Catering & Shopping
Nowadays most African towns have good quality supermarkets where all your food shopping can be done. In some countries the bottle shop is separate so you may have to shop…
Whats has been happening in the Serengeti these past few months?
Its easy to forget that the world has not stopped turning, the sun still rises over the Serengeti Plains, the Zambezi is still pounding through its gorges creating wild spray…
Health on the Road
It’s especially important that you take your own health seriously when you are a long way from home in countries that have no National Health service, no Ambulance service, and…
10 Ways to Stay Safer
As Andrew Pierre White succinctly put it on a safety video about driving the roads of Africa, the easiest way to stay safe is to …. Slow Down! This simple…
Why self drive?
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Animal Tails, the tuskless elephants of Ruaha
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Zambia update C19
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Botswana self drive tips
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Why Tanzania is a tough self drive destination
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How dangerous is the wildlife on a self-drive safari?
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Camping in Comfort
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How to Spend your safari budget wisely
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Essentials to Pack
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Free Spirit article in Travel Africa 92
When you have to explain to someone who has never been to Africa what you do and why driving your own vehicle on safari is the best experience and it’s…
Planning
This section covers the many different aspects you need to think about early on at the planning stages of your journey. Research the regions, check the guide books and look at the maps. Mistakes made at this time are very hard to put right later on.
Journey Planning Principles
- The main thing is not to try and cover too much ground.
- Add extra time for the “Africa” factor, you will need it
- Allow time at the start to get over the flight, briefings, shopping etc
- First days driving should be short to allow extra time to set up camp
- Most journeys work best as a mix of camping and lodges
- Use lodges/hotels in towns for security and ease
- Two or three nights camping followed by lodge nights works well
- Try to use owner run and operated lodges.
- Generally, camp more at the start of the journey
- Self-drive trips are very tiring so slow down as the journey progresses
- Build in a few days mini holiday at the end to wind down and relax
- The trip will never be long enough so try to go for as long as possible