What 'adventurous self drive' actually is will always be a matter of opinion. Most of our South Africa self drive trips are fairly straight-forward and easy. But a couple head into more remote areas. However, it doesn't matter if you are more 'Princess' than 'Survivor', our 'adventurous self drive' trips are tailormade. So they are only decided after a lengthy discussion as to what is feasible and comfortable for YOU.

However, there are two countries for which we do get quite a bit of interest in terms of self-drive safari trips which really divide opinion. So it might be useful to say where we would (and wouldn't recommend...)

Self Drive in Mozambique

A self drive safari into Southern Mozambique is only for adventurous travellers.

We say this is only for those who’ve done a bit of 4x4 driving in challenging conditions elsewhere. Think "Worlds Worst Roads" and then you will have the right benchmark. Our consultants at Cedarberg have done this trip so we speak from direct experience. We can advise on lodges and appropriate daily distances to travel.

The road through the Mozambique peace park, now connected to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, gives you the opportunity to combine an adventurous safari with the beach. However, we would recommend taking a 4×4 to give you extra confidence on the very sandy roads.

Distances are deceptive and driving in Mozambique takes a lot of time. There are many rural villages and strict speed limits are enforced. So the furthest north we recommend is to the beach resorts of the Imhabane province. (Vilanculos is too far!)

For more on this topic, read our blog 'Adventurous Self drive and the inner Camel Man...'

Self Drive in Botswana

It is rare for our clients to take a self drive safari through Botswana, though we get a lot of initial requests. The country is huge and mostly covered by flat featureless Kalahari Desert.

Many of Botswana’s scenic and wildlife highlights, such as the Okavango Delta are not accessible by the road network. However, that is not to say it can’t be done! We recommend it only when you have lots of time, and you wish to combine several countries e.g. Namibia, Botswana and South Africa or Victoria Falls, without flying between them. Even then, it’s best done by leaving your rental car in Maun and flying into the Okavango Delta for a safari.

Tailor-make these self drive safari trips

We don’t offer any sample self-drive holidays to southern Mozambique or Botswana. But we'll happily tailor-make a trip for you after discussing your needs.