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Overlanding Through Africa
  • Happy Days Travel
  • Mark Wade
  • Happy Days Travel
  • Mark Wade

Overlanding Through Africa

This is the big one - the trip we have been planning since before the pandemic! We will be overlanding from South Africa 🇿🇦 to Kenya 🇰🇪 passing through 9 other countries and taking four months. Read more
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  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Evening game drive in South Luangwa NP

    July 25, 2023 in Zambia ☀️ 31 °C

    For our next game drive, we had three vehicles, as we needed a spotter in each 4x4 to use the huge spotlight when it got dark. This meant we had to split into two groups of seven and one of six. The complainers from this morning immediately formed a group and went with the new driver (the one who wasn’t with us this morning). We went with Musa! We were joined by Gilly, Joey, Greg, and Liz. We all set off together, but soon split up. When we met up at the halfway point for fruit juice and doughnuts, we had all seen the same animals, and it remained this way until the end of the drive. We saw:

    • Waterbuck
    • Warthogs
    • Elephants
    • African jacana
    • Baboons
    • Bee-eaters
    • Bushbucks
    • Impala
    • A breeding herd of puku
    • Guinea fowl
    • Hippos
    • Sacred ibis, the national bird of Egypt
    • Hammerkopfs
    • A lilac breasted roller
    • A pair of saddle-billed storks
    • An African fish eagle
    • Zebras
    • Crawshay zebra, a sub-species with spots as well as stripes!
    • A spotted hyena
    • An amazing sunset!
    • A leopard
    • Four lion cubs

    When Musa got a tip off that some of the other vehicles had seen a leopard, he drove like a loony to get us to the right place to see him too! It was great fun bouncing around in the 4x4, going off-road and up and down steep inclines! Most of us really enjoyed it, but one or two of our number thought he drove needlessly recklessly, and they were uncomfortable about us all crowding around the leopard. It was the same when we saw the lion cubs. All the drivers communicated with each other and took it in turns to get their clients as close to them as possible, driving through the bush to do so. Musa explained to us that the mother had left her cubs while she went off to hunt for food. They instinctively knew that we were not a threat and seemed unperturbed by our presence. They did not appear to be in any way stressed or afraid. One of our group, though, wasn’t happy at all that we were so close, both because she thought the cubs must be worried by us, and because she was afraid that the lioness would return and attack us! Neither of these things bothered us. Musa explained that we were safe, and that the cubs were not affected. Most importantly, without tourists like us coming on safari in the national parks, there would be no money to finance anti-poaching projects, and the animals would be in far worse danger.

    When we returned to camp, it was gone 8.30pm. Henry had cooked us T-bone steaks and fried potatoes for dinner. It was his only fail of the trip! Sadly, the steak was as tough as old boots, and the potatoes were hard! You can’t win them all!! 😊    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Driving to Malawi

    July 26, 2023 in Malawi ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was a long driving day, which included a border crossing from Zambia to Malawi. Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 and has an estimated population of just under 20 million. Malawi's capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu, and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name for the Chewa people who inhabit the area. The country is nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa" because of the friendliness of its people.

    We were on the road early and basically drove all day with a few bushy bushy stops and a roadside lunch on route. At one point, we met another Intrepid truck so that Laban could pass on some paperwork. We attracted quite a crowd of local children!

    The crossing in to Malawi went smoothly. It did take a while, though. They have a newly-built state-of-the-art facility which, unfortunately, is not yet computerised, so all the details you fill in on the immigration forms have to be painstakingly transcribed into ledgers!

    Our first views of Lake Malawi were staggering. It is so large, it’s just like being by the sea. Although it is obviously not tidal, there are currents that create waves that give the illusion of the ocean. Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fifth largest fresh water lake in the world by volume, the ninth largest lake in the world by area, and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. It is home to more species of fish than any other lake in the world, including at least 700 species of cichlids. In Malawi, a portion of the lake is included in Lake Malawi National Park. Lake Malawi is between 560 kilometres and 580 kilometres long and about 75 kilometres wide at its widest point. The lake has a total surface area of about 29,600 square kilometres. The lake is 706 metres at its deepest point.    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Arriving at Kande Beach

    July 26, 2023 in Malawi 🌙 22 °C

    It was dark by the time we arrived at Kande Beach on the shores of Lake Malawi, home for the next couple of nights. We had already decided we were going to upgrade as it’s Mark’s birthday tomorrow. Most of the group had the same idea. Our ensuite bungalow was clean and comfortable.

    After settling in, we went to the bar until it was time for dinner. We got chatting to the English guy from Nottingham who had started the camp in 1994. He is a former overland truck driver who saw the need for a stop in this location. He got permission from the village chief to buy the land and has been working on and improving the campsite ever since.

    As it was late, Henry did chicken and pasta for dinner. We were all given a couple of days off chores which was very welcome. The crew used the services of three guys from the local village to do the food prep, washing up, and cleaning the truck. Thank you very much!!    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Mark's birthday breakfast

    July 27, 2023 in Malawi

    Mark’s 63rd birthday! Mona had helped me organise a card and had got everyone to sign it. She had also bought a plastic beer mug and a crown for him to wear, continuing the ‘tradition’ started by Sara on her birthday a couple of weeks ago. We had also strung up the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner along the side of the truck, and everyone sang to him.

    For some reason, Henry had bought sausages for breakfast that required peeling! Mona and Corina were given the task. This caused quite a lot of hilarity in the group! 😂

    We should have had a range of optional water activities on the lake today, but the weather wasn’t good enough. The choppy conditions meant that it wasn’t safe to launch any boats. This meant that our choices were a guided village walk this morning and/or a bike ride and hike this afternoon. Some people opted to do both. I decided to just do the village walk. Mark, Greg, and Trisha decided to spend the day simply relaxing by the lake.    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa
    1

    Village walk

    July 27, 2023 in Malawi ⛅ 21 °C

    Our local guide, Robert, arrived at 9am to take us on our walk. As soon as we left the campsite, we were mobbed by a group of boys from the village who each paired up with one of us, chatting to us as we walked to our first stop. It did feel very set up! It was clear that these boys would want a tip and/or a purchase from their ‘shop’ at the end of the tour. They basically walked with us all morning, waiting for us at each stop. My companion, Andrew, told me he’d recently lost his mum and was desperately trying to get to university to study medicine. When we compared notes later, most of us had heard similar stories!

    Our first stop was in a field to see the cassava crop. This is the staple food for the village. They use it as a vegetable, and also dry it and grind it to make flour. We were given some samples to try, both boiled and fried. I have to say, it’s not really my taste! As we walked around the village, Robert explained about how the people live, the houses they occupy, the work they do, and the free time activities they enjoy. It was fascinating. We were joined by lots of children from the village who wanted us to play with them. We were invited into a lady’s house and taken to see the village pump donated by a Canadian NGO. Some of our group tried pumping the water, and some even tried carrying 20 litre containers of it on their heads!    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    A visit to the village school

    July 27, 2023 in Malawi ⛅ 23 °C

    From the village, it was a long walk through the fields, across a main road where there were lots of small shops and other businesses, to the school, where over 1000 children are taught by just 11 teachers. We met one of the teaching staff who explained to us about the challenges she faces. The government pay the teachers’ salaries, but don’t provide any other funding for the school. They are totally reliant on donations and goodwill for books, writing materials, and sports equipment. At the end of her talk, we were, inevitably, asked for donations. I gave a few dollars, but it’s hard to see how the money can help when the task is so huge!Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Visiting the village clinic

    July 27, 2023 in Malawi ⛅ 23 °C

    Our next stop was at the village clinic. Again, we had a talk from a member of staff who told us about the difficult situation they have to work in. And again, he asked for donations.

    While I realise that there is a huge need for financial help and support for the institutions we visited, we came away thinking that we’d been shown the worst they could show us! In the school, we were seated in a classroom/library that had clearly not been used in a very long time, judging by the thick layer of dust on all of the furniture! There was also writing on the blackboard dated 2015! In the hospital, we were shown a delivery room and a ward supposedly used for post-natal care. Both were empty and in very poor condition. We saw ladies with their babies emerging from another room, which, whilst not the best, was clearly better equipped than the ones we were shown! We were disappointed and fed back to Laban that we would rather have seen the reality.

    Following the hospital visit, we walked back to the campsite with our companions. There, we were each directed to their shop (or, in my case, his cousin’s shop!) and invited to buy something – either a painting or a local wooden game. I went for a bespoke painting depicting a map of our trip, with all the countries we’re visiting and the date. I settled on a price of US$40 and arranged to collect it later this afternoon. Back in camp, I found out that other group members had paid anything from US$20 to US$60 for the same thing!

    We had lunch and then spent the time relaxing by the lake and photographing the quirky art around the site. I went out to collect my painting at 3pm. and waved the others off on their bike ride. I was pleased with my purchase, even though I probably paid over the odds for it!    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Driving through Malawi

    July 28, 2023 in Malawi ⛅ 22 °C

    Today was another driving day. We were driving the length of Lake Malawi to Chitimba.

    We drove through busy villages and stunning rural scenery. There are lots of rubber plantations in this part of Malawi. The climb over the mountains was beautiful, and, as we descended again, the views of the lake were amazing!Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Food shopping in Mzuzu

    July 28, 2023 in Malawi ⛅ 20 °C

    On the way, we had a two-hour stop in the city of Mzuzu for lunch and shopping. We went round the local market with Henry, shopping for fruit and vegetables for the next couple of days. It was fascinating watching him bargain! We bought meat pies to have for lunch.Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Chitimba Campsite

    July 28, 2023 in Malawi ☀️ 23 °C

    When we arrived at our camp, we didn’t have a lot of daylight left. There was just enough time to have a walk on the beach. We decided to upgrade again. The rooms were very cheap, and we have an extremely early start tomorrow!Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    The mother of all drives!

    July 29, 2023 in Tanzania ☀️ 26 °C

    Today, we were driving into Tanzania. The crew has been warning us for the past few days that this would be the longest driving day of the whole trip. Patrick has been describing it as ‘the mother of all drives’!! We expected to be on the road for 12 to 14 hours, longer if the border crossing went badly!

    We were up before 4am for our 5am start. Despite the early hour, Henry had made fresh doughnuts for breakfast! He had also provided all the ingredients for us to make up a packed lunch.

    The first part of the drive to the border went very smoothly. We arrived at the Tanzanian immigration point by 8.30am. Laban had advised us that it was no quicker to have already applied for an e-visa online than to get a visa on entry. So, five of us hadn’t organised our visas in advance. He was right. We got through in the same time as those who already had visas. The office was very quiet, so we didn’t have to wait too long. We were all though and back on the truck within 90 minutes.

    Once in Tanzania (country #61), the scenery changed. Everywhere was very lush and green. There was less evidence of deforestation than we had seen in Malawi. They are very strict about speed limits in Tanzania. For much of the drive, we were restricted to 50 kilometres per hour. It was a very long day!

    We arrived at our campsite 50 kilometres from Iringa at just after 8pm. We didn’t see much of it. We put our tents up and I went straight to bed. I was too tired to eat! Mark stayed up for dinner. Henry had prepared savoury mince and rice. Mark came to bed at about 10.30pm. We have to be up again at 4am!!    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Traffic jam in the mountains

    July 30, 2023 in Tanzania ⛅ 23 °C

    We were on the road early again, heading for Makumi National Park near Morogoro. The park was established in 1964 and is the fourth largest in Tanzania, with an area of 3,230 square kilometres.

    We were making good progress, but then we got stuck on a mountain road for the best part of a couple of hours! A lorry had overturned on the single-track road, and nothing could get past! When we eventually could move, the queue of trucks coming in the opposite direction stretched for miles!! They were definitely going to be stuck there all day.Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Game drive in Mikumi National Park

    July 30, 2023 in Tanzania ☀️ 29 °C

    We were late arriving at Tan Swiss Lodge, our camp near Mikumi. We should have been on a 2pm game drive, but, by the time, we’d put up our tents and had a quick lunch, it was nearer 3pm.

    We drove to the park in three 4x4 vehicles. Laban was in our car. It all felt a bit rushed, but as soon as we got into the park, we started seeing wildlife. Over the next few hours we saw:

    • Plains zebras with oxpeckers on their backs
    • Baboons
    • Vervet monkeys
    • Masai giraffes – the largest sub-species in Africa
    • Male impala
    • An oryx
    • Lots of common warthogs – these are different from the others we’ve seen in Africa in that the males have manes!
    • Eland
    • Buffalo
    • A pair of southern ground hornbills
    • Grey hornbills
    • Wildebeest
    • Buffalo weavers
    • Red-beaked oxpeckers
    • A large iguana up a tree
    • A lioness and her cubs (a mix of males and females, around two years of age)
    • Superb starlings
    • A lilac breasted roller
    • Hippos
    • Crocodiles
    • A group of sleeping lions (one of them had been injured on a poacher’s snare – he was being treated by rangers)
    • A tawny eagle
    • A family of elephants with a one-year old baby suckling its mum (elephants feed their young until they are four or five years old)

    Even Laban was impressed with how much we saw. The highlight had to be the lions! We got so close to them. The park closes at 6.30pm. We were late and had to race to the exit, arriving there at 6.45pm. We were very close to spending the night in the park!! Once we’d left the park, we saw more elephants next to the road. Drivers are fined if they kill an animal on the road. There is a sliding scale of charges, depending on the animal involved. The most expensive is a lion. If you accidentally kill one, it will cost you US$10,000!

    Back on site, we discussed our sightings and compared photos and videos. We were all on a bit of a high because of what we’d just experienced!

    Henry had cooked us lamb stew and fried potatoes for dinner.    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Driving to Dar-es-Salaam

    July 31, 2023 in Tanzania

    Today, we had an eight-hour drive to a campsite just outside Dar-es-Salaam. We would be camping in the grounds of a hotel, so Mark and I had already decided to upgrade. We needed to re-pack all our stuff ready to leave the truck for the last time tomorrow. We figured this would be easier in a hotel room, rather than in our tent.

    The drive was uneventful. We stopped for fuel at one point and there were a number of food stalls on the forecourt. Henry bought delicious chicken skewers for us all. I bought a freshly-cooked salted roti, which was incredibly tasty!    Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Dar-es-Salaam

    July 31, 2023 in Tanzania ☀️ 31 °C

    As we approached Dar-es-Salaam, we were all a bit shocked. It is the biggest city we’ve seen since Cape Town. All the traffic, the high rises, and the people, were a bit overwhelming! We stopped at a mall for Henry to buy supplies. Some of our group weren’t back to the truck at the appointed time because they’d decided to go to a bar for cocktails! The rest of us were none too pleased!! It was very hot and we just wanted to get to our campsite, which we knew was by the beach and had a large swimming pool!Read more

  • Overlanding Through Africa

    Sunrise Beach Resort

    July 31, 2023 in Tanzania ☀️ 29 °C

    When we eventually got there, we were allocated a room. It was quite a long walk from the camp ground, but we hauled all our stuff over there to re-pack it. Before we did, Mark went to the bar for a cold beer and I went for a swim. The pool was lovely, but it soon turned chilly after the sun went down! We managed to get all of our things sorted out before dinner. We returned our big bags to the truck ready for the journey in the morning.

    Henry had cooked fried fish, new potatoes, salad, and vegetables for our last dinner together. It was delicious! There was an air of melancholy in the camp as people started saying their goodbyes. There have certainly been issues with this group, but, overall, the trip has been amazing. We gave our tips to Henry and Patrick and gave them our thanks for all their hard work. We will miss them.    Read more