(101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA. Patrick Brakspear
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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 will 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) phone coverage, and even WiFi, is certainly becoming more widespread throughout Africa – although not in some of the more remote safari destinations (thankfully).
A tip before you leave home: check with your service provider that your phone is registered for international roaming (and check that the phone you have is compatible with the networks in Africa - almost all of which operate GSM digital networks running at a frequency of 900 MHz (and some 3G/4G networks too)). If your phone is a dual or tri-band GSM phone it is likely this will work just fine.
More and more we are seeing WiFi being offered at safari camps/lodges * – some as an extension of that countries communications grid, and some connected via satellite. Check with your travel agent before you leave home about which camps/lodges have WiFi as this can be a real boon for sending/receiving email whilst on safari (and accessing the internet if speeds allow), including Skype, rather than using your mobile phone to text and call at exorbitant international roaming charges!
Please note: Not all conventional communication options (phone, fax, internet and email) are available at the more remote safari camps (and mobile camps particularly). Communications may sometimes be via HF radio only.
* The provision of WiFi in the safari industry is still a contentious issue, with some more traditionally-minded operators refusing to offer WiFi on the grounds of not wanting to 'interrupt' their guests appreciation of the 'wilderness' experience. Some camps/lodges provide WiFi only in the common areas (lounge/dining), whilst others have chosen to make WiFi available only in the rooms or have settled on providing a WiFi 'hub' at a suitable (low impact) location within the camp grounds.
“There is no wi-fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection” – author unknown.
Check-in luggage
There is such a great selection of luggage styles to choose from these days that I hesitate to make any strong recommendations other than to say that it is IMPORTANT that you use only soft-sided bags if you are making use of light aircraft charters for your inter-camp transfers. This means no hard suitcases or cases with frames (this includes soft bags with wheels if they have a frame for the retractable handle). In this situation you will also be restricted to as little as 15kgs (35lbs) – including your hand luggage and camera equipment *. Check with your travel agent to confirm the actual allowance as this will vary from country to country and from one air charter company to another. The pilot needs to squeeze your luggage into compartments only 25cms high. There is of course the safety issue (overall weight) and it is important that he/she gets it right. Such weight restrictions will present quite a challenge. Start packing well in advance of your departure date and use your bathroom scales to be sure to keep within the limit. Having to repack on arrival only causes embarrassment, is unfair on the pilot and results in delays. When you see your pilot trying to stuff the luggage into every available nook and cranny you will see why the need for restrictions!? Do try to work with them on this.
Please keep in mind that most safari camps/lodges provide basic toilet amenities - shampoo, conditioner, bug spray and even suntan lotion; that laundry can generally be done on a daily basis (and many camps provide this service free of charge); and finally, that only casual clothing is required.
One other thing to mention as regards inter-camp charter flights: if you weigh more than 100kgs you must advise your travel agent in advance as this may affect the overall carrying capacity of the aircraft, and its safety, and require that an additional seat be assigned.
If you are not making use of light