The Scania trucks come equipped with showers, working areas, electricity and freezer with liquor.
At the crack of dawn, Eva Gatwiri and 19 other adventurous travellers sat in a motorhome with carpeted interiors, large tinted windows and equipped with a kitchen, shower, library, ready to take a road trip to Ethiopia.
The travellers left Nairobi for northern Kenya, bypassed Mount Kenya to Isiolo’s Archers Post and drove towards the Horn of Africa.
After 12 hours, the expedition truck stopped at Marsabit National Park where the group pitched tent for the night after enjoying a camp cuisine.
The next 12 days were spent on the road or wild camping, travelling through Moyale to the Ethiopian towns of Mega, Yabello and Hagere Mariam before ending up in Addis Ababa, the capital city.
Welcome to the new adventure where you traverse Africa for days by road, travelling in a luxury truck that comes with a chèf and tour guide.
Overlanding is gaining popularity among travellers seeking adventure and looking to see some fantastic sights and landscapes.
The beauty lies in seeing the changing landscapes, the hills, valleys, iced mountains, deserts, lakes, waterfalls cascading off the mountains, unique birds, the different cultures and in spending a night or two in five-star hotels in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
‘‘I needed a break away from my normal life...that is the whole point of such a road trip. It was an experience of a lifetime,” said Ms Gatwiri.
‘‘The different sceneries were breathtaking and it stirs you up since it is not a usual thing, from a cooler Meru to the hotter Isiolo region,’’ she added.
Tour organiser
David Mwaura, the owner of Jambo African Adventures, a company that organises overland travels from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, said he aims to give travellers a new experience— by taking them to the off-the-beaten-track destinations, helping them make memories and friendships.
If you thought you are neither a traveller nor a story teller, then you need to take a road trip down the African roads and before you get back you will be one.
Mr Mwaura has traversed 14 African countries and three overseas and wants to give others that experience.
Jambo African Adventures organises road trips for both Kenyans and visiting tourists. Something unique about the trips is that they are professionally videotaped and photographed.
Freezer with liquor
The trucks with a capacity of 28 passengers each have electricity inverters that provides lighting, powering of electric appliances and charging of gadgets.
“Each truck is fitted with four batteries. Two batteries are specifically for normal vehicle use. These are not in use when the engine stops. The other pair is used to charge accessories,” said Mr Mwaura.
It also has water-proof luggage storage compartments underneath, a 1,000 litres water tank and a toilet.
The truck with ample space to store food, also has a refrigerator and a freezer stocked with liquor and other beverages. A chéf who makes three-course dishes and other delicacies accompanies the travellers.
“We hire chefs who can make flour in case it’s over while on the road or who can make pizza in the middle of the wilderness if travellers have cravings,” he said.
Camping tents, mattresses, blankets, picnic stools and tables are provided.
‘‘But one is advised to bring along a sleeping bag because of personal hygiene,’’ he said.
For those who cannot avoid replying to one or two e-mails while in transit, they can do this comfortably from the passenger library that is equipped with high speed Wi-Fi connection, a laptop, a camera and phone charging ports.
Each traveller is given a key to a safe located on the overhead luggage racks, to store valuables like electronic gadgets, money and passports.
The expedition charges depend on the country. For instance, a 42-day road trip to South Africa and back costs $6,500 (Sh650,000).
The amount caters for accommodation, extra lodging in five-star hotels in Cape Town, optional attraction sites plus much more. Other road trips cost about Sh400,000.
Jambo African Adventures also organises tours for foreign agents such as Sawadee Travel from the Netherlands and Explorateur Voyages from Canada.
So far, it has done road adventure trips to Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
Wecam Safaris is another overland travel company that organises trips to Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
Mercy Mwenda, a tour consultant at the firm, said many countries in Africa offer unique game drives and scenic features. “You only need to see to believe,” she said.
Wecam’s premium package includes exploring the thundering Victoria Falls in Zambia.
Photographer’s dream
A 12-day trip to Addis Ababa costs between Sh55,000 to Sh95,000.
The road trip to Ethiopia was a moment worth documenting for Macharia Njuguna, a travel blogger, who was aboard the Ethiopia-bound luxury truck.
“I got nice picture shots of green and beautiful landscapes. Day one to Ethiopia was the most exciting for me— I would go on another trip,” he said.
Ethiopia visit
On arrival in Ethiopia, the Kenyan travellers were received by the vice president of the Ethiopian World Federation headquatered at Shashamane, about 155 miles south of Addis Ababa.
At Shashamane, where thousands of Rastafarians reside, they met Ras Teddy, a Jamaican famed for his reggae music.
‘‘Learning each other’s culture and history through such trips to African countries is important to bring us together for our children to have something to live up for,’’ said the reggae musician who now lives in Ethiopia.
He is among the Rastafarians who relocated to Ethiopia nearly 60 years ago after Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, donated 500 acres of land to the burgeoning religion whose followers had begun worshipping him as a messiah.
‘‘Tribe is just a representation, but we are one people,’’ said the musician.
Rough terrains
Mr Mwaura says for every trip they have a native tour guide who accompanies the in-house tour leader in places like Ethiopia where English or Kiswahili are not common languages. They usually previsit the camping sites to ensure safety.
Though the terrain gets rough at times, the camper is specially built for long haul trips. Mr Mwaura says that the vehicles are built and maintained to withstand the roughest terrain on African roads.
Scania overland trucks are most preferable since they are have big engines, but with smaller turbos to meander through uphill climbs and rough terrains.
“With my six years of experience around the continent’s terrain, I have found that Scania is the best for long trips and most reliable since unlike other vehicles with steel suspensions, the truck has air suspension at the back, making it less bumpy,” he said.
The trucks with a capacity of 28 passengers each have electricity inverters that provides lighting, powering of electric appliances and charging of gadgets.
Requirements
Also, all the drivers are professional mechanics. The overland trips can be tailor-made to cater for different groups. Jambo African Adventures provides campers for corporate activities, team building, road caravan tours, road shows and filming.
“We also have vans and Toyota Land Cruisers for more private, luxury overland trips,’’ he said.
A yellow fever certificate, which has a 10-year renewal period, is the most important medical certificate required before travel.
The certificate can be obtained from the Wilson Airport, Nairobi County Dispensary and at the Tanzania border. It costs between Sh1,500 and Sh3,000 depending on where one is acquiring it from. Kenyans do not require visas going to Ethiopia, but one needs an international passport.
For countries that require visas, the costs vary from one embassy to the other. The African Union is pushing for countries to allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for anyone carrying the passport of an African country, a move that will cut costs for travellers.
Sh5.4 million
Mr Mwaura is a former tour driver who says he comes from a family of travellers.
After saving, he resigned from his job at Intrepid Travels to start Jambo Travel Adventures five years ago. His agenda is to give travellers a thrill— something he says he has managed to do.
“I started as a driver. I was later promoted to a tour leader in the region while at Intrepids. After mastering the industry, I took Sh1.2 million from my savings and another Sh4.2 million from investors and in 2011, I started the overland business,’’ he said. From three staff, the company now has 15 permanent employees.
Mr Mwaura says that when it comes to new active life trends, Kenyans never disappoint and overland travel is picking up.
