Traveling to Africa for the first time can be daunting. It's crucial to be well-prepared. However, Africa is a beautiful continent, full of fast developing nations and incredibly rich in culture and diversity.
If it’s soon going to be your first time in Africa, it doesn’t matter whether you’re going on safari in Kenya, doing a road trip through Namibia, exploring Tanzania, visiting the winding alleys of Morocco, or photo bombing the great pyramids of Egypt; it’s surely going to be like no other place you’ve been on earth. With that in mind, here’s a few things you’ll need to know before you take that first trip into the motherland.
1. Secure Travel Insurance
Never travel without travel insurance! That advice is crucial when travelling through Africa, especially if it’s your first time! Travel insurance will literally save you tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in the event of an accident, and possibly even save your life.
If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Put your plans on hold and save for a few more months until you can. If your bus crashes and you break a leg, break some ribs, go into a coma, or are going to die, your travel insurance will get you the highest quality care or evacuate you to somewhere that can provide it. If you die, they’ll get the body home for your family.
If you’re looking for a travel insurance provider, I have been using World Nomads for 10 years and still use them today. They provide coverage for all major destinations in Africa.
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2. Carry New US Dollar Bills
USD is widely accepted in Africa, and for many visas you are required to pay in USD. Therefore it’s a good idea to carry a good stack of fifties on you for whenever the need arises. Some countries like Liberia and Zimbabwe actually use the USD for daily business. Make sure you take large bills no older than Series 2009 and even newer if possible.
Also, to avoid carrying large amounts of cash try and use the ATM’s where possible - they’re widespread and accept credit cards and Plus cards. This will save you the anxiety of carrying large bundles of cash in your pockets. For all my travels, I use an N26 card.
3. Bring an Unlocked Smartphone
Cellphone carriers are now surprisingly good. 4G is now available in most places and cheap - you might only pay $10 or so for unlimited data for a month. The “Nokia revolution” has totally transformed Africa, and in many ways they’re ahead of the western world in this regard.
Make sure you take an unlocked Android or iPhone, and buy a sim when you arrive. Basically every country on the continent has a decent cell and data network and it’s affordable. Your phone must be unlocked to use it. Alternatively, you could always just buy a cheap Huawei cellphone when you arrive.
4. Malaria Awareness
Malaria is a big problem in Africa and millions die from it every year. However, don’t let the fear of this ruin your trip. Malaria is easy to prevent and with the proper precautions you’ll be fine. Malarone and Doxycycline are the two most common anti malarials. Malarone is the more expensive option (around $7 a pill), but has the least side effects.
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Thankfully, malaria is not easy to catch, it’s a specific species of mosquito that carries it and it struggles to live at altitudes above 1,500m. That means in places like Addis Ababa and Nairobi you can relax a little, however seaside towns like Zanzibar and Mombasa require extra vigilance. The obvious prevention method here is to use insect repellent whenever outdoors at night, in the bush, or wherever mosquitoes might be found. If you don’t get bitten, you’re safe!
Advice on travelling to countries with malaria v2
5. Pack Sunscreen
This can be hard to find in some African countries, simply because the local population have no need for it. When you do find it, it’ll be expensive and you’ll be lucky to find your favourite brand. Take your own from home.
6. Guard Against Traveler’s Diarrhea
While food hygiene is actually quite good in Africa, most tap water in Africa is not safely drinkable for westerners. However, luckily there is a way for you to protect yourself against unsafe water and stomach problems in general. Probiotics are the gut flora in your digestive system that help build your immune system and break down any nasties in your stomach.
Studies have shown that superloading with probiotics and taking them regularly during a trip greatly decreases the risk of traveller’s diarrhea, and is also excellent for your health in general. My favourite probiotic to take is this one, which has 50 billion cultures per tablet and works amazingly.
7. Dress Down to Blend In
Remember that poverty is still a big problem in Africa, and you’ll come across many people who struggle day to day, including an abundance of homeless people and street kids. While they don’t present any danger in most cases, it helps to not flaunt your expensive things and draw attention to yourself.
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Another thing you should be mindful of is the culture. While short shorts and low cut blouses and tank tops might be normal to wear back home, they’re not in most of Africa. That means easy on the bling and no flashy clothes. For the ladies, try and stay covered up as best as possible.
8. Carry a Torch, Power Bank, and Headlamp
Powercuts are widespread and frequent in Africa, especially smaller African cities, and many areas don’t have electricity. While the torch on your phone is usually sufficient, I’d highly recommend taking a headlamp, especially if you’re going hiking, camping, on safari, or visiting rural areas.
Also, take a good powerbank. I use this one and it has saved my butt on many occassions!
9. Avoid White Clothing
One thing you’ll notice about many African cities is not all the roads and footpaths are paved. The sidewalks are often dirt or gravel and this leads to a lot of dust and dirt in the air. For this reason, I always avoid taking white clothes, especially socks! They get brown very quickly, and in some places you will end up hand-washing them as washing machines are rare outside the big cities.
10. Ask Before Photographing Locals
While your first inclination may be to pull out the camera and snap, try to refrain from doing so as local people will often take offense at you taking photos of them. You ask permission first, and they say yes, go ahead and take it, and if they say no, you say thank you and move on.
Many people will in fact be fine with you taking their photo and will ask to see it afterwards. Don’t be alarmed if they ask for a tip, it is quite normal and will keep the peace for you to give them a coin or a small bill (a few cents to a dollar and no more). It will keep the peace and they will appreciate your respect.
11. Hand Sanitizer is Essential
If you’re planning a few trips off the beaten track you’re bound to be touching all sorts of dirty things and have local children jumping all over you. Keeping a bottle of this handy is a lifesaver. Hard to find in some places, so take your own from home.
12. Pack Baby Wipes
Especially if going on safari, camping, hiking, or any outdoors activity. Trust me, they’ll come in handy!
13. Secure Your Internet Connection
Most places in Africa have wifi now but security isn’t up to the level that we’re used to. I’d highly recommend that you get a VPN before you start connecting to wifi networks in hotels/cafes/restaurants etc. This will encrypt all your connections and ensure your activity is secure, which is particularly important if you’ll be accessing bank details online, Paypal, credit cards, or any other sensitive information.
14. Be Smart with Hustlers
While walking around the streets you’ll get some unwanted attention. If any case these people are harmless and are just an annoyance more than anything else, so the trick is to just be cool and relaxed rather than hostile. When they ask if it’s your first time visiting just say “No, I come every year, my brother lives here” or something like that. Once they realise you’re not a clueless tourist they’ll most likely chit chat with you for 10 more seconds before moving on to a more promising target.
15. Find a Reliable Taxi Driver
Once you land in the country, get the phone number of a reliable taxi driver. If your hotel sends a driver to the airport and you get to your hotel alive, get his number. Otherwise ask the hotel staff for a reliable taxi. Keep his number in your cellphone or even better, memorise it.
16. Prepare a First Aid Kit
A standard first aid kit can come in handy in a place where ambulances are scarce and hospital helicopters don’t exist. That means bandages, antiseptics, prescription antibiotics, a pocketknife, sterile needles (some hospitals don’t have these), DEET, anti diarrheals and painkillers. Most of these things you can find in major African cities, but it’s for peace of mind more than anything. Also they’re hard to find in some rural areas.
17. Use Common Sense and Stay Safe
Despite what people think Africa is not a wild, lawless place. Of course there’s crime, but common sense will be sufficient to keep you safe. Don’t go out alone at night - take a local male with you. When you arrive in the country, ask someone you can trust such as a tour guide or hotel staff about the danger spots in the city. If you always have an escort at night and don’t go wandering, you’ll be in no more danger than you would be in your home country.
Additional Tips:
- Before you travel: Read up as much as you can on your destination, local customs and cultures, history and appropriate dress.
- Dress modestly: Many parts of Africa are quite conservative, particularly in more rural areas. Women in particular should not wear shorts or sleeveless tops.
- Neutral Colors: When going on safari dress in neutral colours as it helps you blend in, making wildlife less nervous.
- Binoculars and Telephoto Lens: Its also worth investing in, or borrowing a good pair of binoculars when on safari if youre into photography its worth having a good telephoto lens too.
- Listen to Your Guide: Lastly, always listen to your guide; if they say not to do something or go somewhere, theres a good reason.
- Open Mind and Humor: Arrive with an open mind and plenty of humour.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Travel Insurance | Essential for medical emergencies, theft, and cancellations. |
| US Dollar Bills | Newer series (2009 or later) are widely accepted. |
| Unlocked Smartphone | Buy a local SIM card for affordable data. |
| Sunscreen | Protect your skin from the strong African sun. |
| First Aid Kit | Include bandages, antiseptics, and necessary medications. |
| Insect Repellent | Essential for preventing mosquito bites and malaria. |
| Probiotics | Help prevent traveler's diarrhea. |
| Torch/Headlamp | Useful during power outages and in rural areas. |
| Power Bank | Keep your devices charged on the go. |
| Hand Sanitizer & Baby Wipes | Maintain hygiene in areas with limited facilities. |
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