Some Cape to Cairo trips actually fly over Sudan and northern Kenya because of difficult and/or dangerous travel conditions. Other trans-African journeys skip Egypt and go via West Africa instead. Economic Expeditions’ 29 weeks from Morocco to The Cape costs £1,650 plus £775 kitty. Dragoman Overland offers two options: the more straightforward Encounter trip at around £2,000 plus £700 kitty for 18 weeks; and the more comfortable Classic Dragoman trip at around £4,200 plus £1,000 kitty for 20 weeks. Overland Club’s 18-week Cairo to Cape Town costs around £1,260, plus £290 kitty. Several companies offer an “ultimate trans-Africa” or similarly titled trip.

Depending on the company, the kitty pays for food, campsites and entrance to wildlife areas, or just minor incidentals.Ostensibly, it gives “freedom to the group to control spending levels”, but it’s non-negotiable, so you should just regard it as part of the cost.I WANT TO GO THE WHOLE WAY IS CAIRO TO THE CAPE POSSIBLE? Yes indeed. This is the no-frills end of the market; a 63-day trip on the same route with the well-respected operator Exodus costs around £1,725 plus £525 kitty. Whichever you choose, you must add the cost of flights to the starting city and from the end point. In this example, you could spend an extra £600 or £700 for air travel, giving a price range of about £1,600 to £2,900 and a “daily rate” of £30 to £46 – not bad for the trip of your life.WHAT’S THIS KITTY THING? It’s a long-standing overland tradition that on top of the tour price, passengers contribute – in cash – to a kitty that pays for items along the way. Travel by overland truck also means the logistics are taken care of: the driver-guides handle things like entry permits and border-crossings, while you enjoy the scenery.Oh yes – and compared to most other organised tours in Africa, overlanding is cheap.HOW CHEAP?The options are vast, and costs vary by season, but to give an idea, a 52-day Nairobi to Cape Town trip with Oasis Overland (see box for contact details) has a tour price around £650 plus £295 kitty. After an initial taste in an overland truck, many people go back for a deeper experience – such as a specialist wildlife safari – or just a more comfortable one. Some offer more hotels than camping and even the services of an on-board chef.Overlanding is ideal for young solo travellers, and provides a great introduction to Africa for first-timers.

Today, purpose-built Scanias, Fords and Mercedes have comfortable seats, personal lockers, a kitchen, fridge and music system.You still camp, but most overland companies intersperse canvas with simple hotels. In overlanding’s early days, trucks were ex-Army Bedfords with wooden benches in the back and some basic equipment tied to the roof. You participate, but you don’t totally rough it – as any of the old-timers will tell you. When the truck gets stuck in mud, you help push it out.
AFRICA THE HARD WAY, THEN?Not really. On most overland trips, you put up your own tent, and help with cooking or buying supplies along the way. But the overland truck provides an ideal way to reach parts of Africa that are expensive or difficult to reach on your own Overland journeys mean hands-on, dust-in-your-hair travel You need a taste for adventure and a sense of fun.