Your best buddy for the bush

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Published by MapStudio, the comprehensive guide is called 4x4 Routes through Southern Africa and there is also an Afrikaans version called 4x4 Roetes deur Suider-Afrika.

This excellent publication is much more than just a detailed guide of 20 classic routes, complete with detailed maps, GPS points, accommodation, checklists, fauna and flora of the different regions and the specific kit required for every route, it is also a highly entertaining companion which should be the first thing you pack before you depart.

Experts' inputs

All the routes benefit from the input of experts in the area and not only does the guide list stay-over sites, it also tells you the precise distances between the various points on your route and what the family-friendly and self-sufficiency ratings are.

Included in the printed guide's price of R250 is a CD which shows all the maps and GPS tracks for all 20 routes.

So, whether your planned destination is the Cederberg, Richtersveld, the Namib Dessert, the Serengeti in Tanzania, Northern Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho or the Baviaanskloof, make sure you 'invite' this guide along - it is guaranteed to become a well-thumbed, close friend of the family and all your other travelling buddies.

As welcome as a cold beer round the fire at sunset after a long, hot day though the Namib.