5 Signs an African Overland Tour Isn’t Right For You

The pictures are epic. A giant, rugged truck parked against a blood-orange sunset. A group of new friends laughing around a campfire. Elephants drinking from a waterhole, so close you can hear the rumble in their chests.

An African overland tour looks like the adventure of a lifetime. And for many people, it absolutely is.

But here’s the thing: those Instagram photos don’t show the 10-hour drive day on a bumpy road that preceded the sunset. They don’t capture the debate over who burnt the pasta for dinner. And they definitely don’t show you what the toilets looked like at that last border crossing.

We want you to have an incredible time in Africa. And because we want that, we need to be brutally honest. An overland tour is a specific style of travel, and it’s not for everyone. And that is 100% okay.

So, let’s be friends. Let’s skip the sales pitch and have a real chat. Here are 5 signs that you and an overland truck might not be the best travel companions.

1. You and a Strict Itinerary are Best Friends

Do you love a plan? Do you create spreadsheets for your holidays with colour-coded, timed-out activities? We respect that level of organisation. Seriously.

But on an overland trip, the itinerary is more of a… hopeful suggestion.

“Africa Time” is a very real thing. Things move at their own pace. A flat tyre doesn’t care about your 2 p.m. game drive. A fascinating, impromptu village market will throw the schedule off. A border crossing can take two hours or it can take eight. The truck might get stuck in the mud. It happens.

If the thought of an unscheduled four-hour delay makes your eye twitch, an overland tour will test the very limits of your sanity. Patience isn’t just a virtue here; it’s a non-negotiable survival skill.

2. You Believe “Participation” is a Dirty Word

Picture this: You’ve just had a long, dusty, incredible day on the road. You pull into a campsite. You are tired.

This is not a cruise ship. No one is going to set up your tent for you, pour you a gin and tonic, and start prepping a three-course meal while you relax.

You are the crew. You’ll be on a rota for cooking, cleaning the truck, and packing up. When it’s your turn, you’re on duty for the whole group. If you’re the kind of person who “hated group projects” in school and always ended up doing all the work (or none of it), this environment can be a challenge. Everyone has to pull their weight. A positive, can-do attitude is as essential as your passport.

3. You Require a Certain Level of… Personal Space

An overland truck is a micro-community on wheels. You will be sharing a relatively small space with the same 15-25 people for weeks on end. You’ll hear their weirdest stories, learn their favourite snacks, and probably know more about their digestive health than you ever wanted to.

While you get moments to yourself, true solitude is rare. If you’re a traveller who needs to decompress alone for several hours a day to feel human, the constant social buzz might drain you faster than your phone battery. You need to be okay with compromise, shared spaces, and a whole lot of togetherness.

4. The Thought of a “Bush Wee” Fills You With Dread

Let’s talk about bathrooms. You will encounter pristine flushing toilets. You will also encounter… the opposite. We’re talking long-drops, squat toilets, and the occasional, inevitable “bush wee” behind a strategically-chosen shrub on a long drive day.

You will go days without a proper shower. You will be dusty. You will be sweaty. Your hair will not look its best.

If you’re someone who packs a travel-sized bottle of bleach for hotel bathrooms and considers a wet wipe shower an act of barbarism, this is not your jam. A certain level of comfort with being a bit grimy is part of the package. It’s freedom from vanity, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

5. Your Idea of “Basic” is a 3-Star Hotel

Overlanding is, at its heart, a form of glorified camping. You’ll be sleeping in a two-person tent on a roll-out mat. It’s a thin layer of foam between you and the magnificent African earth. Some nights it will be lumpy. Some nights it will be cold. Some mornings, you’ll be woken at 5 a.m. by the sound of the breakfast crew clanging pots and pans.

This is not a luxury safari where you retire to a four-poster bed with a pillow menu. This is raw, unfiltered, ground-level travel. If a comfortable mattress and guaranteed hot water are absolute non-negotiables for your happiness, you should absolutely book a trip that provides them! There’s no shame in that.

So, What’s the Verdict?

If you read through this list nodding and thinking, “Nope, not me, sounds awful,” then congratulations! You just saved yourself from a potentially miserable holiday. Go book that beautiful lodge-based safari or a boutique city tour and have the time of your life!

But if you read this and thought…

“Unpredictability sounds like an adventure!”
“Teamwork makes the dream work!”
“I can pee behind a bush, no problem.”
“Who needs a shower when you have a sunset like that?”

…then welcome to the tribe. An African overland tour might just be the best, most challenging, most rewarding thing you ever do.

We’d rather be honest with you upfront than sell you a dream that isn’t yours. The most important thing is that you find the right adventure for you.