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Travelling to Africa
If you’re from the West and your thinking of travelling to Africa for the primary time or for a vacation , or to satisfy someone you’ve met from a dating site like AfrikaDating or others, then congratulations! If you have been before you’ll probably ignore all this, but if it is your first time, then it’d be of use to you.
Firstly, you are a lucky person. Not many of us can afford to visit Africa, it is a long-haul flight in most cases and tons of Africans would really like to be going the opposite way! Now, does one have family there? Are you meeting someone for the primary time? Are you happening a package holiday ? If you’ve family or you are going on a package tour, most things like where you’ll stay and your safety are going to be taken care of.
How are you travelling?
If you’re going alone, then its best to form sure that the person you’re meeting at the opposite end is genuine and you trust that person. If you are not sure, make a contingency plan just in case you get into trouble. determine where your country embassy is therein country and their telephone number . If you’re worried attempt to make variety of bookings yourself, like your hotel. tons of hotels will take email bookings but you’ll use cheap international calls to phone up a hotel to form your reservation. you will be charged tons if you book into a Sheraton or Holiday Inn however, and sometimes those places are often strict, especially they’re going to charge you more if you bring a guest to your room.
Health
Before you go confirm you’ve had your relevant jabs. There are certain health risks, the foremost significant of which are Malaria and HIV/AIDS. Take a visit to your travel clinic, GP or doctor and obtain the relevant jabs. These can take weeks to urge , so its best to plan beforehand otherwise you might want to seek out a personal travel clinic. albeit you’re of African origin, its best to make certain since viruses and other bugs mutate over time and once you might previously are immune, you would possibly not be to newer viruses.
Malaria
Check if your travelling to a malarial area. Get the relevant anti-malarial medication from your doctor, and take it. Malaria may be a killer and its best to not loiter . and obtain a thought of the symptoms of malaria so you’ll recognise it just in case you catch it anyway. the overall symptoms include headache, nausea, fever, vomiting and flu-like symptoms, although these symptoms may differ counting on the sort you’ve contracted. Malaria can come on several months after coming back from an infected area, and if you fall ill after you come , confirm you mention to any doctor treating you that you’ve got been to a malarial area.
Sexual Health
If you’re meaning to be sexually active then take condoms with you. Some people slur the quality of African condoms however, they’re generally of a high standard and may be bought readily and cheaply in most African countries. Diseases like HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea are common. HIV/AIDS, while treatable within the west, remains one among the main killers in Africa, so lookout . If you are going to urge married then you’ll take all the relevant tests then, within the meantime simply play safe. That’s use CONDOMS!
If it turns our you or your partner are HIV positive, its not the top of the planet and there are organisations out there to assist you deal with the diagnosis and assist you find the course of action you’re most comfortable with. this is often a sensitive and sophisticated area, and we’ll be adding further information on this site in due course.
Country Background
Most developed countries will have detailed country information for travellers available over the web . the foremost extensive of those are with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office within the UK, and therefore the US Department of State. Read them and absorb them but take them with a pinch of salt as they will scare the living crap out of you and put you off travelling. within the bureaucrat’s world, everything foreign is bad and everything indigenous is sweet . for instance , you would possibly find warnings against travelling to Bali thanks to terrorist activity, but to not Spain although both countries were attacked by al-Qaida terrorists.
Basically your government is risk averse and doesn’t want to urge sued for giving wrongful advice, for instance if you based your trip abroad on favourable country advice then got bombed, you would possibly be ready to sue them. So bear that in mind. for instance the FCO still advises on Kenya that “Do not accept food or drink from strangers because it could also be drugged” although there’s no evidence of Kenyan locals running around with drugged sweets forcing them into foreigners mouths, and it’s going to even be supported a rumour that’s several years old.
However, before I run the danger of pooh-poohing the entire country reports system, they are doing contain valuable information and valuable warnings. it is a good idea to read them and familiarise yourself with the contents and therefore the particular thing that you simply MUST notice of, like health information, visa requirements and do’s and don’ts.
Money
The banking industry in Africa generally doesn’t provide as many services as you’ll expect during a Western country. you would possibly be ready to use credit cards and your current bank cards in come countries, but not in others. you’ll be ready to use your credit card in certain establishments, or there could also be only one . for instance , if you wanted to form a cash withdrawal on your mastercard in Uganda (last time i used to be there), there was just one places you’ll do it: Barclays Bank on Kampala Road. On the opposite hand, throughout Kenya you’ll use a UK credit card within the machines there. you will need to see it out. Speak to your bank
Avoid taking travellers cheques. These are widely utilized in fraudulent activities and lots of places won’t accept them. you would possibly not be ready to change up into local currency before you travel (you still can’t buy Zambian kwacha within the UK!) and won’t get good exchange rates anyway.
It’s best to require cash, in such currencies as British Pounds, Euros or US Dollars. The US Dollar is that the most generally accepted. Take what proportion you’re getting to need and an additional 100 to 200 for contingencies. tons of individuals in Africa will instantly convert their prices to US dollars for foreigners anyway, and therefore the dollar is particularly useful if you’re travelling outside major capital cities where the sole foreign money banks will take are going to be the US Dollar. So, albeit you’re travelling with Pounds or Euros, its best to urge a couple of US Dollars to get on the safe side. Another thing to require account of is that some countries had tons of faux US bills distributed after the Iraq wars and should even refuse US Bills which are dated before 1999. So get US Bills which are dated 2000 and later if you’re unsure.
Keep your money safe. Don’t put it beat an equivalent place and do not put any in your suitcase. If you’re out and about put some money in each pocket. Africans like stuffing it in their socks so you would possibly want to place some there also . Check if your hotel or accommodation has security for passports and money and use them if necessary. Bigger hotels will have a secure within the rooms.
Travel Insurance
Don’t ask. Just catch on . On one trip to South Africa i used to be set fire to during a barbecue accident (DON’T light barbecues with petrol) and robbed at gunpoint in central Johannesburg every week later – they took everything including my passport. and that i was travelling with a Xhosa local who carried a semi-automatic pistol everywhere we went. So get travel insurance. It’s mostly sold under “World Wide” policies. You’re worthwhile .
Cultural Awareness
If you’re from the west or other rich country it’s almost inevitable that local people will have certain perceptions of you. the foremost commonplace is that you simply are rich. If you’re white it’s even worse and that they might assume you’ve got a dollar tree growing in your garden. Remember tons of those people are broke, in countries where Social Security is restricted to running orphanages, and thousands of westerners have skilled throwing money away on silly projects or in expensive hotels. So, you’re rich. Expect to be hassled and overcharged, and if you’re travelling alone get an area to seem after you. Taxi drivers are sometimes an honest choice. On the positive side, most of the people will just invite the worth of a beer, which is a few dollar.
But whatever you are doing do not be an ass with an enormous head and do not treat the locals like idiots. there’ll be lots you would possibly not understand but there is no excuse for treating people with a scarcity of respect. Mind your language; swearing is usually frowned upon in many African countries.
Visa
In most cases you will need a visa when travelling to an African country . These are often bought beforehand at the relevant embassy or consulate in your home country, and sometimes are often bought at the border once you arrive, although sometimes there are long queues which may be worrying if you’ve a flight . Visas can cost quite 65 dollars depending where you go, and usually you’ll pay in Euros, Pounds or Dollars. If unsure , take dollars. If you would like to be safe you would possibly want to urge your visa beforehand , especially if your country has poor relations with the country you’re visiting. Most visitor visas are going to be issued for up to 3 months, or the duration of your stay.
Avoiding Trouble
There’s a few of belongings you can do before and after you get into trouble.
Information: Tell people where you’re going and when you will be back. If you are going for an extended time then inform the embassy or consulate on your arrival of your stay within the country. Tell your friends or family back home where you will be staying.
Documents: Make two photocopies of your passport – the identity page, and if relevant, any visas you would like . If it gets stolen then a photocopy is usually ok to prove who you’re to urge an emergency replacement. Leave one copy reception , and take another with you. If you’ve got a driver’s license take this also, because it are often considered evidence of identity if your passport goes missing.
Mobile phones: get your phone unlocked – that’s network unlocked – so any SIM card within the world will add it. Buy an area SIM card once you get there – they’re usually pay as you go, and price about £10. Then SMS your family back home to offer them your number there. they will use an inexpensive international call service to urge hold of you if necessary. Get the emergency number for your local embassy or consulate on the phone so you’ll call your country representatives if necessary.
Money: Western Union offices are everywhere the place in Africa. it is a industry . So if you get robbed or need money during a hurry, you’ll get someone in your home country to send it to you. they will SMS the small print to you on your local telephone number , but you will need some ID to select it up, and that they may ask you a test question (“What’s your dog called?”, for example).
Police: If you get into trouble with the police then stay calm. Sadly, tons of cops are very poorly paid and all too happy to require a bribe. If you have been really criminal then you’re certainly in trouble so enforce your right to ascertain your ambassador or consul. If it’s something petty or something you’ve just been accused of for the hell of it, it’ll almost certainly be easier to pay whatever is required to possess the matter buried. HOWEVER WE ADVOCATE that you simply don’t BREAK THE LAW WHEREVER YOU GO, and you ought to know differing laws for where you go. for instance , during a lot of African countries homosexuality is against the law . Information like this is often held in country reports that we discussed earlier.
