Other information
Please read through your travel vouchers carefully to ensure all personal, flight, and dates details are correct. If you notice any errors, notify your booking agent immediately so we can update our operator manifesting systems before you land.
Airport Transfers & Hotels
The majority of our operating companies offer airport transfer services to your hotel for an additional charge. We strongly recommend booking your pre-tour night at the official hotel of departure. This ensures a stress-free start to your safari and guarantees you are present for the mandatory tour departure briefing.
Day Tours
If you arrive early in Johannesburg or Cape Town, half-day and full-day excursions can easily be arranged. In Johannesburg, safe, informative, and inexpensive day tours to Soweto and the Apartheid Museum are highly recommended. These can be pre-booked through your agent or arranged with your transfer guide upon arrival.
Safety Note: We strongly advise against exploring the central business districts of major African cities on your own.
Departure Briefing & Tour Joining
Your safari begins with a short, mandatory meeting to discuss logistics, safety, local conditions, and the day’s activities.
Bring your original travel vouchers, passport, and proof of comprehensive insurance.
You will be required to sign an operator indemnity form before departure.
This is the essential time to inform your crew of any allergies, dietary preferences, or medical conditions.
Our Touring Styles & Vehicles
What are Overland Adventure Tours?
Our adventure tours are designed for travelers who want to experience the authentic heart of Africa. These journeys are centered around the great outdoors—whether you are sitting around an evening campfire under the stars, checking into a remote eco-lodge, or interacting with local village communities.
What Type of Vehicles Do We Use?
Vehicle types vary depending on your destination, group size, and selected style:
Small-Group Custom Safari Trucks/Minibuses: Used primarily on our Southern Africa itineraries. These closed, custom-built vehicles feature an internal air-cooling system and large windows for comfortable traveling. They are limited to a maximum of 12 guests for an exclusive feel.
Large Overland Trucks: Custom-built, heavy-duty vehicles designed to withstand rugged terrains, used for larger group tours.
Open 4×4 Safari Vehicles: Swapped into for specific game drives (such as Chobe, Kruger, or Mababe) or narrow tracks (like the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater) to optimize wildlife viewing and support local community trackers.
Security: Passenger vehicles feature a central lockable safe to store passports, cash, and flight tickets under the care of the tour leader.
What is a Typical Day on Tour?
A typical day starts early with a morning wake-up call, coffee or tea, and breakfast. Depending on your touring style:
Camping guests assist in packing up their tents and loading the vehicle.
Accommodated and Classic guests check out of their rooms and meet at the vehicle.
We travel through changing landscapes, stopping at scenic points, local markets, or historical sites. On shorter travel days, we arrive by midday to enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity. On longer transit days, an early start ensures a mid-to-late afternoon arrival, allowing time to relax, watch the sunset, and enjoy a cooked dinner over the campfire or at a lodge restaurant.
Our Best Advice: Expect the unexpected! Africa’s roads range from smooth tarmac to heavily corrugated gravel. We prioritize safety and comfort over speed.
Packing and Luggage Rules
Packing sensibly and light is mandatory. Excess baggage cannot be accommodated in vehicle lockers.
CRITICAL LUGGAGE REQUIREMENT BY OPERATOR:
Southern Africa Small-Group Tours (Max 12 Pax): Strict limit of one soft sports-type bag weighing a maximum of 12kg per person. Hard suitcases and framed backpacks are strictly prohibited. A small additional daypack is permitted.
Standard Overland / East Africa Trucks: Maximum of 25kg inside a soft duffel bag or flexible backpack.
Dress Codes & Cultural Respect
Bring comfortable, casual “wash-and-wear” clothing (cotton for heat, fleece for cold mornings).
Respect local customs: Cover shoulders and knees when visiting local villages, traditional markets, or crossing international borders. No bare feet, bare chests, or swimwear are allowed outside of beach resorts.
Specific Regions: Modest clothing is strictly requested for ladies traveling through Malawi and Muslim-majority regions such as Zanzibar, coastal Kenya, and Tanzania.
Child Interactions: Please avoid giving children candy or cash, as this encourages begging. If you wish to give back, bring ballpoint pens, notebooks, or colored pencils to distribute through local school structures.
Camping vs. Accommodated Travel
Under Canvas Camping
Participation: Limited Participation. This is a hands-on experience where you help set up and take down your own tent, and participate in rotating group duties for meal preparation and washing up.
Single Supplement: Optional. Solo travelers are automatically paired with a same-gender tent partner. Private single tents can be booked for a small fee if preferred.
Pacing & Destinations: This style follows a steady overland pace with a mix of one- and two-night stays, giving you direct access to top regional highlights while keeping you close to nature.
Ablutions & Setup: The operator supplies comfortable canvas dome tents and 5cm thick mattresses. You stay primarily in formal campsites with hot showers and electricity, with occasional fully self-contained wild bush camps.
Accommodated Adventures
Participation: Minimal Participation. The tour leaders handle the bulk of the cooking and logistics. Guests are only asked to assist with light cleanup on a rotating basis.
Single Supplement: Optional. Solo travelers are automatically paired with a same-gender room partner. Private single rooms can be booked for a small fee if preferred.
Pacing & Destinations: Features steady multi-country overland touring with a balanced mix of one- and two-night stays, covering a wide variety of highlights.
Ablutions & Setup: Accommodations are a curated mix of 1- to 3-star properties, including permanent safari camps, chalets, hotels, and traditional huts, mostly featuring en-suite bathrooms.
Classic Journeys
Participation: Non-Participation. The operational team and permanent lodge staff handle all cooking, cleaning, and camp logistics. Your holiday time is exclusively yours to enjoy.
Single Supplement: Compulsory. Due to specific group sizes and strict lodge room allocations, a single supplement applies to all solo travelers on these departures.
Pacing & Destinations: Crafted for a more relaxed safari experience, prioritizing two-night stays at key destinations for a gentler travel pace.
Ablutions & Setup: Guests stay in premium permanent lodges and luxury mobile eco-camps featuring comfortable beds, quality linens, and full en-suite bathroom amenities.
Food & Dietary Requirements
Sourcing: Fresh produce, fruits, and meats are sourced locally along the route. In remote areas or during peak summer heat (especially in East Africa and Mozambique), variety can occasionally be limited based on local market availability.
Dietary Needs: We easily accommodate Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose-Intolerant, and Allergy-based requirements provided we are given at least two weeks’ notice prior to departure.
Preferences: We cannot accommodate individual food dislikes or personal preferences on group tours.
Beverages: Tea, coffee, and water are provided with meals. Bottled water, soft drinks, and alcohol can be purchased at your own expense en-route or at camp bars. We encourage bringing a reusable flask to minimize single-use plastic.
Age Policies & Requirements
Standard Small-Group Tours: Minimum age is 12 years old (traveling with an accompanying adult). This creates stable, accurate group expectations.
Senior Travelers (65+): Travelers over the age of 65 joining our adventure tours must complete a basic medical self-declaration letter confirming they are fit and healthy enough to undertake an overland journey.
Large-Group / Specialized Outlets: Select East African routes or hard camping variations enforce a strict 18–39 or 18–60 restriction.
Gorilla Trekking: Enforces a strict statutory minimum age limit of 16 years old.
Traveling with Minors (Under 18): Border authorities in Southern Africa (especially South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe) enforce strict anti-trafficking laws. Adults traveling with minors must carry certified copies of unabridged birth certificates. If only one parent is traveling, a certified parental consent affidavit from the non-traveling parent is required.
Passports, Visas, & Borders
Passport Validity: Must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned date of departure from Africa.
Blank Pages: Passports must have at least 1 to 2 completely blank pages per country visited for entry/exit stamps.
Visas: Obtaining visas is the sole responsibility of the traveler. Check requirements for your specific nationality at least 3 months in advance. Many regions now require or highly recommend utilizing official online eVisa Portals (including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, and Botswana).
Zimbabwe Arrival Declaration: Zimbabwe utilizes an electronic arrival declaration system. If entering via a land border, our guides will help you fill this out at the vehicle, as it requires our specific truck registration number.
Border Conduct: Always remain polite, patient, and respectful to immigration and police officials. Taking photographs or videos at border posts and military installations is illegal and can result in arrest.
Health, Safety, & Insurance
Medical Insurance (Mandatory)
Comprehensive travel insurance is strictly mandatory for all passengers. Your policy must cover emergency medical expenses, personal accidents, and repatriation/air-evacuation assistance. You will not be permitted to join any tour without providing these coverage details to your guide.
Credit Card Insurance Tip: If relying on credit card travel insurance, contact your bank ahead of time to obtain an official policy number, emergency contact phone number, and a breakdown of benefits to ensure it covers remote overland travel.
Personal Health & Hygiene
Changing environments can cause minor stomach upsets. Wash your hands frequently. Our trucks provide a dedicated hand-washing basin with antibacterial soap before meals.
Inform your guide privately on Day 1 regarding any chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, heart conditions, epilepsy, or penicillin allergies) so they can assist accurately in an emergency.
Vaccinations & Prophylactics
Malaria: Highly prevalent across Southern and East Africa (with exceptions in parts of South Africa and Namibia). Taking a doctor-prescribed anti-malarial prophylactic is strongly advised. Wear long sleeves and pants at dusk and use high-factor mosquito repellent.
Yellow Fever: A Yellow Fever vaccination card is mandatory if you are entering Africa from, or transiting for more than 12 hours through, a WHO-designated Yellow Fever risk country. Border officials will deny entry if a required certificate is missing.
Water & Dehydration: Drink a minimum of 2 liters of water daily to combat the African sun. Your guides will advise on tap water safety per destination; our safari vehicles carry dedicated drinking water tanks for refilling.
Money Matters & Tipping
Local Payments vs. Activity Packages
Local Payments: Required on select itineraries to cover operational costs that must be paid locally in cash (such as remote park entry fees, local food markets, and cross-border fuel fees). This must be paid on Morning 1 to your guide in clean, crisp, un-torn, and undamaged US Dollar or ZAR cash notes (issued post-2013).
Optional Activities: Excursions like white-water rafting, helicopter flips, and skydiving are paid on tour directly to local operators via cash or credit card (Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in cities; American Express is not).
Currency Advice
Do not exchange large amounts of currency before arriving. You can easily convert USD, EUR, or GBP cash notes into local currencies (like South African Rand, Namibian Dollars, or Zambian Kwacha) at airport or in-country bureaus de change.
Zimbabwe Currency Warning: Zimbabwe primarily utilizes the US Dollar ($) for daily commercial transactions. ATMs face cash shortages; travelers must bring adequate physical USD cash in small denominations.
Tipping Guidelines
Tipping is a standard custom across African tourism to reward excellent service. While entirely at your discretion, the industry standard guidelines are:
Local Activity Guides / Delta Polers: €1 – €3 (or local currency equivalent) per client, per half-day activity.
Your Tour Leaders / Crew: €2 – €5 (or local currency equivalent) per client, per day, per guide.
Financial Protection & Booking Peace of Mind
African Overland Tours is a proudly bonded member of SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association), membership number 1712, and is fully insured by SATIB.
Our SATSA membership features a fully underwritten Bonding Scheme backed by Lombard Insurance and Lloyds of London. This provides total financial protection to our international travelers, guaranteeing the safety of your deposits or tour monies in the unlikely event of financial liquidation.
