Cape Town to Victoria Falls travel guide

This overland tour is all about staying in the thick of the action and mucking in together. It’s common to camp out in the wild, or stay in a selection of locally-owned hotels and lodges in multi-share accommodation. Many tours take care of meals and chores for you, while the budget options are likely to be all hands on deck when it comes to cooking and taking care of camp – a great way to get to know your fellow travelers. A huge emphasis on any overland vacation is to do as the locals do, so the ingredients that you use and the fantastic mix of dishes you try will vary from country to country and region to region - an experience which is enhanced as you're crossing borders and experiencing desert, city and coast.

Most trips are run by a minimum of two trip leaders – both local and western depending on who you book with - who are highly informed and passionate about the phenomenal range of African sights you’re seeing and they can provide lots of exciting ideas for things you might like to see as you travel. This is an active trip and there’ll be an activity factored into your itinerary every day or two, whether that’s hiking in a rocky wilderness, or canoeing along a canyon. Along the way, local guides will join you at sites of interest to ensure you get the very best local knowledge.

It’s crucial to remember that the Cape Town to Victoria Falls vacation covers a serious amount of ground – around 5,000km! - and although you won’t be on the road every day, when you are, stints can last from as little as four hours to as long as nine. The entire point of this amazing trip is adventure and the tremendous amount of highlights that you’ll see – it is the chance to really get under the skin of southern Africa and share that experience with your likeminded group; everyone’s in it together and your journey is much more about camaraderie and memories than it is about luxury and relaxation.

… you’re not flexible. The first thing on your packing list should be patience. There might be wildlife holding up the traffic; some stretches of road may be in poor condition; or if the Okavango Delta is very low your boat ride may be swapped for another activity. Of course, it’s just as likely that nothing will happen and your itinerary will run like clockwork, but the nature of overland travel – especially in Africa – dictates that not everything can be mapped out by the minute. Just relax and go with it; T.I.A... … lazing on a beach is your perfect vacation. This is an active, exciting and above all, adventurous journey. There are almost daily travel stints; there are definitely daily activities and things to do around camp; and there are early mornings too – you won’t be sauntering down to breakfast at 9am and then lie on the beach for the afternoon. It’s for people who want to get out and explore. … you prefer solitude. Camaraderie is hugely important – you’ll be in a group for the duration of your tour. Although the expedition trucks are comfortable, they’re still trucks, not hotel rooms, and the long stretches you spend on the road will be in the company of your fellow explorers. You’ll eat together and, at the end of the day, the chances are you’ll camp beside a couple of them too. If you’re more of a loner, this trip won’t be your cup of tea.