Travel to Africa: 3 Tips To Know Before Getting Started

Travel to Africa for the wild life

If you’re planning a trip to Africa, congratulations! You have made a great choice on how to spend your well-earned vacation time. Whether you’re headed for a safari in Tanzania or will be going to South Africa, this continent will simply take your breath away at its unspoilt splendour.

As with any trip, you must plan ahead to ensure that you have a fabulous time without any worries. Here are five tips to keep in mind when planning to travel to Africa.

Pack light. As a general rule of thumb, the less you pack, the easier your trip will be. Avoid bulky check in luggage and instead opt for a backpack. You’ll get in and out of airports much more quickly, especially if you have to change planes. You’ll also get hassled less by customs officials. Bring laundry detergent and pack clothes you can wear over and over again.

Do bring a travel adaptor. Don’t assume there’s WiFi wherever you go. Pack a small camera but bring a lot of extra memory cards, because you’ll constantly be taking pictures of the sights you’ll see. Leave behind your valuables. A cell phone, camera and iPad should suffice.

Bring mosquito repellent and lots of sun protection. Malaria is very common in Africa so slather mosquito repellent generously wherever you go. You can try Repel, which is DEET free and you can easily find at the camping and outdoor section of any store.

Also, you will definitely be out in the sun a lot, so bring a tube of high SPF sun block. Wear clothes that have built in SPF. The fabrics need to be breathable because it will be hot wherever you go.

Go to your doctor before you leave. It’s a good idea to get yourself checked to ensure you don’t have medical problems when you leave town. Bring extras of your prescription medication and birth control pills, and don’t assume that all over the counter drugs will be available in Africa. Get travel diarrhoea tablets from your doctor before you leave, just in case.

Use your common sense when you travel to Africa. Be mindful of your surroundings and ask for assistance from the concierge. Stay in reputable hotel chains so you can be assured of international standards of quality. Have an open mind and embrace your spirit of adventure. Keep these tips in mind so you can have a fabulous time in Africa.

These days everyone (including many people in Africa) have an internet connection. Twitter and Facebook, etc. The good thing is that, if you want, you can get in touch with people who live in the country where you want to travel.  You’ll find a lot of active people who’d love to help you with questions you might have.