The questions we're asked most — about our hikes, our drives, our tours and how booking works.
Live the Journey is a tour operator that has been guiding travellers since 2003. We run multi-day slackpacking hikes, guided 4×4 self-drive tours in Southern Africa and beyond, small-group tours across the globe, and tailor-made trips built around what you want.
We’re based at Oudebrug Farm on the R44, Oude Pont Street, Wellington, in the Western Cape, South Africa. You can reach us on 021 863 6400 or send an email to info@livethejourney.co.za.
Four kinds: slackpacking hikes (multi-day trails with your luggage carried for you), guided 4×4 self-drive tours, small-group tours, and tailor-made trips designed for you.
Slackpacking is multi-day hiking without the heavy backpack. You walk the trail with a light day-pack, while our team moves your main luggage ahead to each night’s camp. You arrive at a set-up camp, we prepare dinner, then walk again the next day. It’s the distance and the wild places of a long-distance hike, without carrying everything on your back.
Once the hike starts, virtually everything is covered: your meals, your camp, and moving your bags for you. Each hike includes transport from your arrival point to the trailhead and back, a briefing dinner the night before departure, three meals a day on trail, drinking and washing water, a camp chair, and a shower and chemical toilet set up fresh each evening, plus a support team carrying your luggage and camping equipment throughout.
Getting yourself to and from the start point, comprehensive travel insurance (compulsory on every hike), and camping gear you don’t already own, which can be hired. Exact inclusions vary slightly by route, so we’ll confirm the specifics for the hike you choose.
In two regions: the Cederberg mountains in South Africa’s Western Cape, and the Namib Desert in Namibia. Signature routes include the Namib 100 (100 km over five days near the Skeleton Coast), the Kuiseb 90 (in the Kuiseb Canyon in Namibia) and the Wupperthal 66 in the Cederberg.
No. You carry only a light day-pack with what you need for the day’s walk. Our team moves your main luggage ahead to each night’s stop, that’s the whole idea of slackpacking.
You don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be active and be comfortable walking for several hours over 15 to 25 km a day, hike-specific. As a sense of what’s possible, a 10-year-old has completed our 100 km Namib 100. If you’re unsure, tell us your fitness level, and we’ll point you to the right trail.
The Cederberg hikes are best from April, and late August to early October, and the Namib Desert, December to May. We only schedule departures for the conditions worth showing up for, which is why some trips run at certain times of year only.
Yes. We offer pre- and post-tour options on all our set departures, and we can tailor them to suit you. Speak to a consultant for ideas, or share your own plans.
You drive your own 4×4 in convoy, with one of our guides leading the route and handling navigation, camps, permits and border crossings. You get the freedom of driving yourself, without the logistical headaches, and someone alongside who knows the road if anything goes wrong.
The guiding and group logistics are on us; your vehicle and its running costs are on you. A typical drive includes an experienced guide leading the convoy, two-way radios for every vehicle, camping and concession fees, communal camp equipment (braai grid, cooking gear, tables), a shared shower and chemical toilet set up at camp, on-route recovery assistance, and most meals along the way.
Your own 4×4 vehicle and fuel, vehicle insurance, and any nights or meals in towns at the start and end of the trip. Border fees and concession costs differ by country, so we’ll confirm the exact list for the route you choose.
Across Southern Africa and beyond, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, South Africa, Mongolia and among them. Tell us where you’d like to drive, and we’ll tell you what’s possible.
It depends on the trip. Some routes suit confident first-time off-roaders; others are full expeditions better suited to experienced drivers. For example, Faces de Angola is a 16-day, 4,200 km expedition. Tell us your experience, and we’ll match you to the right route.
Yes, you’ll need your own 4×4 vehicle. If you don’t have a suitable vehicle, we can help arrange a rental. Tell us what you’ll be driving, and we’ll make sure it’s up to the route.
Besides your vehicle, plan on bringing your own camping gear, insurance, and a few personal essentials. You’ll need a valid driver’s licence (some countries require it to have been held for a minimum number of years), and a passport valid for at least six months past your travel dates with enough blank pages for border stamps and visas where applicable. Comprehensive travel insurance and vehicle insurance are compulsory for every drive. Pack your own tent and bedding if you’re not upgrading to lodge accommodation where it’s offered, along with fuel money and food and drinks for any meals not specified as included. It’s also worth carrying a basic recovery kit for your own vehicle, since our on-route recovery assistance is there for group emergencies, not routine breakdowns. Tell us your route and vehicle, and we’ll send a fuller packing and documentation checklist.
Yes. We offer pre- and post-tour options on all our set departures, and we can tailor them to suit you. Speak to a consultant for ideas, or share your own plans.
Small, by design. Our small-group tours are capped at 12–16 guests depending on the tour, 4×4 drives at 12 vehicles, and slackpacking hikes at 24 walkers.
On a small-group tour, the ground experience is fully arranged: accommodation, most meals per itinerary, transport, and a guide are covered from your first day to your last. That typically means hotel, lodge or riad accommodation as set out in the itinerary, breakfast daily along with a run of lunches and dinners, all listed sightseeing, excursions and entrance fees, transport between stops, and an English-speaking guide, often paired with local specialist guides at key sites.
International flights, comprehensive travel insurance, drinks and meals not specified, and items of a personal nature. Since these tours run to dozens of countries, we’ll send the detailed inclusions list with your itinerary.
Yes. Alongside our set departures, we build tailor-made trips around what you want. Your dates, your pace, the places you most want to see. Tell us roughly what you’re imagining, and we’ll come back with a plan. We also offer all our set departure tours as private trips to fit your schedule.
Yes. We offer pre- and post-tour options on all our set departures, and we can tailor them to suit you. Speak to a consultant for ideas, or share your own plans.
Start by telling us which trip you’re interested in, or roughly what you have in mind, through our contact page or on 021 863 6400, info@livethejourney.co.za. We’ll confirm availability and walk you through the next steps. Deposit payment required to secure bookings.
Popular departures and our smaller-group trips fill early, so we’d suggest booking as soon as possible. Departures are always subject to availability.
Some are, and some are better suited to adults. 10-year-old has completed our Namib 100, but every trip is different; ask us, and we’ll tell you honestly which ones work for your family.
Yes, we strongly recommend, almost compulsory, comprehensive travel insurance for every trip.
Yes, we offer payment plans. Please speak to a consultant to arrange your payment plan.