An overland adventure in Africa gives travellers a sense of adventure but moreover, an overland trip will change you forever - and for the better.
Nothing is quite like setting off on an adventure to your dream destination ready to explore what you always dreamt of - new places, new people, and new experiences.
An overland trip is often regarded as travelling through several countries while offering you an in-depth experience of each country - game drives in the Serengeti National Park, mokoro safaris in Botswana's Okavango Delta, watching the sunrise from the top of a sand dune in the oldest desert in the world.
So, if you’ve been thinking about overlanding in Africa and wondering how long are overland trips, then you're at the right place - there are a few factors to consider that should help you determine how long you should plan your trip for - where you want to go and what time of the year you want to travel.
Africa is, quite frankly, a huge continent, and to put it into perspective, it is more than three times the size of the US including Canada and Alaska.
That is a lot of ground to cover so knowing which highlights you want to achieve will help determine which trip is best for you.
Overland tours are either in East Africa or Southern Africa. If your adventure through Africa must include highlights such as Victoria Falls and the Kruger Park then Southern Africa is for you.
On the other hand, Overlanding in East Africa will give you a glimpse of iconic places like the Masai Mara National Reserve, Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti National Park.
While your start point and route are crucial, it is also important to think about where you want to end your overland tour. Roughing it out for a few weeks is grand but at the end of it, you’re going to want some downtime - we recommend adding extra days in destinations such as Cape Town or Zanzibar post tour.
Once you’re settled on where in Africa you want to go to and what you want to see, the next factor to consider is when do you want to go.
Travelling to Africa, like any other country, there are peak and low seasons that can have a huge impact on your overlanding experience and where you want to go.
Ask yourself - do you want to avoid the hot summer or go on a camping trip when rainfall is low? Do you want to see the migration, or go to the Zambezi when its waters are flowing at maximum?
Typically July and August are popular months to explore Tanzania and Kenya thanks to the excellent Great Migration action. While January and February are best known for Gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Aligned with your decision about when to go and what you want to see on your Africa overland tour, is how long to go for - this can be between 9-10 days, 14-15 days, and 20+ days.
Ultimately the amount of time you have will determine how much distance you can cover. If you’re just taking a break from work, this is more likely to be a shorter period of time and you’ll be limited to short trips to countries that only skim the surface.
But, if you’ve got an open calendar to play around with, then you’ll be able to explore more countries for longer periods of time - here you will be able to determine if you can see all the things you want to in that period.
At Encounters travel, we recommend 2 weeks or more overland in Africa. This will allow you to absorb the experience and see many highlights in a relatively short amount of time.
It’s no secret that taking on Africa in the form of an overland safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The rewards are rich and varied; endless horizons, unspoilt bushveld, truly wild places and truly wild animals.
Travel in Africa is filled with moments like these - unforgettable firsts that, years later, still sit amongst life’s greatest adventures.
Overlanding is about making memories that you will talk about for the rest of your life.
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