Life on the Road

Many people wonder what happens on a Africa Overland tour day to day doing a trip such as this.

The Africa Overland day normally starts around 7am.  While the cook group sorts out the breakfast, everyone takes down their tent, rolls up their sleeping bag and stows their bags on the overland truck.  After eating breakfast; which is normally tea, coffee, cereal and the occasional cooked breakfast or pancakes, we wash up and pack up and try to be on the road by 8am.  Of course there are days where we hit the road earlier, and others with a lie in.
 

Our days on the road can vary from 100km to 600km. We aim to have one long drive day and then a few short ones; there are days where we don’t go anywhere; such as Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls and Swakopmund.   Lunch is normally at noon where we visit small eating houses so that you can try the local food, if there is nothing available on the road we eat off the truck.

Each day in Africa is different, which is half the beauty of overlanding. Much depends on where you are - you could be spending an afternoon by Lake Malawi, or you could be driving along a dusty road complete with bumps and pot holes trying to read a book but not able to keep it still for long enough.

However you spend your day, evening falls quickly in Africa, sun sets at 6 pm and its dark in 30 minutes, so it’s always best to set up camp well before dark.

Then you stretch, stop gazing at the view (or put the book down you've been trying to read) and jump out of the overland truck. If you aren't cooking that night (as a group, you take it in turns to cook, so that you will probably cook once a week - and we do cater for vegetarians, and most diets) you would start scouting around for a good place to set up your tent.  Tents are roomy 2 person size dome type and easy to erect. Though our trips are camping, there are many places where you can upgrade to a room if you would like a night off from your tent.  Now's a good time to put your long pants and shirts on and spray yourself with mossie repellent. 

Most nights are spent at campsites; some have cold showers and others with loads of hot water.  In most places you can charge your equipment, wash clothes, and have a cold drink at the bar.  Meanwhile, the cooks of the day are having their tent put up by someone nice, and are busy getting hand washing bowls out, lighting the fire, opening up the kitchen and so on.

Then you get down to - and really appreciate - your freshly cooked dinner put together from the stores on board with ingredients purchased in a local market.  You will very likely sit around chatting, update your diary - there are lights in the truck to allow writing and reading - or studying the stunning night sky

Then the kitchen is packed up and night draws on, toothbrushes are brought out, and the rest we leave to your imagination - chances are though you'll have sweet dreams.

See you out here!