Overlading: Why we choose the locations we do

The Thinking Behind Every Overland Route

This blog comes directly from conversations at the recent Adventure Travel Show in London, and from meetings with travel professionals in the Netherlands, and others. A number of people asked thoughtful, detailed questions about how and why we choose our routes. I thought it worth noting this for others to read...

When people look at a map of Africa, it’s easy to circle the famous names. The big parks, the iconic reserves and the headline destinations. But choosing locations for an overland adventure isn’t about circling famous names, although visiting iconic locations is a must during every trip.

We ask questions of ourselves rather than just following what others may have done:

Why this region?

How challenging are the driving routes?

How remote is too remote?

How do we balance wildlife, safety and adventure?

Every route is shaped by those questions long before the first vehicle turns a wheel.

Here’s how we choose to approach it.

For us, the driving is what engages and stretches us, the wildlife and landscapes are the reason we’re there in the first place, the campfires are where friendships are formed, and the preparation behind the scenes is what allows it all to work as it should.

Wildlife and Driving. Both part of the immersive nature of our journeys

People often ask whether our trips are about wildlife or about 4x4 adventure. The honest answer is that both are immersive but in different ways.

The location is what immerses you first. The scale of the landscape, the silence, the wildlife moving through it and the sense of being somewhere genuinely wild.

But the driving is what connects us to that landscape. We design routes through ecosystems where wildlife density, biodiversity and conservation value are strong. The setting always comes first. But we don’t want to simply transport people between sightings.

When you drive yourself across remote terrain, you begin to read the land differently. You notice how geology shapes the route, you understand how water determines movement, you see why certain areas hold wildlife and others don’t. I think we feel the distance, rather than just measuring it and then driving it.

Driving slows you down in the right way, it demands attention, teamwork, and makes you aware of road and track surfaces, weather, wildlife, your fellow travellers, and space.

When you’ve navigated the terrain yourself, rather than just being driven around, arriving at a remote waterhole or open plain feels earned, and part of your adventure, and this really changes how you experience it.

Challenging But Achievable

Another question we're often asked is why we don’t include extreme dune systems or dry riverbed routes. The answer is simple.

Our aim is capability, not spectacle.

Deep sand dunes and technical riverbeds demand specialist experience and heavily modified vehicles, and that narrows who can realistically and safely take part. We don't need to do this/ take these extra risks in order to have the best possible experience.

We choose routes that are:

• Technically engaging

• Varied in terrain

• Confidence building

• Demanding enough to feel earned

• Achievable for well prepared novice overlanders

Corrugations, sandy sections, remote gravel roads, careful navigation; these are all part of the journey and can be challenging enough. We want people to finish a section of appropriately challenging terrain and think:

“I handled that well.” not “I’m glad that’s over.”

Both Haley and I believe that adventure should stretch you, not overwhelm you.

The Balance Between Safety and Adventure

This balance is paramount.

Africa is not a theme park. It rewards preparation and punishes complacency and ego. True adventure involves uncertainty, weather changes, wildlife movement, road conditions. But uncertainty must sit within a well managed framework.

Every route is assessed for:

• Seasonal accessibility

• Communications coverage

• Medical access

• Vehicle recovery options

• Emergency contingencies

• Routes that allow wriggle room for the unforeseen

Standards must always be high in every regard, and remoteness should feel expansive, and not at all reckless. The goal is for people to experience genuine wild spaces with confidence, knowing that careful planning sits firmly in the background.

How Remote Is Remote?

Remote enough that you notice the silence, the night sky feels vast, where wildlife wanders freely, and an awareness that you are a long way from urban life but not so remote that help is unreachable if needed.

There’s a difference between isolation, wild places and wilderness. We choose wild places and wilderness.

We Design Around Ecosystems, Not Checklists

Do we see extraordinary wildlife? Yes, very often.

But we don’t build routes around guaranteed Big Five checklists. We look for ecosystems where conservation is functioning well, where habitat is protected, where tourism revenue supports wildlife management and local communities. Seeing an elephant at close quarters is always very powerful, and understanding why that elephant can still exist in that landscape is more powerful.

The Campfire Is Essential

Every route must work at night. That may sound simple, but it’s fundamental.

A good overland experience isn’t only about the driving or the wildlife. It’s about the rhythm of the day, I explained it to people like this:

Drive every few days - Explore every day - Set camp every few days - Cook every day - Sit around a fire every night - Repeat.

We choose campsites carefully in places that allow space to gather, to light a proper fire, to sit under open skies, and the campfire is where the day settles. It’s where stories are replayed, where driving challenges are laughed about, where wildlife sightings are discussed in detail, and where friendships form naturally. Without that evening rhythm, something is obviously missing.

Food Resupply

Resupply planning is rarely talked about but it’s critical.

In remote regions, you cannot rely on convenience. We plan realistic supply points along every route, identifying dependable towns and supporting local businesses where possible.

That means:

• Careful food planning starts before we depart

• Balancing fresh and dry provisions for areas where shops are few and far between

• Ensuring everyone can cater effectively between resupply stops

• Managing storage and refrigeration sensibly

Food affects morale more than most people realise, and a well cooked meal after a demanding drive changes the entire atmosphere of camp. Vehicle teams cooking together becomes part of the shared experience, not just a necessity.

Why We Look Differently At The Iconic Destinations

Some destinations are iconic for good reason. They represent extraordinary ecosystems, remarkable wildlife and landscapes that deserve their reputation, and we will absolutely visit those places. But we are careful about how we experience them.

Recognition alone isn’t enough to shape a route. A name on the map matters far less than what is happening on the ground, and how we access it, and engage with the area.

When we include well known locations, we choose camps, access points and timings that align with our ethos. We look for areas where:

• Conservation is active and meaningful

• Tourism revenue supports local communities

• Infrastructure hasn’t overwhelmed the landscape

• The experience still feels authentic and connected

Iconic does not have to mean crowded...

Popularity can erode the very qualities that made a destination special if it isn’t managed well. If an area feels diluted by volume of people, too many vehicles, too much development, too little space, we will adjust our approach or reconsider entirely. We must experience locations in a way that respects the landscape, supports conservation and preserves the sense of wildness that made them iconic in the first place.

The Unseen Work Behind the Scenes

Before any group arrives, we have:

• Driven the main route ourselves

• Assessed seasonal changes as best we can

• Checked campsite standards meet ours

• Reviewed safety contingencies

• Built long term local relationships

Safety never happens by accident....

In the End

Overlanding across Africa is a privilege. A privilege to drive across vast landscapes, to encounter extraordinary wildlife, to sit around a fire beneath enormous skies.

When we choose a location, we are choosing far more than scenery.

We are choosing:

• Meaningful wildlife exposure

• Challenging but achievable driving

• Genuine remoteness

• A careful balance of safety and adventure

• Strong conservation values

• A space for people to grow in confidence and feel the adventure

  
  

For me, the driving is what engages and stretches us, the wildlife and landscapes are the reason we’re there in the first place, the campfires are where friendships are formed, and the preparation behind the scenes is what allows it all to work as it should.

Angus