Well it looks like Dragoman is diversifying into other areas as it will soon provide non-truck based small group adventures to places such as Thailand, Vietnam and Costa Rica. Scheduled for their new brochure out in September which will also include shorter Adventure trips between 2-3 weeks.

Dragoman and Wanderlust have joined forces to offer a 3 day camping ’safari’ in one of the Drago trucks in East Anglia UK from the 29th to the 31st August. Primarily designed as a taster for an overland tour it seams in principle a good idea if you are unsure of what overlanding offers (bear in mind you wont be travelling many hours in the truck). On the saturday the camp will relocate to the Maverick Festival for an added bonus.

Although the price seems a little steep for what is essentially a camping weekend at £255, or £205 for Wanderlust subscribers, you will be able to reclaim this amount against any Dragoman trip booked before the end of the year so the carrot has been provided.

Dragoman in conjuction with uCardit have developed a branded ID card that contains personal travel information onto a credit card-sized laminated card. The theory being you can leave your passport and other important documents locked away in the safe on the truck and use the card when you arrive at hotels and other locations. A single card costs £5.49 and in principle sounds like a good idea. Have you used a card? did you find them useful?

Chinese media had reported that Tibet would reopen to foreign tourists from May 1 2008 though officials have not confirmed this and a U.S.-based rights group says Beijing does not plan to allow foreigners in until after this August’s Olympics. Already some overland companies such as Dragoman have re-directed relevant tours.

I went on my first ever overland trip to East Africa in July 2006. The trip was from Nairobi to Dar es Salam for 16 nights.

My usual holidays were beach and pools so I was nervous about?doing a trip of this type.The communication beforehand with Dragoman was excellent, any query I had was answered professionally and I was never made to feel like I was asking a ’stupid question’.

?The trip itself was great, a real trip of a lifetime - in my day job I have to organise everything so it was really refreshing to know that my trip was pre-organised and I could just sit back and read up on where we were heading next.

I enjoyed the fact that we all had to chip in and cook, clean, shop etc although some people on the trip pulled their weight more than others which did lead to some resentment by the end of the trip.

The crew were very friendly and our camp cook was amazing. The work these guys did for very low wages was great - they are never off duty! From my personal experience I had no issues with how the trip was run although I know that some of my fellow travellers were not quite as satisfied.

Advice I can give to anyone contemplating an overland trip similar to mine:

* be very flexible - not everyone is the same as you and not everyone wants to know everything about you in the first 24 hours.

* read the joining instructions carefully, if there is a requirement for a piece of kit, it is usually on the list becuase its necessary.

* white clothes, hairdryers, strighteners and full make up are not normally a necessity in Africa.

* respect your surroundings and the culture, this may be the only time you have to see this beautiful country - enjoy it and take it all in.

Overall?I have no complaints about my trip to East Africa or Dragoman although they are slightly more expensive than other tour companies. I would use them again on my next Africa trip which will hopefully be Vic Falls to Cape Town.

Hi,

I am thinking of taking the Dragoman Overland tour in Central Asia (the one that starts in Turkmenistan, through Uzbekistan, and into Kyrgyzstan. About 30 days). Has someone taken this trip before? Would you recommend it? What did you think of Dragoman?

I am deciding between traveling to the south of Africa (also an overland tour) or taking the Central Asia one mentioned above. I am currently leaning toward the latter option, because I think it’s a good mix of history, culture and nature; it’s less frequented by tourists (which is important to me); and visiting the ancient Silk Road sounds fascinating. However, I was hoping to get the opinion of someone who has traveled the area before on an overland tour and make sure I am not romanticizing the trip because of the Silk Road’s incredible history.

Thanks!!

TN

Dragomanare expanding their Sales & Marketing team soare looking for a new Sales Manager/Supervisor to leadthe direct sales and reservations team. Please contact the Dragoman office on01728 861133 for more information.

We always receive questions about local payments otherwise known as the Kitty, which is usually paid to the local tour leaders on arrival. The Kitty is suppose to cover the cost of group meals, activities,entrance fees guides and accommodation. However this has meant customers have either had to carry large sums of money or been at the mercy of local banks withdrawing cash.

However things are changing and from 1 January 2008 Exodus will no longer charge a separate local payment and will instead incorporate these into the trip price. However this does not apply to overland trips in South America.

Whilst Dragoman and The Adventure Company have decided to?scrap local payments?in their family brochures, but are continuing to separate them out for other trips.

The Kitty or local payment has?flaws and can be a source of friction. It?makes comparing company prices a little more tricky as you always have to factor in the local payment whilst not forgetting to?take a close look at?the activities?include in the price. And whilst on a trip actually making the payment can be difficult. And I am sure you will question some of the rationale behind the payment or its structure on long trips. But at least for non family trips it seams the majority of companies are happy to keep local payments going, for the moment.

What are your thoughts on local payments?

Post elections violence has erupted across major cities in Kenya including Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. There have been just over a hundred deaths reported in violence across the country. In addition the government appears to be?enforcing?a news blackout, whilst reports have filtered out of both fuel and money shortages from ATMs, causing concern?amongest tourist already in Kenya.
The UK Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to parts of Kenya, including Nairobi city centre and some districts in Mombasa.

Update 3 Jan 08: The violence has continued and the UK, New Zealand and Australian governments are currently advising travellers against visiting the country until further notice.

Tucan News update: Budget Expeditions operates a number of itineraries which visit parts of Kenya, however these tours do not depart until mid March 2008 and as such no passengers have been affected by the unrest. If any itineraries need to be changed, we will let passengers know as soon as possible in advance of their departure date.

Oasis Overland: Trips Departing Nairobi on 21 January and later
Our trips departing, or travelling through Kenya, later in January are still planned to depart on time. We will be continually assessing the situation and will update those booked on future trips if we make any changes to the itinerary.

Kumuka:? Have made a number of changes to their departure points.

Dragoman: They have modified several of their itineraries.

Update: 17th Jan? - UK advice ?is still not to travel to Kenya and charter flights are on hold but will be reviewed again on Monday.

They are running a set of slide shows and talks?and showing off one of their trucks at Nomad stores in Bristol, Southampton and Manchester. These are always a good way to ask questions and get a general?idea of what the trucks are actually like. Read More?