ADVICE: Overland Tours from Vic Falls to Cape Town

Hi all,

I am new to the forum but not to traveling!

I am heading off to Tanzania for three months to volunteer. For my last month in Africa I have decided to take the train from Dar to Vic Falls. From here I'd like to travel through Botswana and Namibia down to Cape Town (from here I'll fly home). In previous travels I have always avoided tour groups... but for this trip I have read that accessibility is an issue if you are on your own without a car. so tour it is! but which overland group to go with? i'm totally down with roughing it and camping. I'm on a tight budget but I'd obviously like a quality tour with a proper guide.

Any personal experiences would be super helpful!

Here's a list of tour groups I have looked at and have dates that work for me:

Detour Africa
Dragoman
Tucan Travel
Overland Club
African Trails
E-gnu

Thank you all in advance!! Reply to this

I took a GAP tour last summer, July and August 2008, from Cape Town to Nairobi. We camped, we ate well, we did all the activities and we saw all the animals. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour and my time in Africa. Check my blog entries, and maybe this will help.

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Hi Gellerty
I would definitely NOT recommend Overland Club. I've done an overland tour of West Africa a few years ago, I went with Oasis Overland who were brilliant (great crew, good truck and equipment, support from office back in UK etc). We bumped into the Overland Club truck and they were having an awful time, crap facilities, by sounds of things from reading other reviews and speaking to people on that truck the owner is a complete con man. Along the road we also spent time with Af Trails and Kumuka, both of whom seemed well organised.
I'm looking at doing the same trip as you but opposite direction, there are a few more companies I found might be worth looking at: Drifters, Wildog safaris, Imaginative Traveller, On the Go Tours. I'm still checking out if any of these are any good though. Always worth calling the company if you can and getting an idea of who will be on your trip, who the crew are etc. If the office staff are friendly and open that's always a good start!

Good luck choosing and have a fab trip.
Frankwah Reply to this

thanks everyone for all the advice! i've decided to go with dragoman... fingers crossed! Reply to this