: Nairobi to Cape Town

⚠️ Safety Overlanding Across Africa

🚚 Oasis Overland Truck Review

🍽️ Meals and Eating with Oasis Overland

👥 Crew & Passengers

💲 Oasis Overland Costs & Budget

💡 Travel Tips to Know Before Taking an Africa Overland Tour

The Camping Experience with Oasis Overland Africa

In our travels, we do occasional camping trips. So we’re no strangers to tents. But prior to this Oasis Overland trip across Africa, the longest consecutive nights we’ve camped out was four nights in a row. We feared that camping for 56 days straight would be downright draining!

Turns out, it was okay. Overall we were quite content with the camping situation during the Oasis Overland, Nairobi to Cape Town, trip.

It Actually Wasn’t All Camping

First off, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it actually wasn’t 56 days of camping.

Oasis Overland cites on their website that you’ll be camping for 90% of the trip. Yet during our trip, we found that we had beds included for over 25% of the time while overlanding from Nairobi to Cape Town!

Traveling as a couple, we even scored a private room for six of the 56 nights, which was included! For another nine nights, we had a bed in a hostel room that was shared only with our new friends that we were traveling with.

Being able to sleep in an actual bed one out of four nights really helped to break up the camping! But we actually never really tired of camping. It was a lot of fun and we were pretty comfortable! (Also, know that each individual tour may do something slightly different for each journey, so other Oasis Overland Coast to Coast itineraries may not match up to this exactly.)

Tent Life during an Oasis Overland Africa Trip

For all those other nights, we were happy campers in our tent. The tents provided by Oasis Overland were good quality and super easy to set up.

All tents are individually named and you are assigned a tent for the entire trip. We had the “warthog” tent.

Each passenger is responsible for setting up and breaking down the tents themselves. We found the tents that Oasis Overland uses be the quickest and easiest tents we’ve ever assembled. We got our tent set up in about 2-3 minutes!

It rarely rained during our overland trip across Africa in the dry season. But the few times it did, the rain stayed out of our tent.

You bring your own sleeping bags and mats. So the comfort of your tent was entirely dependent on the quality of the gear that you packed.

Africa’s Campgrounds Are Actually Really Nice!

Another pleasant surprise during this Oasis Overland trip across Africa was that the campsites themselves were really nice. Most of the campgrounds we stayed at actually had swimming pools and drink bars!

We had this stereotypical vision of camping in Africa in the middle of nowhere. While we did have a couple of “bush camps” that were indeed away from it all, most nights we camped in some pretty posh campgrounds with great facilities .

The majority of the campsites used in this Oasis Overland trip across Africa not only had hot water showers, but also had full cash bars, inviting pools, and even WiFi !

Often the campgrounds shared the space with a hotel, in which we were always welcome to use the hotel amenities too. We certainly weren’t roughing it most nights we spent overlanding across Africa.

Pool & bar area of a campground in Bagamoyo Tanzania

Bush Camping – Unique to Oasis Overland’s Tours

Meanwhile, we did have the joys of two “bush camps” during our 56-day Coast to Coast Oasis Overland trip. For the uninitiated, a bush camp is when you camp out in the bush, right in the African wilderness. When doing a bush camp, there certainly are no proper campgrounds, no facilities, no toilets, no showers, no bars, and no wifi.

And it’s great!

Although we enjoyed the amenities of Africa’s campgrounds, the bush camps were really awesome to get away from it all. Oasis Overland is one of the few overland tour providers in Africa that actually do bush camps. Other Africa overland tours go strictly to campgrounds only.

It was amazing to camp out in the middle of Africa under the cloak of stars , with no noise or light pollution whatsoever.

In addition to the bush camps, Oasis Overland also brought us to a handful of “rural camps.” These were somewhere in between bush camping and full campgrounds. These rural camps had designated campsites, but no amenities.

Oasis Overland Accommodation and Camping for Two Months

Really we never got tired of camping with Oasis Overland like we thought we would. It simply became routine and we grew accustomed to it. Most days we were so exhausted from a long day of adventuring that we never had any trouble falling asleep.

For anyone that wanted the luxury of a bed, most campsites had an option of upgrading to an onsite room with a bed . The upgrade charge was about $20-$25 per night on the low end and went upwards of $100 per night on the high end at some of the nicer hotels we camped at.

We never found these upgrades to be worth it, as we preferred to spend our overland budget on excursions. A few fellow Oasis Overland passengers during our trip across Africa did splurge for the upgrade when it was priced more towards the low end. They seemed happy with their beds as they gazed out the windows and watched us set up our tents.

Oasis Overland Coast to Coast Nairobi to Cape Town Itinerary Review

We absolutely loved Oasis Overland’s 56-day Nairobi to Cape Town itinerary across southern Africa. It’s a great journey that packs in so many different environments . We loved that.

This Coast-to-Coast trip takes passengers from serene island beaches to African savannah. You travel from scorching deserts to freezing cold mountaintops. You venture from swampy deltas into vast arid sand dunes. The variety of landscapes that this two-month itinerary covers is astonishing.

While there are more direct (and arguably less interesting) routes to overland across southern Africa, Oasis racks up a total of 6,900 miles (11,100 kilometers) traveling from Nairobi to Cape Town.

This Nairobi to Cape Town adventure travels through eight countries :

• Mozambique,
• Namibia, and
• South Africa

For us, highlights along this route included:

• Watching the Great Migration in Ngorongoro Crater
• Hiking around the base of Kilimanjaro
• Enjoying the beaches and marine life on the island of Zanzibar
• Tracking a wild rhino and coming face-to-face with it in Zimbabwe
• Flying above Victoria Falls and hanging over it!
• Taking a river safari past hundreds of elephants in Botswana’s Chobe Nat’l Park
• Floating past hippos in a traditional dug-out canoe in the Okavango Delta
• Being dazzled by the nighttime wildlife at one of Etosha’s waterholes
• Riding over Namibia’s vast sand dunes on fat tire bikes
• Trying to decide what was more beautiful in Stellenbosch, the wine or the views

And that’s just a few of many personal highlights along the route. For a complete itinerary, you can visit the Oasis Overland website .

During our overland journey across Africa, we noticed that there were a handful of other Africa overland tour companies that also ran trips from Nairobi to Cape Town, or some portion thereof. While many aspects of their overland tour itinerary seemed similar, there are some notable differences in the Oasis Overland itinerary that we feel compelled to point out in this review.

This 56-Day Overland Trip Across Africa Really Three Trips in One

Many people simply don’t have the time to take two full months off work to roam around Africa. We found out that this 56-day Coast to Coast itinerary actually forms the combination of three shorter Oasis Overland trips . Most passengers on our truck did these shorter segments and not the entire 56 days. Only one other person during our trip did the entire Coast to Coast journey. We picked up and dropped off travelers along the way in Harare and in Victoria Falls.

The first major segment during this overland trip across Africa is 22 days long, venturing from Nairobi to Harare. This journey, known as Savanna Dawn , covers Tanzania (Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro base, Zanzibar, etc.), Malawi, briefly transits through Mozambique and then ends in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The middle segment of the 56-day journey is 12 days long traversing across Zimbabwe. This section is unique to Oasis Overland, as we’re not aware of any other Africa overland tours that spend this much time in Zimbabwe.

The itinerary of this route goes to the Chimanimani Mountains, the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a renowned wildlife park (Antelope Park), Matobo National Park (rhino trekking), and then concludes in Victoria Falls. This 12-day segment from Harare to Victoria Falls actually is not something you book by itself. Rather, this forms a longer 34-day version of the Savanna Dawn trip, extending it to Victoria Falls. This 12-day portion through Zimbabwe also serves as an extension to the final segment, adding 12 days on the front end of the Victoria Falls to Cape Town overland itinerary.

The Victoria Falls to Cape Town trip, known as Deltas & Dunes, takes in Victoria Falls, Botswana (Chobe and Okavango Delta), and Namibia (Etosha, Cheetah Farm, Spitzkoppe, Swakopmund, Namib Desert, Fish River Canyon), before winding down in South Africa’s wine region of Stellenbosch and concluding in Cape Town.

Don’t Miss Maasai Mara

While many other overland trips visit Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara, Oasis Overland does not. And it’s important to understand this because Maasai Mara should not be missed, particularly if during the Great Migration. But Oasis does offer Maasai Mara as an add-on before the 56-day Coast to Coast journey. It is easy to book this side trip independently or directly through Oasis Overland.

At first, we were disappointed the Maasai Mara excursion wasn’t part of our overland tour across Africa. In actuality, it may have been better this way.

Maasai Mara is one of the few national parks in Africa in which safari guides aren’t required to stay on dirt roads. Therefore, you can often get nice and close to wildlife scenes that are unfolding.

Meanwhile, the big overland trucks that include Maasai Mara aren’t able to get off the path as the smaller safari vehicles can. Plus at $300 for an all-inclusive 3-day safari inside this incredible game park, it’s one of the best safari values out there that you can book.

So in retrospect, we preferred experiencing Maasai Mara separately, and in a smaller safari vehicle .

But whether part of an overland tour or not, we highly recommend going out to the Mara. This amazing game park amazed us with arguably the best wildlife viewing throughout our 3+ month-long journey across Africa. Again, don’t miss the Maasai Mara!

Oasis Overland Travels at a Pleasantly Slower Pace

During our trip, we noticed that Oasis Overland spent more time in the many locations visited compared to the other overland trucks on similar overland itineraries across Africa.

For example, with Oasis Overland, we were fortunate to be able to enjoy four full days and four nights in the island paradise of Zanzibar. Other Nairobi to Cape Town overland itineraries whiz by the island in three days, or even a quick two-night stay.

With Oasis Overland, we stayed two nights on Lake Malawi’s Chitimba. While there, we were astonished to find another overland truck roll up at 10 pm at night, only to leave before we even ate breakfast the very next morning. I don’t think they even got a chance to see Lake Malawi in the daylight while they were there.

Meanwhile, since we spent two nights in Chitimba, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to go on a great all-day hike to the colonial hilltop town of Livinsgtonia and see the incredible waterfalls that surrounded it.

Only Dipping Into Zambia

Zambia is not a big part of the Oasis Overland itinerary , as it is included in some other Nairobi to Cape Town overland routes across Africa. Some of the overland trucks spend a few days in Zambia visiting South Luangwa or Lake Kariba.

Oasis Overland gives passengers a chance to dip into Zambia while in Victoria Falls, but that’s about as much of the country as you’ll see. Yet instead of driving through Zambia, Oasis Overland is the only Nairobi to Cape Town overland truck (we’re aware of) that ventures into Mozambique and then spends some significant time in the intriguing country of Zimbabwe.

Extensive Time in Zimbabwe for Awesome Explorations!

Oasis Overland spends nearly two weeks exploring the fascinating country of Zimbabwe . Other overland tours across Africa skip Zimbabwe altogether, aside from Victoria Falls. Yet a few others may spend just a couple of days scooting into the northwestern corner of Zimbabwe to check out Matobo National Park.

Oasis Overland begins the 12-day Zimbabwe journey by visiting the country’s interesting capital, Harare. Then Oasis Overland is also the only overland tour in Africa, to our knowledge, that ventures into the remote Chimanimani National Park in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands.

Another highlight of Oasis Overland in Zimbabwe was the UNESCO-listed Great Zimbabwe Ruins, which is the greatest medieval city south of the Sahara Desert. This Zimbabwe itinerary also includes a 3-night stay at Antelope Park wildlife park to get up close with lions.

Oasis Overland then visits Matobo National Park where you can go on a trekking safari to track wild rhinos! The Zimbabwe adventure is all tied-together by ditching the Oasis Overland truck to take an overnight train ride to Victoria Falls where subsequent adventure ensues at one of the world’s largest waterfalls.

We hadn’t really considered spending much time in Zimbabwe during our overland trip across Africa, but we were so glad that Oasis Overland showed us how awesome the country is. Now, we can’t imagine bypassing Zimbabwe during an overland trip across Africa .

Just check out our Zimbabwe video highlights below. Hopefully, that will help to show why Zimbabwe is so incredible.

Oasis Overland Allows Flexibility to Their Itinerary Across Africa

With Oasis Overland, the tour leaders have some flexibility to alter the itinerary . Most other overland tours across Africa stick to a strict schedule that is set by their corporate office.

A stringent itinerary does have its benefits, as you know exactly what you’re getting into. But it’s also nice to have the flexibility to alter plans based on seasonal events or passengers’ interests.

We usually travel independently, and not on a tour. So we loved being able to have a say in altering the itinerary if we wanted to venture elsewhere along the way.

A tour leader told us that when she first took an Oasis Overland trip across Africa as a passenger, she and her fellow passengers really wanted to explore Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. As a result, they changed the itinerary to do that. Another tour leader told us how she once made a slight detour to take passengers to a local music festival in Zimbabwe she had learned about.

During our trip, we made an unscheduled stop at a tea plantation in Tanzania to help break apart a long stretch of driving that was caused by road construction. On another stretch, we made an unscheduled stop in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert where local San people taught us how they foraged for food . How cool!

Was Overlanding Across Africa Safe?

We received a lot of questions about safety during our Oasis Overland Coast to Coast trip. Overall, we did feel safe the entire time. We further found Africa to generally be way safer than our preconceived notions.

People, Crime, Safety, and Annoyances Traveling Overland Across Africa

Local people throughout Africa were usually super friendly. As we drove across the African countryside, people tended to greet us with wide smiles and big waves . We felt like celebrities at times. In some more remote areas that we toured, people would even come up to us asking to take pictures with us!

Touts were surprisingly at a minimum compared to other places in the world that we’ve traveled to. There were only a few harmless hawkers in Victoria Falls and also some persistent but very friendly woodworkers in Malawi.

The rural settings we frequented felt very safe. As for the cities in southern Africa, we found that you simply needed to take the same precautions as you would in most other cities around the world. In the handful of larger cities that we stopped at, it seemed that petty crimes like pickpocketing were a real threat. Yet even that threat appeared to be minimal. Thankfully, pickpocketing never occurred to anyone on our trip.

Camping was usually within private, fenced-off campsites and no one ever bothered us. While bush camping, we were usually the only people around for miles and miles, so there was never any safety threat from anyone there either.

Meanwhile, in small villages across Africa, we always easily made friends.

Staying Safe from Dangerous Wildlife While Overlanding Across Africa

So how did we keep safe from being trampled by a stampede of elephants or mauled to death by a wild lion?

First, you have to understand that in many of the campsites we stayed in with Oasis Overland, there simply wasn’t any dangerous wildlife nearby. Not all of Africa is covered with hungry leopards on the hunt . These are rare sightings, usually within National Parks. So often there was no threat of wildlife near where we camped.

In campsites where wildlife did pose a threat, the campgrounds use fencing to ensure campers’ safety. These campsites are completely enclosed by a fence so no big animals can find their way in.

Still, there were those few occasions bush camping in which there was a real, but very unlikely, threat that an unsuspecting guest could have paid us a visit. While camping in the Okavango Delta, we noticed some relatively fresh elephant dung on the island we camped at and later saw an elephant in the waters nearby. A guide kept watch here to ensure an elephant wouldn’t wander into our camp, creating destruction.

Usually, the biggest wildlife threats were monkeys and baboons . And we did have a few visits from the occasional primate foraging for food, which made it important to keep anything edible locked up.

During game drives, you’re in a secure vehicle, which really minimizes your threat from wildlife unless you have the desire to reach out the window to pet a lion (don’t do that).

There are some rare opportunities to take a walking safari excursion, such as in Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park. In these instances, the ranger is armed should a wild rhino charge at you.

Keeping Valuables Safe during the Oasis Overland Tour Across Africa

There was a great system in place that kept passports, cash, and any small valuables totally safe .

We feel that we’d be doing future Oasis Overland passengers a disservice if we were to reveal the system in this blog post. So I’ll only say that we felt entirely comfortable with how this was handled. Any valuables are kept completely safe and secure.

Safety while Overlanding: Road Conditions Across Africa

Road conditions varied across Africa but most of the time we traveled on paved two-lane highways. Roads were in mostly good condition and felt safe . In Namibia, we began to hit rougher corrugated dirt roads, which just made for a slower and bumpier ride, rather than posing any danger.

There typically were few other vehicles and virtually no traffic on the road, aside from when traveling through Tanzania’s busy capital, Dar es Salaam.

The truck was equipped with seatbelts that were always encouraged, but almost never used.

Riding On The Oasis Overland Truck

When taking an overland trip across Africa, it’s really important to choose an Africa overland tour company with a good truck. Passengers spend countless hours in these machines traveling across Africa. So it’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into.

Overall, we loved Josie. That was the name of our truck. Yes, she’s got a name. And we got to know Josie very well over the 56 days. We even miss her today.

Oasis Overland uses these big custom-built yellow trucks:

Oasis Overland’s Truck Configuration Is Very Different

One of our biggest hesitations in booking with Oasis was the truck configuration. The inside of the Oasis truck is different from most overland trucks because the seats face inward, running alongside the big side windows .

We worried that we would get car sick. The configuration simply didn’t make sense to us because your back is facing the window. Most all other overland trucks are set up in a typical bus fashion, with seats facing forward.

As it turns out, the sideways seats on the Oasis trucks were actually one of the things we ultimately liked best . We now understand all the benefits of the Oasis truck configuration and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Although your back is facing one side window, you get the benefit of gazing out into the window across the truck. You’re essentially forced to be looking out the window in front of you.

Just sit back and watch the sights of Africa pass you by. If there’s something interesting on your side of the truck, you can simply turn around. We loved waving to all the children greeting us on the side of the road just as much as the occasional wildlife sightings.

We found the side-facing seats to actually be better than the forward-facing seats we’ve been accustomed to when traveling on buses. We never got carsick even once during the journey, which is a testament to the trucks because Heather usually gets motion sickness very easily.

And with Oasis Overland trucks, everybody gets a window seat! So there’s never a need to fight for a coveted window seat to greet locals or spot wildlife.

But during long travel days and after a late night, sometimes you just want to lay down and take a nap. Given the fact that the Oasis truck seats are one big line down the side of the truck, you can easily lay across four seats and get some solid rest. Unlike other truck configurations, there’s no seat in front of you ever. So go ahead and stretch out your legs!

The Oasis Overland Truck Has a Bed With a Sunroof …and It’s Awesome!

Perhaps the best feature of the Oasis Overland truck is in the front, which was called “the beach.”

This was an area of the truck that has a big sunroof that opens up and allows passengers to tan under the Africa sun if they wish. Hence it is referred to as “the beach.” The beach also sports a comfy bed with pillows, making it a great place to nap during those early mornings overlanding across Africa.

Yet the beach was best used during game drives. It provides a birds-eye view to spot all the wildlife down below and towards the horizon. It can be important to stake out a spot on the beach early because this is a piece of truck real estate that is always in high demand!

Storage on the Oasis Overland Truck

Storage for luggage was inside the truck and under a designated seat. We brought an absurd amount of luggage that we were able to fit with no problem. It also was convenient to have access to all your personal belongings while riding on the truck. Meanwhile, tents, water jugs, cooking supplies, and other camp gear are stored in locked compartments on the outside.

The truck was equipped with a stereo that had four speakers so you could connect to your phone to play your tunes. Each speaker could be manually turned off if you were trying to sleep or didn’t like the music. The truck also had a small library with travel books about Africa and a hodgepodge of other books.

A Few Missing Features with Oasis Overland That Weren’t Missed

A few features missing from the Oasis trucks that you can sometimes find on some other overland trucks were:

• airconditioning, and
• a refrigerator .

You can find some of these things on other Africa overland tours that are priced much higher than Oasis Overland. We were happy to go without them and pay far less.

For the Internet, we bought cheap SIM cards for our smartphone and also used the campsite wifi to stay connected along the way. So we didn’t miss having wifi on the truck. Besides, if you’ve traveled all the way to Africa, you should be using your time to enjoy the scenery you’re traveling through or bonding with your fellow passengers; not scrolling across your Facebook feed.

As for refrigeration, we had three coolers (or “eskies” for our British friends) which were filled with ice that the tour leader occasionally purchased. These coolers kept our meat, and perhaps more importantly, our beers, cold. They also made for makeshift tables on the truck to play games with the people in the seats across from you.

The truck isn’t equipped with air conditioning, as air conditioning was not at all needed . Throw away your preconceived notions of a sweltering hot Africa. The weather in most places from Nairobi to Cape Town was downright frigid. We actually wore jackets on the truck most days and would plead to keep the windows up during particularly cold mornings.

Oasis Overland Truck Condition and Maintenance

The Oasis Overland truck was in great condition overall and never broke down or had any problems during the 56-day Coast to Coast trip from Nairobi to Cape Town.

Whenever stopped, our driver was constantly working on the truck and doing a series of preventative maintenance to help ensure this. Meanwhile, keeping the truck clean was mostly the responsibility of Oasis Overland passengers. But it did get a thorough cleaning by a professional cleaning crew twice during the two-month overland trip across Africa.

Passing Time During Long Travel Days with Oasis Overland

Travel distances varied throughout this overland Africa tour, from as little as two hours between destinations to the longest drive time being 12 hours . Typically, it was somewhere in between those two extremes. A 4-8 hour drive during any given transit day was fairly normal during this overland tour across Africa.

So what do you do while riding on the truck all day? Looking out the windows and watching Africa go by was our favorite pastime. People often read books, napped, and chatted too.

We occasionally played games to help keep each other entertained. Perhaps the most fun was having a “truck party” a few times during the trip. Music was cranked up and booze was flowing. Good times!

Using the Bathroom During the Oasis Overland 56-Day Coast to Coast Trip

So what happens for all those times when you’ve got to go during this two-month overland tour across Africa? At all campsites that we stayed at there were toilets. Most campsites had proper flush toilets and a couple of others had pit toilets. Almost always, toilet paper was provided. But it certainly never hurt to have a roll stashed on the truck for the few instances when there wasn’t any.

At bush camps during the 56-day journey, we used what we affectionately called the “bushy-bushy.” This involved digging a hole with a shovel, squatting down to do your business, and then covering it up.

During travel days, periodic stops were made at petrol stations, which usually had flush toilets, in varying conditions. Otherwise, passengers could ring the bell on the truck to signal to the driver that you had to go, a very regular occasion for those with small bladders.

In this case, the driver pulls over on the side of the road where you could then pursue a “bush wee.” Alternatively, the “bushy-bushy” method was used if you had to go #2 during this time. But that was rarely pursued in favor of waiting for a petrol station. Hand sanitizer was always available on the truck after these inevitable pit stops.

Eating Across Africa

Eating across Africa with Oasis Overland was quite a fun affair! Sometimes we ate at local joints and occasionally the campgrounds would provide meals for us.

Yet for most meals with Oasis Overland, we shopped at local markets and cooked our meals across Africa!

African Cuisine and Dining Out Across the Continent

We really enjoyed eating at local places, which were often included as part of the Oasis Overland tour cost. There were also opportunities, usually when in cities, to eat local meals in restaurants that were covered at our own expense.

The local cuisine across Africa was pretty good and varied from country to country. Stews were the most common dish , typically served with a thick cornmeal porridge known as pap, ugali, or sadza (depending on what country you’re in). Rice could often be substituted. The ubiquitous side items were cooked greens of some sort.

As for mains, beef and chicken dishes were common. Fried chicken, in particular, seemed to make an appearance on just about every menu.

As we traveled through Botswana and Namibia, the presence of game meats became more frequent. Various types of antelopes were often available as stews, steaks, or German-style schnitzel .

We don’t typically care for the tastes of gamey meats but we found antelope such as kudu, oryx, and impalas to be very tasty and not carry that gamey taste. We found warthog to be a particularly delicious choice of meat that was tender, sweet, and didn’t taste like pork.

Seafood became prevalent on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In Zanzibar, seafood dishes were heavily spiced and influenced by traders passing through from India, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Some of the best meals we ate in Africa were this Zanzibar cuisine.

Meanwhile, in Namibia on the Atlantic coast, the German influence on food was easily spotted with its many schnitzels, bakeries, and even the presence of spaetzle as a common side item.

Cooking Groups with Oasis Overland

There are no chefs that come along as part of the Oasis Overland tour across Africa. Other, more expensive, overland tour companies do provide a chef for the passengers. Yet this comes with a very significant added cost to those tours.

During Oasis Overland Africa tours, it’s the passengers themselves who are responsible for accomplishing the task of cooking dinner while at camp . This greatly helps to keep Oasis Overland’s prices as low as they are. But it’s also just a fun challenge to attempt to whip up a good-tasting meal from a varying supply of local African food supplies, collaborating with other fellow passengers.

While it may seem like a daunting experience, most camp dinners turned out very well. It was fun to put our culinary skills to the test in outdoor “kitchens” in the middle of Africa!

How it all works is an Oasis Overland tour leader randomly assigns “cooking groups” that usually consisted of about three people. They’re tasked to procure the food and then cook the night’s meal. Your group’s night to cook is scheduled on a rotating basis so that you will end up cooking about once each week. Dinner is covered on the other nights by other cook groups or going out to eat. During the entire 56-day trip we each were on cooking duty for a total of eight dinners.

The Oasis Overland truck was fully stocked with so many cooking supplies containing basics like pots & pans to more obscure utensils like a big cast iron cauldron and a rolling pin. Oasis Overland even provided a well-stocked spice rack to really jazz up meals.

Those assigned to cook dinner are also responsible for providing breakfast and lunch on the following day unless a fast-food stop or supermarket visit is planned. And while cooking was done by the assigned cook group, cleaning was always an effort for everyone to chip in on.

Shopping at Local Markets across Africa

To gather supplies for each cooking night, the Oasis Overland truck makes planned stops at both local markets and supermarkets for passengers to gather the belongings necessary for each group meal.

In Tanzania and into Malawi we shopped mostly at local markets, which provided a fun cultural experience to procure cooking supplies . It was great to interact directly with the locals to pick up some fantastic and fresh produce.

Money is allocated to passengers, provided by the tour leader to do these shops. Usually, passengers were given about $30 to procure all the food supplies. This amount varied based on the country, the number of people, and the number of meals.

We never thought that $30 would be enough to gather enough food to feed over a dozen people. Yet during our first shop, we were surprised to have only spent about $20!

Prices at the local markets were usually very good but you could almost always stretch the food budget further by negotiating the price down, which was typically easy to do considering you’re often buying in bulk.

As we got to Zimbabwe and beyond, traditional supermarkets were more of the norm for food shopping, rather than local markets. There were some surprisingly great supermarkets too! One chain we frequented called “Food Lovers” was essentially the African equivalent to Whole Foods. You could find ultra-high quality food here to allow you to get creative in the kitchen, and just to pick up some fun snacks for yourself.

Breakfast while Overlanding Across Africa

Breakfast was usually a no-fuss affair , given the many early morning starts. Most often we simply ate a bowl of cereal with coffee or tea.

Occasionally we’d make toast with toppings like tomato and avocado, or baked beans. Sometimes we’d have the foresight to cook hard-boiled eggs the night prior, which would add some protein to the breakfast the next day. Every once in a while, when time permitted, we’d cook up a proper breakfast like french toast or scrambled eggs & fried potatoes.

Oasis Overland Lunches

Lunchtime usually coincided with an excursion or traveling in the truck. In these instances, we simply pulled off on the side of the road to chow on something that was prepared the night before. Pasta salads and cold rice dishes proved the most common. In other instances, sandwich makings were a go-to.

Yet about half of the time, we stopped for a fast food meal or a grocery store lunch, which was at our own expense. For supermarket lunches, common selections included a sandwich or grilled/fried chicken. Fast food options usually consisted of fried chicken, grilled chicken, pizza, or fish & chips.

Camp Dinners Overland Across Africa

Camp dinners were all over the board. It really depended on who was cooking and what supplies were stocked. Curries were a popular meal to cook among our British friends, as were bangers & mash. Cheeseburgers on the grill became my go-to meal when it was my turn.

Meanwhile, chili was one of our favorite dishes made and was a big hit on those cold nights. Pasta dishes, rice stir-fries, chicken casserole, and hearty stews were other fairly easy camp meals that often made it onto our bowls and plates.

There were camp recipe books on the truck to browse through and get some culinary inspiration. But usually, someone on the cook group had a meal idea to offer up. Most meals turned out great!

Passengers & Crew Traveling With Oasis Overland

When traveling overland across Africa, it’s nice to know who you’re traveling with. Fellow travelers can help to make or break any trip.

While any Africa overland trip will undoubtedly have a different composition of passengers and crew, we wanted to give some idea of what can be expected.

Oasis Overland Crew

There is a two-person team on each Oasis Overland Africa tour to help ensure everything goes smoothly:

• one driver and
• one tour leader .

We really enjoyed the crew on our trip and thought they did an excellent job.

The Oasis Overland driver does exactly what you’d expect. He’s responsible for getting you to all those incredible destinations while you sit back and enjoy the ride.

But it doesn’t end there. The driver also doubles as a trained mechanic who is constantly doing preventative maintenance to the truck and is ready to fix any problems that may arise.

Meanwhile, the tour leader takes care of all the day-to-day logistics by planning your itinerary, making all accommodation arrangements, and connecting you with the many excursions in each destination.

The tour leader is not a tour guide that provides detailed information about the wildlife or filling you in on things like the politics in Zimbabwe. Our tour leader actually did provide us with some fascinating insight into the political climate of Zimbabwe, but really, that was just a bonus as this is not part of their job. The tour leader is there to coordinate, organize, and lead each Oasis Overland trip across Africa.

As you might imagine, it takes special people to drive and lead these overland trips. Our Oasis crew was great. They weren’t just drivers and tour leaders. They became friends to have a beer and a laugh with at the end of the day.

Passengers Traveling With Oasis Overland Coast to Coast

One of the aspects that drew us towards Oasis Overland was that it seemed very inclusive of all ages. Other Africa overland tour companies cater exclusively to a young demographic. One of the trucks we had considered even states on their website that the trip is designed for 18-34 year-olds.

We both celebrated our 35 th birthdays during this overland Africa trip, so that left us feeling a little uneasy about partaking in an overland tour marketed exclusively to travelers below that age threshold.

But during our Oasis Overland trip, ages ran from young twenty-somethings to sixties. During one segment of our trip, there was literally at least one person representing each decade (ages: 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s). We loved that.

Still, ages on our trip did skew more towards the younger end, but everyone on the trip was completely young at heart.

Speaking of the mix, we also had a nice mix of nationalities on our trip, varying from us Americans to Turkish and Korean. Oasis Overland is based in the UK, hence Brits are the most common nationality of passengers.

Aussies and Kiwis seem to be fairly frequent passengers too. Americans were actually a rare breed for Oasis Overland, as we were the only passengers from the US on our trip. The tour leader said we were the first Americans that have joined her during two years of leading these Africa trips!

Despite varying ages and nationalities, there was one common trait that seemed to be shared by all Oasis Overland travelers: a passion for travel & adventure. This was the common ground that everyone could bond over.

And you most definitely do bond. You’re camping together, cooking together, traveling long distances in tight quarters together, and often drinking lots of alcohol together. This is a recipe connecting. We felt we made some lasting friendships during the trip with people that we most definitely hope to see again!

So What Does the Oasis Overland Coast to Coast Trip Cost?

There are a lot of different costs factored into this trip. Here are the major costs in a nutshell:

First, these are the mandatory costs before your trip begins:

• £1,395 ($1,770 at today’s rate) paid by bank card or credit card before the trip
• $725 USD paid to the tour leader upon arrival in Nairobi

= $2,495 trip cost for two months from Nairobi to Cape Town

This breaks down to about $45 per day, or $312 each week. Considering this covers your entire transportation across Africa, most meals, camping, and even a handful of included excursions – we find this to be an absolutely amazing travel bargain.

But you’re still left with additional costs that you need to be aware of. Passengers cover about 40% of your meal expenses on your own. It doesn’t add up to much.

The biggest added expenses were the pricey once-in-a-lifetime excursions to splurge on. Adventures like Serengeti safaris in Tanzania and Devil’s Pool Victoria Falls each came with some significant costs.

Finally, you needed to budget for Visa expenses when crossing borders. This all broke down as followed, but would vary by passenger.

• Optional Excursions: $1,144
• Meals on our expense: $311
• Visa costs: $242

Combined with the upfront trip costs, this made for a grand total of $4,192 per person for the entire two-month trip.

There are some additional expenses to budget for too that aren’t accounted for in the categories above. Do know that most passengers will likely need to budget for the expense of gear and medicine/vaccinations before the trip. Additionally, passengers will likely spend on alcohol, souvenirs, snacks, and wifi/data during the trip.

For what amounts to just over $2,000 total per month, we found the Oasis Overland Coast to Coast trip to deliver exceptional value for all that is covered.

So a grand total of about $75 per day, or $525 each week, took us to witness the Great Migration in Tanzania, hiking at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, snorkeling coral reefs in Zanzibar, hanging off the side of Victoria Falls, on a riverboat safari with hundreds of elephants in Botswana, cycling down sand dunes in Namibia, wine tasting through South Africa’s vineyards, and so much more!

Travel Tips To Know for an Overland Africa Tour:

During our Oasis Overland tour across Africa, we spent some of those long drives discussing with other passengers some of the best travel tips we would pass on an overland tour across Africa.

⏰ Be considerate and on time . When there are set times to depart by in the morning, ensure you give yourself enough time to pack up the tent, make coffee, eat breakfast, use the bathroom, or whatever else you may want to do. It can be discourteous to make other passengers wait for you.

☕ Bring a portable coffee mug . This is invaluable advice for coffee drinkers and caffeine addicts. Breakfast is often a rushed affair in order to quickly get on the road. A portable coffee mug will save you much time to make a big cup of coffee that you can then sip on from the truck. Otherwise, you’ll have to slam a hot cuppa before departing.

🩲 Bring more underwear . Jeans and other clothes can be worn again and again between washes. But underwear cannot. Everyone had wished they brought more underwear. Pack extra. Socks too.

🧤 Help with washing . After a long day, chipping in to help with the dishes can feel like quite a chore. But such efforts will be much appreciated and will help the task get done faster.

🧹 Keep a clean truck . It’s the passenger’s responsibility to keep the truck clean and it can easily get neglected when on such an exciting adventure. Make some effort every few days to keep it clean, as you’ll be spending much time in its confines.

👕 Pack old stuff . It’s nice not having to worry about expensive, new belongings. Also, you can donate or barter with clothes and other personal items you may not need anymore. This also helps to free up space in your packs for souvenirs.

🤯 Keep an open mind . Experiencing other cultures and traditions while traveling across Africa can feel different, be eye-opening, and sometimes even uncomfortable. Keep an open mind with cross-cultural encounters.

💇 Get a haircut before the trip . Salons and barbershops will be far & few between. Also, many places may not be equipped to cut your hair. Get a fresh cut before the overland tour so that it will last a lengthy trip.

💬 Learn the basics of each local language . Even in African countries that speak some English, learn how to say a few basics like “hello” and “thank you.” It can be appreciated and is usually received very well.

💦 Stay hydrated . Sometimes when it’s cooler out, you may not realize how dehydrating Africa can be. Combine that with an increase in walking, alcohol, and altitude, and it all helps to dehydrate passengers. Drink lots of water. It’s provided by Oasis Overland.

🏋️ Consider physical excursions to stay fit . Most people on an overland Africa tour actually end up gaining weight! You eat quite well. To help counter this, consider excursions that include hiking, rowing, swimming, and other physical activities that go beyond simply sitting in a safari vehicle.

📷 Have a good camera & maintain it . These are once-in-a-lifetime photos. But mobile phones don’t have proper zoom. So consider bringing a camera with a mega zoom. If it has detachable lenses, be sure to have a method to keep the lens clean amidst Africa’s dust.

🤫 Be quiet in/near tents . It’s easy to forget how easily sound travels through tents. People retreat there to, sleep, rest, read, and relax. So go elsewhere to have conversations.

😴 Snorers move away if possible . For those that snore, we know you can’t help it. But it can really be loud for other campers. So if you know you snore, simply move your tent away from others, when setting up.

🚧 Don’t pee on the electric fence . Many electric fences are set up to keep wildlife out of camp or for livestock to remain in place. Be careful! Peeing on it can have shocking consequences.

🧻 Carry some toilet paper with you . You never know when nature may call. Come prepared with a wad of TP, just in case.

🤝 Haggle, but not too much . At local food markets and souvenir stands, it can be customary to bargain down the price. Do so to get a fair price. But also put things into perspective and don’t go too low. Sometimes we saw haggling down trying to talk some produce down to what amounts to a half-cent. Trust us, they need that half-penny more than you. Don’t be that cheap.

💰 Budget for activities . There are so many awesome yet expensive excursions to consider during an overland trip across Africa. Ensure that you have funds for these additional safaris and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

💸 Bring more money . The overland budget in this post is just an example of costs. You’ll likely need more money if you don’t want to miss out. Money seems to go quickly when you’re having fun. Also, costs may have risen, and/or currency fluctuations may have occurred from our late-2016 trip.

💵 Tip for tour guides and wait staff . It’s customary to tip tour guides and to tip waitstaff throughout southern Africa. Be sure to budget for this and tip people accordingly. Even the Oasis Overland crew will be very appreciative of tips.

🌤️ Pack for the weather . Sunglasses and hats can be a good idea. But it can get cold during this overland itinerary. Be sure to research the weather conditions in the various places being traveled to during the time of year visiting.

📰 Read up on current events . It’s good to have some background on the political situation, recent news, and other current events going on in the countries being visited. Do a bit of research to inform yourself before the trip.

🦟 Figure out a Malaria medication . We’re not in the medical field, so we feel ill-equipped to provide medical advice on this subject. Yet it’s important to read up on the different malaria prevention options and choose accordingly. Much of this overland Africa itinerary is within malaria zones and mosquitos are encountered. So consult a medical professional to figure out which anti-malarial may be best for you. Also, take precautions to avoid mosquito bites altogether.

⚠️ Get travel insurance . Travel insurance is not a suggestion. It’s a requirement for Oasis Overland and most all Overland Africa trips. It can help with unexpected medical expenses, emergency evacuation, accidents, sickness, theft, and so much more. We use World Nomads , with what we’ve found to have the best price and coverage combination.  Enter the dates for your trip   to get a quick estimate.

Oasis Overland Africa Review & Recommendation

If you haven’t already noticed, we loved our Oasis Overland Coast to Coast overland trip across Africa, so we most definitely recommend the journey! For those who want to cover a lot of Africa but not spend a fortune doing it, this is the trip to take.

The truck is great. We really liked our crew. The campgrounds were astonishingly nice. And we absolutely adored the experiences of a lifetime that were encountered during the Nairobi to Cape Town itinerary across southern Africa. We wholeheartedly give Oasis Overland a great review!

But make no mistake about it, Oasis Overland is unabashedly a budget travel trip.

This is not a sit-back-and-relax vacation . It is a rugged overland trip across Africa, not a luxury safari. Instead, you’ll be camping and cooking meals. This style of travel was not only fun, but it’s what helps tremendously at keeping the costs down to make this what we think to be one of the best travel values we’ve ever experienced.

That said, an Oasis Overland Africa tour is just not for everyone. Passengers must be prepared to help out around camp and get a little dirty.

Overall, this trip was such an incredible experience. From nervously watching a lion prowling around our safari jeep during one of our first game drives in Tanzania to sipping on bubbly in a South African vineyard, this journey packs it all in. It’s this huge variety of experiences that really left us in awe. Every day is an entirely different adventure to embark on that delivers an endless assortment of surprises.

Any overland Africa trip is truly a trip of a lifetime! And Oasis Overland certainly proved that for us. It remains high among our favorite travel adventures during our many years of roaming around the world. We can only hope to one day get back on a big yellow truck to traverse more of Africa’s open roads!

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March 25, 2020 at 1:23 AM

Thanks for sharing your experience! I’d love to go on a trip like this someday, too.

February 2, 2020 at 2:49 AM

Thanks for the excellent overview! You included everything I was hoping to find. I have one question left! Were there any solo travellers on this trip? If yes, how were they accommodated in the tents? Did they share with someone of the same gender or did they stay alone in a tent? Thanks!

February 4, 2020 at 10:55 AM

Yes, in our group there were more solo travelers than there was duos. There was only one other couple throughout our journey, plus a few friends traveling together. During our trip, solo travelers each were given their own tent. But this was because our trip was not fully booked. So there were enough tents to go around for solo travelers. If it’s a full trip, some solo travelers of the same gender would be paired together in a tent. The nice thing for solo travelers (well anyone, really) is that you’re thrust into an environment of instant friendships with likeminded travelers.

December 8, 2019 at 4:23 AM

My husband and I have booked the 75 day Nairobi to Capetown and I was wondering if you had advice on what camp mats/sleeping bags. Which did you take or other on the trip.

December 20, 2019 at 4:50 PM

We were already traveling abroad at the time we booked our Oasis trip, so we picked up some mats and sleeping bags we could find at a sporting goods store in Spain, which simply happened to be the location we were passing through before heading to Africa. We were able to get by with the cheap bags and mats we had. But I’d definitely recommend better equipment, as it’ll definitely make for a good night’s sleep over the 2.5- month trip. Many people used Thermarest mats during our trip. They’re pricey but seem well worth it and they’re compact. For the sleeping bag, the time of your trip (summer/winter) may factor into how thick of a sleeping bag you’ll want to choose. During our Spring trip, there were a few very cold nights (near freezing temps) while in higher elevations. Hope you have a great trip!

March 21, 2019 at 7:27 PM

Great article. Loved your energy

I travelling the Grand Adventurer trip from Nairobi to Jo’burg in November this year and also doing the Nairobi to Nairobi loop taking in Ngorongoro, Mara Masai, Serengeti and basically looping around lake. 93 days in all

I did the Bishkek to Istanbul trip in same truck last year. Our truck was called Habibi and your post brought back lots of happy memories.

I’m nearly 70 and there were 2 people on the trip older than me! Like your experience, the ages meshed together very harmoniously.

Keep blogging…. 🙂

March 22, 2019 at 8:02 PM

Very cool! I’d imagine that Bishkek to Istanbul trip must have been amazing! But you’re also in for a real treat in Africa. Am excited for you and would do this trip all over again in a minute! Some of the other passengers on our trip did that Nairobi loop, prior to us joining, and they loved it. The gorillas being a highlight, of course. We may need to get back to Kenya and do it ourselves one day! We hope you have an incredible Grand Adventure across Africa!

November 20, 2020 at 6:49 AM

Thank you Brian for replying. I just turned 70 and really want to “do Africa” this way. Wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable as a single with young travelers.

December 8, 2018 at 1:47 PM

I stumbled upon your website while doing research for cruise around the world. Your posts are wonderful, and thanks to the details you provide, I will make sure to include this trip.

For Maasai Mara, did you book through the same company? Do you recommend the 3 or 4 day extension?

Thanks so much for providing so many tips and ideas.

December 10, 2018 at 11:30 AM

Thanks for the kind sentiments and we’re so glad to hear the posts have been helpful! 🙂 For the Masai Mara trip, we actually arrived to Nairobi about a week in advance of our 56-day coast-to-coast safari and booked that 3-day trip independently with another operator in Nairobi. Others on our safari did book the Oasis extension and likewise had a great experience. It costs only slightly more than what we found on the ground in Nairobi but ultimately offers a much more turn-key approach and easy connections that makes it worth it. But whatever you may do, Masai Mara is not to be missed, as it remains a big highlight during our three months traveling throughout southern Africa. Hope you have a great trip!! 🙂

August 1, 2018 at 6:12 AM

I know it’s been a while, but do you have a rough estimate of night-time temperatures on your trip? I’m trying to figure out whether my current sleeping bag will do – it’s been used for summer/warm weather trips previously – or if I’ll need to upgrade to one with a lower temp rating.

August 1, 2018 at 7:02 PM

It depends when you’re going, but our trip during mid-July to mid-Sept it got pretty cold (close to 0c, but not quite) during a few nights while up in the Chimanimani Mountains (Zim) and in southern Namibia. We used a summer-weather sleeping bag and it was fine for most nights. But there were about 3-4 nights of the trip that we wished we had a thicker/warmer sleeping bag. If you are departing before September, I’d recommend bringing a warmer bag. Have a great trip! We want to go back!

August 2, 2018 at 5:32 AM

Great to know, thanks. My bag’s usually good down to around 5C, so I can probably supplement that with a slightly warmer sleeping layer if needed rather than investing in a new bag.

August 10, 2017 at 10:07 PM

Such great information! We are likely going to book the same trip for 2018 and this is SUPER helpful! What time if year did you go? Obviously this trip covers a diverse, giant region but is there a “better” time to go? If so, is it a huge deal breaker or does it not matter much? Thanks for the contributions!

August 16, 2017 at 8:57 PM

So glad you found this helpful! 🙂 We went mid-July to mid-September. I’m not sure if that is the absolute “best time to go,” but it sure felt like it! It seemed like we hit everything at just the write time and we had great weather, aside from a few cold nights in the mountains. The Great Migration was going on when we got to Kenya. And by the time we got to South Africa it was Spring so the flowers were in bloom and being the end of the dry season animals were congregated at watering holes making them more visible. We felt like that time of year was all a perfect time for the trip, but we may be a little biased. 😉

August 10, 2017 at 10:55 AM

This is an awesome post, really detailed and informative. Great Job! Really like the “Using the Bathroom During the Oasis Overland 56-Day Coast to Coast Trip”. It’s something you don’t really think about when traveling until it’s actually time to use the bathroom haha

August 16, 2017 at 8:53 PM

Haha! So true! We weren’t really sure what to expect there so wanted to let everyone know.

June 28, 2017 at 4:10 AM

Hi this sounds amazing, we are doing the exact same trip in a few weeks and are so excited! You mentioned a post of travel tips and pack list which I can’t seem to find. On top of what oasis has provided us what travel tips and pack list would you recommend? Thanks

June 30, 2017 at 1:53 PM

Awesome! We hope you have such a blast! You’ll be going at right around the same time we did our trip last year and we felt like that timing was so perfect for everything. Enjoy! We never got around to posting those tips. I have it drafted and have been meaning to edit/publish it forever now. Sorry!! A few tips off the top of my head I can suggest is to bring a car charger for your camera & phone (like the one that plugs into a car cigarette lighter). For trading for wood carvings in Malawi pack inexpensive earbuds, socks, t-shirts, etc. Definitely bring a warm sleeping bag for those cooler nights. Bring extra US dollars with you. It always seemed to be needed for excursions and other activities – most people underestimated and US dollars were difficult to obtain in many places. Overall, just have a great trip – it’s an adventure of a lifetime!

July 6, 2017 at 11:37 AM

Thanks for your reply, I’m very excited. Was it safe to carry so much cash and do you recommend having a credit/debit card or even a prepaid travel card? 😊

July 8, 2017 at 9:40 AM

Yes, it was completely safe to bring the cash with you and there is a procedure in place to ensure that it stays safe & secure. There are very few places to access USD along the way, so good to have a stash with you. You don’t keep the cash on you while you’re out and about, so you don’t have to worry about that. Yes, I would definitely bring a debit card, as that can often be the easiest way to withdraw local currency. But sometimes ATMs can be scarce in between more rural destinations. At borders, it was always possible to change currencies too. As for credit cards, we always travel with one, but few places accept them throughout the trip. Most everywhere is cash only. Big ticket excursions are often in USD. Meanwhile food, drink, smaller excursions, souvenirs, etc. tends to be in local currencies. Botswana and Namibia some places do accept credit cards, and many places in South Africa. But Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe is almost entirely cash.

September 12, 2017 at 12:41 PM

Hi there I am looking to do a trip like this but wondered how long does it take to plan as you need to have things sorted at home. Thanks

October 25, 2017 at 1:46 AM

Really, Oasis takes care of all the planning logistics while in Africa. It may take some hours to plan for packing, shots, travel insurance, and accommodation at the beginning/end of the trip, but that’s about it. Once the Oasis trip begins, you’re just sort of on auto-pilot enjoying the pleasures of Africa! 🙂

June 26, 2017 at 11:34 AM

Thank you so much for sharing this! I am looking to do this trip next summer & this post has been extremely helpful. Just a quick question – when you were in the Namib Desert, did you go to the salt/clay pans at Dead Vlei?

June 26, 2017 at 2:17 PM

So glad it has proved helpful! It’s almost been a year now since we first took off on this adventure and it remains a top highlight of all our travels! Am still planning to write more about it too, so stay tuned. Hope you have a similarly awesome experience next summer! As for the Dead Vlei pans, no we did not go there but we passed nearby in Sossusvlei. We also did visit the Etosha Pan while in the northern part of Namibia, which was a cool sight! If the Dead Vlei is something that is really important to you, you may be able to work it into the itinerary if you can convince your guide, driver, and travel mates that it’s worth the detour. 😉

June 27, 2017 at 3:23 AM

Thank you so much!

April 30, 2017 at 8:43 PM

Just wondering what time of year did you travel on this adventure? You mentioned some of the frigid weather so I’m guessing sometime in the winter (June – Aug?), but not sure. I just booked this exact trip for Sept – Nov so I’m curious about the comparison.

April 30, 2017 at 8:49 PM

We started in Nairobi mid-July and ended in Cape Town in mid-September. Other than a few frigid nights in Zimbabwe, the weather was usually pretty nice. It will likely be slightly warmer for your trip, Sept to Nov. But still, I’d recommend a decent cold weather sleeping bag. You’ve got an awesome adventure ahead of you!

February 6, 2017 at 12:40 PM

This was a really useful read! I was about to book a tour with G Adventures but came across pretty much the same itinerary for a much lower price with Oasis. This article has given me the confidence to book the cheaper option. There are several aspects that you’ve highlighted that stand out from other tour operators – the fact that everyone works together to cook and the use of local markets, the less rushed itinerary, and the design of the truck! I do have a question: I am choosing between the Nairobi to Harare tour or the Vic Falls to Cape Town tour. Would there be any particular deciding factors for you if you had to decide/which you found most rewarding?

February 8, 2017 at 7:36 AM

Am so glad to hear you’ve found it useful! 🙂 But you have asked a really tough question, lol! It’s so hard to say. Each of those segments have their own benefits. So it really depends on your interests. But I’d perhaps lean only slightly more towards the Vic Falls to Cape Town itinerary but that’s just my two-cents. If you’re budget-conscience, I think there is more value during that segment. There is significantly less visa costs and many more activities included (Chobe River Cruise, Atosha safaris, Spitzkoppe, Skeleton Coast, Fish River Canyon, etc.) You begin in Vic Falls (amazing!) and so much adventure there (if you like adventure activities). Chobe & Okovango we pretty incredible. Etosha is awesome – so much wildlife. We loved hiking around Spitzkoppe. So many adventure activities in Swakopmund. And you get to end in South Africa wine country and finally Cape Town, perhaps one of our favorite cities in the world.

On the other hand, if things like shopping at local markets are appealing to you, you’ll find that more on the Nairobi to Harare segment. From Vic Falls to Cape Town you’ll he shopping almost entirely at local supermarkets. Nairobi to Harare, is less developed than Botswana & Namibia, and you’ll get to experience the local culture more – particularly so in Malawi. Ngorogoro is great (but an expensive add-on). If you really like beaches, you may prefer Nairobi to Harare as you’ll get a double dose with the island paradise of Zanzibar and then again on the lakefront of Malawi.

So, it’s really hard to say. You can’t go wrong either way, but I’d perhaps lean more towards Vic Falls to Cape Town as I think it packs in a bit more and is perhaps better value.

February 15, 2017 at 7:28 AM

Thanks very much for your reply. I have actually just booked the Vic Falls to Cape Town trip!! 😀 At the end of the tour I will be staying an extra week with my friend who lives in Hermanus (just an hour from Cape Town) so the major deciding factor was having to take one less flight as I couldn’t really decide between the two!

December 13, 2016 at 7:36 AM

What a wonderful experience! I am looking at their website now to check if I can do this in a shorter period because I have a day job and it would be difficult to explain this to my boss why I need to file a leave for 56 days! Thanks for sharing this!

December 13, 2016 at 9:33 AM

Hey Carla, thanks for the comment! We highly recommend this trip, it’s an incredible experience and you’ll have memories for a lifetime. Most of are fellow passengers were on segments of the trip and didn’t do the entire 56 days.

December 12, 2016 at 5:20 PM

:O $4100 for two months across Africa!!! That’s pretty much what I paid for two weeks!!!! This sounds EPIC, and Oasis Overland sound like a fantastic company for budget trips – sounds like they’ve put a lot of thought into planning out the tours and inclusions, and I love that it goes at a slower pace than most other experiences. I do highly recommend the Maasai Mara though as this was one of our highlights in Kenya – so adding that on to the start of the tour is something which I think would be worthwhile 🙂

Thanks for sharing guys! I might look into this myself!!

December 12, 2016 at 5:13 PM

This seems like an incredible trip! This might be one worth saving up for!

December 12, 2016 at 7:51 AM

Woah, this sounds like an incredible road trip! I love how you break down all the costs, it’s super helpful! Very comprehensive review which is super helpful for anyone looking to travel from Nairobi to Cape Town!

December 12, 2016 at 10:08 AM

Thanks Anita, it definitely was! So glad you found our information helpful.

December 12, 2016 at 5:20 AM

The variety sounds amazing – from the experiences to the people! Great post, thanks so much for sharing. Happy travels 🙂

December 12, 2016 at 10:10 AM

Thanks Carmen! You’re absolutely right, it seems as though variety was the theme of the trip.

December 12, 2016 at 12:11 AM

What an amazing adventure! The cost seems reasonable given the itinerary and experiences. I like how you used graphics in the post to illustrate costs, accommodation, and your journey. Very cool.

December 12, 2016 at 10:15 AM

Hey Nancy, thanks for the comment! We felt that this was the perfect way to experience southern Africa on a budget.

December 11, 2016 at 9:26 PM

Whoa! The whole journey looks exciting to me. I was amazed how close you can get to hungry lions there… good to know they are rare sightings and in the interiors. The road journey excited me, I have done some through Europe. (I think you could have split this post to 3 smaller and focused posts. By the end I was confused what you did when and where. 🙂 )

December 11, 2016 at 1:45 AM

First of all who would have thought that the campgrounds would be so nice in Africa, some of them looked more like a luxury resort. Then all the animals you got to see on your trip is incredible. Were you afraid at all with the huge Rhino behind you? I heard they can be quite unpredictable! And the lions, oh my goodness they were so cool. What an adventure you had!

December 12, 2016 at 10:29 AM

Hi Nancy, thanks so much for the comment and kind words. We were very pleasantly surprised with the campsites. All those close animal encounters are memories that we’ll cherish for a lifetime. I was not afraid of the rhino since we had our experienced guide with us 😀

December 10, 2016 at 10:58 PM

WOW! This is a trip of a lifetime. Initially it looks like a lot of expenses, but when broken down on a daily budget it’s pretty affordable. What were the highlights of your entire trip? Loved reading this!

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Girl about the Globe

Making solo travel easier.

African Overland Tours Review

Africa is such a fascinating destination. It’s a continent abundant with wild animals, spectacular terrain and fascinating tribes. The continent is huge and travelling around it would take you several months. 

Visiting Africa and seeing a safari is probably on your travel wish list, and there are safari companies that do this where you see one country and experience the National Parks and the Big 5. But what if you want to see more of Africa and have weeks or even months to spare?  

From my experience of  solo travel in Africa , the best way to see the best of Africa is to go on an overland tour. I personally don’t take many tours, preferring to travel independently on a budget from country to country. Going overland is my favourite way of travel, crossing land borders instead of flying in and out of airports, so Africa overland tours were the ideal option for me.

Having spent over 4.5 months in Africa (and going back again this month), I’ve written about my experience of 3 different overlanding tours so that you can decide if an African overland tour is for you. I hope that my African overland tours review inspires you to visit this continent!

Hanging out the window for the sunrise in Sierra Leone

What Are Overland Tours?

Overlanding trips – specifically overland tours in Africa – are generally camping trips. You travel on a huge overland truck with a driver and a guide.

In East Africa, you usually get a chef, too. You join the tour in a specific country and then travel overland across borders with the truck and the group, leaving at the end of the route or, in some cases, hopping off in another country of your choice (depending on the flexibility of the tour).

You pay for the tour before you go, and when you arrive, you give the tour guide a local payment. This is in cash and covers the food kitty and camping fees for your trip. Transport, accommodation (tents) and food are generally included.

Parked up on a football pitch in the Gambia

Why Choose an African Overland Tour?  

In West Africa specifically, you’ll find a lack of tourism infrastructure and corrupt border officials. Many countries only have a bus network which connects the main cities, so going off the beaten track can be a challenge and you may have to take shared taxis or mototaxis in countries such as Benin and Togo.  

What I love about an overland tour is that it makes it easier to see countries that you may feel intrepid about travelling alone especially if you want to visit countries where you can’t speak the language. You get to join a group of other travellers equally as excited about travelling to the same region so they are a great way of bonding with like-minded individuals.  

You don’t need to obtain all your visas before the tour. This makes it so much easier. Instead of several trips to the embassies in your local country and sometimes being refused a visa (hello Cameroon!), you’re with the group filling out the paperwork together and hanging out in embassies in Africa.

Although this can take up some of your free time on your trip, it’s much better being with a group to know what to fill in on the forms.  

You really get an immersion into the country. Sitting on a truck waving at the locals, crossing borders with chickens running around, and children wanting to say hello to you are the most rewarding parts of the trip.

It’s raw and I honestly don’t think that you can have a more authentic experience. Plus, as a group, you get to experience things that only you will experience together. And there is nearly always someone on the tour who can speak the language you need for the next country, whether that’s French, Portuguese, or even Spanish!

The Tata accommodation that I upgraded to in Guinea Bissau

What If You’re Not a Camper?  

Depending on which countries you are travelling through, there is the option to upgrade. I’m not a natural camper and the first time I went on an overland camping tour, I was honestly so nervous that I cried! (I was also getting over a divorce at the time).

Now, I’ve been transformed into a hardcore camper. But as nice as it is waking to the sounds of nature in your tent, I upgrade whenever possible if it’s cheap enough. Some upgrades are from $10, and you can share a room with someone else on the tour to keep the costs down.  

It’ll definitely toughen you up. I had no idea what a groundsheet even was before I did it! It teaches you how to live in the bush and also how to cook.  

What To Expect From Overland Trips

1. a real adventure.

No two days are the same when you’re on an Africa overland tour. Even crossing a border and seeing how the border guards respond to you is an adventure, more so than cruising through No Man's land to reach another country. That’s why I love it so much.

2. Travelling on a budget

Overland touring is usually budget, so expect it to be basic with no thrills. 

3. A lot of waving

This is one of my favourite parts about being on an overland truck. The windows are usually open as it's so hot, so you get to hang out and wave at the children on the roadside and shout “hello” or “bonjour”, depending on which country you're in. 

4. Plenty of insects

There's no escaping them in Africa (especially in the Namib Desert). Depending on the time of year for your overlanding travels, you may encounter Sandflies, mosquitos, spiders, and even scorpions.

I took my anti-insect pyjamas with me on my last trip to ensure that I wasn't going to get bitten. For someone who hates spiders, my tolerance level is much better. 

5. No showers

This doesn't happen every day, but there are times when you have to go without a shower for a couple of days (take biodegradable wet wipes with you). When you arrive at a campsite with water, it may just be a bucket and cold water.

You could find yourself washing in rivers too. This also applies to toilets. Expect to pull up along the roadside and find a spot to go or take a shovel with you if you're bush camping. But the positive of feeling unclean is that you really appreciate it when you do finally have a shower. 

My tent and campsite in Namibia

6. Sharing a tent

As a solo traveller, you will probably get paired with another solo traveller (of the same gender if you prefer). For my last tour, we could take our tents for more privacy.  

The truck is self-sufficient and literally carries everything that you need for the journey. There are pots for cooking. If you don’t have a chef onboard (you won’t in West Africa), you’re put into a cooking team and cook every few days, depending on the rota.

If you’re not the best cook (like me), you usually get paired with someone who loves to cook, and instead, you can do most of the prep and cleaning up. (Cooking for 20 people is a lot!)

Being on cooking duty also means buying food from local markets and preparing a meal from what you are able to find. Some West African countries have limited vegetables, so you may need to get creative with tinned goods.  

8. Be prepared to work

As well as being put into cooking teams and buying food from local markets, you may need to help collect firewood, load the bags or tents each morning when you pack up, clean the floor of the truck, or wash the windows. Everyone usually mucks in, and you may get assigned a specific role.  

Camping on a beach in Liberia

9. Camping anywhere

Bush camping is pulling the truck up and pitching your tent anywhere. You could find yourself camping on the side of the road at a village, on a football pitch, a gravel pit or a cow field. You may even be camped next to a border crossing, and it may not be even ground either.  

10. A lot of driving

It’s called overlanding for a reason, and it’s fast-paced. To see 5 countries in 5 weeks, you have to cover a lot of ground. The most places I’ve seen in a country are 3 different destinations.

Some days, you can be on the road for up to 12 hours, and it can be bumpy with potholes or lack of road infrastructure. Expect to be up early in the morning, sometimes before the sun rises and on the road.

11. Not much alone time  

You need to be comfortable being in a group for a long period of time. There are moments when you can slip away and have some alone time, especially at night when you can read in your tent if you choose to opt out of playing card games or drinking in the camp at night.  

12. New experiences

Expect new experiences, from making jewellery in Ghana to witnessing a voodoo ceremony in Benin. Visiting museums in the capital cities, like Cape Town, gives you an insight into the country’s history.  

13. Making new friends

East Africa tends to attract social people whether they are travelling solo, as friends, or in a couple and can be a younger demographic. My West Africa trips seemed to have older travellers, the majority of them solo.

West Africa attracts more experienced travellers too, as they’ve usually been along the East Coast and seen all the wildlife and the sights.  

Ganvie in Benin

Which Region is For You?

South africa.

South Africa is for wine lovers, wildlife, and beaches. Choose South Africa up to Kenya for the Big 5, visiting townships, learning about tribes, sandboarding. Etosha National Park in Namibia is where you can spot the majestic elephants and the elusive rhinos in their natural habitat. Explore Kruger National Park with a South Africa safari for an unforgettable experience. This is the area for some of the world’s best safari parks.  

East Africa

East Africa has the best tourism infrastructure. The landscapes are stunning, there are campsites so you don’t have to bush camp that often. East Africa is for sightseeing, wildlife, partying, and trekking Mount Kilimanjaro.

North Africa

North Africa is Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara. It’s a region for colourful riads, souks, and deserts. And there is a lot to see here, from ancient civilisations and tombs to desert villages. Expect to buy lots of souvenirs and experience a different culture.  

West Africa

You visit West Africa for the people and not really the sightseeing. Exceptions are Senegal (which is fab!), the Gambia for beaches and monkeys, and Ghana, where you can see elephants in Mole National Park. West Africa gives you an education about the slave trade, and you visit forts and museums to learn more or visit Benin and Togo to experience the voodoo religion.

Central Africa

Hardly any companies go here because it’s so unpredictable (except Madventure). Borders can close due to conflict taking place in the country, governments getting overthrown and there can be tensions in the country when there are elections.

Setting up the stools for dinner

Which Overland Africa Tours Should You Choose? African Overland Tours Reviews

I’ve used three companies so far: Africa Travel Co, Overlanding West Africa, and Madventure. My personal favourite was Africa Travel Co. The guide, driver, and cook were absolutely amazing! Trips last anything from 12 days to several months. 

My last overland tour was the most hardcore I have been on. It’s marketed as Madventure because it is literary for the mad traveller.

The one who wants to go to places that others don’t usually go to. They travel all the way around Africa, from Morocco to Egypt and also to other parts of the world. I joined Madventure in the Gambia and travelled through the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia with them.

The last time I wrote about West Africa, I had culture shock ( read my lessons here ) . This time I was more confident and prepared for the region. I knew it would be basic, dusty, and an adventure.

Overlanding West Africa

This company does what it says… overland West Africa. They travel from Dakar or Accra to Freetown and vice versa in opposite directions. As well as Dakar to Marrakech and Accra to Accra. I travelled from Ghana to Togo and Benin and back to the north of Ghana.

I was meant to travel to Burkina Faso, but a war broke out at the time, so we took a diversion back into Ghana to end the tour there. 

With the group from Madventure taking a river trip in the Gambia

Africa Travel Co

This company operates overland tours Africa in Eastern and Southern African countries. These are great if you don’t have much time as their trips start from 12 days experiencing Johannesburg, South Africa, to Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe.

I joined them in South Africa and travelled through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Zanzibar with them ( find my adventures under the Africa section ).

Dragoman Tours

I haven’t personally used this company, but when I worked as a travel consultant, we had a partnership with Dragoman. They have been around for 40 years and are known for overlanding.

They offer a Classic Africa Overland Safari for 20 days, starting and ending in Nairobi, including trekking Mount Kilimanjaro and game viewing. 

African Trails

This company is another one that has been around since 1980. They have 60 different safaris, and I’m considering doing a tour with them for the sector from Cameroon. Their Trans Africa Expeditions include West Africa and the Nile from 9 weeks to 41 weeks. You can also explore South and East Africa with them too.  

Exploring Benin

My Overlanding Tips

Have no expectations. And I’m talking none. If you expect these countries to operate the same as they do back home, then you’re already setting yourself up for an uncomfortable time.

Expect to be uncomfortable, whether that’s with the communication, the corruption, what you witness, or the weather. It can be hot and humid, cold at night in the desert, dry and dusty, and even all three!

As with any tour, expect there to be some negative Nancies (negative people). Parts of overlanding can be rough, and you need to keep an open mind. Remind yourself that every day is a brand new day and that ‘this is Africa (TIA)’ and you'll have a better experience.  

Travelling Côte d'Ivoire solo

Travelling Africa Solo

Can you travel around Africa by yourself?  

If you feel comfortable, yes, you can, but don’t expect transport to run on time here, as public transport can be unreliable and uncomfortable. An open mind is definitely needed for getting around.  

You have to be over 25 to hire a car, and the best countries to drive through are Morocco, Botswana, Mozambique, and Eswatini, but if travelling overland seems like too much stress, consider flying instead, but be prepared for delays.

If you do choose to hire a car and are planning to visit more than one country, check that you don’t need a Carnet de Passage, which is a document that allows you to cross international borders.  

Abu Simbel in Egypt

There are trains here, and you may feel more comfortable using a train than local buses, as they can be safer if you’re travelling alone, but they can be slower.

If you’re travelling overland for many hours, consider a sleeping compartment, and lock the door and windows at night. The trains in Tunisia are really cheap with respectful travellers. Taxis are also reasonable here and can take you around the country.  

Morocco has a good bus network, with buses running throughout the country. Choose the company called CTM if you prefer to travel in comfort. Domestic flights tend to fly via Casablanca, so travelling overland could be quicker and cheaper.  

In Egypt, feluccas or river cruises take you along the River Nile at a leisurely pace, stopping at the incredible Egyptian sites, such as Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. The rest of the country can be explored on cheap trains and buses, and there are internal flights, which are easier when visiting Abu Simbel.  

Cape Town in South Africa

Travelling by bus is an option, but not all roads are well paved, so it could be a bumpy journey, especially around the Masai Mara safari park. Public transport is difficult in Malawi, and you’ll often see people just walking miles along the roadsides. Although there is a lack of transport in Namibia, there are buses between the main cities. Botswana has a good bus and minibus network.  

If you’re travelling in Tanzania, you’ll need to find a reputable bus company, as some of the roads aren’t in good condition. Mozambique is also hard to get around. In Kenya, you can take a night bus to Mombasa, which has security cameras onboard for extra safety. This eight-hour bus journey is without any stops.  

There are intercity buses in South Africa and also international buses with air conditioning or, if you’re just travelling through countries, there are minibuses known as matatus, which generally wait to be filled before they leave. Be prepared to be the only traveller on one of these.  

The gorgeous island of Zanzibar on the East coast

Riverboats may be crammed, and ferries may be overloaded, but they are a cheap way of getting around. If you’re travelling from Mombasa to one of the beaches, be prepared for the boat to be busy and to be the only Westerner.

A good ferry service takes you from Dar es Salam to the island of Zanzibar and you’ll find ferries taking you across the larger lakes throughout the continent.  

Be careful in Kenya, where there’s a chance of getting mugged, although they do have security cameras on overnight buses. In downtown Nairobi, you’ll often see people sniffing glue openly on the streets.  

In Ethiopia, you could be a novelty, so expect attention from beggars and curious locals. If you visit Uganda independently, you may find yourself very alone if you’re not on a tour. You may feel more comfortable in countries with more travellers and tourists.  

The sun sets on Sierra Leone

West Africa is made up of countries once colonised by Europe. Expect to speak Portuguese, French and even Spanish in one!

If you are travelling here, you’ll find a lack of tourism infrastructure and corrupt border officials. Many countries only have a bus network that connects the main cities, so going off the beaten track can be a challenge, and you may have to take shared taxis or moto taxis in countries such as Benin and Togo.  

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t travel there, as countries such as Senegal and Ghana are very welcoming, but the majority of the region is definitely better seen with an organised tour.  

Getting up close to elephants in Mole National Park, Ghana

I hope that my post has shown the reality of overlanding Africa. Obviously, everyone’s experience is different. You may get a fantastic tour guide, meet amazing people and have no mishaps where everything is plain sailing.  

One thing is for sure, when you’re on an overland tour, cruising across African plains, you really feel as though you’re in a completely different reality. Africa really makes you feel alive, and these trips are life-changing.

Still not sure if an overlanding camping tour is right for you? Join our Facebook community and ask any questions that you may have.  

Related Posts

• My Experience of Camping in Africa
• Solo Travel in Africa
• Lessons Learnt Travelling To West Africa
• Camping For Beginners
• Benefits of Camping For Solos
• Anti-Mosquito Pyjamas

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4 thoughts on “ African Overland Tours Review ”

I really enjoyed your vivid explination of overland travel. This is an experience that I will like to fulfill. I have been sharing this page with several of my friends. Challenging them to embrace this African travel experience . How do I begin to prepare my self for this overland travel. I live in California. And I am wandering, do you have a contact agency/ person in my area who I can contact. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for your comment Ken. That’s great that you enjoyed it. I think the best contact would be one of the companies that I’ve listed in the article. Once you’ve booked they usually send you notes on how to prepare for the trip that are going on. Each one may differ depending on the region that you’re going to. Have an amazing time x

How do I begin to plan my West African Overland trip. Can you send me information. I live in California. What the cost. And dies the cost include air fair. I look forward to hearing from you. [email protected]

Hi Ken, if you are travelling independently there’s a Facebook group called West Africa Travellers that you could join. For the tours I recommend contacting one of the tour companies I mentioned. They don’t usually include airfare x

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Overland ireland reviews & ratings, an amazing experience seeing much of what ireland has to offer.

My wife and I chose to the 10 day tour of Ireland for our Honeymoon and we had just the best time. We saw much of the small villages and some of the big cities with ...

I have no regrets

We did the 7 day Jewel Tour and loved it. The itinerary was well planned and we packed a lot into a day. Enjoyed the Aran Islands, kayaking and seeing Fungi the dol...

Incredible Trip

The experience, places, leaders and just about everything in this trip was perfect. I highly highly recommend travellers to go with overland. I cannot express how in...

What an amazing trip

OMG! What an amazing trip I recently had with 0verland Ireland. Highlights were Tour of Rock of Cashel on to , kissing Blarney stone! On then to cycling in Killarn...

Amazing experience

Amazing experience - we loved our thoughful, besoke tour! I did the Skellig Michael experience tour and was blown away. I cannot recommend our guide Pat enough - he ...

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Editoral Review of Overland Ireland

Think Ireland is only for gardens and quaint guest houses? Think again. These tours are adventure minded and take to the road, exploring off the beaten track.

What Makes Them Stand Out?

They keep tours small, and really focus on making sure everyone has the best Ireland experience. Instead of just visiting tourist attractions, they also imbue your travel experience with many local stops. Additionally they are adventure minded, so rather than visiting another church you might take a sea kayaking excursion. Prepare to see Ireland in an entirely different light!

Who Travels With Them?

Overland tours tend to attract younger travelers, in the 18 - 35 range, and very hip older travelers. These kinds of tours aren’t for everyone, as they can be exhausting and involve long drives (though Overland Ireland makes a point to say they try and keep driving distances short).

Where Do They Operate?

You can plan your own route, but their pre-set tours travel throughout Western and Southern Ireland, either broken up or in one fell swoop.

Why Travel With Them?

This is a vibrant, youthful tour company. Tours are very active and busy - with the goal of introducing you to a young adventurous side of Ireland. Expect small groups, minimal driving time, and staying in locally run establishments. They are very welcoming to solo travelers and this is a great way to make lasting friendships!

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Solo friendly.

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The Overland Team is thirsty for adventure and passionate about Ireland. This well-traveled bunch have all settled in Ireland because it has so much to offer.

Overland Ireland Trips & Specials

The Ultimate Tour

Ireland to Island Tour

Emerald Explorer Tour

Spectacular South and West Tour

Great Atlantic Tour

Wild West and North Tour

Magical Southern Tour

Last minute deal! Take 15% off all April 2018 tour departures. See Trips

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:.

• You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
• Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics

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Carefully crafted trips since 1984

THE PREMIER SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMP FOR KIDS & TEENS

Summer hiking trips for 4th to 12th graders, choose your next adventure.

Overland’s trips take our students on a journey of growth and discovery. Focused on safety, and free of screens, Overland is wholesome, adventurous, and fun.

featured trip

BERKSHIRE ADVENTURE

With a wide range of fun outdoor activities, Berkshire Adventure is a great introductory hiking trip for our youngest students.

Grades 4 - 6

New England Explorer

Explore Massachusetts’ Berkshire Hills, Vermont’s Green Mountains, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and Maine’s famous coast.

Grades 6 - 9

Rocky Mountain Expedition

Over two weeks, we’ll backpack, raft, and summit a 14er. Standing at over 14,000 feet, we’ll look back on accomplishments, laughter and smiles.

Grades 9 - 11

Alpine Challenge

Hike the best of the Alps—across the Bernese Oberland, below the Matterhorn, through deep green valleys and over Alpine passes.

Grades 10 - 12

Four Levels, One Goal

There’s a reason families return to Overland year after year: at every level, our trips offer thoughtful planning, appropriate challenges, and supportive groups.

Adventure Grades 4-6

Berkshire Adventure

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Explorer Grades 6-9

Alaska Explorer

Expedition Grades 9-11

Alaska Expedition

Challenge Grades 10-12

FORTY YEARS OF SUMMER ADVENTURE

SUPERB LEADERSHIP, HIGH STANDARDS, & ROCK-SOLID VALUES

For four decades, families have trusted Overland to create nurturing environments where their children thrive.

carefully crafted trips

Every Overland trip offers thoughtfully planned itineraries full of adventure.

exceptional leaders

Capable and caring, Overland’s leaders are role models of the highest order.

FOCUSED ON SAFETY

Overland is accredited by the nationally recognized American Camp Association.

phone & Internet Free

Overland offers supportive, wholesome experiences free of phones and screens.

Role Models of the Highest Order

Capable and caring, our leaders focus on creating supportive and wholesome groups.

The Best of the Best

Overland’s Leaders

Our talented leaders have one goal: the success of each of their students. This, perhaps more than anything else, has made the difference for us as a summer adventure camp and for the forty thousand students who have joined us.

Far More Than Just A Summer Experience

Four Decades of Adventure

The Overland story is best told by our families, students, and leaders.

“Words cannot describe the intimate dynamic of an Overland trip…

something I crave every day I am not on a trip or visiting my Overland friends. At Overland, everyone is important and everything that we do is as a team. Such a supportive and collaborative environment is hard to find anywhere else. I am so grateful for the long-lasting connections that I made on my trips!”

Beyond the bounds of single summer

The sky is the limit

Families witness the growth born out of an independent experience and age-appropriate challenges.

“In sending our kids to Overland, our goal was for them to become adventurous, acquire independence, confidence and leadership.

We also wanted them to be exposed to different cultures and experiences which would stretch them beyond their comfort zone.”

Apurva and Seema

Aditi & Krisha’s Parents

More than counselors or guides

Nurture and inspire

Overland leaders are role models of the highest caliber – and love what they do.

“I believe leadership is being able to love and care for all of the team members…

I’ve learned that leadership does not only rest on the “leader.” In a team, we all can and should lead. This summer, I’ll strive to empower and encourage ownership in each and every team member over our summer adventure!”

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Small Group and Self-Drive Ireland Tours

Choose your adventure, reviews of our authentic vacations in ireland.

The Great Atlantic Adventure 7-day Ireland Holiday

Emerald Explorer 7 Day Ireland Tour

The Ultimate Ireland 10-day Tour Package

Overland's guided ireland vacations.

Every Overland Ireland small group tour is designed to give you an authentic Irish experience, capturing the very best this magical little country of ours has to offer.

Overland Ireland’s relaxed ‘Jewel’ Small Group Tours   focus on offering guests a holiday jam-packed with real Irish culture, history and ‘Craic’(fun) – perfect for anyone looking for a complete Irish vacation that moves at a smooth, easy pace.

Most dietary requirements can be catered for on tour. Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or a flexitarian we have you covered with great recommendations throughout Ireland.

If you are looking to put a bit a zing into your next Ireland tour from Dublin, you must consider Overland Ireland’s ‘Zest’ Small Group Tours .

Discover the natural beauty and history of Ireland through adventures and cultural experiences.  

Whether you choose from our Jewel of Zest range of tours of Ireland, we GUARANTEE a trip of a lifetime.

Perhaps you’d even like to go the extra mile and make this a private guided tour of Ireland ? Start planning your ultimate Ireland tour with Overland Ireland today.

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Self Drive Tours of Ireland

South and West Wanderer 8-Day Self-Drive Ireland Tour

The High Life 8-Day Self-Drive Road Trip Through Ireland

The Ultimate 10-Day Self-Drive Ireland Tour

Our Overland  Ireland Self-Drive Tours are designed to give you the independence and sense of personal discovery you get when driving through Ireland, on a road trip, but with the expert local knowledge and resources of a guided trip.

It’s the best of both worlds. These tours are perfect for free spirits looking to delve into Ireland’s 40 shades of green at their own pace with the support of our expert ‘Paddy the Pocket Pilot’ virtual tour guide app.

Enjoy a creamy Guinness with the locals and swap stories, hike a mountain, explore ancient castles, and learn of bloody battles, warring kings, and all the things that make Ireland special. While most people arrive in Ireland and spend the whole time in the capital, Overland has designed our tours of Ireland from Dublin to help guests live and breathe the real Ireland, beyond the city limits. 

Choose one of our favourite self-drive itineraries below or  get in touch  and ask us to create your very own bespoke road-trip!

It’s Your Ireland Tour. Do It Your Way!

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Overland Tour Operators in Africa are resilient to say the least. After all, in the wake of an economic down turn in 2008, most overland companies in Africa disappeared off the face of the earth. But how were some able to remain? These companies were savvy when it came to budgeting, online marketing and listening to their customers. I have worked for two of these tour operators and encountered every other company on the road. With this in mind, the following is a list of the overland tour operators in Africa and some statistics according to Tourradar :

Quick Answer: Top Overland Companies in Africa

G Adventures

Oasis Overland

Absolute Africa

Acacia Adventure Holidays

Top Overland Tour Operators in Africa

1. g adventures.

Tour Radar Rating: 4.5/ 5 

My Rating – 4.8/5

1- 15 Days:   My Favourite Africa Overland Tours for Less than 15 Days

1 – 30 Days:  My Favourite Africa Overland Tours for Less than 30 Days

30+ Days:  My Favourite Africa Overland Tours for More than 30 Days

2. Nomad Tours 

Tour Radar Rating: 4.6/5 

My Rating: 4.5/5

Nomad Tours have quite a big reputation around the globe and are now one of the biggest overland tour operators in the world. According to their website, they have more than 40 trucks and 40 monthly departures in Africa alone. I would agree that Nomad is a fantastic overland tour operator and best suited to those aged 30 upwards. They use the old school overland trucks and most of these trucks seem to be in reasonably good shape. While the equipment might not be on the same level as the previously mentioned tour operator, it is fit for purpose. I also believe they are careful with recruiting crew members and have a wide range of travel itineraries from which to choose. If you are concerned about joining a slightly younger age group with G Adventures, I would suggest you consider taking an overland tour in Africa with Nomad Tours.

3. Oasis Overland

Tour Radar Rating – 4.3/5 (Nairobi to Cape Town Trip)

My Rating – 4/5

Oasis Overland are another international company with a base of operations in the UK and they get a lot of business through referrals and word of mouth. In my opinion, this company is more for the ‘party crowd’ and budget minded people aged between 18 – 30. The trucks are in decent shape and the crew were typically from the west (as opposed to being local drivers/guides) until recent years. However, you should know these type of trips are more budget focused and this is sometimes apparent in terms of the condition of tents and equipment on board. The crew also has more freedom with day-to-day operations and head office doesn’t get involved much in terms of the running of the actual trip. This means the competence of your driver and tour leader is even more important and it is my opinion that the outcome is less certain than the two operators mentioned already.  That said, if you cannot afford to travel with either Nomad or G Adventures, you might find a similar trip on a budget with Oasis Overland.

4. Absolute Africa

Tour Radar Rating: 4.5/5 (Only 150 reviews)

My Rating: 4/5

Absolute Africa is a budget tour company that offers a wide range of overland tours in Africa. They are often compared with Oasis Overland because they both use yellow trucks and offer no-frills trips that go to many of the same places as the other overland companies. I do think the rating for transportation is exaggerated on Tour Radar and the equipment is generally not as high quality as competitors. That said, Absolute Africa are lovely to deal with and if you get a good tour leader, it’s certainly possible to enjoy a budget overland tour. This is why I recommend Absolute Africa to people on a budget and those who do not expect any kind of luxury.

5. Acacia Review

Tour Radar Rating: 4.7/5 (267 Reviews)

Acacia have been around for a long time and seem to fall in the middle of the overland tour operators in Africa. That is to say, they are not exactly budget minded but they are not luxury either. Acacia have a wide range of options for their tours and plenty of monthly departures. In my experience, the passengers are usually aged between 18 – 35. I would rate the standard of their trucks as being average and the equipment similar to the two budget operators above. I would suggest Acacia if they offer an overland tour that you cannot find with any of the other overland tour operators on this list.

• Absolute Africa Review
• Acacia Review
• G Adventures Review
• Nomad Tours Review
• Oasis Overland Review
• overland companies in Africa
• Overland tour Operators in Africa
• Overlanding

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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.

Travel Insurance for Africa

Copyright @NoHangingAround.com | 2024

Read reviews posted straight from African Overland Tour Travellers. For years we have been getting countless five-star reviews on safaris and tours that truly are life-changing. We really appreciate your feedback and take your reviews seriously.

Feel free to read all reviews and drop us a message any time. View all African Overland Tours Reviews

See It Here First: Mammoth Overland Tall Boy Off-Road Camper Trailer

Want a camper trailer that can sleep four adults, has a full bathroom, and is seriously off-road capable? If so, the Mammoth Overland Tall Boy Genesis Edition might just be for you.

Last year, it was the ELE (Extinction-Level Event) trailer . This year, it’s the Tall Boy Genesis Edition trailer. Mammoth Overland is on a roll, creating some truly interesting off-road capable and highly optioned camper trailers.

Mammoth Overland trailers are made in Woodinville, Wash. The company is a subsidiary of Vashon Aircraft , with aerospace construction techniques and technologies built into every trailer.

"As a teen growing up in Montana, I explored on foot places that most people couldn't. I always lamented that more families couldn't experience these places," said Mammoth Overland President Scott Taylor. "We gave Tall Boy 22 inches of ground clearance, so that families could confidently and comfortably access parts of our country typically off limits to off-road trailers. Tall Boy combines the durability of our HV and ELE trailers with the amenities and spaciousness of home."

Mammoth Overland Tall Boy Genesis Edition

At 9 feet tall and 2,900 pounds, I wouldn’t call the Tall Boy a small trailer. But, it can be towed by a wide range of vehicles.

Layout-wise, the Tall Boy trailer packs a lot in a relatively small space, emphasizing interior sleeping comfort for up to four adults. As you walk into the camper’s rear entry, you get two bunk beds on your left and a full bathroom on your right. The short central hallway leads to an indoor/outdoor pantry just past the bathroom and the front of the camper, which is entirely a king-size bed.

Two massive tilt-out windows, with retractable privacy shades and bug screens - one on each side of the camper - provide great views outside from the big bed. A Dickenson Marine Newport Explorer propane fireplace in the corner above the big bed provides some ambiance and plenty of heat in the trailer for even the coldest nights. A roof-mounted vent fan over the bed and in the hallway should help control the climate in the camper.

Inside Living Quarters

This entire camper was designed around a king-size mattress, just like the Mammoth Overland HV and ELE trailers that came before it. This big forward bed has big views out the side windows and a propane fireplace over it.

Two bunk beds comfortably sleep people up to 6’2″, so they are great for kids and friends alike. The top bunk gets porthole-like windows and folds down to create a couch-like sitting area.

A full-featured bathroom is a standout feature in the Tall Boy camper trailer. It offers a shower, sink, and toilet. The cassette toilet is easy to move around, which allows for a much more spacious shower area when the toilet is moved out of the bathroom area. An instant hot water system fed by a 50-gallon fresh water tank can make for luxurious backcountry showers.

Outside the Tall Boy

A fold-out kitchen keeps cooking outside, while the dual-entry pantry allows food access inside and out. The Tall Boy’s kitchen has a sink, a dual-burner propane stove, and a 42-quart fridge .

A 270-degree 23 Zero awning covers both the kitchen and the two-piece door and fold-down stairs. The awning is mounted to a roof rack rated to hold 1,000 pounds static and 500 pounds dynamic - which is a lot. Access to the roof is easy with a front-mounted ladder.

The Tall Boy camper trailer is powered by 400Ah worth of Renogy lithium batteries. Recharging can happen on the go through the tow vehicle’s alternator or by two 100W Renogy flexible solar panels when at camp. USB ports throughout the trailer, interior selectable color LED light strips, a variety of interior and exterior LED lights, a 24-inch TV, and the fridge are powered off the system.

Off-Road Capability

Off-grid remote camping capability is built into the Mammoth Overland Tall Boy camper in all regards. A dual independent-axle system and 33-inch all-terrain tires - mounted on 17-inch wheels - provide a massive 22 inches of ground clearance.

On the front of the camper are mounted two full-size spare tires, Maxtrax, a Hi-Lift, a shovel, a propane tank, and RotopaX fuel cans. An exterior MOLLE panel also allows you to mount just about whatever else you might want for your adventures as well.

A relatively short tongue, forward body protection/rock sliders, and a truly impressive departure angle combine to allow this trailer to be dragged through just about any terrain it will fit through.

Tall Boy Genesis Edition: Pricing & Availability

Mammoth Overland will start taking deposits on the Tall Boy Genesis Edition trailers on Friday, May 10. The cost of one of these trailers is $72,000.

Only 10 Tall Boy Genesis Edition trailers will be made. They are the fully loaded version of the trailer. Future versions will be available at a lower price point, with a host of options and upgrades available.

Delivery of the first Mammoth Overland Tall Boy Genesis Edition trailers will start in the last quarter of this year.

The trailer will make its public debut at Overland Expo West 2024. You can check it out in person from May 17 to 19 in Flagstaff, Ariz.

'Extinction-Level Event' Camper Trailer: Mammoth Overland ELE Is Apocalypse-Ready

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The post See It Here First: Mammoth Overland Tall Boy Off-Road Camper Trailer appeared first on GearJunkie .

TownePlace Suites Kansas City Overland Park

Guest Reviews

Services & amenities.

2 Queen Studio

Two-Bedroom Suite

Queen Studio with Sofa Bed

Queen Studio

1 Bedroom Suite, 1 Queen, Sofa Bed

Guest reviews (28).

• Cleanliness 4
• Amenities 4

Property Policies

Front desk hours: 24/7

Health Protected

• Rooms are disinfected between stays

Property Description

• Opened: 2007
• Renovated: 2014
• Number of Rooms: 59

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