(101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA. Patrick Brakspear
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would strongly recommend that your luggage choice has wheels! Not that you will be required to lug your bags on safari, but more because the international airports seem to be getting bigger and the distances you need to walk longer and longer!
With regard to securing your luggage, I would strongly suggest using one or more combination locks to secure zips together if your suitcase does not have its own locking mechanism. I also swear by luggage ties! These are invaluable for those small outside pouches. Luggage tampering in airports does occur, unfortunately. Luggage straps that wrap around your suitcase can also deter, whilst shrink-wrapping facilities are available at some airports.
* Please note that should you NOT strictly adhere to the luggage restrictions on air charters you can incur additional charges arising out of the transportation of any excess luggage. One possibility is to leave any extra bags at the airport with the charter company and collect these on the way back through. This assumes that your itinerary routing is such that you return to the same airport – if in doubt, check with your travel agent.
Hand luggage
Firstly, try to restrict your hand luggage to one item only - for no other reason than more than one item makes travel that much harder (and yes, a handbag qualifies as a second item!). Secondly, that one item should be of a size acceptable as carry-on luggage by the airlines.
If you are a photographer then this will mean having sufficient space in your camera bag for travel documents, your prescription medication and/or glasses, binoculars and (possibly) even a change of clothes.
For overnight flights (and long flights - over 8 hours) I highly recommend a neck pillow, ear plugs and eye mask, and something comfy to change into - along with warm socks. Noise cancelling headphones are brilliant too (be sure you take the adaptor to allow you to plug into the inflight entertainment system).
Bear in mind that restrictions on what can and cannot be taken on board an aircraft are still in place – including liquids, flammables and sharp objects.
Airlines also insist that all lithium-ion batteries are packed in your carry-on luggage, not in your checked luggage. These are a potential fire hazard, and in the baggage hold it's impossible to fight a fire when the aircraft is in the air. That includes power banks and all camera batteries and any other battery apart from alkaline batteries.
The rules change frequently – so please double check and take heed.
Single-use plastic bags BANNED
Single-use plastic bags are now banned in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana and Malawi (including duty free bags) and all visitors to these countries need to be aware. The ban covers ALL plastic bags although ziploc bags (or similar), used to carry toiletries (or medication), will be permitted as they are expected to be in the possession of visitors and are not expected to be disposed of in the country. Please respect these initiatives.
Jewellery
Do not take any expensive personal jewellery on safari – be minimalist or take only those everyday items that you normally wear, like your wedding band, inexpensive earrings (or perhaps consider leaving these at home too). You will be on the go most of the time and there will likely be little opportunity to ‘dress up’. On the other hand, you might like to wear some jewellery at dinner when staying at some of the more up-market safari camps and lodges. Of course I am referring mostly to the women folk - for the guys, less is more!
Drinking water
Drink bottled water. You are always safe drinking the bottled water that is readily available at all the camps and lodges. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times – including on transfers between camps. Make it a practice to always have a bottle of water with you - period. If you are at all apprehensive about the quality of water where you are staying, check with the staff, and if the water is not treated or bottled then avoid ice in your drinks or cleaning your teeth with the tap water (use the bottled variety). Take water purification tablets for emergency use if you think bottled water will not be available (unlikely).
THE SAFARI INDUSTRY IS MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO REDUCE THE USE OF PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES - TRY TO WORK WITH THEM.
A number of safari operators are making sterilized water bottles (mostly stainless steel) available for you to fill with purified water at their camps and lodges. This is an initiative that you should adopt wherever possible as this will have a significant and positive environmental impact. By doing away with the factory-filled (sealed) plastic water bottles you will not only save fuel in transporting these bottles to remote regions (by their thousands) but also solve the problem of the enormous pollution to roadsides and towns that these plastic bottles foster. Do your bit (please).
CAUTION: Dehydration is a real danger on safari and you should be careful to drink at regular intervals and have water at hand at all times.
Heat
At certain times of the year, especially late October / November before the rains arrive in southern Africa, the heat can build through the days (and nights too). It is not uncommon for temperatures to reach over 40 degrees Celsius (over 100°F) during the early afternoon in Botswana, Kruger and the Zambezi Valley at this time of year. For visitors from Europe and elsewhere, who are not accustomed to such extreme temperatures, being on safari can be tough in such conditions. This will generally be when you are back in camp and can lie under the fan or go for a swim (if the lodge has a pool). Some camps/lodges do have air conditioning but this should not be expected. If you have a sarong (or kikoi), wet it and lie underneath it - it really helps. Be sure to keep the flaps of your tent open and ensure a through draft by opening any doors/flaps/windows in the en suite bathroom. If your tent is just too hot, take your book and go through to the central area which is often more elevated and sited under good shade (and drink lots of water to avoid getting dehydrated).
Dust
In the winter months (June to October), the game reserves can be extremely dusty. Contact lens wearers should be sure to bring eye drops, or you may want to consider taking a pair of standard prescription glasses in case your eyes become extremely irritated and scratchy. Cameras and videos should be cleaned regularly and stored in a camera bag throughout.
Personal safety
Your personal safety and security is mostly a matter of common sense. So take the same precautions while travelling in Africa that you would in any major city at home:
Do not carry large sums of cash (see above for information on Cash, Credit Cards & ATM’s).
Any cash money (together with your passport and other travel documents) is best carried in a money pouch under your shirt (not in a bum-bag or fanny-pack on your hip in plain view – all too visible and easily cut away) or stowed in your camera bag or day pack (which should remain in sight at all times).
Keep a close watch on your personal bags (camera bag, day pack etc.) when walking in crowded areas (airports, markets, restaurants and on the street).
Avoid walking alone at night. In some of the major African cities it is not advisable to walk the streets at night (Nairobi and Johannesburg among others).
Consider leaving your passport, airline tickets and cash in a safe place (the hotel/lodge safe) when venturing out.
Keep tempting valuables (including phones, cameras, wallet pouches, handbags) out of sight, and certainly not on the back seat, in your hire car or tour bus/4x4 and especially not in your room at safari camps/lodges – lock them up in the room safe or hand them in to management (rather than as temptation for staff).
Consider leaving your jewellery at home.
Tipping
Should we tip, and if so -