Nous partons en Afrique du sud et nous allons louer une petite voiture. On sait que pour l'Afrique du sud et la Namibie, il n'y aura pas de problèmes, mais on s'interroge sur le Botswana...
Après quelques recherches, on a vu qu'il fallait déjà un 4x4 dans tous les parcs (ou presque) à cause du sable et des cours d'eau. Ensuite, on a vu que le Botswana, en dehors des parcs et en ayant un budget pas conséquent, c'est pas top. Etes vous d'accord ou pensez vous que l'on peut y passer du bon temps (beaux paysages, randos...) avec juste une petite voiture ?
Fondamentalement le Botswana est un désert, au propre comme au figuré:
C' est une partie du Kalahari, qui s' étend géographiquement de la frontière avec l' Afrique du Sud à l' Océan Atlantique en Namibie, il n' y a pas deux millions d' habitants sur une superficie bien plus grande que la France.
A mon avis très peu d' intérêt en dehors des parcs..
A+
Le bonheur commence où le bitume s 'arrête et ....quand on est plus de quatre on est une bande de c... (Georges Brassens)
Faire le Botswana sans 4x4, c'est vous contenter des interminables et peu passionnantes route goudronnées. Certes vous pourrez y voir quelques animaux, mais ces axes sont sans grand intérêt.
Pour les parcs il faut un 4x4.
Sans 4x4, une solution pourrait être d'arriver au Botswana par la Namibie depuis Divundu, puis Shakawe et prendre la A35 jusqu'à Maun. La route longe le Panhandles et l'Okavango. C'est un très joli coin. Et puis vous pourrez aller à Tsodilo Hills.
A Maun, vous pourrez prendre des excursions à la journée pour Moremi.
Merci Bolobolobolo et Emma de ces réponses rapides qui me confortent dans ma pensée.
Dernière question pour totalement me dissuader du Botswana (ou non), sachant que l'on va faire Etosha, Kruger, Pilanesberg, Hluhluwe... Chobe présente vraiment quelque chose de spécial qui devrait nous forcer à faire ce détour et prendre un tour ou non ?
Merci Emma pour le conseil de l'itinéraire. Encore une dernière question : vaut-il mieux aller à Etosha en traversant le Botswana (le désert) pour faire cette route et redescendre par la côte namibienne ou alors aller à Etosha par les terres en Namibie pour redescendre par la côte namibienne ?
Le Chobe River Front est l' arche de Noé, surtout en saison sèche, et vaut réellement le détour, quoique je regrette un peu (certains de mes camarades aussi, mais nous sommes gâtés, faisant partie de ceux qui ont pas mal de temps de voyage en Afrique Australe et Est deerrière eux - 18 mois pour moi au cours des quatre dernières années), donc je regrette un peu l' affluence de touristes et donc le nombre de voitures de safari en bord de rivière et le nombre de bateaux sur la rivière en fin de journée..l' augmentation du nombre de visiteurs d' année en année est plus que sensible..
Mais si vous êtes "first timer" pour cet endroit, cela vaut réellement le détour (j' ai la même prévention pour Etosha, mais j' en suis plus aux "road less travelled", et peux faire cinq heures de route pourrie et quatre de trek dans les marécages pour aller voir le Shoebill, qui est un oiseau préhistorique)..
Pour votre choix de route vers Etosha depuis l' AFS, c' est une question de temps, AMHA la route par les terres est plus intéressante, il y a des lieux à visiter (Fish River Canyon, Lüderitz etc..), mais est sans doute plus chronophage que la traversée du Botswana par la Transkalahari Highway, surtout si vous devez re-traverser l' AFS (c' est à l' opposé du Kruger) pour repasser par Uppington..
A+
Le bonheur commence où le bitume s 'arrête et ....quand on est plus de quatre on est une bande de c... (Georges Brassens)
La décision est prise de se concentrer sur Afsud et Namibie. Une (encore) dernière question tout de même concernant le Kgalagadi transfontier... un 4x4 est-il nécessaire ou préférable ? Possible avec une petite voiture ?
Je ne tombe que sur des liens en anglais, et ma compréhension de la langue est limitée...
La décision est prise de se concentrer sur Afsud et Namibie. Une (encore) dernière question tout de même concernant le Kgalagadi transfontier... un 4x4 est-il nécessaire ou préférable ? Possible avec une petite voiture ?
Oui, c'est possible, les pistes côté sudafricain sont de larges gravel avec toutefois des patch de sable mou où il est possible de se planter, mais il y a suffisamment de 4x4 pour te sortir de cet éventuel mauvais pas pour ne pas hésiter à y aller.
Erwan
La vie est belle ! La vie est belle ! Je me tue à vous le dire disait la fleur. Et elle meurt ( J.Prévert)
Pour mes 60 ans ( oui, je suis en avance ! ), je commence à réfléchir à un voyage en self drive en Tanzanie (mois de juin).
J'ai aussi envisagé le Zimbabwe mais je crains qu'il n'y fasse un peu froid ( la nuit !) en juin.
J'ai repris un parcours envisagé précédemment en le modifiant puisque j'aurai plus de jours à consacrer à ce voyage. Toujours pas de grands classiques au nord pour les mêmes raisons que celles évoquées autrefois ( trop cher, trop de monde, trop TO).
Voici ce que cela donne pour l'instant :
(Arrivée départ de Kilimandjaro airport)
Nuit 1 : Arusha
Nuit 2 : Arusha
Nuit 3 : Lac Manyara
Nuit 4 : en route pour Iringa ( des idées ???)
Nuit 5: Iringa
Nuit 6 -7 -8 : Ruaha NP
Nuits 9-10 : Mikumi NP
Nuits 11 : Bagamoyo
Nuits 12-13-14-15 : Plage
Nuits 16-17 : Lushoto
Nuits 18-19 : Mkomazi NP
Nuit 20 : vers Marangu- Kili est
Nuit 21: Kili ouest
Fin du voyage
Toutes vos idées, modifications, informations, suggestions sur ce parcours sont les bienvenues !
Une nuit plage peut être enlevée pour être mise ailleurs.
Si par ailleurs, vous avez un loueur à conseiller et un avis sur les bandas loués dans les parcs , je prends !
Enfin, comment sont les pistes à Ruaha en juin ? Le loueur en vue semble accepter ce parc en petit 4x4. ( Interdits : serengeti et natron)
Hi there,
We’ll be traveling in January 2027 in a 4x4 with a rooftop tent with our three kids, from Johannesburg to Cape Town. We’ve already booked several campsites in national parks (Golden Gate / Mountain Zebra / Addo Elephant / Garden Route).
We still need to reserve the stretch between De Hoop Nature Reserve and Cape Town. Any suggestions?
We’d love to stay around Cape Town for 5 days to explore the wine route, the peninsula, and do some hikes in Table Mountain.
Any camping recommendations? Or, on the contrary, places to avoid?
Also, we have 2 nights left near Wilderness National Park / Knysna. Any recommendations?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi there,
I’m planning a trip to Russia and Mongolia, starting from France.
Crossing the border at Poland/Belarus or Georgia/Russia—other borders seem either closed or complicated.
Tourist visas for 3 months with multiple entries.
Do you have any info on Russian companies that cover a 4x4 vehicle for 3 months, and what prices in rubles or euros you’ve paid?
Which bank did you use for expenses? (EuroMastercard and Visa cards no longer work.)
Regarding Russian SIM cards, a new system called "Gosuslugi" has been introduced. How long did it take you to get one, and what steps did you follow?
Hi,
we’re planning to visit a park again.
Could you point us toward the camps in Gonarezhou Park?
>We’re traveling completely self-sufficiently.
We love wildlife.
Thanks for any tips you can share!
JP
Hi there, we’ll be in Mozambique in early December 2026 and we’d like to travel from Vilanculos to Beira by car or bus to reach Beira airport. After that, we’re planning to visit Gorongosa National Park before flying back to France from Beira. From what we’ve heard, the road to Beira is tricky, especially at this time of year (start of the rainy season). Could anyone share their thoughts or suggest a solution? Thanks so much for your help!
Anne
Hi there,
I’m heading to Lesotho in a few days and I’m struggling to find info on the best route between Katse Dam and Sehlathebe National Park. There’s a fairly "direct" route from Thaba Tseka, but the roads seem rough, and we’re not exactly 4x4 pros. Anyone have any tips to share? Thanks!
Hi everyone,
We’re heading to Mozambique in October and are looking for either a 4x4 or 4x2 rental in Maputo, or a driver transfer option to reach:
- Ponta Do Ouro
- Tofo
- Vilankulos
The idea is to be self-sufficient for sightseeing and stops while still being able to access certain lodges or beaches that require a 4x2.
Do you have any contacts, addresses, or ideas to share?
Thanks in advance,
Hello,
We're hitting the road again in 2027 to discover new countries and cultures.
Could anyone give me some tips on driving from Ulaanbaatar to Lake Baikal and the route to take?
Thanks, and safe travels to those who are setting off!
We’re planning a 4x4 trip from Belgium to Central Asia, passing through Georgia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
For these countries, our national insurance obviously doesn’t cover the vehicle, so we’ll need to get local insurance.
Will it be a problem if the vehicle is registered under person A and the national insurance is under person B? Both A and B will be in the vehicle, and both will be listed as drivers on the insurance.
When we get the local insurance, if we again list A and B as drivers, does the order matter? Could we get stuck at the border for this reason?
Hi,
For those who’ve driven on Iceland’s gravel roads in their own or a rented Duster, could you tell me what tires were fitted on the vehicle?
Were they All Terrain tires or more "standard" ones like all-season tires, for example?
Follow-up question: if they were "standard" tires, did that cause any issues on the gravel roads and rough terrain?
Thanks so much for any info you can share.
Best,
Marc
Hi there,
I'm planning a 4x4 road trip from Darwin to Broome with a rooftop tent in July 2026.
I'd like to know if I need to book overnight stops in advance or if I can just wing it and stop wherever I feel like it?
Some evenings, we'd like to stop and make use of campsite facilities (restaurant, shop, showers, toilets).
What do you recommend?
Do I need a permit?
My rough itinerary looks like this:
Darwin - Kakadu
Kakadu - Nitmiluk
Nitmiluk - Kununurra
Kununurra - Purnululu
Purnululu - El Questro
El Questro - Mt Elizabeth - Bell Gorge - Broome
I’m planning a trip to Iceland for next July-August, with a car and tent, and I’m wondering about booking campsites.
From your experience, is it necessary or even essential to book campsites in advance, or do you always manage to find a spot to pitch your tent?
We’ll also have the option to sleep in the car without pitching the tent.
Does that give us the flexibility to stay outside a campsite for a night here and there?
Hi,
I’m planning a road trip in the Middle Atlas, starting and ending in Fez and heading down to the south of Midelt, the Assoul Massif.... We’ll be traveling with two small 4x4s.
I’m looking for detailed maps of this region that include small roads and tracks.
Last year, we had a fantastic road trip in the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas using Erfahren maps, but unfortunately, they don’t cover the area we’re interested in this year.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Dominique
We’re planning a 13-day family road trip in Morocco this July, with six people in a Toyota Prado 4x4 (renting in Marrakech).
We’ll alternate between bivouacking and small hotels/riads depending on the stops.
Here’s the planned route (in this order):
Marrakech
→ Ouarzazate
→ Draa Valley
→ Zagora
→ Erg Chegaga
→ Lake Iriki
→ Foum Zguid
→ Tata
→ Tafraoute
→ Aït Mansour
→ Tiznit
→ Mirleft
→ Taroudant
→ Back to Marrakech
Our goal:
Atlas Mountains + desert + dunes + plateaus + valleys + a bit of coastline.
We’ll cover about 1,700 km in total.
We’re planning:
Bivouacking in the Chegaga/Iriki area
Flexible for the rest (booking the day before or same day)
Sand gear: traction plates, compressor, tow strap, roof rack
Questions:
Is the Zagora → Chegaga → Iriki → Foum Zguid crossing in July doable on our own (single vehicle, no guide)?
Are there any truly technical or risky sections between Chegaga and Iriki?
Does the overall itinerary seem manageable in 13 days without rushing?
Any suggestions for great bivouac spots or particularly interesting stops along this route?
The points on the route are provisional overnight stops. Some spots will include two nights in the same area.
We’re used to off-road driving, but not yet in the Moroccan desert.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and tips! 😊
Good evening
I could use some advice 🙂
Our trip to Namibia is planned for June/July 2026.
We’re struggling a bit with timing and choosing activities for the part of the trip between Sesriem and Brandberg.
Day 1: Sesriem to Mirabib
Day 2: Mirabib to Swakopmund – visit Swakopmund, overnight in Swakopmund
Day 3: Sandwich Harbour – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 4: Kayaking with the seals + the living dunes – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 5: Moon Landscape, Henties Bay + Cape Cross – overnight at White Lady Lodge in Brandberg
Does this itinerary seem realistic to you? Is Cape Cross really worth the trip? If I had to choose between Cape Cross and kayaking with the seals, which would you recommend?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hélix
My son and I are heading to Georgia this summer to explore the High Caucasus (Svaneti, Kazbek, and Tusheti regions). For this, we’re planning to rent a 4x4.
However, the rental agencies we’ve found prohibit driving on the tracks to Omalo (Tusheti) and/or Ushguli (Svaneti).
Do you know of any agencies in Tbilisi (local and reliable) that allow rented 4x4s to drive on these tracks? If so, which ones?
Hi everyone,
I’m starting to plan an itinerary for September 2027 focused on Zimbabwe and Zambia. I’d love to visit Gonarezhou National Park—I see there are two sectors: the Mwenezi Region in the south and the area around the Runde River in the north. Should I cover both sectors or just focus on the northern region?
For the parks along the Zambezi River, is it better to visit Mana Pools on the Zimbabwe side or Lower Zambezi on the Zambia side?
Thanks in advance for any tips on the parks in these two countries.
Have a great day, everyone.
We’re spending 18 days in New Zealand from 05/04 to 05/21, arriving in QUEENSTOWN and leaving from AUCKLAND.
Any ideas for a road trip that covers the highlights of both islands but only changes hotels every 3–4 nights?
Thanks.
For our trip to Georgia in July, I’d like to rent a 4x4 starting from Tbilisi.
Do you have any rental companies to recommend?
The traditional rentals like Hertz, Avis, etc. seem way overpriced compared to local companies—what do you think? Are they properly insured?
Has anyone here tried Geo Rent Car, Auto 4 Rental, or Sur Price?
Also, I’m looking for info on the condition of the Ushguli–Lentekhi track—is it passable?
Hi everyone,
A well-prepped 4x4, a travel plan across Africa in stages since I’ve got kids to see regularly and work to earn a living.
I’m leaving in November for about a month with the goal of reaching Senegal via Mauritania. I’d love to share this trip with someone who wants to discover Mauritania and a bit of Senegal... and also experience life on board a 4x4 in the desert or bush, sometimes sleeping in the vehicle or in hostels/small hotels for comfort. I want to share this rediscovery because two’s better than one!
Just traveling, exploring, and living! !
I’m planning to explore Argentine and Chilean Patagonia for a month in December 2019.
I’m looking for a rental company (or several) that offers single-cab 4x4 pick-ups with a fitted camper cell for two people. I’m specifically after a vehicle with an indoor shower for extra comfort ;)
So, no vans—at least not from the rental companies I’ve seen so far.
While browsing the forum, I came across the Chilean rental company Holiday Rent. But do you have any recommendations for Argentine rentals?
Because, if I can’t return the vehicle in the same city as pickup, I’d prefer—and it’d likely be cheaper—to at least return it in the same country.
I’m traveling through Argentina and Chile (as well as Paraguay and Uruguay) with a 2019 Toyota Hilux Euro 6. Could anyone tell me if the local diesel is suitable for its engine, or if I need to take any special precautions (like adding an additive, for example) for these countries?
I’d also like to know if driving at high altitudes is possible, and up to what elevation—or if I should worry about the vehicle going into limp mode?
If that happens, what should I do?
Hi there,
Can you tell me if the road between Zagora and M'Gouna is easy or difficult for a 4x4? How much time and how many kilometers should I plan for? I’m traveling in May.
Thanks!
Hi there,
My trip to South Africa is starting to take shape.
However, I'm struggling to figure out the route through Kruger Park. I can't seem to find the information I need about getting around.
Coming from the south, I plan to arrive on Day 1 in the early afternoon at Malelane or Crocodile Bridge.
Do some shopping in Malelane (or Crocodile Bridge main area) and stay overnight outside the park.
Leave on Day 2 at 5 AM for the park. Explore the southern part of the park.
Stay overnight around Skukuza or Lower Sabie. (We don’t want to stay in one of the park’s big camps. We’re looking for a lodge around 200 €.
Head out on Day 3 for a self-drive safari, maybe as far as Orpen.
We’d like to stay in a private reserve on nights 4 and 5.
We’re not sure which one or how to get into a private reserve. Do we need to exit Kruger Park?
On Day 5, we’d like to leave to visit Blyde Canyon (on Day 6).
I’m planning to leave Morocco for the summer but want to leave my 4x4 there to avoid exceeding the famous 6-month limit. I’d like to park it in one of the two Spanish enclaves (Ceuta or Melilla).
Does anyone know of people or companies that handle long-term parking (preferably secure) in either place?
Once the car is parked, what’s the best way to get back to France using public transport?
Is the nearest airport Tanger from Ceuta?...
How do I get there easily, etc. etc.
hello! I’d like to go to Kazakhstan and rent a fitted 4x4 locally so I can drive off-road trails and sleep inside the vehicle... could anyone share some local rental company addresses, please? Thanks! !
I'm about to rent a self-drive 4x4 in Mongolia. Has anyone heard of GOBI.RENT?
Otherwise, do you have any tips for checking this company since there's no info on their website (e.g., registration number on the RCS)?
