About South America Overland Adventures

South America Map on Virtual Earth  Also see  South America Exploranter

Please note special booking conditions apply to our overland trips see our booking conditions
 

Life on the road

Local Transport and Overland Trips
We don't have the 'stack em and rack em' philosophy when it comes to group numbers, we limit the numbers of people on all our trips. This means that when we visit a local sight we won't be swamping the area with a large number of people all at once, which, in turn means you won't be left hanging around waiting for the group to assemble and will have more time to experience and explore the area and will be able to interact more with your crew and local people.

In this section you will find two sorts of trips that we run, one is what we term our 'Local Transport Trips' which uses local mini buses, ferries, coaches and trains while accommodation is in locally owned hotels and meals are generally eaten in local restaurants. These trips are from 8 to 21 days and group sizes are limited to a maximum of 20 people per Tour Leader and are generally of a more 'holiday' type trip.

Alternatively our 'Overland Trips' which are generally of a longer nature, run on expedition vehicles which carry up to 24 people with a crew of two are the other type of trips that we offer. You will have a more active involvement in the day to day running of the trip and will be expected to get stuck in and do some work, whether its cleaning the truck, lighting fires, collecting firewood, preparing meals, erecting tents (it is approx 70/30 camping & simple local hotels) and generally being an integral part of the group when it is needed. Expect to sometimes get dirty and not be able to have hot showers every night and things may well go wrong or not to plan..............this is simply down to the countries and the continents we operate in and that you are thinking of travelling to - our opinion is that it adds to the flavour of the trip, so if any of the above freaks or frustrates you then please seriously think again about doing one of these overland trips.

But if you are looking for an adventure, enjoy meeting new people, don't mind getting stuck in and involved at ground level - then jump on board!!

On an Overland trip, a typical day 'on the road' is around eight hours and will go something like this: After breakfast of cereal and toast, tea and coffee and everyone has packed up their tents we 'hit the road' around 8.30am as our exciting overland truck expedition begins. We stop along the way for photos and snacks etc and usually have lunch around 12.30pm, whether it's in a town or on the side of the road. If the latter it usually consists of salad, sandwiches and fruit or if we are in a town or city you may have the opportunity to try the local food stalls. En route on our overland safaris we will stop for food and water in a local town or city so as to give the cooks for that evening's meal a chance to buy fresh produce! We camp up for the evening around 5.30pm. Our overland tours are about pitching in and working as a team: whether it be in a campsite or bush camp, everyone puts up their tents with their tent partner and then helps setting the tables and stools out, getting the fire going (whether it be gas or wood), getting water boiling for a hot cuppa, and helping the cooks prepare the fine fare for the evening meal (this is your chance to impress or flop!). Don't panic - your crew and other group members will have plenty of advice for you!

If we are at a campsite the majority do have a bar and showers! Usually our days on the road on our overland truck expeditions are between one and two days. However, there are times when we are on the road for two to three days, but this is rare and we will then be parked up somewhere for several days eg Cuzco 6 days and Iguazu Falls 3 days.

All trucks are equipped with:

• Inward and forward facing coach seats with head rests, providing more storage space for your souvenirs and luggage as well as more leg room for our overland travel groups to stretch out on the longer journeys. It means we can't pack as many people in as with 'bus' type forward-facing layouts with narrow aisles, but the extra space is always appreciated!
• Insulated for your comfort
• Internal heating for those high altitudes that are part and parcel of our South America overland expeditions
• Under-seat storage for your backpack so you have easy access even when driving
• A mixture of sliding, forward and side facing windows, providing extensive visibility and security
• All trucks are equipped with sand mats and, where necessary, tyre chains and tirfor winches
• 12V charging points for Video and Mobile phone batteries
• Onboard stereo with MP3, MD or CD walkman adaptor
• A comprehensive range of spare parts and tools
• Large dried and fresh food storage capacities
• Onboard truck safe for valuables and money
• Overhead lockers for cameras and day bags
• Large water carrying capacity
• Internal truck buzzer system
• Internal and external lighting
• Long range fuel tanks

• Spacious 'Dome' or 'A frame' style two-person tents with in-built ground sheets and mosquito netting
• Cooler boxes (for storage of fresh food and drinks)
• All weather cook tent for wet weather and shade
• Professionally compiled expedition medical kit
• All cooking and cutlery equipment
• Well stocked on-board library
• Gas cooker and fire grate
• Campstools