I have followed these messages for a few weeks and wonder what you all define an overland trip as being? I always thought a true overland trip was like a trans-continental one (eg: London to Nairobi), but it seems that most of you guys that have done an 'overland' trip do the more traditional route of Nairobi/Harare to SA or v.v. Would you not be better off defining a shorter tip as a camping trip/safari.............Is this a snobbish attitude? Probably.
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I am so glad someone has put this in right context. I agree wholeheartedly with your interpretation of what is and what isnt an overland. Yes the overland was originaly the long trek generally departing from one of the european countries and slogging it out generally in very adverse conditions travelling over many months and acheiving a result when arriving in Nairobi and of course celebrating with a "few" drinks. Well today they term a trip which takes in doing a trip around zim and botswana as an "overland" and the projection is that have "roughed " doing it so. True you are travelling overland,although using the term "overland" i feel isnt correct. I personally think these short haul trips/safaris are great and i have acted as a tour leader/driver on many of these types of trips.
Generally they are great value, and for those of us that dont have the time are a way of seeing the beauty of africa in the time we have.
I havent put my name to this as i am one of those people who own an " overland " company,and i might say , very proud of what we do.
I look forward with bated breath to further comments on this subject
????????/
but commend anyone who dares to go out of their comfort
zone and explore new and different places.
But if you look at the word, I think it can describe any
trip where the mode of transport is over land, as opposed
to flying. So this would mean not only the long, really
roughing it type of trips as well as the three week jobbers
from Kenya to Zimbabwe.
I'd have to agree with all of the above. I've done the
Harare to London through Ethiopia, Sudan route and I'd have
to say a quick little jaunt around Vic falls with Kontki
dosen't qualify and neither should an Appercrombie and Kent
waited on hand and foot stroll be considered as an overland
trip; however if as is pointed out ypu leave the comfort
buffer then I think that you could describe yourself as
having done and overland.
Overland..then who originated the word ? Who was
the first to give that title to a self sufficient
tour from the shores of a european country across
a vast continent, do ow, I feel that it should be
the term given to travel across a continent (north
to south, east to west or vice versa) and not
travel just across a couple of contries.
Well it sounds like you are all travel snobs - people should
feel free to travel however and whereever they feel
comfortable without people like you putting them down by
saying they are not 'roughing it enough'. Travel is to live
and experience and share - not to boast about.