If you have traveled to Egypt with us before you may know that Waleed led some of our travels in Egypt. It is a brilliant guide with a Masters degree in Egyptology and a passion for the incredible knowledge sharing his fascinating country!

to use his full name, Waleed Mohamed Maksoud Abel Kamouna is 36 and in addition to his degree, he holds a bachelor's degree in tourism and hotels in the Helwan University in Cairo. He is a very experienced guide, working for a range of businesses and leading many types of tours to Egypt - families, festivals, special interest and of course our adventure trips. He has received countless travelers through its efforts worldwide and was named in the Price Wanderlust World Guide.

A word of Waleed ...

" In my life as a tour guide I never thought that I'm better than any guide, though I myself and my own personal confidence skills - I think I'm still learning every day of every situation ! I'm trying to create a family atmosphere in the tower that all feel like a real family.

After a few days, they call me the man of the family and sometimes they call me daddy

I love what I do - I like it all the time !! "

A big thank you to Waleed us to carry fantastic trips to Egypt!

Discover all our Egypt travel

Oasis Overland Tour Leader Grace recently told us about his first impressions on arriving in China. Grace and Malcolm are leading our from London to Beijing Overland trip on one of our unique Overland Vehicles.

"Our first China impressions are, it really is a country of contrasts Take the border as an example with five checkpoints. - Both in Kyrgyzstan and three in China through an area about 0 km, it was meticulously organized and controlled. the motto displayed at the immigration office spoke about the efficacy, safety and order, and in many ways this is how China. they have a good road network with efficient toll booths and take the task of rebuilding roads such as highway Karakorum which peaks up to 7000m and is notoriously windy. in addition, the long roads to 550 km Taklaman through the desert, one of the largest bodies of quicksand in the world is lined with plants and houses. people are employed and are stationed every 3 to 4 km after watching the road and ensure the sand not drift on the highway.

Parking near the Great Wall

security in China is beyond the belief of not being authorized to take my purse in the supermarket, each store having a police vest and a helmet with a constant police presence in cities and numerous checkpoints along roads. China generally established ways of doing things that are difficult to depart from. Wang Our guide met us at our hotel with our printed route maps to give our travelers and a great Chinese restaurant in mind for dinner. It has also demonstrated the organized nature of China.

Belles readers across China

However, scratch beneath the surface of China and you find a country with an erratic pulse beat in ... all countries and I have traveled Malcolm we have never been deafened by both horns by crazy drivers here, supermarkets full of strange food cellophane wrapped chicken feet to the heart lambs! Not to mention the night that we visited on our second night market in Kashgar. whole roasted sheep were propped on the table with rosettes around the neck alongside some elements that we could not even identify but we hazard a guess was some form of offal. The people we met were friendly, wanting to pose for pictures and are incredibly interested in our truck Oasis Overland. Our guide has adopted the style of this rough journey, help us find bush camps and help make fire. He insisted we try the "real" drink of China - Chinese white spirit tangy, and the famous Tsing Tao beer !! "

Try the local delicacies

Often presented as "the warm heart of Africa ', Malawi Travel offers something for all visitors.
One of the most beautiful and relaxed African countries, Malawi is known as a destination for those seeking Adventure entertainment or eco Activities -tourism .
landscape Malawi is beautiful and varied and Malawians tend to be extremely friendly toward travelers. Nature lovers will love the National Parks and Game reserves mountain hike and stabilize trekking .

The best advice for Malawi Travel

Travel in Malawi
roads of Malawi is fairly well established, with most paved roads. Bus transportation is a viable option, with express options and luxury coaches available and boat trips are a favorite background.
For those looking for a more comprehensive approach African adventure , there are a number of land-tour operators running trips that cover various countries , which allows travelers the opportunity to really experience the spirit of Africa and enjoy a variety of experiences.

social conventions
With a large and diverse range of tribal backgrounds among the people of Malawi, it is understandable that many travelers are concerned about the issues of accepted behavior and convention. Fortunately for visitors to this African paradise , Malawian society is well integrated and visitors should not worry too much about social differences.

Greeting Conventions
Malawians "people hand-shake" . They usually place some importance to the handshake at the meeting and . Among greeting parts of the society of men practice a special handshake , involving the seizure of the thumb and place the left hand on the forearm - foreigners should probably not try to do, but if you are there and see you, you'll know what he's talking about. in addition, women and children could bows as a greeting or as a sign of recognition.

dress
Generally, Malawians tend alongside conventional in their dress. for Malawi trip, it is advisable to dress modestly but of course, in such a society relaxed there is no strict rules and it's probably better just to appropriate dress for your planned activity a day at the beach calls for beachwear and safari trip requires long sleeves and pants.

Climate
Winter dry season, is best time to visit , and lasts from May to October. June and July are the coldest months with a very comfortable average daytime temperatures 21C. The dry season is the best time to travel to Malawi if you are interested in best game viewing and hiking .
The hot wet rainy season , from November to April, brings warmer temperatures around the mid-range of 30 ° C. Rainfall is concentrated on the higher plateaus and some roads become impassable after heavy rains.

Currency
The Malawi Kwacha is the currency used locally. It is freely convertible at a rate of about 137 Kwacha to the US dollar. US dollars are also readily accepted , especially for larger purchases.
It is also interesting to note that the currency of neighboring Zambia, also called Kwacha, is a fraction of Malawi Kwacha, so travelers should be wary.

credit cards are accepted to some extent, but only large brands such as Visa and MasterCard, and then only by the larger hotels or businesses geared specifically towards tourists. In general, it is safe to assume that your card will not be easily accepted when you embark on Malawi travel.
Traveler's checks too are not always easy to exchange. Some banks, exchange offices and upscale hotels can do it, but US currency in cash is probably a better option.

Health Precautions
Malawi is a malaria risk area . To minimize the risk of mosquito bites during your travel to Malawi, wear light clothing with long sleeves and using appropriate mosquito repellent (those containing DEET Diethyltoluamide work well) on exposed skin.
Sleep under ITNs or ensure that the doors and windows of your accommodation are screened against mosquitoes. Have a fan or air conditioner on the night will also curb mosquito activity to some extent.

Currently, three most effective anti-malaria drugs are mefloquine (Lariam or Mefliam), Doxycycline and Malarone (Malanil). Some medicines may cause side effects and should be taken some time before exposure to risk, so consult your doctor or a travel clinic well before you intend to travel to Malawi.

must- see the sights of Malawi

Lilongwe - This, the capital of Malawi , is renowned for the old town, home to market stalls, cafes and quaint restaurants and the new city, home to embassies, offices and shops

Blantyre -. Blantyre, located in the southern part of Malawi, is regarded as the center of commerce and industry in the country. On the interest for beer lovers , it is home to the Carlsberg brewery and has a range of restaurants and accommodation options

Lake Malawi -. Travel in Malawi would be complete with a visit to the country of most famous tourist attraction . Lake Malawi is also known as Lake Nyasa and the Livingstone Lake '(after the famous explorer David Livingstone). It is the southernmost lake in the Great African Rift Valley.
The lake, about 560 km long and with a total area of ​​almost 30 000 km, is bordered by Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania and is a source of territorial dispute between Malawi and Tanzania.

Lake Malawi is home to a a greater variety of native species fish than any other lake in the world, making it very popular among divers and snorkellers .
Its tranquil blue waters and beautiful golden beaches make for great retreats for those seeking a little rest and relaxation. Water Sports like kayaking; canoeing, windsailing and water skiing are available for those seeking a more active source of pleasure.

travel to Malawi with Oasis Overland
The crew of Oasis Overland have a thorough knowledge of Africa, East and South America, Middle

Trip Malawi is surrounded on the following rounds Oasis Overland :.
Cairo to Cape Town
Savanna Dawn
Coast to Coast
Apes & Lakes
the great Adventurer

Be part of the adventure of a lifetime when you a tour in Egypt . By taking a visit to Egypt, you are sure to see all the major sites that came to visit Egypt on exquisite landscape it is today.

Your adventure tour in Egypt you will visit to the pyramids and temples majestic. Then go to negotiate on the lively local markets where you will find unique and exotic jewelry to remember your visit in Egypt.

Oasis Overland Tours to Egypt

What makes a road tour with Oasis Overland so unique is that we use local transport throughout our visits to Egypt

This means that you get a real taste of Egyptian life -. be prepared to experience a visit to Egypt that includes transportation by train, mini bus, feluccas, ferries, donkeys and camels!

You can share your experiences with a small group of like-minded people you are likely to form lasting friendships. In addition, you have the security to travel in groups, with the experience of a guide who knows Egypt thoroughly .

Oasis Overland offers a number of of Egypt adventure trips that will give you a memorable experience of a culture and fascinating landscape.

Order a brochure for more information on the range of exciting tours in Egypt as Oasis Overland have to offer

Several national parks and reserves of Kenya have increased their fees with effect from 1 ^st January 2011. the costs of the season for visitors from overseas increased by approximately 20% to US $ 75 in parks such as Lake Nakuru and $ 60 in US Tsavo East and Tsavo West .

with increasing is a name change for costs "conservation fee" in order to highlight the visitors make contribution for Conservation Kenya's wildlife parks when they visit the country.

in recent years East African parks have seen a number of similar price increases of which could be interpreted by tour operators and tourists as excessive, especially when most foreign tourists are experiencing the most difficult economic problems for many years in their own country . It is natural that African countries should want maximize income of their natural resources and, while foreign tourists continue to visit future security their wildlife and national parks is a little more certain.

Our trips that visit the National Park of Lake Nakuru will be affected by rising prices cost increases, however, will be absorbed by us and not passed on to our. Travelers

Our Special Offers has all our latest offers, but briefly, here trips you can save on if you want to travel on a Overland Adventure in the next two months:

New Promotions:

Nile Trans Cape Town to Nairobi eight weeks travel from 19 ^e June - was £ 90 now £ 80 more 595 US $ local payment

Nile Trans Cape Town to Cairo, 16 weeks of holiday from 19 ^e June - was £ 2,150 1165 now £ 2,050 plus US $ local payment

Oasis Caravan Cairo to Istanbul, travel 37 days 31 ^st May - was £ 695 now £ 595 plus £ 270 payment local

More travel Africa Overland:

Coast to Coast Nairobi to Cape Town trip of 54 days from 7 ^e May - was 90 £ 80 now £ plus £ 595 local payment

Delta & Dunes Lilongwe in Cape Town trip of 35 days from 26 ^e May - was £ 675 £ 595 now over US $ 450 local payment

For the first time this year we have taken on board one of our brilliant photographer trucks / filmmaker to record a our Africa overland trips.

Julia Massey Stewart of The Mango Lab joins our great adventurer travel from Nairobi to Cape Town to film the progress of the trip and produce a DVD for all those who took part. Looks like it was incredibly hard work lugging the equipment about to face particular challenges in Africa, such as dust and bumpy roads. Judging by the pictures we have seen that Julia did a fantastic job. You can see these pictures for yourself The Mango Lab website and their blog - that of the Great Adventurer group is a favorite

Julia works now to put the film together - we can not wait to see the final result

• see overland trip of the great Adventurer
• more on Julia The Mango Lab and photography courses

Here the second tranche (it is a long - sit with a cup of tea) from Cade, tour leader on our Trans Africa Expedition. Anyone who may have or has had to apply for a visa should read

Episode II - An Inconvenience necessary

get a visa to get in the west African countries and get the tracks are both considered a necessary inconvenience for all shipments Trans Africa. In fact, the two are in Morocco in the first two weeks of the trip is literally a way to get all your sh ** out of the way before you are able to transcend the continent with more confidence. Visas are obtained in embassies that are in a state of Ritz to rubble, while officials the concept very fluid results of officialdom in the visa application process is a very long period and often painful persistence and patience. So it was in Rabat where we had to spend nine days to get the visa for Mauritania, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

On a daily average side street suburb Rabat potholes litter two roads and trails. Alley cats living on parked cars, stray dogs scrounge through bins and waste plastic pieces Jumping and dancing in the breeze. There is no numbering of homes, a few sign posts and the odd pedestrian. However, there is a side street in Rabat is considered quite unique. Although this particular side-street does sports all the qualities mentioned above, along this particular street-side is a wall which extends over a block and a halfway point along this wall is a quality in particular, that defines this particular street-side to share everything; rarely spotted a metal door.

The street itself is so small that to the naked eye or uninformed the importance of the rarely spotted metal door could easily slip under the radar. In fact, to identify clearly the importance of this metal door, there are two ways to do it.

The first way is through the large crowd of angry hundred and fifty who constantly surround her. The crowd spills onto the road and spends his time talking, fighting and internally hosted for prime position in front of the door. In fact, very similar scenes can be found around our campfire every morning where the twenty-fourth of us Bustle each other on the way to the first toasting positions. Although both scenes serve as the point of explosive violence boiling, the only real differences are the number of people and the fact that the focal point is not a campfire, but rarely spotted a metal door. It is for this reason that, like our campfire, the door can be classified as "rarely spotted."

The second way to clearly identify the importance of the door is the small sign next to it that reads simply "Mauritanian embassy."

Although the preferred door not everyone has time displayed beside him opening, it also seems to be capricious in that the door really opened when the door really wants. in our arrival, we were informed that the previous days, the door had simply chosen not to open at all. as long as the holder chooses to remain closed, the rise of the crowd and slapping their way forward in the if they could be first in line when it chooses to open.

to join the crowd, you are first given a small piece of torn paper with a number written on hands on it. the idea is that you expect in the crowd for three days for your number to be called and when it is, you have to beat the other forty people who have cleverly scribbled your number on a piece of paper and are now vying for your hardware won position. Once you finally do enter and go through the door, you are then in a small dark room the size of a closet where a man sits behind a cracked glass. You give this man your precious travel documents as soon as possible with your money and leave you before it has a chance to take them back to you. You are returned to the door the next day to see if your application has been accepted.

People are rarely seen emerging behind the metal door, soaring through the ocean of chaos slapped with smiles on their faces and waving their passports victoriously over their heads as a Olympic flame, the large open visa page. But more often they are seen slowly emerging from the raucous drag their lower lip at the edge of the crowd, taking another number and restart the long wait. There are really two options; see, you can put yourself through this long and tedious test or you can just be a woman.

Although women are treated as secondary citizens in many West African communities , there seems to be just the opposite regarding Embassy Mauritania. Here, women are given priority and called for the first. There are so few of them, instead of waiting three days, they are made to wait only fifteen minutes. But get your foot in the big metal door does not mean a thing we discovered when Marianne came armed with our twenty-four passports and simply told to take the passports and return the next day. In this case, all our smiles Colgate collars and were immediately rendered as useless as the men figures had in their hands.

because there is no campground in central Rabat, we had to bush camp in a nearby forest every night for the duration of our test. Every morning we would wake up and put on our big fingers shoes, jeans and a collared shirt - clothes overlanding generally appropriate, but even much for visiting embassies. We commute in city with traffic in the morning, spend the day at embassies and when working hours were over, we Switches back to the bush camp we called our house every afternoon.

This means that while we thought we had left the rat race behind to explore the African continent , the ironic reality is that within two weeks of the trip we had found us -Same immediately thrust back into the world of nine to five, and a real sense of routine. It also meant that by the time we got our visas Mauritania and Guinea and entered the embassy Ivory Coast, our skin has a bronze tan dirt, our facial hair now stood the rest of our faces ransom and we were discovering that there are only so many odors, you can hide with a deodorant box.

contrary to the Mauritanian Embassy, ​​the Embassy Ivory Coast is like walk in a serene slice of paradise. To start, rather than a metal door, it's just an open door with a welcoming mat. There is a calm, serene atmosphere interrupted only by the overwhelming welcome greetings from the staff and their enthusiastic cheers at the prospect of granting visas for tourists to visit their countries. There is a comfortable waiting area with virgin soil so you can eat outside. The diplomat gave his mobile phone number of staff for you to stay in touch with him and when the visa processing time seems to take longer than expected, is pleased to open the embassy Saturday. What is most attractive in particular to those who have spent the last week bush camping, their own and functional toilet.

The visa process is surprisingly highly technological as they opted for biometric visas which means the scanning of the finger and the pictures are taken and sent to the main office in Abudjan before visas are granted. However, despite this, it is still using one index finger enlisted by the diplomat to manually enter all forms of application in the system. When this painfully slow process seems to take longer than expected, he chose not to seek the assistance of its nine remaining digits, but instead uses his index finger to dial a friend confirming by telephone that he is arriving five minutes. Typically by "five minutes", it actually means the next morning.

Unlike Mauritanian visas that look like used coasters slapped on blank pages in passports, visas Ivory Coast comes with a color photo, barcode and color holograms. Rather than slap them, they are carefully cut and glued individually by diplomat working hard over a period of four hours. The only problem comes with the fact that they are actually stickers that can be simply peeled and pressed in minutes.

Following bush camping during our extended stay in Rabat our showers only took the form of a box. Our shoes had become a simple way to hide our muddy feet while our jeans and shirts simply used to hide the layers of dirt forest that were agglomerated on our skin every day. Like the rings of a tree when counted are able to determine its age, on receipt of our third and final visa, these layers of dirt were counted and determined that our test tallied nine nights.

It was all cheers and smiles at the exit of Rabat and take the African route. only grunts who came from the group were that of some of our stomachs. Despite our victory in the visa department and despite having left a deposit of heavy minefields around our bush camp forest near Rabat, our insides were a reminder that we still had work to do in for our other "necessary inconvenience".

Read Cade Episode I of the Trans Africa Expedition

Having just finished the 2014-2015 Trans Africa trip with Oasis Overland I would like to say a big THANK YOU for an epically awesome trip! I would like to give special thanks to the following individual.

For Natalie Oasis in the office to do a great job in the pre-travel planning office, assistance and problem solving in order to revive this journey out more soft start possible. She was outstanding in the return e-mail, information and most of the passengers especially reassuring that everything was actually going to work very well!

For Katie's office continued support Oasis during the whole trip, it was valued and appreciated. All

For various other crewmembers Oasis, we met along the way who provided entertainment between the truck and the company (apologies if I forget the names here, I blame the whiskey and provided tequila): Pete & Tabitha, Mick & Alan, Mark D. & Liam, Chris and Mark.

to Steve Newsway on the West Coast for its undeniable fountain of wisdom, the noble integrity, sense of calm, and most of all his wealth of experience that really helped us all so much ways throughout our trip.

to Steve Lloyde on the West Coast for its undoubtable madness, undeniably young at heart attitude, the immaculate gift to alleviate a Trans group atmosphere, and especially his wild sense of adventure and the need to always try to get lost, taking with him those who are crazy enough to volunteer ... or more often those who just happened to be at the back of the truck at the time!

to Gareth Redington East Coast for its excellent driving skills, positive attitude relaxed, "creative" memorable history lessons, exhibitions generous mood of the party, and especially for its never pull hard work in short constantly go out of his way to passengers to ensure they have the best trip they may have

to Mr. Joseph Kennedy, crazy or stupid enough man to take Trans scandalous group all the way -. UK via Capetown to Cairo! For his well appreciated, often discreet work, his careful planning to make things run smoothly and help pax get absolutely the most of their trip, and especially for its go-with-it T.I.A. attitude who fired the Trans whole way through 27 African countries on an epic adventure to never forget!

And finally to the incredible passenger who took the trip at all stages. A unique diverse group, which never failed to gather and focus on it as a team. Could not have asked for a better group really!

With this staff, crew and passengers of the 2014-2015 Trans Africa was certainly a life changing experience that I recommend to all who wish adventure!

Cheers, Martha

Travel Oasis Overland offers a unique and Visit excitement filled Peru which includes many sites and fascinating attractions. During the tour included Peru, one of the stops is featured in the great city of Arequipa. During the four days here on the tour visitors can go horseback riding, rafting and cycling experience this spectacular area to its full potential.

A trip to a Colca Canyon Adventure is also on the agenda and the 100 mile trip is well worth it. Twice as deep the American Grand Canyon, the over 3000m , this natural wonder is a sight to behold.

The name Colca comes from the word used to describe the small holes and crevices dotting the canyon walls. In Inca and before time, these holes were used to store food and goods and even to bury the deceased Venerable. In more recent times, the Spaniards built churches and cities around the canyon, but they failed to thrive and the region is now primarily a tourist destination . The richly decorated churches have been preserved and make for the view the vision of an afternoon impressive.

Colca Canyon Adventures

The Colca Canyon offers many attractions for visitors. Besides its breathtaking beauty that can captivate the attention for hours, the adventure sports Colca Canyon supply are perfect for adrenaline passionate researcher. Mountain biking, rafting and trekking are all complemented by the most spectacular backdrop scenery.

other main attraction of the Colca Canyon is that it houses legendary Andean Condor . This majestic bird has captured the attention and efforts to preserve it are under way in the world. Their wingspan of three meters and a half is a beautiful sight and it's easy to spend hours just watching their lazy soaring on thermals rising from the canyon . The Cruz del Condor or Condor Cross LOOKOUT , 10m below the rim of the canyon, is the ideal place to watch these birds at close range. Morning and afternoon hunting is their time to witness this event adds that something special to a Colca Canyon Adventure .

Remember to book your adventure tour in Peru encompassed and Colca Canyon in the months between June and September , when the condors are in place and there may be several circling the canyon to once, offering once in a lifetime view of .

Contact Oasis Overland today to learn more about the aspect of adventure Colca Canyon in Peru towers or other fascinating journey on offer

Our operations manager, Mark, is in Damascus at the time and listened to the speech of President Bashar Al Assad today ...

'everyone here in Damascus listened to president's speech - he was on the radio on the Aleppo bus, taxi, and people were just sitting in the small cafes near the Al Haramain watch on TV in the street. People were all applause and cheers at the end of the various comments.

The speech was certainly welcomed in the heart of the President of Damascus , but I think time will tell how it goes in other cities as Dera ' a and Latakia, where most of the opposition is. It is quite surprising almost carnival attitude among the crowds in Damascus with hooting cars and flying flags car windows.

I did not feel in any way threatened by anyone during my trip to Syria - all the opposite in fact. Yesterday in Aleppo while seeking new card tachographs to our truck, I crossed the main demonstration area several times people marched with their flags and banners and they were willing to talk to me and say hello and ask what me and the people of the west think Syria and President Bashar . But always very friendly "

Oasis Overland congratulated the Egyptian people on the completion of their first fully democratic elections. Mohamed Mursi was elected new president of Egypt and was sworn in on Saturday.

New channels reported jubilation in Tahrir Square in Cairo and there is a general feeling of joy filter through to our friends and partners in Egypt. Our own Prime Minister has welcomed the news and reiterated that he looks forward to working with the new president.

Well done Egypt!

Read more on www.bbc.co .uk

Consult our trips to Egypt

Katie holding a falcon Jeti Orguz

It has been almost 3 month since the return of my trip in Kyrgyzstan, and I still get excited every time I get the opportunity to talk to anyone about it, and I now have the opportunity to share this experience with someone who is interested!

One of the first things I ask myself when to tell my friends or someone in this journey is, then where is Kyrgyzstan? Or they let me know that they have never heard of this before country. Well, it seems they are not in the minority, I will not lie, before I worked for Oasis Overland I was no wiser either! So for those who do not know, Kyrgyzstan is located next to China, and just below Kazakhstan and was the place where one of the main Silk Road crossed. As for what the country is like that you choose throughout this blog, but what I can say now is that if it was not on your list of places to visit, so I really can not recommend goes to the top of your list! One of the positives of not many people know is that Kyrgyzstan still has not been changed by tourism, and it lends itself perfectly for more Travel the land, because it is still "raw" with natural beauty, and as there is no camping is all about "bush camp" (pulling in a good place and setting up for the night), but in places that are beyond beautiful . The people were always so friendly and welcoming we went, though I could not speak any of the local language, but my charades often seemed to get by - even if they have also caused much laughter as well

But the trip ...!

This 15-day trip begins in Bishkek, which is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. To get there, I'm a flight stansted via Istanbul with Pegasus (Turkish Airlines flies there too), which is a very basic no frills flight, but it happened to me there! I had booked in Asia Mountains Hotel, because this is where our journey started from, and when I arrived, it was the perfect start as there was even a pool to relax in,! Having stolen the day before the trip began, I had allowed time to explore Bishkek, which was really great to walk around and explore, including obtaining money changed local currency in the Kyrgyz som, and having the first chance to try some local specialties including manty (fried dumplings), plov (a rice dish with meat) and fried lagman (noodles with tomatoes, meat and other vegetables) - delicious

'Habibi' relaxation at Lake Issyk Kul

After a pre-departure meeting with our tour leader (Grace) and conductor (Malcolm), we have all been shown around our new home for the next 15 days (or more for those who continued to Istanbul) ... our Habibi truck.

Our first stop was at the center of Bishkek that cooking groups could go and get food for their meals, some needed to sort visas and the rest of us had a little free time for to explore. While some of us went to Kyryz State Historical Museum (formerly the Lenin Museum) in Ala-Too Square, while there are no English translations, it is still worth seeing including murals stories told on the ceilings. Leaving the bustling city of Bishkek behind we head to the Ala-Archa Park, which was just beautiful, almost like we arrived in the Swiss Alps. Arriving early afternoon allowed us the time to explore the area and set up our tents in our first bush camp. That first night, I am very happy to have bought my winter warmers that temperatures dropped from the sunset!

National Historic Kyrgyz Museum, Bishkek

Ala Archa

After a nice breakfast we have all left for our free days in Ala-Archa with a few of us the position of the mountain to a waterfall, and for those who feel more energetic about to ice observation. I'd say I'm probably below average fitness related, so the first part of the hike was quite difficult because it was very steep, and you are already at an altitude enough with virtually no shade from the sun bright. But the great thing is you can do everything at your own pace and if you want then you can go back. It took me over 2 hours to reach the waterfall, and the views were well worth it as you can see on the pictures. While others continued on trekking in the afternoon, I am able to do some checking on the truck with Malcolm, like keeping our trucks in good nick is very important to us and is still very evident in each once you meet one of our drivers, who really take care of them at every opportunity.

Katie trekking in Ala Archa

Leaving Ala-Archa we returned to Bishkek for a quick stop to pick up some other supplies, obtain visas for those and that the final solution of our city needed before leaving for the desert and to the Issyk Kul lake. Driving along beautiful tree-lined streets and mountains on one side of the truck we started to see the edge of Issyk Kul lake and blue waters. We were in for a treat as we got off the main road and on a straight path down to the lake where we parked and set up camp for the night. This is an excellent example of where 'bush camping' comes into its own, as you are not restrained by having to stay in a particular place and you are surrounded by what the country has to offer, which in if this is the beach for our tents, the large lake for swimming and the backdrop of the mountains behind and the dark outline of the snow-capped mountains on the other side of the lake where we would be later in the trip. Swimming in the lake was like heaven as a overlanding style shower!

Semenovskre Gorge

The next day we went to see the petroglyph outdoor site, which is a large open area full of rocks and stones who carvings on them dating back to 1500 BC. Here, we had a bit of fun to test our vision to see if we could see carvings on the stones, such as time, many have disappeared. After that, we stopped in the city of Cholpon-Ata, where there was time to explore and pick up snacks. and I decided to continue my cultural experience by going to the Cholpon-Ata museum, which was only 50 som Kyrgy. This museum really surprised me that there were English translations on most objects and images. Before long, we were on our way to our next bush camp in Semenovskre Gorge, where once again we were treated to another great bush camp just next to a river flowing and yurts. With time to explore the surrounding area we have all parties to take in different views and meet some of the people who lived nearby.

Karakol was our next stop, where we all had the opportunity to explore, which included seeing the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, which was well worth the visit and very easy to find, and then to see the Dungan mosque colorful. We also took the opportunity to explore the main bazaar, which was huge, with a large number of stalls / shops consist of large shipping containers (these have been adapted throughout Kyrgyzstan!). Jeti Orguz was our next stop, with huge red rock formations, where once again we had a "water feature" (river) near our camp. Here, we asked around the local town and explore local trails that led to the "Valley of Flowers" (unfortunately not flower because of the time of year ... but beautiful nonetheless!). Some of us went to the sanatorium close in the afternoon, which provided plenty of entertainment as we looked for showers, but these did not exist, but a very dilapidated pool done! So after much laughter and poor communication we re-joined the group that had no showers, a time of "reflection" next to a swimming pool for 10mins and having a good massage!

Click here to read 'part 2' of Katie's blog, which led the group following along a short video of the trip!

Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Karakol

Jeti Orguz

Jeti Orguz - 1 5 wooden bridges

Africa has a lot of romantic notions attached to it - from explorers in ox wagons to the spectacular sunsets and lions roaming the streets. Many of these ideas are outdated and mythical, but that does not mean that the continent does not have amazing features to offer to those brave enough to explore as it was always intended to be covered. Africa Adventure Travel involves purpose built for shipping trucks, deserts and outdoor living at its best. Travelling from Victoria Falls to Cape Town is a fantastic way to be introduced to Africa today and allows participants to see some of the finest features of the continent.

What to see between Victoria Falls and Cape Town

adventure travel companies such as Oasis Overland offers many African land trips that include traveling from Victoria Falls to Cape Town. In the relatively short distance between the two areas, there is so much to see that it is difficult to fit everything in one trip. Victoria Falls or Mosi oa Tunya "The smoke that thunders" is often labeled as the highlight of any trip. This majestic landmark is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and not only offers spectacular views and a powerful soothing atmosphere, but also activities to suit each and every taste. The area offers rafting, canoe trips, sunset cruises, one of the highest jumps of world trade and the bungee swing throat and abseiling to keep you busy.

The Chobe National Park in Botswana on the way down from Victoria Falls to Cape Town offers the opportunity to take a cruise along the river and see the animals in the region a new perspective, unique. Etosha National Park Namibia offers some of the best night game viewing in the world, while the huge sand dunes provide ample opportunity for quad biking, sand boarding and much more. The proximity Fish River Canyon offers stunning hiking and nature activities and is the perfect gateway to enter more urban areas of Cape Town.

Traveling from Victoria Falls to Cape Town should not mean that the journey ends there. Cape Town is alive with activity and offers some of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world, urban delights and cultural monuments. Cape Town is a beautiful example of how Africa has evolved merge modern life with its natural beauty -. Features such as Table Mountain is situated in the heart of the city not to be missed

Oasis Peruse many travel packages African Overland route to find your ideal adventure land with

Embark on an Adventure Tour

A brief getaway can be a great stress-reliever, but an extended adventure visit can be a life changing experience. Each country and region each have something new, unique and exciting to offer the curious traveler .

Why just scratching the surface of tourists checkpoints in major cities on the highway, when there is so much opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich cultures , customs and kitchens a land of adventure tour.

Get close to the action and Learn about life on the road during a tour Adventure Oasis Overland.

Adventure Tour Packages Oasis Overland

Nothing can quite prepare you for the journey ahead. Venture beyond the tourist gathering points and you'll soon find the natural charms of a country -. Souvenir worth all the gold in the world

outside the box is the only way to experience the real thing and make the most of your adventure travel. Here are some ideas for the traveler with adventurous spirit untameable : ..

• Abseiling, bungee jumping and swinging bridge
• Sky diving and paragliding
• Mountain and climbing.
• Quad around the desert dunes.
• snorkelling and shark cage diving.
• Sunset boat cruises.
• Microlite flights.
• helicopter trips.
• Safari game drives.
• The whale watching, wine tasting tours.
• hiking, biking and boarding.

If no two ever alike, land tours make for great experiences that will not soon be forgotten. Our packages Adventure Tour allow a journey like no other

Embark on the journey of a lifetime in an adventure tour Oasis Overland -.! Book your trip today

Hotel Matmata, Tunisia

Our 58 days Oasis Caravan of Tunis to Istanbul will from Tunis to 14th February as planned. The Office Foreign & Commonwealth amended its travel advice and is more advising against travel to Tunisia.

reports The FCO that "all major groups finished their events 'but we are aware that this is a time of big change for Tunisia and other conditions or events may still occur. However, we can be flexible and change our short-term route for the trip to safely progress .

The Oasis Caravan trips Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey . Currently, the FCO advises against non-essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez. We hope all parties concerned, especially the Egyptians, the situation will improve there and we will be able to follow our planned route as planned, but as mentioned above, we can change our route to avoid areas where travel is not recommended.

Some journalists and intrepid travelers believe that times like these can be a great opportunity to visit places with less tourists and experience a country during a period of change. We hope we can help support local people that provide our accommodations, transportation and excursions during what must be a very difficult time.

After February, the next 58 days Oasis Caravan runs from Istanbul to Tunis , from 2 ^e May 2011.

What do Greener Vacation Week?

Holidays Greener Week is a campaign for consumers was launched by the Travel Foundation. The campaign aims to engage consumers with the idea of ​​vacation "green", which help to protect the environment and benefit local communities in tourist destinations.

The main objective of the campaign is to challenge consumers to do three simple things when they next turn holidays to help you benefit local people and protect the environment in their holiday destinations.

What are the greenest days?

holiday Greener simply means vacation that benefit people and help to protect the environment in the destinations.
The great part is that anyone can make ecological holidays by doing simple things, no matter what type of vacation they are being ... and more often than not, vacationers will also find that they have a richer experience, unique and memorable vacation accordingly.

for more information on the ideas to make your travel greener click here or visit our pages of responsible travel

Over the next weeks and Kristy Nev our team during execution of the expedition Oasis Trans Africa and some of the group will send their stories and tales of their adventures.

From Day, November 6, 2011
trip left the UK in early November 2011, but for many the excitement and preparation had begun a full period 12 months before.

in early October Kristy and Nev arrived at the office of the United Kingdom and began the mammoth task of scrubbing the grime from the previous Trans truck and kitting lard it with thousands of tuna cans and beans, etc. . before making the slow journey by sea and road to Gibraltar. Here, the 24 guest Oasis Overland had gravitated, resplendent with clean clothes and freshly shaven faces

The standards were created. the group arrived to find their erected and pegged tents, fully functional zippers and a hot dinner on the table, courtesy of Nev and Kristy. The newly formed group has exchanged pleasantries and mingled over a few beers.

Waking the next morning, or arising, for those who had not slept, after discovering that the first night from our time there were two snorers Olympians. The group spent time stocking up on some personal supplies for the adventure that lay before them and well stocked, we set sail for Africa

MOROCCO - by Kristy ... ..
Winding through the blue and white streets of the ancient city of Chefchaouen medina, we fell on the day of slaughter sheep. While Dodge decapitated skulls and sheep skins drying in the sun, we met our first financial difficulties, lack of facilities and ATMs money changing on a holiday. Fortunately for us, souvenir sellers were in force, Jelabas in abundance, and the tagines were hot and spicy. Change Currency overcome the second difficulty was the lack of products available in our first group cook-shop. With the help of a 10 year old boy, and a keen desire to adapt the menu, we have overcome the challenges of a market where the product was still the head, too fresh meat and vegetables anything but.

in the old city of Fez, following the track capable of jelaba dressed Kalum, our local guide, we got lost in the narrow streets of the historic medina, the little streets full of ramshackle stalls made of rickety tables and baskets piled high with olives, oranges, nuts, nougat ... .. and snails! After a path through a maze of leather products made by hand, of all shapes, sizes and colors of the rainbow, we went out on a balcony overlooking the famous tanneries and were immediately faced with the stench rancid rotting flesh.

Overcoming just nausea long enough to take a few piccies, we proceeded through the maze of uneven Floored alleys, winding our way past dark markets hawking scarves, spices, tagines, sets of tea, tapestries and carpets Bedouin fertility! Bonding started here in the form of forced nudity during a visit to experience a local hammam, where local women (or men for men), washed our first skin, in a raid fixture in the local culture. We dined on local fare, shopped until we dropped, and were entertained by the rolling rolls of flab local belly dancers.

Next stop Rabat was not nearly as exciting place, but a must stop in order to get visas to Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso. We spent 5 nights bushcamping ... ..

Then, after an afternoon meandering rocky remains of the ancient Roman city of Volubilis, the rain found us in Meknes. Here we have shopped locally, avoiding the thunderous rain and inhaling the aromas of piles of colorful spices, fresh vegies plucked, and swinging cow carcasses lining the narrow streets of the market. Here too, we had our first real experience of local drivers, surviving arduous journeys in leopard print interiored aging Mercedes Benz taxis through the olive groves back to the camp. The rain continued to Casablanca, where visas for Senegal were tried and private, where cocktails were flowing at Ricks Café. By the time we hit the Atlas Mountains, the rain had turned to snow, and it was so cold that froze the water dishes. Todra gorge was covered in waterproofs and bushcamps were abandoned for local campgrounds closed as gale force winds blew cold, and tents aside. Marrakech By the time finally calmed down and the sky again turned blue. As our washing at the last had a chance to dry, we again lost our bearings wandering the dark lanes, but vibrantly seeded Souk Marrakech, haggling pointed at the end of soft leather slippers, tagines molded by hand and patterned silk scarves. Here at last we met other foreigners, having nearly three weeks on the isolation felt little known places where we traveled. By day, we watched the snake charmers, and the night we sampled dish after dish of these horrible delicacies as snails, tripe, tongue, eyeballs and brain in night street markets, where tablecloths were plastic and touts competing for our business. We hit the edge of a new sea in Essaouira, and the sun continued to shine, made our way south through the Western Sahara, where only the fuel stations and the market for odd camels broke the monotony of the sand unending.

MAURITANIA -. Katie ...
We started from Morocco to Mauritania with a border crossing seven hours when the truck was X-rayed, searched by sniffer dogs and boarded by the curious border officials who all seemed to want take a look inside the big yellow truck. Nothing has been found, we went through the rutted track, pot-holes through the no-man land with an escort because it would not be wise to get lost in the maze of paths through the mined area.

We all had a feeling of anxiety about entering Mauritania since it was on the alert list FCO but everywhere we went we were treated so well that our concerns soon wilted. The day after our arrival, we had a Nouidibou mammoth day of training in the north of the capital Nouakchott in the south because it was not safe to camp anywhere along the way. The landscape was desert, the sky was huge and few people. We drove next to the iron ore train snaking for miles, taking charge of its mines in the east of the coast. Police checkpoints were common (but welcome as it was clear they were for our safety rather than money grabbing opportunity for corrupt officials). We arrived in late afternoon to our campsite in the sleepy capital where we plant our tents on the roof.

Mauritania is where we all first brought our mosquito nets and sleeping under the stars, we experienced our first floorboard specials truck (canned or dry food) - (culminating was spam risotto) and we discovered hamburgers and amazing fat milkshakes the corner from our campground in Nouakchott. Last night in Mauritania, we had an armed police guard all night because they were worried for our safety, but fortunately the night passed without incident and headed to our next country -. Senegal

Look out for the next episode and many other tales and adventures ahead of Africa soon