Overlanding / Expedition Driving in May

The Peruvian altiplano between Cusco and Puno, running at 3,800m elevation along the shore of Lake Titicaca, is one of the world's most dramatic high-altitude driving environments. Cross the border at Desaguadero into Bolivia and the routes extend across the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni and south through the Atacama. From Cusco alone, the circuit toward Puno takes in colonial churches, pre-Inca ruins, and altiplano landscapes that are genuinely unlike anything at lower elevation. The remoteness is real; mechanical preparation and spare parts matter here.

Morocco's southern routes offer one of the most accessible genuine desert overland experiences in the world. From Marrakech the route over the High Atlas drops into the Draa Valley, passes the kasbahs at Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, and continues into the Sahara at Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes. The piste roads south of Ouarzazate are graded and manageable in a competent 4x4 with moderate off-road experience. For more serious terrain, Foum Zguid and the Chegaga dunes to the west involve real sand navigation. The whole circuit from Marrakech and back can be done in a week; two weeks gives time to explore properly.