Travel Tips and Info

When traveling to Africa, wheather you will be out in the bush on safari, or just lazying around one of the major cities, there will always be something important to know, for your own safety perhaps of even just general tips to ensure that you maximise your travel pleasure.

General Travel Tips

Spending Money
Travelers are advised to bring enough money to cover the purchase of curios and entertainment, such as alcoholic drinks, mineral water etc. US Dollars, Pound Sterling and South African Rand (ZAR) are the most practical and convenient currencies. There are automatic teller machines (ATMs) available in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to draw money.

Suggested Clothing
Shorts, swimming costume, comfortable walking shoes, light trousers/jeans, sarong, sandals, T-shirts, sun hat, long-sleeved shirts, windbreaker and track suit. Warm clothes in the winter months which is May - August.

Suggested Other Items
Flash Light & spare batteries, high UV protection, water bottle and camera.

Communication
Communicating with the outside world is no problem. Cyber cafes are plentiful. Avoid the hotel communication centers, since they will cost you 20 times as much as the cyber cafes. You will have an adventure while you are there as well. Be patient, as connections can be very slow.

Health and Safety

• Don't drink the tapped water, including ice. Bottled water is available for purchase at grocery stores and hotels.
• Petty Crime. While there is no need to be paranoid about every person you meet or see, you should be aware of the dangers and take precautions to protect yourself and your belongings. Snatch thefts and robbery are the most common problems, and occur with much greater frequency in urban areas with the highest concentration of tourists.
• Always carry your own toilet paper.
• Aids. In Africa, HIV/AIDS is predominantly spread through heterosexual sexual activity. Avoid the temptations of the abundance of prostitutes, and always use a condom.

Malaria

When a mosquito bites an infected person, it ingests microscopic malaria parasites found in the person's blood. The malaria parasite must grow in the mosquito for a week or more before infection can be passed to another person.

How can malaria and other travel-related illnesses be prevented?

Visit your health care provider 4-6 weeks before foreign travel for any necessary vaccinations and a prescription for an antimalarial drug.

Take your antimalarial drug exactly on schedule without missing doses.

Prevent mosquito and other insect bites. Use DEET insect repellent on exposed skin and flying insect spray in the room where you sleep.

Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, especially from dusk to dawn. This is the time when mosquitoes that spread malaria bite.

Sleep under a mosquito bednet that has been dipped in permethrin insecticide if you are not living in screened or air-conditioned housing.