Overlanding Africa: A brief guide to self drive holidays
Travel is a passion that can never be extinguished by anything else other than the wheels of adventure. It might be easier to organize a month long trip in a particular part of the African continent. Many have executed these trips with ease. Talk about a self drive in Uganda or any other East African countries that include Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi.
In the East African region, it is common for people to visit Uganda and Rwanda; Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda while others often visit Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. At times Uganda and Rwanda are not considered at all since the main inspiration to some people is often Massai Mara and Serengeti national park in Tanzania.
In the southern African region, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana are often the main destinations visited by overlanders. But what if you wish to drive from Cairo in Egypt to Cape town south Africa, how best can you execute this overland. The Cape to Cairo Journey is the longest overland trip you can venture on while in Africa.
Overlanding Duration
Overland trips that start in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia or Egypt often take around 3 months (90 days). This does not mean that you will drive every single day of the 90 days; rather it will take around 90 days to reach Cape Town considering trips in the major national parks of the different countries you will be visiting.
There are several agencies where you can rent a car for an overland trip through Africa. Though most agencies that sell overland trips are from South Africa, you can still get a reliable car rental from East Africa. One of the new entrants into overland trips is 4x4 Uganda, a local car rental agency that offers car rental across East Africa.
Terms of Overland Car Rentals
Overland hires that connect to Cape Town tend to have different hire terms and conditions. Often at times, companies offer comprehensive insurance and road assistance during the overlands within 3 to 4 African countries. However, when it comes to continental overlands, you will be required to do all the car repairs by yourself.
The good news is, you will only have to repair a few things during your overland. These include; shock absorbers that are likely to wear out during your trip, brakes, replacement of engine oil and brake fluids. When the car rental agency is offering you a quote, they will put all this in consideration since you might have to cover it all by yourself.
The car rental agency will always help you locate mechanics around the continent depending on where you are but will leave the bill in your hands.
Overland Car Rental Budget
The overland car rental budget often ranges between US$8,000 and US$15,000 depending on the type of car. The beauty with hiring a car from an overland car rental agency is the chance it offers you to change to another car in the first days of your trip. In the first days, you get a chance to test how good the car is.
Even with limited mechanical skills, the car rental agency cannot afford to put its reputation on the line. It will ensure that the car is in good mechanical condition to avoid both minor and major mechanical issues that can easily be avoided.
Overland car rental Options
There are mainly five cars you can consider for an overland hire; a land cruiser 90 series, Land cruiser 70 series, Land cruiser V8/GX , Land cruiser VX and the Land rover defender. All these cars are mainly offered with a rooftop tent to enhance your overland camping experience.
Important to note, most of the overland car rental agencies do not have customized camping vehicles. They can offer you a car with a fridge and rooftop tent but you should not expect any special camping enhancements in the car beyond the fridge and rooftop tent.
The Land cruiser 90 series is the budget option for anyone attempting an overland in Africa. However, its shock absorbers are not as reliable as those of the other Land cruisers are. To ensure an uninterrupted overland, the Land cruiser V8 and the Land cruiser 70 series are the most recommended vehicles to use for your trip. The only challenge; they are not as budget friendly as the Land cruiser 70 series.
Where to Go
There are lots of amazing places to visit on an overland safari in Africa. Depending on your travel needs, here are the most popular destinations that travelers do not miss in Africa.
Within Southern Africa, top safari destinations include the Victoria Falls along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Cape Town, Garden route and Kruger National Park, in South Africa, Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Hwange Park andcGreat Zimbabwe ruins in Zimbabwe and many more.
Within East Africa top destinations include the Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park of Kenya, the Kilimanjaro Mountains, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro National Park in Tanzania; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda as well as Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda.
More destinations can be crafted into a trip itinerary that will enable you see more of Africa on an overland expedition.
Seasons of the year
An overlanding trip can be done at any time of the year. However most travelers prefer to go on safaris during the dry season months. The dry seasons and wet seasons vary according to the region and the time of the year. The best time of travel would be between June and September.
For those who prefer to travel during the shoulder months, you can consider January to March which also fall in the dry season within East Africa.
Conclusion
All in all, an overland is an exciting venture that you can take in Africa. An overland trip involves a lot of time need to plan and execute a travel program that can cover more places during your holiday time. With the above tips and guidelines you can get started with reaserching and planning your next self guided trip in Africa.
