1. Personal Safety:
This is of concern when you travel
anywhere and Africa is no exception. As with most big cities
in the world, the central areas of the bigger cities that you
might visit (Johannesburg, Windhoek, Cape Town, Victoria
Falls, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Maun & Maputo, ) have a criminal
element that tend to prey on the unwary tourist! Please use
your common sense and take note of the following
guidelines:
Don’t walk alone in apparently deserted places,
especially at night. Try to walk in groups whenever
possible.
Keep an eye out for bag snatchers and don’t have
anything in your pockets to tempt a pickpocket.
2. Spending Money:
It is best to carry your money in small denomination cash
notes (€, US$ or £ Sterling). We recommend not to use Major credit cards (Mastercard and Visa Card) for restaurant meals and curio shops in major
centres, but rather to withdraw money at local banks and pay cash when ever possible. Small craft traders generally will accept €, ₤, US$ or local cash. Traveller’s cheques, although not common these days, can be exchanged at banks in most towns and highly recommended.
Please also avoid bringing US$ 100 notes.
3. Climate: SOUTH AFRICA / SWAZILAND
The southern tip of the continent has various regions with
different climates.
May to August can be cool to very cold (in mountains) but
days are pleasant and sunny in the north. The Cape can
have rain at this time.
September to April is pleasant, warm to hot with thunder
showers in the north-east. February to early March light showers
to heavy rains may occur throughout the country.
4. Keep a photocopy of your passport page,
visas and air ticket separately from the original
documents.
5. Please do not bring unnecessary valuables such as
jewellery and expensive watches!
6. To brinng a pair of binoculars is recommended when visiting wildlife areas, in order to fully benefit from the safari. A small pair of 8×24 is suitable and suitable for travel.
7. In the interests of Eco-tourism and wildlife conservation, please do not purchase any p roductmade from or containing animal skins, ivory, shells or wildlife products as this puts enormous pressure on African wildlife
resources. (Also these items may be confiscated at customs at
borders or in your home country)
8. Sustainable Seafood Initiative When ordering seafoodat a restaurant you can check which species are legal andsustainable by SMSing / texting the name of a fish to +27(0)79 499 8795. They will sms / text you back the fish species status. You can then enjoy your meal safe in the knowledge that your order is not having a negative impacton the Southern African fish resources.9. Keep an open mind: Those who want to travel in Africa, and enjoy it, need a relaxed attitude. This a continent of continual change, exciting opportunities and amazing experiences. It is important to prepare for your trip thoroughly by reading one of the many travel books available.10. Health Malaria:
All of our clients are advised that they should
take anti malaria prophylactics when visiting Kruger Park. Most anti-
malaria tablets need to be taken 1 week prior to entering a
malaria area. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist
regarding which tablets should be taken.
Several of the latest brands of anti-malaria tablets have
serious side-effects which can ruin a holiday or even cause a
health risk, particularly if combined with another form of
medication. They also pose a risk to persons who suffer from
depression or have irregular blood pressure. Therefore
please consult your local travel clinic or doctor and explain
the specific countries you’ll be visiting – they will give the
best up to date advice.
Please bear in mind that prevention is better than cure and
the best prevention is avoidance. It is advised that you bring
anti-mosquito spray or cream, and remember it in the evening!
Yellow Fever:
Must be administered 7-10 days before departure. The medication lasts for 10 years. All persons travelling through Tanzania & Zambia must have a certificate proving that you have had your Yellow Fever inoculation.
This will be also requested at the border upon re-entry into
South Africa from Zambia, should you not have it entry will be denied.
4.7 Cholera:
Must be administered 5 – 7days prior to departure. The medication lasts for 6 years.
Comments
Useful Information for travellers to Southern Africa — No Comments
HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>