Since we will be travelling for close to five months on our Cape to Cairo or Cairo to Cape expeditions we think this is a very important section. We will have a great truck and bunch of people and where we live, sleep and eat adds a huge amount to the enjoyment. We have used our years of experience and researched the options to make it as exciting and comfortable as possible. With a preference for free camping, small family run home stays and small hotels, most of whom now know us well and really look after us when we visit.

The accommodation

This will depend where on we are and what we are doing. This is an overland trip and so where possible, we camp as we have all the equipment on board to make it comfortable. This may be in organised, serviced campsites or free camping wherever we choose. Expect to camp about 80% of the time. In many of the campsites it is also possible to upgrade to small bandas and huts, but keep in mind that the way we camp makes it a pleasure!

Where we are not camping we will use a mix of comfortable small hotels, guest houses and home stays. This said, the quality of accommodation does vary, most is of good quality, but at times we have to do with what's available. Most people are pleasantly surprised at the quality of the accommodation we use.

Camping is our preferred choice as it allows us to keep our costs down and get off the beaten track. Free or bush camping has been seen as a highlight by past travellers. This is when we use the truck's self-sufficient design to get well off the beaten track and setup camp wherever we want. Imagine yourself camping on the shores of the Indian Ocean, or in a campsite with the Big Five roaming nearby, or in the heart of a local village. For many of the people we meet on a route like this, we will be as much a novelty and a treat to them as they are to us.

Once you get used to camping and the way we set it all up it is a great way of living. The tents are large two person heavy duty expedition tents with heaps of room for two people and your kit. They are easy to put up and are designed for our type of expedition. Bring along a good roll mat and sleeping bag and you are ready to camp. Past experience has been really positive with the free camping raved about by the most unlikely people. It's all a matter of how you do it!

We really try to support community run campsites and guesthouses, and one of the great things about our style of travel is that our visits contribute to the local community.

The food

We believe the local food is a huge part of travelling and we love preparing the local ingredients and trying local specialities. We will try to eat local food wherever we go as once you know what to order or how to prepare the local fresh produce most places we are visiting offer amazing food. This could be around the campfire or a street side vendor to a speciality restaurant in some of the towns and cities. It’s all part of the experience as we live the country through their food. Hopefully you will return home with many new dishes that you have tasted and if interested learnt how to cook as well.

At times, the thought of bangers and mash, a Sunday roast or a veggie lasagne would go down a treat. No worries we will cook it up as we travel along. If you have a special dietary requirement, in most cases this will not be a problem and we will be able to serve a great selection from all the fresh supplies we will pickup en-route. Please note however that in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, great food is still available, but the choice is more limited. We also stock the truck with a range of goodies before we leave. Lastly don’t worry we don’t live off canned food but use the amazing fresh produce to cook great food. On past expeditions the food cooked while camping has been seen as better than many of the restaurants we are proud to say.

So who does the cooking when we are camping? No need to panic, we won't throw you in at the deep end and expect an amazing 3 course meal for 20 people. We will be hands-on here, the crew will do all the planning and shopping and lead the cooking. About once a week you will get your chance to help out as we cook up a storm with the amazing local ingredients, feel free to jump in anytime if you enjoy cooking. You get to hit the local markets and haggle for amazing fresh products. Find something interesting or different bring it back and let’s see what we can do with it. It’s all one great culinary adventure. As to the washing up, we all get to do our bit but we all muck-in and it's no major thing. The truck is well kitted out and makes cooking a pleasure!

A great quote
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” James Michener

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