The way we spend our downtime is changing and overlanding, which is as the name suggests and involves travelling long distances over land. Rather than flying to your holiday destination, you drive there and the journey itself is as much a focus as the final destination, with the challenge of organising an expedition being an important aspect of the experience. In this article, we take a look at the reasons why overlanding is gaining popularity.
Travel Independence
As you are in your overland vehicle, aside from the odd ferry ride, you are totally independent and can set off or stop any time you feel the urge. Check out the range of overland vehicles at neneoverland.co.uk, a leading UK dealership for Land Rover, Jeep and Toyota, where you can find new and used models. Once you have a suitable vehicle, you can build around that, adding items to make the experience more comfortable and enjoy many great overland holidays.
Sense of Adventure
There’s nothing like heading to a remote part of the world to get the adrenaline pumping; there’s no room for error when you are in remote areas, so preparation is crucial. The road infrastructure is such that you can go a long way in any direction from the UK; mainland Europe leads to Scandinavia, Russia and finally, North Africa and that can take you down to South Africa. Indeed, using ships, you can pretty much circumnavigate the world with some careful planning.
Immersing yourself in a Foreign Culture
When you travel overland, you get to experience colourful cultures first-hand and the locals do love it when a group arrives in a Land Rover from far-off places. You don’t need to be taken to tourist attractions, rather you can interact with the local people and visit their markets to buy provisions. Of course, you will make good use of your camping gear and set up an awning when you make camp for the day. Click here for a few good reasons to invest in professional window tint, which will keep the interior cool.
Economic Holidays
As most overlanders camp, it really does make for an affordable experience; once you have made the investment to acquire a suitable vehicle and a few essentials, you have little more to pay than your fuel and provisions.
The Challenge
For many overlanders, it is all about the challenge of planning and preparing for a long expedition and there is always a sense of uncertainty, which adds some spice. A three-month expedition to North Africa, for example, would offer many challenges, what with visas and insurance, not to mention planning the route, which can be more than a little frustrating. Spare parts need to be acquired, tools for self-repair and all the items that you will need on the trip, which would be a considerable list. It is always best to err on the side of caution when travelling to far-off remote places and there’s a lot satisfaction to be found at the end of a successful expedition.
Prior to planning any overland trip, check first with the World Health Oranisation regarding the covid status of your destination country and those that need to be crossed.
