I would like to travel somewhere through Africa during Jan and Feb to escape the Norther winter. Where would you recommend?

Answer:

West Africa could be what you are looking for. Lots of different cultures that are easy to access and most of it devoid from mass tourism (from my limited experiences of East African- it is much more touristy) and easy to get around by public transport. There will be plenty of sun. ATMs are on the way in though, though it is usually harder to find a working one than you would expect.

In two months you could do any number of different routes but maybe something like fly into Dakar, explore Senegal (maybe Gambia) head over to Mali for some music and traditional cultures, then down through Burkina for some colourful markets, then down through Ghana in the tropical jungles, beaches and history. The people are all friendly and welcoming so it is easy to meet people and get a little taste of life.

If you do travel to this region make sure you have decent travel insurance for medical conditons as healthcare in Africa can be expensive.

Africa has always been a classic destination to do overland- the terrain lends itself to travel by truck, and such transportation allows you to cover ground much more efficiently than local transport. Cape to Cairo remains a popular route that takes in a huge variety of cultures, climates and countries, but there are options to see smaller areas, or even tackle a 30+ week trip around the whole continent. Whilst the majority of travelers stick to East Africa, Dragoman offers extensive routes in West Africa, from short trips to a 15 week exploration.

Overland travel can work out to be surprisingly cheap, and becomes more cost-effective when you commit for a longer time – a 23 day trip with Oasis Overland from Victoria Falls to Cape Town costs around £650, and an 8 week trip (Nairobi to Cape Town) will set you back around £1300. Whilst spending money, visas and optional extras are going to add up, trip prices include all transport, accommodation (a mixture of camping and hostels/hotels) and, generally, two meals a day. In comparison to other tours in Africa, overlanding is astoundingly good value, and by traveling on a truck, you will be able to reach areas of Africa with ease, that can be difficult/expensive/dangerous to get to on your own.

The growing number of overland operators operating in Africa allows you to shop around. The 10 leading UK operators are: Dragoman, Oasis, African Trails, Acacia, Tucan, Kumuka, Intrepid, Absolute Africa, On the Go and GAP Adventures, most of which offer purpose-built trucks with (relatively) comfortable seating, bag storage, books, music and games on board. These companies charge differing rates, which tends to be more dependent on who their target traveler is rather than what they offer, and by researching into different operators (most are more than happy to chat to you on the phone) you will not only find the trip that suits you, but that offers you great value for money. Most trips have a range of nationalities and age groups on board, brought together by their common interest in adventure.

Additionally there are normally special offers for those who book ahead of time, or repeat customers, as well as a number of late deals across these companies – by waiting close to departure times you can save yourself anything from 10 to 50% on trip prices.For example, Absolute Africa is currently offering 20% off selected safari trips departing October to December 09, when booked by the end of August, and Acacia is running an ‘End of Year Clearance Sale’ with up to 50% off certain trips departing before Christmas.

Lucy Fulford