Family Overland Tours - FAQs

WE'VE NEVER CAMPED BEFORE, IS THIS FOR US?

If you've or your family have never been camping before, then coming on a Dragoman Family Overland Adventure is a great introduction! All of our trucks are fully equipped with sturdy tents and a full compliment of cooking and camping equipment. Your leaders will give you a full briefing about setting up on the first camping night, so it couldn’t be easier and we're pretty sure that everyone will absolutely love it.

The amount of camping will vary according to the trip that you choose and on some nights you'll be staying in local guesthouses and hotels - we will try to accommodate you in triples/quads or family suites where possible. Check out the accommodation icons for the trip you're interested in to see how many nights you'll spend under canvas.

How long will we be travelling for each day?

Travelling overland is what our adventures are all about, and we think the journey is a massive part of the adventure. There will be some days where we spend a bit of time travelling, but those journeys are often great fun and a fantastic chance to bond with the other families and see the scenery that you're travelling through. We do design our family itineraries with children in mind - we don't travel every day, and when we do we try to minimise the amount of time we spend getting from A to B, generally never being more than a few hours on the road at any one time. Our overland expedition vehicles come fully equipped with comfy coach seating, tables, a music system and fridge – and most travellers use the time we spend driving to read, sleep, play games with other families, or watch the scenery pass by our the window!

Are there age limits for Children?

We do have restrictions on the ages of children that we take on our Family Trips. Children must be between 7 and 17 years old (inclusive), and accompanied by at least 1 parent or guardian.

CAN I TRAVEL ON MY OWN IF I'M UNDER 18?

Sorry, but our Family Trips are for families only, not for unaccompanied children. A family must be at least 1 child between 7-17 accompanied at least 1 parent or guardian. For our wide range regular overlanding trips, we have a minimum age of 18 years old on the day that you would start to travel with us.

What do we get for our money?

You’ll get places for your family on one of our fantastic Family Overlanding Adventures, and together you'll have the experience of a lifetime! The total price includes all the accommodation, transport, use of the truck and its camping equipment, library, etc., camping meals, and all activities listed as included.

Prices in the brochure are correct at the time of printing, but may vary during the year. Up-to-date prices can be found on the website. All prices are listed on a per person basis - please note that the child price is the same as the adult price, due to the lack of discounts for most entrances and activities on the ground in Africa.

Please note that our Family Trips do not have a kitty, as our regular overlanding journeys do - everything above is covered by the trip price.

What isn’t included?

Our trip price does not include optional activities, travel insurance, connecting flights, airport transfers, border taxes or charges, transportation while not on the trip or while freely exploring a city, passports, visas, vaccinations, first aid kits or medicines, extra accommodation, upgrades, contingency route expenses in case of emergency or natural disaster, meals at restaurants or cafes or whilst staying in hotels, drinks, tips, or personal spending money.

WILL WE HAVE 'FREE' TIME WHILST ON TOUR?

Yes, our trips are designed to give you the best of both worlds – with plenty of organised activities to do as a group and free time for you to explore as a family or to do your own optional activities!

IS IT ONLY PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN THAT ARE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL?

Our family trips are just that – for the whole family. That means you don’t have to leave aunties, uncles and grandparents at home. As long as there is at least one child under the age of 18 travelling with you, you’re a family group.

If your children are over the age of 18, our regular tours are still a great way to enjoy the Dragoman experience. Children over 18 years of age are considered to be adults and therefore cannot participate in a Family Overland Tour unless travelling with a younger sibling and their parents.

WHAT WILL OUR GROUP BE LIKE?

We often find the families on our Dragoman family tours tend to be really like-minded, travelling from all over the world to join our trips and that the kids often develop instant pen pals! The small group size also means there’s enough freedom for children to make new friends while the parents can have adult conversations.

What are the risks associated with Malaria for children?

This is a serious problem world-wide and you should seek expert advice before travelling. Malarone Paediatric, the world’s first anti-malarial developed specifically for children was recently launched, and whilst they are quite expensive, they have proved to be 98% effective in preventing the most serious forms of malaria in clinical trials. We would definitely recommend you discussing this medication for your children with your GP if you are booking a trip that travels through malaria risk areas. Of course the other important thing to remember is to cover up well and use plenty of insect repellent, so as to avoid being bitten in the first case.

WILL MY CHILDREN NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL?

Yes, all passengers will require a valid passport to travel and participate on our trips. You may ALL also require a visa depending on your nationality and chosen travel destination. We recommend making sure you have more than six months remaining on your passport before travelling overseas. Contact your local embassy for more information about obtaining a passport for you and your children, and whether you will need a visa to travel to your chosen destination.

Check out our main Q&A page for the answers to other questions

Find out more about Dragoman's Family Overland Adventures