Overland indicates a particular journey made by a particular vehicle. It has become the protagonist of a series of documentaries about traveling around the world by truck and/or bus, sometimes it is referred to as a jeep car. Anyway it is a special means planned to run through difficult landscapes and soils. Recently, overland safari has become the favourite African experience of many tourists. And it definitely is one of the best, safest and most comfortable ways of exploring this incredible continent. Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are the nations that mainly offer overland trips, but Botswana has also joined the team.
About Botswana
Botswana is a lovely and peaceful nation in central-southern Africa, with no outlet to the sea. It consists of a unique, huge plateau 1000 meters above sea level and one third of the territory is covered by the Kalahari Desert. Except for the capital city Gaborone, the geography of Botswana is made of wild lands: prairies, rocky hills, desert, rivers and creeks. Jeep cars are the most popular means of transport, together with airplanes.
Safaris, here, must use jeeps or overland trucks in order to allow tourists to visit the beautiful parts of the Country. The most interesting places to visit are: river Okawango delta – the place where the river enters the desert and there evaporates; the salty desert of Makgadigadi where baobab trees rise; Moremi Reserve where the local wildlife lives; villages of Bushmen tribes. As you can understand, overland trips are the best choice for such territories.
Overland safari in Botswana
Overland is usually a large jeep car. Shorter than a bus but longer than a normal jeep, it allows large groups to take part into long safari trips. Sometimes it can be a real big truck, with comforts and even beds inside. It is planned for long journeys in wild lands and this is why this is the main tourist choice in Botswana. Tour operators now promote these kinds of trips and help travelers to organize their trip on demand.
The main overland routes in Botswana are: Wild Botswana – exploring the National Parks and the protected reserves, looking for animals and particular locations; Trade Route – on the ancient trade ways also including rivers and lakes up to Mozambico borders; Beyond the borders – often overland trips go beyond the national borders and include, in tours, also special places in South Africa or Zimbabwe; Okawango, crossing the wide flooded lands of the delta; Kalahari, discovering the famous desert.
Overland safaris are for all, but on average they are quite expensive. The price goes from 900 to 5000 Dollars, depending on the kind of truck, the days of journey and the places you will visit. The price is not including the cost of airplane and eventual local taxes and tickets. An overland trip usually consists in 12 to 16 seats trucks and lasts 7 to 20 days. Some tour operators organize special overland safaris for elder people or for families with children.
