Overlanders in Africa - WTF?

[Globalti]

I'm in Dar es Salaam. Yesterday driving up to Tanga we stopped for a coffee and got mixed up with two or three of those tall overlander truck/bus things. The young, mostly female, travellers looked shattered, they were filthy and sweaty and looked thoroughly dispirited. They were being shepherded around by a Tanzanian woman minder and a beefy macho man in a vest, there was more than a hint of the alpha male in his swaggering, which I guess is part of the deal for their protection.

Apparently they actually sleep in the underneath of the bus, presumably in pigeon holes, is that true? What do they do about food? What about washing, showering, clothes washing, getting a decent night's sleep and going to the bog? I can only imagine that the living conditions are some kind of mental self-torture and I can't understand why you would want to travel in Africa like that, as opposed to travelling with Africans and enjoying their hospitality and protection. It must be ghastly being cooped up for several weeks with a bunch of smelly people who haven't made the break into relaxing into Africa and are getting on each others' nerves.

Has anybody done this?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

How very odd.

As you say - Why?

 

[Brains]

There are truck trips and there are truck trips.

We did a lot of research about a decade ago, and I'm sure it still holds true
You get what you pay for
You have to research in to company well
You need to know about the truck, the drivers and most importantly your travelling companions for the next few months.

We had originally intended to do a DIY expedition, we already had the Landrover, were experienced travellers, campers etc etc, however we eventually went with Dragoman because we found out we could do four times as much for a quarter of the cost.
End result is after months on the road we got married. Another couple on the trip now have two children and although we were a very international group those in Europe still meet up every now and again, we have meal out with about 10 people next week.

Our truck trip I would put down as the experience of a lift time and if you are over 30, have time, money and the urge to travel then I would very strongly recommend it.