Self-drive safaris

Although the road network in Namibia consists largely of dirt tracks and despite the fact that it is such a harsh and potentially dangerous place, Namibia is actually a pretty good location for self-drive.

Driving is on the left side of the road. Automatic transmission vehicles are usually available.

The population density is extremely low, so traffic is very light, almost everyone speaks English, there is virtually no crime and there is a real sense of community when it comes to helping with breakdowns.

An inner core of routes leads between the most popular locations (Windhoek, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha) and these routes can be navigated easily enough, even by first timers to Africa. The distances are great, but if you are good with that, a self-drive trip is definitely worth considering.

The prices of these trips are off the bottom end of the scale, being around half the price of a private-guided overland safari and a quarter of the price of a flying safari.

If you want to access the more remote parts of Namibia, beyond that inner core circuit, then it is possible to park your vehicle in various remote locations and insert short segments of guided overland safaris or flying safaris. We really like this kind of hybrid trip.

the prime self-drive location in Africa

The country of South Africa is a very civilised place, with great transport infrastructure and regular vehicle rental companies.

Driving is on the left side of the road. Automatic transmission vehicles are usually available. Almost everyone speaks English, so getting by on your own shouldn’t be too tough.

We most often recommend self-driving in the Cape region, combining areas including Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, the Whale Coast, the Little Karoo and the Garden Route.

Other parts of the country can be a little more challenging, but should still be within reach for most adventurous people.

There are issues with crime in South Africa, so you do need to be a little streetwise and avoid certain areas at night, but probably no more so than back home.

The prices of these trips can be seriously low, since there is accommodation at every level in most of the key areas. You can even include some modest safari experiences without significantly pushing up the price.

the Cape is especially good for self-drive

Beyond Namibia and South Africa, we do not recommend self-drive in any other country in Africa.

The main reason is that we do not feel comfortable with the quality of the infrastructure. By this, we are not only referring to the roads and signage, but also the availability of good rental vehicles, the reliability of emergency services and other things that we take for granted in more developed countries.

Safety and security are not usually major issues in rural areas across the continent, but some urban areas are undeniably dangerous.

Another major factor is that, in most countries, the best safari areas are simply not accessible to self-drivers. In fact, in many safari areas, the locals take measures to specifically deter self-drivers, some of which can be mind-bendingly devious and convoluted.

not a good idea for so many reasons

We do not presently recommend any self-drive travel in South America.

A major problem for many people is the language barrier. In most parts of the continent, the local people only speak Spanish or Portuguese. In more remote areas, they may only speak more obscure indigenous languages. It is remarkably uncommon to encounter people who speak even a modicum of English.

Crime and security issues are significant in the major cities, so renting cars in those areas should be avoided at all costs. We have friends who have literally been shot by gangs for exiting the highway on the wrong junction.

Once you get into the rural areas, these issues are much less of a problem.

There are some more remote areas where self-drive is quite an attractive proposition. We have driven some of these areas ourselves and enjoyed the experience, but we are yet to offer trips of this nature.

The most appealing areas are generally down in Patagonia, the southern halves of both Chile and Argentina. Do let us know if you are interested in looking at that.

Driving is on the right side of the road. Automatic transmission vehicles are usually available.

some parts of Patagonia are really quite tempting

We do not recommend any self-drive travel on the Indian Subcontinent.

India is so very complicated, on so many levels, including the impenetrable language barriers and the incomprehensible bureaucracy

Even experienced travellers to this region tend to hire a car and driver. Most also take an English-speaking guide along too.

such a bad idea for most people