Dune 45 at sunrise
millions in Kenya and Tanzania, to the mother of all African safaris, a massive sixteen plus weeks of travelling the entire length of the continent from Cairo to Cape Town.
DESTINATION
OVERLANDING
AFRICA For those who’ve had their fill of the culture of Asia and the bright lights of Europe, an African safari seductively beckons. James Pham explores the world of overlanding. Photos by James Pham 50 | Word October 2012
A
n African safari inevitably figures on almost every adventure traveller’s bucket list, sandwiched somewhere between Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. After all, who hasn’t dreamed of following the footsteps of intrepid explorer, David Livingstone, one of the first westerners to overcome deadly diseases and wary natives to cross the continent in the mid 1800s? Or Scottish journalist Henry Stanley who, with the help of 200 porters, forged through 1,100km of African jungle to finally meet up with Livingstone and utter the now famous greeting, “Dr Livingstone, I presume?” For those who can afford to travel like ‘the One Percent’, the long distances between major centres and private game reserves are eaten up by flying in and out by way of a small aircraft. Some of the most exclusive lodges even feature gourmet dining, butler service and plunge pools while viewing animals right from the deck of your private chalet, sundowner in hand. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s
DIY travel where families and groups can rent their own vehicles and stay in selfcatering rest camps. South Africa’s Kruger National Park alone has nearly 20,000km2 to explore, ensuring endless days of neck-craning, eye-crossing game viewing. Somewhere in between lies overlanding. Simply put, overlanding involves travelling with a guide and fellow passengers on a custom designed truck, and more often than not pitching tents in the evenings, eating over a campfire and going to places otherwise inaccessible by public transportation or prohibitively expensive to get to on your own. Think of it as a poor but fabulous cousin to the allinclusive holiday.
Overlanding 101 Destination Overlanding destinations can be anything from two weeks of gorilla trekking in Uganda, to a month of taking in the ungulate migration numbering into the
Vehicle Outside of the major city centres, roads in Africa are notoriously bad necessitating serious power to forge through flooded passes, sandy bogs and barely-there paths. The earliest incarnations of vehicles were simply second-hand army trucks with seats bolted down, a couple of spare tyres, food and some tents. While most modern overland trucks remain relatively Spartan with little more than a stereo, slightly more comfortable seats, lighting and the occasional card table; higher-end trucks come equipped with everything from lockers, a fridge, safes, battery chargers, and even the rare luxury of airconditioning. Whatever the truck though, count on huge windows for game viewing and to enjoy the long days of monotonously gorgeous scenery. Accommodation To keep costs down, most overland trips involve camping. Sites range from bush camps literally in the middle of nowhere to ultra basic ones with long drop toilets and pumped well water to surprisingly posh grounds, complete with swimming pools, bars and Wi-Fi. Approximately 50 percent of overlanders are single, meaning passengers share tents with someone of the same sex, thereby avoiding single supplements common to most other forms of travel. At some sites, there may even be the option to upgrade to a bedded tent, chalet or hotel room for a fee.
October 2012 Word | 51