southern and eastern Africa June 2014-Feb 2015

We are a couple in their 30s planning a 9 month overland journey through southern and eastern Africa.

I have experience driving in many countries (including the third world), but no 4x4 experience.  I have some basic mechanical skill (can change spark plugs, oil and basic mechanical items, lubricate joints, etc).

We wish to acquire a 4x4 vehicle (preferably Toyota or Nissan with roof tent and overland gear) in the end of May in the Jo'Burg area and start our journey in June, passing through Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and finishing in Cape Town in February. We would start our wild adventure in Namibia and Botswana, but I am hesitant because it might be better to start in Kruger NP which is more organized and would serve as proper training ground for us (but would be a longer drive involving back-tracking).

We want to see nice landscapes and people and do cheap self-drive safaris. Our plans are flexible, and we would like to have advice on the following:

1) Is it realistic for us to undertake this journey with our experience and skills?

2) Is our itinerary (below) reasonable? Any suggestions?

3) Know someone looking to sell a suitable vehicle with a reasonable price? Where should I look to find one?

Our approximate itinerary is as follows:

end of May : acquire 4x4 and preparations in Jo'Burg
June : Namibia (paragliding, Fish River Canyon, Etosha, Sossusvlei, Skeleton Coast, Swakopmund)
July : Botswana (Tsodilo Hills, Okavango Delta, Chobe, Victoria Falls, pans, Central Kalahari GR)
August : Eastern South Africa (Blyde River Canyon, Kruger NP, paragliding)
Sept. : Mozambique (Maputo + coast)
Oct. : Tanzania coast
Nov. : Ethiopia (and some places along the way in Kenya)
Dec. : Sudan and Kenya
Jan. : Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania (Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti)
Feb. : Southern South Africa (Garden Route and Cape Town : paragliding, beaches), sell 4x4


Thanks for the help overland buddies!

Hi and welcome,

I do not know about traveling in the south of Africa, only been to Morocco, there are others on this forum who have, check out the past overland trips section, am sure it will all come together, just take your time an plan plan plan, try not to drive too far in a day, it helps if you both can drive get more miles done, try and pick the things you each do best and try not to argue, if you set up and do things together,
when setting up I get tent ready and SWMBO gets water and kettle on first.
When you pack up what you need to take the split it in two, am sure like we have you will always bring back stuff you never used, it is surprising what little you need need, even now we are packing to go back to Morocco, and I think we have packed too much.
The motors you like are both good for overlanding, just go for it and have fun.

And remember when you have your motor we love photos on this forum,

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on deciding to travel Africa.

First things first: Yes, it is realistic for you to undertake the journey you are proposing. No issues whatsoever.

We travelled with a Toyota Landcruiser 80-series, and no problems at all. Superb vehicle. I don't know of anyone selling in SA, but have a look at gumtree in SA. There is a place just outside Pretoria called N14x4 - they may have some leads as they are involved in all aspects of Landcruisers. There may be some classifieds in SA 4x4 and in Leisure Wheels (and some of the other SA 4x4 magazines). I also know of a chap in Stellenbosh that ships vehicles out of SA - he might be able to help you: Duncan at African Overlanders (say you were referred by Kapp2Cape). I can also recommend a mechanic in Jo'burg if you need someone to give it a once-over before you buy.

I personally think the itinerary is ambitious. Make sure you have time to rest and time to stay for a day longer if you want. It is easy to travel in most countries, and if you get Tracks4Africa you will never run out of campsite options. You generally don't need to pre-book outside the National Parks, although it is highly recommended to book everywhere during peak seasons. We stayed nearly five weeks in Uganda, and only managed to see about half...

Have a look at our website and blog for more info: kapp2cape.net and kapp2cape-blog.net.

Enjoy your planning, and if you have any questions for us please drop us a line or respond to this post.

Looking forward to following your adventure.

Cheers,

VE

I know sweet Fanny Adams about your proposed journey, I'll let others far more knowledgeable than me answer.

Just wanted to say ... welcome to the forum!

Sounds like a great trip! I have driven some of the areas you are heading for and you have picked some good ones. As mentioned above, you will have to be patient and flexible in your itinerary. Between visa issues (where needed), breakdowns, borders as well as just really enjoying an area...it is hard to keep to a list where you have a bunch of boxes you feel you want to tick off.

Don't worry about your skill set, you will do fine. At the time it may not always seem like fun, but overcoming adversity and challenges will become your favorite memories of a trip. I once spent seven days broken down in a remote area of Western Tanzania in the deep bush...probably the most relaxing and enjoyable week of my life. It is mostly about the attitude...you can't control Africa, or hurry it up, or make it more efficient...or even make it make sense sometimes...you just have relax and enjoy it.

I look forward to hearing more about the trip...keep us posted!

Thanks for your tips and thumbs up! I am really excited about this trip!

VikingExplorer thanks for sharing your blog and contact information, I am downloading your files as we speak, and probably have a look at your ebook!

Concerning my ambitious itinerary... would it be more realistic to remove Ethiopia and Sudan and concentrate more on southern and eastern Africa?

Hi there,

etiennesky wrote:

Concerning my ambitious itinerary... would it be more realistic to remove Ethiopia and Sudan and concentrate more on southern and eastern Africa?

Africa is bigger than you think, so it will take you longer to travel to where you want to go - especially if you go a bit off the beaten track. Also, Ethiopia and Sudan are, I think, not as geared up for vehicle based travel and overlanding as the other countries on your list. Have a search for some other traveller's websites to see if you can find some info on these countries.

I'm not saying for you not to do it, just be aware of what you are trying to achieve, and that you have to get all the way back down...

Let us know what you decide.

VE

VikingExplorer wrote:

Hi there,

etiennesky wrote:

Concerning my ambitious itinerary... would it be more realistic to remove Ethiopia and Sudan and concentrate more on southern and eastern Africa?

Africa is bigger than you think, so it will take you longer to travel to where you want to go - especially if you go a bit off the beaten track. Also, Ethiopia and Sudan are, I think, not as geared up for vehicle based travel and overlanding as the other countries on your list. Have a search for some other traveller's websites to see if you can find some info on these countries.

I'm not saying for you not to do it, just be aware of what you are trying to achieve, and that you have to get all the way back down...

Let us know what you decide.

VE

Hi based on comments here and on the SA 4x4 community forum, we have decided to remove Ethiopia and Sudan from our plans, in favor of southern Zambia and Zimbabwe (maybe a month in total). However, we are still tempted to go see the Omo valley so if we can get a visa and find ground transportation from Kenya we will do that. A quick search tells me this might be tricky.

As everyone is saying - you can't control Africa so we will go with the flow!

Thanks for your comments