Overlanding in Africa is an unbelievably fun and rewarding experience, but it's also massively challenging. Surprises and adventures lie around every corner, and until you go, you won’t know what to expect. While every trip is different, there are some things that will happen on your Africa overland tour, so it's essential to prepare yourself both physically and psychologically.
Navigating the Diverse World of African Toilets
The toilet situation in Africa can take some getting used to, but once you do, it’s quite liberating really. African toilets range from super posh to a self-dug hole in the ground, and you might experience both extremes in less than 24 hours. The diversity of the African loo is legendary; mostly they’re western style or long drops, the quality of them varies and I definitely think boys have the easier deal here (and everywhere else). When I was in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, all we had was a hole and a shovel.
Some of the are luxurious, some are really stinky and will make you heave. Before you know it, you’ll be handling the long drops like a pro and squatting down in a line, next to your mates, chatting as you pee in perfect harmony. I’d much rather pee al fresco, which might be your only choice if you’re in the middle of nowhere or camping wild in the bush, so making your peace with it early is something I’d suggest you do.
Health and Hygiene on the Road
Being exposed to all manner of different things than you’re used to is both a pleasure and a pain when travelling in Africa. Despite my pevention techniques it got me in the end. My advice - take all the precautions you can against illness, it can be avoided for the most part but inevitably, you will at some point and find yourself getting very acquainted with the nearest bathroom.
It was about five months into my first Africa trip when it happened to me. I got sick the night we crossed over into South Africa. The week before, one by one the group had started to drop. Turns out it was giardia, a pretty unpleasant parasite infection that apparently causes much bonding over vomiting and diarrhoea. I didn’t get ill at first, which I put down to my strong constitution, and my ”˜theory’. You know how they say ”œan apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, my theory about travel is that ”œa bottle of Coca Cola a day keeps the doctor away” (hmm”¦ doctor maybe, perhaps not the dentist).
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The Unpredictable Nature Calls
I never ever wake up in the middle of the night needing a wee at home. Never. However, I always seem to need one when I am in a tent. Maybe it’s because of the extra water consumption, or the dramatic drops in temperature at night, or because it’s noisier or it’s just psychological! Last time it happened to me, in Malawi. It was still dark, I was alone. I sat up, but as I did, I could hear the snapping and munching of branches just behind me. The unmistakable sounds of a grazing elephant. I waited, and waited and waited. This dude was taking his time and I really needed to go now.
Over Sharing and Digestive Systems
Do you ever talk to complete strangers about your toilet habits? Nope? So what is it about travel (especially Africa travel) that makes you feel the need to discuss every single bowel movement with everybody within a five mile radius? Including the opposite sex. But alas, I give it a day before you and your travel companions know the inner workings of each other’s digestive systems. Mind you, when you put together points 1, 2 and 3 you might need to talk about these things.
Road Conditions and Travel Challenges
Good roads are few and far between in many parts of Africa. Pot holes are the norm. Animals in the road are common. There’s hardly any street lights, so driving in the dark is not a great idea, especially in rural areas. The road signs are crap. Rain makes many roads impassable. But the worst thing”¦ your boobs, ow your boobs (you too fellas). ALWAYS wear your seatbelt when available and ladies pack your sports bra.
Like I said, Africa roads are generally bad and those trucks go through a lot. So it’s no surprise that they break down, with relative frequency. It however lacked air-conditioning, sunshades, or any suspension whatsoever (while we couldn’t see the potholes peppering the road through the windscreen, we could feel every single one of them, jolting up through our vertebral discs).
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Dust and Dirt: The Unavoidable Reality
Africa is dusty, like really dusty. Dust is small. It gets into things. It clogs up things. Like your camera. I went through three cameras when I was there for 6 months, three. Dust also gets on things, like your clothes and when you mix orange dust, with limited washing facilities, without a washing machine, the dust gets harder and harder to remove.
Fashion and Glamour on the Overland Route
Africa travel is not particularly glamorous, especially when you’re living in a tent. I gotta admit, I barely look in the mirror when I’m on the road. Your feet will be the worst, followed by your finger nails, your clothes (see point 6), your hair, your skin… you’ll shower and look clean for 5 minutes, sure. No-one gives two craps about what you look like when you’re overlanding.
I’m not a particularly fashion conscious person. But, you know, I generally try and look relatively decent.
Digital Detox and Connectivity
There is something totally amazing about being cut off from the world. To just be. Without distractions, just living, in the moment. It makes you feel alive, to be at one with nature. Having no internet and limited electricity is brilliant. The wifi is generally pretty poor, and internet cafes are usually a take turns basis but you’ll love the freedom it brings you. Then it sucks.
Group Dynamics and Social Interactions
There’s always gotta be one hasn’t there? The beauty of travel is that, you can usually bin them off after a few days. Not on an overland, then you’re stuck with them. Most people will be awesome, but there could be the odd one that you’d be happy to never see again. My best advice, is to take it with a pinch of salt, and find the comedy in the situation. You’ll probably be best friends once you get used to them.
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Travelling in a group of 20+ strangers does pose some challenges but most people got along extremely well and were fantastic, helpful team players. This means that the group dynamic changed every 2-3 weeks in some way or another. The first 3 weeks of our tour (Cape Town to Victoria Falls) was fully booked (i.e. we had the maximum 22 travellers) and the minimum number of travellers we had at any given time was 16. While the change-up of the group kept things interesting and always gave you new people to talk to, it also led to some extremely difficult goodbyes along the way!
The Minging Fridge and Camp Hygiene
Most overland trucks have a fridge. They aren’t massive, can only be turned on when the engine is running and with the aforementioned bumpy roads (and peoples inability to place the tops back on things properly) there’s likely to be spillages and people leave stuff in them for waaay too long. Basically, the fridge will be minging. This is all part of the fun. But what you need is the fridge police. My mate Bec was awesome at this and kept us all in check.
The Quest for a Hot Shower
Finding a hot shower at an East African campsite is a rare treasure”¦ and likelihood is that you’ll be last in and the hot water is all gone. I remember the happy feeling, arriving back from the Serengeti, to find our car was the first back. We hadn’t showered in three days. We knew the other cars weren’t far behind, so my friend Lucia and I did the only sensible thing. Grab our bags and run in to claim the showers. You’ve never seen two people move faster. (Mu ha ha ha). Was it wrong to feel a little smug when everyone else was complaining about their cold showers, when we’d both had lovely hot ones”¦ ah, who cares.
Daily Life and Entertainment on the Road
Not every day is filled with sight-seeing, safari or adrenaline fuelled fun. There’s always something to see, but you could be driving for most of the day or camping somewhere without much entertainment. There are always a way to amuse yourself, however. Games on the truck. I swear I have NEVER laughed so much in my life. Absolutely worthless, a complete waste of money, but someone will still buy one and then all find it hilarious to say ”˜One Hundred Trillion Dollars’ ”“ Dr Evil style.
The Soundtrack of Africa
There’ll always be a song or ten that reminds you of your time in Africa. I can guarantee that one of them will be Africa by Toto. The other two definites will be Hakuna Matata and Circle of Life from The Lion King.
Mosquitoes and Other Annoyances
Just as you’re nodding off, you hear that familiar high pitched buzz in your ear and it fills you with the fear of God. I like to think I’m a caring kind of person, but mosquitos can bore off! Horrible little, parasite carrying assholes, that’s what they are. But, good news is, on most overlands you’ll be staying in a tent. Hardley any bugs in a tent, including mosquitoes, unless you leave your tent open, then you’re asking for trouble. If that happens, just get yourself a nice can of DOOM!
The Wonderment of Africa
If you’re a regular reader of mine, you will have heard me wax lyrical many times about how wonderful Africa travel is and I suppose Helen in Wonderlust is kind of a living testament to just how much I enjoy travelling there. But Africa isn’t all National Geographic worthy landscapes filled with the cast of the Lion King ”“ ok, well it kind of is ”“ but there’s a lot more to it than that. But nevertheless, it will leave you in absolute wonderment. Especially when you see an elephant in the wild for the very first time.
Souvenirs and the Art of Packing
I spent two and a half months on my first overland, and just couldn’t help picking up a few souvenirs here and there, just a few - or so I thought. Turns out I bought bracelets in Kenya, paintings in Tanzania and Uganda, scarves in Zanzibar and fabric in Zambia, I even bought a chair in Malawi, and actual chair. But being on the truck means you can store them away without a second thought. My friends and I pretty much exploded in our hostel room in Cape Town. Luckily we had it to ourselves and after an entire day spent sorting it all had to ship it all home.
Culinary Delights and Local Flavors
Africa has awesome soft drinks I swear and Stoney Ginger Beer and Still Fanta are the best. Other favourite food and beverage products to look out for are; Milo, Cadbury’s Top Deck, Mrs H.S. Balls Chutney, “Yum Yum” Caramel Crunch Peanut Butter, Parmalat Cheese and Yoghurt, Savanna Cider and Tusker or Mosi beer!
Truck Rivalry and Overland Camaraderie
Along the African travel trail you’ll come across lots of different trucks, full of other travellers just like you, all following the same route. You’ll see them at the campsite, pass them on the road and maybe even share a drink or two at the bar. You’ll smile and chat, but all the while, there will be a bit of rivalry between you.
The Feeling of Coming Home
This is really hard to describe. The best way I can describe it for me, is that I feel like I’ve come home. My whole demeanor changes. I relax 1000%. I see myself differently, better. And that is reflected in the way others see me. I feel happy. At peace.
The Enduring Friendships
…is the friendships you make. People from all different backgrounds, ages and nationalities. Two ridiculous peas in a pod. I went to Africa alone. I came away with soul mates.
The Overland Truck Experience
Our means of transport for the long-distance travel in this demanding environment was a converted, customised truck, fitted with seats, large windows, and lockers for storage. Intrepid trucks have 3 crew members (a guide, a chef and a driver) whereas Oasis trucks have 2 (a guide and a driver). The travellers are expected to go food shopping and prepare all meals (different travellers will have this duty each day). While this is great if you’re travelling on a budget or if you want more control about what you are eating during your trip, I personally wouldn’t want to waste that much time on shopping/cooking.
Intrepid Africa Overland Tours
Intrepid Travel is an Australian company which has been organising group travel tours for over 30 years across all 7 continents, focusing on responsible and sustainable travel, educating tourists and funding local initiatives. In our first truck, the personal lockers were small and getting your big backpack with your belongings in and out was so difficult that our crew had to reshuffle some of the truck equipment to make room for larger bags in storage space below the body of the truck. Our second truck had much more roomy lockers which my bag (and everything else I accumulated along the way!) fit into easily. The location of your locker will also influence how easy it is for you to access your belongings. Bring your padlock to your first meeting with your crew and claim the best real estate ASAP!
Tour Leaders
We had an unusually high number of people (10) who were booked onto the entire trip, so it really felt like we were a little family by the end of those 7 weeks. When we had to say goodbye to the crew in Nairobi, many tears were shed but we were extremely excited for them to be reunited with their families after such a long time on the road. Tour leader - Mambo (Stanley) - Mambo was an absolute hero in making sure that our experience was as smooth sailing as possible while genuinely caring about everyone’s thoughts/opinions/issues. It’s clear that Mambo is an extremely experienced guide, his knowledge of Africa is unrivalled and his ability to read a group dynamic (even when there’s 22 travellers from all over the world!) to sense and sort issues before they arise was extremely impressive.
Packing for the Adventure
Before embarking on an Africa Overland Tour, it’s really important to understand that this is not a vacation, it’s travel and adventure. There’s very little active relaxation or downtime (12-hour days sitting in a truck is not relaxing) and your participation in camp duties and interaction with the group will keep you busy. Intrepid’s notes clearly state that you should pack lightly and bring a small malleable bag which can be squished into a locker - please be more sensible than me and follow this guidance!
Some of the Must-Haves include:
- antimalarials (we tested both Lariam - 1 tablet weekly - and Malarone - 1 tablet daily - on different visits to Africa and had no issues/side effects with either)
- proper mosquito repellent
- toilet paper and wet wipes (proper toilet facilities are rare on backcountry roads so you’ll use the “bush toilet” a lot and wet wipes are invaluable)
- light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing (mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours like blue and black - don’t wear those, but light-coloured clothes instead. Be aware though that the desert sand gives everything a nice orange colour)
- memory foam travel pillow
- yellow fever certificate and proof of travel medical insurance
- US$ (the preferred currency in most African countries we visited) and at least two credit card that don’t charge foreign transaction/withdrawal fees
- visas: visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We always received a visa on arrival, but three fellow travellers from Uruguay had to purchase visas for most countries months before their trip. Contact your embassy to find out what’s required in your case.
Health Considerations and Safety
In the different countries through which we travel you will in all likelihood be exposed to diseases and parasites you may not have come across before including malaria, tsetse fly, rabies and water borne parasites such as bilharzia. Remember there is also a tragically high incidence of HIV Aids in the countries en route. It is vital that you speak to a medical professional who specialises in travel medicine before you depart to discuss where you will be travelling in regards to the above, your immunisation schedule and other requirements. Be aware travelling in malarial areas you will be required to take a course of antimalarial prophylactics and to adhere carefully to other preventative measures such as applying DEET mosquito repellent from dusk to dawn as well.
There is a higher level of crime in many African countries often related to poverty and economic and political insecurity. Some countries where we travel are also subject to political and economic instability. Do be aware also that itineraries need to be treated with a level of flexibility due to operational uncertainties. Itineraries can change for a variety of reasons before or during your Africa trip. We cannot then, whilst it is unusual, guarantee that your crew have always been to a specific area en route nor always guarantee the arrival and departure dates. Departure and particularly arrival dates may vary by a few days. Please arrange flights accordingly allowing at least for two days overrun in particular. We regret that we cannot be responsible for any additional expenses incurred due to the late arrival or departure of any trip, however caused.
The Overland Tour Experience
Here’s a summary of what you can expect on an Africa overland tour:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Camping in tents is the norm, with occasional upgrades available. |
| Food | Meals are often prepared as a group, with a mix of included and optional meals. |
| Transportation | Customized overland trucks are used, which can be bumpy and dusty. |
| Toilets | Vary from modern facilities to "bush toilets" (peeing behind a bush). |
| Health | It's essential to consult a travel medicine specialist and take necessary precautions. |
| Group Dynamics | You'll be traveling with a diverse group of people, and group dynamics can change over time. |
| Activities | A mix of included and optional activities, ranging from safaris to cultural experiences. |
Our Africa trips are a lot of fun! The style of travel is group camping. Everyone participates in all the daily routines and some great friendships can develop over the life of a tour as everyone works together quite closely to ensure all stays organised. We keep busy, the day to day routines being centred around setting up camp including pitching tents and taking turns in cooking and shopping, packing away, fire lighting and cleaning. Being based around a group effort you will find the more you put in to your trip, the more you will get out of your time in Africa on an overland truck tour.
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