Southern Africa Overland 4×4 Tours FAQs

Overland 4×4 Tour Food

When you are on a safari in Africa you should experience traditional food!

Overland 4×4 tour food plays a big part in the enjoyment of your safari in the wilderness. I love cooking and have some fancy gear to help me serve some lovely meals. Most of the time we camp to be close to nature. That means cooking on open fires or gas. To do that I have Dutch ovens, cast iron pots and bbq (braai) grills

 

I feel that eating a good meal is part of the camping experience.

As I have fridge/freezers in my vehicles I can serve fresh food and cold drinks. Always welcome after a few days in the wilderness. Breakfasts consist of either pan cakes with butter or syrup, bacon and fruit with muesli as a starter. If not pan cakes I also serve scrambled eggs with feta cheese and onions added with the usual bacon. Obviously coffee, tea and juice are available as well as traditional South African rusks. People love fruit and we can help ourselves any time during the day.

Lunches are usually a picnic on the road.

Whether driving to get somewhere or exploring a nature reserve we often have lunch on the move. This includes putting out tables stored under the roof and serving bread, cold meat, boiled eggs, tuna salad, cheese, tomato and lettuce. Of course fruit and juice or tea and coffee with some biscuits are available. When ever possible we stop and watch the sun set.

A proper South African tradition is where we have an evening drink which we like to call a sundowner.

Also appreciated are some snacks while enjoying the bush. After a busy day exploring a hearty dinner is enjoyed while sitting around the fire chatting about the day. Sometimes cooking takes up time and we don’t want to eat at midnight. There is an amazing invention called a wonderbag. This enables me to cook a lamb or chicken stew in a Dutch oven and leave it for 5 hours in the wonderbag. Then when we arrive at our camp dinner is ready. People are so impressed.

Of course a trip in Africa wouldn’t be complete without a good old braai. There is nothing better than cooking meat on some coals. Also served are potato salad, pap en souse, green salad, corn on the cob and garlic bread. I also love to bake bread in one of my Dutch Ovens. Definitely a firm favorite.

Sometimes we just finish off with some chocolate but people love malva pud with custard, or tinned peaches and even ice cream.

African Overland 4×4 Safari Prices

It is very important to know what your African safari price includes. Most people travel in my 4×4 vehicles but there is a self drive option. Locals especially like to drive their own vehicles. Obviously the price is cheaper in your own vehicle. So from the beginning the price includes pick up at the airport you fly into. Most of the time that is Johannesburg airport but I also offer a pick up at Durban airport. Another option is to pick you up at your b&b or hotel.

From there it is into the wilderness.

If you are doing the self drive option you need to supply your own fuel, any repairs and border fees with vehicle registration papers as you drive through borders. Vehicle insurance is also a requirement.

Most of the time we camp to be up close to nature. I like to say the sleeping under a million stars is better than a 5 star hotel. Included in your price is all the camping gear with staff to set up camp while we are on a game drive. My tents are either a 2 person tent that is 3m x 3m with 2 stretchers with mats and a table with lantern. Very cosy. Or a single person tent that is 2.5m x 2.5m also with stretcher, table and lantern.

My canvas dome tents are big enough for you to have a dance inside!
I have single and double canvas tents with stretchers available on my safari tours of Africa

As you are paying me to suggest excellent routes I spend hours planning itinerary’s so your trip is well thought out to experience the best Southern Africa has to offer. Also just paying once is quite handy. So I also sort out the accommodation at lovely camp sites and the occasional lodge or chalets. 3 full meals a day are also included. I love bush cooking and have braai grills, dutch ovens and tables to make cooking and eating in the wilds a really great experience.

Of course you want to learn about what you are seeing and I enjoy nothing more than talking about my Africa. Nature is my life and I can apparently chat for hours to anyone interested. Sorry.

Charging your devices in the wilderness

Charging your devices in the wilderness is actually quite important. Apart from having a fully charged camera to document your travels, we also need to keep in touch with the outside world. I have a sat phone especially for emergencies but also a regular cell phone to check up on emails or post pictures on social media. Always an important thing to do. All my vehicles have numerous USB plugs as well as inverters that convert 12v to 220v. Very clever.

However you need to check your 220v plug fits into my inverter.

Many countries use 110v so please check you have the correct plugs etc. I also don’t supply cables for every type of cell phone so you need to bring your own. Most of the camps we stay at have electricity but just in case I have solar panels to keep the batteries charged. Best of all that power is for free. To be extra sure my vehicles have 2 batteries. One is only used to start the engine while the other battery keeps the fridge cold, the inverter running and your camera charging.

A very clever system charges both batteries but separates them when the engine is turned off.

That keeps the main battery full.

So when you want to put up pictures onto your social media you need a connection.  Most people rely on WiFi because their cell phone is registered in another country and costs can get expensive. Most of my trips are into the wilds of Africa so we can’t always get a WiFi signal. Don’t worry though because we get into a town every 3 to 5 days. Most of the time you can get WiFi while I am shopping for supplies.

Health and hygiene.

Health and hygiene is certainly very important while on an adventure in the wilds of Africa. We are often far away from fancy hotels and towns with shops. That means we need to be self reliant and prepared. I am sure there is nothing worse than getting a runny tummy while on a holiday. Apparently humans need to drink fresh water regularly and I am ready for that.

Most of the camps we stay at have clean water available.

However we do love to camp wild too and then we need our own water. I have water tanks on the roof of each of my 4×4 vehicles as well as a nifty water tank under the fender of my vehicles. That makes it 10 liters of lovely clean water per person per day. Unfortunately a lot of Africa is very dry and is often experiencing a drought. That means we can’t just have a hot shower for an hour every day. Please be water wise.

Camp hygiene and cleaning dishes is very important when camping

People love a hot shower after a busy day exploring.

The occasional wild camp doesn’t have hot showers but luckily Africa is not so wild anymore and we can enjoy being clean. Having person hygiene is important but so is having a clean cooking area. I hate a mess and dirty dishes are terrible. My staff are always cleaning eating utensils. Coffee and tea are always available and mugs etc have to be clean. Every evening just before dinner we set out a basin with hot water, soap and a towel so people can enjoy their meal safely.