(101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA. Patrick Brakspear
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More and more people are requested specific dietary needs, whether it be vegetarian, gluten free, vegan or a host of food allergies. It is important to provide adequate notice to the camps and lodges on your safari itinerary. In general, most luxury camps and lodges in Africa can accommodate even the strictest of dietary needs. However, this may not always be the case in some of the more remote or less sophisticated styles of safari camp - specifically mobile safaris and fly-camping where cooking and refrigeration facilities are limited. You should be careful to distinguish between food groups that may bring on an allergic reaction (seafood, nuts, gluten) and those you merely do not eat (eggs, red meat, milk products by way of examples).
Cash & Credit Cards
I would recommend that you carry a combination of cash (preferably US$ for most countries…and Rand for South Africa) and at least one credit card (preferably more than one).
You may find little use for local currency on safari, although it can be handy for road-side purchases and possibly tipping (with US dollars, or South African Rand in southern African countries, accepted keenly by staff as a gratuity). Nearly all bills can be settled using your credit card (be sure to ask if there is a surcharge) and most items in camp/lodge gift shops are priced in US$ and can be purchased using cash. In the major towns, ATMs will allow you to draw additional funds (in local currency only – please note).
Travellers cheques (checks) have become less acceptable in Africa in recent times (Tanzania is no longer accepting them for example) and they may be refused outside of the banking system (or not accepted at all).
Cash
Whilst most major western currencies (USD, Euros, and Sterling) are welcome throughout Africa, United States dollars remains the most widely accepted.
Whilst it is difficult to set a figure, I would recommend taking at least US$150 to $250 per person per week in cash from home (excluding what you might need for entry visas and airport departure taxes). This cash is specifically for paying for small incidentals (including taxis, tips and souvenir purchases). Visas secured on arrival must be paid in cash and often the exact amount i.e. officials will 'claim' not to have change - so carry an assortment of US$5, US$10 and US$20's (plus the required US$50 notes).
Be warned – some countries are not accepting US$ bills dated before the year 2000 due to suspicions of counterfeiting. Don’t be surprised if your US$ notes are run through a ‘counterfeit-checking’ device. Generally, large bills (US$50 and US$100) obtain better exchange rates than smaller denominations (US$5, 10 and US$20) if you need to exchange for local currency.
Be wary of street money-changers! They may offer a better rate but are not averse to using any number of underhand techniques to short change you. If you do use one, be sure to count each note separately to satisfy yourself that the whole amount is there BEFORE handing across any of your own cash. Once counted, be sure not to let the pile out of your sight – it is an old trick to switch bundles and for you to later discover that the new bundle is mostly newspaper. If the money traders are legitimate they will not be offended!
Credit & debit cards
Most establishments will accept international credit cards and I recommend using credit cards as a method of payment wherever possible - as much for the convenience as the efficiency. It makes sense to carry more than one brand of credit card as not all types are accepted by all outlets/hotels. On the downside, credit card companies do not offer the best exchange rates going around and will often add a foreign transaction fee for good measure!
BE WARNED: credit cards in Africa will often attract a surcharge - up to 5% in some cases, and possibly more! Be sure to ask about any surcharges before you hand over your credit card.
IMPORTANT: Most banks and credit card companies advocate that you advise them before you travel overseas so that their credit card monitoring systems do not suspend your card when they detect any unusual purchase sequences (paying for hotels, flights and rental cars in a foreign country) that occur on a holiday. Such purchases can sometimes trigger the suspension of your card and leave you with the embarrassing consequences. Secondly, be cautious of providing your credit card details when travelling. It is an unfortunate feature of credit cards that your card number can be obtained without your knowledge (at hotels desks, shops or rental companies).
BE CAUTIOUS AND VIGILANT.
Do not let your card out of your sight when paying your bill.
ATM machines
ATM machines in Africa are becoming more commonplace but are certainly not as ubiquitous as elsewhere in the world. They supply only LOCAL CURRENCY and you may need an international PIN code – be sure to check with your bank/credit card facility at home about how this should work. Not all ATM's in Africa will accept all credit card types. In my experience, VISA appears to have the best coverage in Africa. Try also to use an ATM at a bank – this way, if your card is retained for any reason, you can go in and get it back! Keep in mind that you may not even get the opportunity to locate an ATM as your itinerary will likely be designed to get you to your next destination – not to the next ATM. My advice – don’t rely on using ATMs as your main source of cash on safari!
Electric current
Electricity in Africa is all 220 -240V/50Hz AC as is much of Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand and virtually all the Asian countries and India. Those of you from North America, where 110V/60Hz is the standard, will need both an adapter for the proper plug configuration and converter to step down to the lower current required by your electrical equipment.
Type C (European) - Two-prong round (unearthed)
Type F (Schuko plug) - Two-prong round (with 2 x earth contacts)
Type G (UK plug) - Three-prong rectangular
Type M (South African plug) - Three-prong round (large)
Type D, G and M plug sockets are the dominant plug types in Africa although some countries do offer the two prong round (Type C & F) plug socket types (see Table below). A number of hotels have international wall sockets which will take an array of both two-prong and three-prong plugs. North America and Japan use Type A & B plugs, and Australia a Type I plug - all will require an adaptor plug!
Country Plug type:
Botswana - G
Kenya - G
Namibia - M
Malawi - G
Mozambique - C, F & M
Uganda - G
Rwanda - C
South Africa - M
Swaziland - M
Tanzania - G
Zambia - G
Zimbabwe - G & M
Please note:
Not all safari camps and lodges will have an electrical outlet in the tents/rooms but they will always have a central location where you can recharge your camera / video and phone / iPod batteries.
Some camps will only run a generator at certain times of the day – so be sure to check with the manager when you arrive.
A number of mobile safari operators have inverters in their vehicles (an inverter changes 12 volt DC from a vehicle battery to 220/240 volt AC) and in this way you can charge your camera/video batteries on the move.
Mobile (cell) phone & WiFi access
Generally speaking, communications in Africa are not what you are accustomed to at home, but mobile (cell)