On the blog...
Here on the blog you’ll find (at least some of) our stories from the road, plus itineraries and plenty of first-hand advice that we like to think is useful.
Obvious exceptions like Turkmenistan or Bhutan aside, we travel on our own, sorting out the details as we go. Which works most of the time. Story, guide, or trip-report-hybrid, I write about what really happens to us as a direct result of this kind of independent travel. What we do, the people we meet, and everything else that rolls up together to make a great trip (…or not. But mostly great).
Since we travel by road (or rail, or sea) most of the time, there’s a lot of exactly that here – getting around on local transport in one form or another. And for some of our best self-driving adventures, I’ve laid out our itineraries and how to plan a similar road trip for yourself.
This type of travel inevitably involves more than a few border-crossings. So you’ll find plenty of posts explaining the ins-and-outs of some of the more complicated borders we’ve come across.
If you’re irresistibly drawn to the endless adventures and challenges that come with overland travel, then have a look below. Happy travels:)
Home is where the car is: a roadtrip in Southern Africa
From meerkats to lions and everything in between – puff adders come to mind – roadtripping and camping in southern Africa is next-level. It took us exactly one camp cooking session and a single night in the roof tent to start considering stealing the truck ourselves and becoming vanlifers.
Eritrea: a week in Africa’s North Korea
An Italian colony, a British protectorate, an Ethiopian state – Eritrea has changed hands a few times. Since achieving independence in 1993 after a long and bloody fight, it has become a reclusive nation often referred to as ‘The North Korea of Africa’.
How to cross the border from Malawi to Mozambique
A guide to crossing the border from Malawi to northern Mozambique. How to get to the Chiponde/Mandimba border crossing and then to Cuamba. Plus, catching the train from Cuamba to Nampula.
From Tanzania to Malawi: how to get around Lake Malawi by road
Stranded in southern Tanzania and starting to wonder if we should apply for permanent residency, Oyv looked at the map again and said ‘Fine. We’ll just go around Lake Nyasa. Lake Malawi. Whatever.’ And why not?…it’s only one of Africa’s Great Lakes, after all. Here’s how we did it.
Overcrowding and animals: it’s Africa, after all
I was ready to leave Tofo. I’d had my fill of lazy days at the beach, and started to get restless. And so that’s why I went from travelling by overcrowded chapa in Mozambique to safariing in a Kia Picanto in South Africa.
Tofo living and other extremes
Oyv went home from Maputo, but I carried on up the coast to Tofo and life on the beach. Tofo-living is like a break from…well, from everything. Definitely from travel; even from Africa. Because sometimes, travelling is all about extremes.
Fears, phobias and Mozambique, finally
We faced a couple of hiccups on our way into Mozambique overland: heavy rainstorms that washed out roads, plus armed conflict just over the border. But we made it, finally, and after some rough travel, life slowed down to a relaxing pace.
Mafia Island and a detour around Lake Malawi: Christmas as usual
Oyv and I met up in Dar es Salaam, ready for some sun and snorkelling on Mafia Island. Really, we were on our way to Mozambique, but unforeseen issues at the border caused us to double-back and detour – right around one of Africa’s Great Lakes and into Malawi.
Déjà Vu on the Coast of East Africa
Travelling down the coast of East Africa, forts, medieval mosques and palaces, and faded colonial ruins start to feel familiar, very fast. From Somalia to Mozambique: Arab traders, Indian merchants, Portuguese conquerors, and other European powers (plus more than a few missionaries and explorers) – this place has seen them all.