4x4 Routes Through Southern Africa

ebook

By Philip Sackville-Scott

cover image of 4x4 Routes Through Southern Africa

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What better feeling of excitement and anticipation can there be for lovers of the outdoors than getting behind the wheel of a 4X4, turning the key and edging out of the driveway to start an outdoor journey of discovery, a great off-road adventure?You and your family have no doubt spent many hours researching likely destinations, preparing yourselves and the vehicle, and selecting the style in which you would prefer to spend this time together experiencing the diverse wonders and sense of freedom that an off-road holiday offers.

There are as many options for an off-roading holiday as there are 4X4 models. You could:go it alonehook up with a few close family friendsmake new friends and join a club outingsign up with a commercial off-road operatorYour choice of accommodation could be:staying in chalets and lodges campinga combination of chalets and camping fully cateredpartially cateredself-catering.Your decision as to the style in which you choose to undertake such a trip will most likely depend on a combination of certain determining factors, such as: your personal level of off-road driving training and experienceyour family's overlanding expertiseyour family's likes and dislikesthe level of preparedness of your vehiclethe kit you have accumulatedthe time you have available to plan and book your tripthe availability of all family members (annual leave, school and university holidays, house-sitter, dog-sitter, etc.)and last, but not least, the budget.But herein lies the beauty of embarking on a multi-day, expedition-style off-road tour of the type written about in this book. There is literally something for everyone. Some people are adequately prepared to undertake a week-long trip into the Tankwa Karoo or Richtersveld National Park on their own, while they wouldn't dream of driving into Kaokoland or Angola unless under the stewardship of a trained and competent off-road guide. Some simply do not have the time or know-how to do the route planning, make the reservations, calculate logistics and safely lead a group, while others regard all this as fun and an integral part of the trip. Depending on your knowledge of navigation, your bush orientation, your ability to set up backup plans for unforeseen eventualities (be they mechanical, medical or otherwise), you may choose to do your trip with an experienced friend. If you do not know anyone that fits the bill, you would probably join an organised convoy, where you quite literally tag along or 'follow the leader', without (hopefully) a further care in the world! After all, you are on holiday, so if someone else can assume the mantle of responsibility, why not?

This book is a compilation of popular Southern African off-road adventure tours with the emphasis on guided, self-drive, expedition-style (multi-day), self-catering camping trips—a bit of a mouthful, but a comprehensive description nevertheless. Its intention is to stimulate interest in off-road touring among those who haven't tried it yet as well as to suggest new destinations to those who do have some experience. All those 4X4s that ply the highways need to get into the bush at least once in their lifetimes! We acknowledge that there are many extremely experienced and highly skilled off-road drivers who have been doing some of these routes for years. There are also experts in specific fields of interest—such as geology, flora, fauna, rock art, photography, geography and history—who may not find great depth in our descriptions of the experiences on these tours. We have not attempted to impart in-depth detail, but rather to provide an overview across many aspects.

4x4 Routes Through Southern Africa