Africa Safety Tips For You
For many, just the thought of travelling to Africa is enough to send them scurrying under their bed with fear.
We’ve all heard the horror stories. Africa is a daunting and challenging place to travel to.
But, it is one of the most rewarding travel experiences you will ever have.
There is no place on earth like Africa, and if you can tame those monsters that hide in your shadows then it is so worth you investing time and money travelling on this unique and vast continent.
Africa Travel Safety Tips
Behaviour / Appearance Safety Tips
- As with any place you visit, act confidently and always be friendly. You don’t want to invite trouble your way. Africans are really friendly, there is no reason you can’t return their beaming smiles and chat with them.
- Do not wear any flashy jewellery. Look like a budget traveller. Never talk to Africans about money and how much you have. Try not to carry a lot of money on you and keep it well hidden.
- Ladies – there will be many local men that will want to chat you up, these are really young, cool, good looking men. It is so easy to be charmed by them. Just be careful. We all know that Africa and AIDS, unfortunately, go hand in hand with each other. That’s all I’m saying.
- We found the locals really aggressive in Tanzania. They will crowd you and pull at you in order to get you to buy from them etc. Just be really firm and confident with them from the word go. Avoid conversation and eye contact. Just a curt nod of the head and move on.
- Choose your destination wisely. Always check your government’s advisory warnings. Know your own comfort level and be prepared for any dangers you may encounter. I personally would not go to places that are currently involved in acts of war or aggression. For me, it is just not worth it.
- Try to avoid walking around at night. Unless you are in big cities and with people. I would just stick to the campsites/hostels/hotels, or if you do, don’t be rolling drunk or by yourself.
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| Crocs on the road |
- Know the area you are in. Just in case there are wild animals, you don’t want to be unknowingly walking around in their home at night time (or day for that matter). We stayed at St Lucia, one of my favorite South African towns, but a place where hippos freely wandered the streets at night.
- The only place I was really scared was Johannesburg, but that was because I had heard a lot of horror stories. Nothing happened to us. Make sure you are aware of where it is safe to go and where it is not.The second time I went there I had my brother, who lived there for awhile, to look out for me and take me to the safe areas. If you can spend time with local people you know and trust who know the area like this then hang out with them. It will ease your mind and allow you to see the good side of the destination. Or if you are that concerned then perhaps join a tour of these certain areas.
Health In Africa Safety Tips:
- Make sure that you get the recommended vaccinations before you arrive in Africa. You will need Yellow Fever and may not be allowed to enter your own country upon return if you have not had it.
- Carry your vaccination booklet with you as you will need a lot of vaccinations and won’t remember when you had it or when you need a booster. You’ll need to show it to prove you have had your yellow fever vaccination as well.
- Do you have malaria pills? Probably something you should have. Although they generally just mask the symptoms rather than prevent them. My brother still got malaria even while taking them and was holed up in a small, dusty cabin on Lake Malawi for three months. He was happy enough, as the World Cup Soccer was on so he could watch all the matches.
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