The key thing to remember when travelling overland in Africa is to expect the unexpected! If you’re someone who requires a fixed itinerary with no surprises, then this won’t be the kind of trip for you. We sometimes have to change our travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances. But this is what makes every trip different and exciting. As part of this adventure, we expect you to play an active role in the daily running of your trip, to get stuck in and work as a team, helping out with tasks like cooking meals over open fires, pitching tents and cleaning and tidying the truck. On driving days, we travel 100-600 km, depending on the terrain. We aim for one long driving day followed by several short ones. We have some non-driving days, when you can relax and enjoy sights like Lake Malawi or Victoria Falls. Most nights are spent at campsites, where you can shower, have a cold drink etc., but we sometimes camp in the bush, experiencing the “real” Africa. We provide generous sized tents (shared with one other) and thick camping mats, which by all accounts are comfortable (all you need is a sleeping bag and a mosquito net).
Your day begins at 7am with a simple ‘help yourself’ breakfast. For other meals, you’ll be expected to muck in and do your bit. When ‘on the road’ or at campsites, you will use a rota system and cook in groups with 2-3 others using gas or open fires. Expect to cook once every 7-10 days, depending on the size of the group. Occasionally there will be some stores of food on the truck for you to use, but it’s your job to decide what to cook and shop for most of your ingredients in local markets and shops. We do NOT cater for fussy eaters, or carry special food items. So be warned!
If you’re not cooking, the early part of the evening will be spent putting up your tent with your ‘tent buddy’. Most crucially, you’ll collect firewood before lightening the fire and making hot drinks. Water is collected from the local wells where available. Then you can chill out and enjoy the evening. We have lights in the truck so you can read or write a journal if you wish. It would be a shame if you didn’t keep a record of the holiday of a lifetime!
Occasionally ___ mean that the planned itinerary has to be altered
The ___ determines the distance that is covered each day.
People say that the camping mats are ___.
You are likely to cook with ___ people.
The majority of the food for meals comes from ___.
For non-cooks an important evening task is to find ___
The holiday company encourages you to ___ of your holiday.
