Tired of lockdown and itching to get away for some real adventure?

With the travel industry in tatters, limited 'selfie' opportunities and a year of sitting on Zoom calls, now is the time for you to start taking control of your plans for excitement and adventure in 2021.

The Sahara Banger Rally is a 17-day, non-competitive driving adventure taking on the original Dakar Rally route across the Sahara Desert in £500 bangers - all organised by expedition specialists Max Adventure, based near Axminster.

From the Algerian border to the Atlantic Ocean, teams will battle their way across hundreds of miles of sand, rock and gravel through Morocco, and Max Adventure will be there to support them all the way.

And don't think that age is a restriction to this event, for as long as you can drive, you're welcome to join them. There will be plenty of younger legs to push, shove and dig if you get stuck!

The rally is open to anyone with a sense of adventure and in any car. Just find a teammate, buy a clapped-out car or maybe just borrow your Dad's old Rover, prepare it for the desert and join teams from around the UK for two weeks of adventure, whilst supporting your favourite charity at the same time.

Highlights of the trip will include driving the original Dakar Rally route; exploring Gara Medouar, the villain's lair in the James Bond 'Spectre' movie; climbing the towering sand dunes of Erg Chebbi; tackling dirt tracks of the Cedar Forest; negotiating mountain passes of the High Atlas mountains; racing across the vast dried bed of Lake Iriki; wild camping under a star-lit Saharan sky; and making friends with Gibraltar's rock apes!

No strangers to adventure, the rally is delivered by expedition specialists Max Adventure, based in Dalwood, near Axminster.

They've swam amphibious vehicles in the Bering Strait with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, broken the London to Cape Town record under the patronage of Sir Stirling Moss, planned the largest-ever medical research expedition on Everest and led Hollywood actors Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and Adrien Brody along the coldest, hottest and toughest roads on the planet for an award-winning series on Discovery Channel, to name but a few.

First run with a team of injured military veterans in 2018, the Sahara Banger Rally continues to support those in need by asking teams to fund raise for a charity of their choice.

The entry fee for this incredible adventure starts from as little as £1,000 per person, which includes full expedition support in 4x4s (leader, guide, medics and mechanics); return ferry from Spain to Morocco; all campsite accommodation in Africa (with the option to upgrade to hotels); branded clothing and vehicle graphics.

For further information or to sign up for the ultimate driving adventure, contact rally organiser Mac Mackenney by emailing [email protected] or call 01404 830096 or 07764 600 601.

You can also view more videos of their adventures on their YouTube channel.