‘Overland’ Trips Dodge High Costs of Safaris

Poling along in a native dugout canoe through the marshes of Botswana’s Okavango Delta recently, our boatman suddenly brought us to a halt in midstream. As we craned our necks to see what was going on, a huge bull elephant sloshed its way across the waterway 20 feet downstream and went about his business on the other bank, oblivious to our presence.

That’s the kind of experience you only can get by going into the wild, to see our world’s most impressive creatures in their natural settings. But unless you were willing to fly yourself to Africa, Asia and South America, and negotiate on your own the contorted bureaucracies, tricky terrain and spotty transportation systems of the Third World, your choices for years were limited to escorted tours that ranged in cost from pricey to astronomical. Even today, a safari air-land package offering a meager five days of game viewing is difficult to find from most American tour operators for less than $2,700 to $3,000 per person.

Truck power: An increasing number of Americans, however, are discovering other--often much lower-priced--options. High on the list is one that Europeans and Australians have been taking advantage of since the 1960s and ‘70s, called “overlanding.” Originally designed for rugged travel through underdeveloped countries where basics such as gas, water and even roads were unreliable for long stretches, the mostly Britain-based overlanding tours use big Bedford or Mercedes trucks that are converted to provide seating for up to two dozen passengers.

Guerba, Dragoman, Phoenix Expeditions, Encounter Overland, Absolute Africa, Exodus Travels and Drifters Aventours are just a few of the outfits that run overlanding camping jaunts through Africa, Asia and Latin America. Ranging from five days to six months, they can cost under $350 a week.

How? Well, a little bit of “roughing it” is required. Instead of fancy lodges, participants camp out in tents and pitch in with camp chores (a little or a lot, depending on the company); shower and laundry facilities are available at some but not all stops. Even with the addition of typically $950 to $1,350 in air fares, and contributions to the weekly meal fund (typically $75 to $95 a week), it can add up to a fascinating, up-close look at native fauna and human societies for hundreds of dollars less than conventional tours. Two companies that represent overlander outfits in the U.S. are Adventure Center ([800] 227-8747, fax [510] 654-4200, Internet https://www.adventure-center.com) and Explorers Travel Group ([800] 631-5650, fax [732] 542-9420). Both also can arrange advantageous air fares.

Beyond overlanding: Similar concepts are catching on in this country as well, with home-grown tour operators offering well-priced excursions using a variety of accommodations from tented camps to hostels and even lodges. Ultimate Africa ([800] 461-0682, Internet https://www.ultimateafrica.com), for example, sells a 15-day overlanding tour of Namibia that costs just $995 per person, and 16 days in Botswana for $1,245.

Gecko Overland Trekking ([800] 628-9161, fax [206] 374-5547, Internet https://www.geckooverland.com) concentrates on Mexico, Central America and the American West. Two of its camping tours cover Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains and the Yucatan Peninsula. Gecko also has trips using hotel accommodations, such as a nine-day swing through Mexico’s colonial cities starting at $698 (not including meals).