African Travel

I've been home from the great continent now for almost a week.  It will take a while for me to truly process all that I saw, and I have no doubt for years to come, that I'll continue to relish in this amazing adventure.  But, while it is still fresh, I want to share a few tips and tidbits from traveling in Africa.

First off, if traveling to see the animals in Africa is even remotely on your list, make it happen.  There are several African countries that offer unique and memorable experiences where you can choose to safari.  Do your research, but I believe most offer similar opportunities and similar sitings of animals.  Tanzania was absolutely perfect for us!  (We do hope to go back to more places, though!)

I know that people may be cautious and/or anxious about traveling because of the expectations we westerners have when we travel.  The safari companies know how we are, they know our expectations, and things are catered to us.  (Un?)fortunately, we come with a bit of a reputation for high standards, but this meant that comfort, ease and culinary items all met those high expectations.  So, don't let that worry you! 

That being said, before we joined the Tanzanian safari, we experienced, to the tiniest of degrees, some of the inconveniences that people struggle with daily there when we were staying in much cheaper places.  Electricity, water (especially hot) and WiFi are not a given, nor are they constant even when they do work.  A restaurant we went to was out of power, so the menu was limited to what could be cooked on the gas stove.  A hotel we stayed at had power outages throughout the night, so our devices didn't charge.  The campsite we stayed at in Rwanda, that had showers and flushing toilets had no water one day.  But, they boiled hot water from their reserve for us to each take a bucket shower.  When I apologized to the man carrying my bucket for me, he simply responded with a smile and, "It's Africa.  This happens."

However, if you are paying for a safari tour (and I don't mean one that breaks the bank!), I believe these incidents would be incredibly rare.  Truly, the way we were cared for, was incredible.  I believe anyone, of any age could enjoy a safari.  Sure, the schedule is quite trying as you are usually gone by eight each morning and not returning until five or six in the evening, but you rarely have to walk far at all.  Remember, you're where all the animals are, so you are supposed to stay in the car!  The car rides were long and bumpy, but worth any minor discomfort for the reward of seeing the animals.  Most of the highways we were on were fine, but some of the dirt roads leading up to our accommodations were rough.  I mean, it is important for women to wear supportive undergarments kind of rough.  But again, utterly and completely worth it.  In fact, we learned that the sketchier the driveway, the nicer the accommodation! 

We expected things to be inexpensive.  They were not.  This is not to say that trinkets or restaurants were expensive, they just were not inexpensive.  This was due to many reasons.  First off, we stuck out like a sore thumb.  There was no blending in, even if we wanted, so I have no doubt that the price we were quoted was meant for us and would not have been the same for locals purchasing the exact same item.  Also, prices in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania were in American dollar.  Yes, we paid for most things using American dollars.  They did not use American coins, so things were rounded up and were often a similar to price to what we pay at home (Alabama prices, not New York City prices).  When you go, make sure you take new, crisp bills.  Rwanda and Uganda were very strict, only accepting bills younger than ten years old and with absolutely no tears or marks on them.  Tanzania was not nearly as strict.  Many places did not take credit card, or it wasn't consistent because of the internet and electricity, so cash was essential.

Cape Town was much more inexpensive than I anticipated, partly because they are not on the American dollar.  We enjoyed spending money here!  We went to a fancy restaurant where we each got three tapas and a large glass of wine.  After tip, it was $50 total for the two of us.   In Cape Town, we used our credit cards much more frequently and were able to use ATMs when need be.  (If you're headed that way soon, let me know as I accidentally ended up with about $35 worth of South African rands!)

One of the things that was difficult and hard to get used to was driving through poverty to end up at our luxurious accommodations.  This was hard.  It was icky.  It made me feel uncomfortable.  But, in the same breath, I would not have been comfortable pulling up to the concrete enclosure and sharing a small space with a leaky roof, a door that doesn't close completely, without a flushing toilet nearby with a large number of people.  My hope as we drove past these homes was that the money we were paying was going into the community and supporting people.  I'm not sure how to make it better, but this is just something to be aware of.  The children on the streets eagerly waved to us, and we smiled and waved in return.  Lou told us the kids would run home and shout, "The white people gave me greetings!"  I had taken stickers as an easy thing to pass out, but the opportunity to hand them out was very rare, so it was an unnecessary thing to carry.

Just as "island time" exists, there were certainly things that fell on "Africa time."  It just meant that I needed to be patient, knowing that there was no reason to rush.  Even when you are at the airport and your flight has been delayed by three days (no, that is not a typo), just be patient, it will all work out as it is supposed to.  "Hakuna Matata!"

There were certainly times that there were some misunderstandings or some miscommunications, but generally speaking, this was never a real problem.  Everyone we encountered spoke English, and I mean everyone.  I am always so humbled going to other countries when I cannot speak more than greetings in a few other languages, and they can sprout out conversations in a multitude of languages.  Many of the people we encountered could speak a handful of languages.

Who knew that Africa would be a great place to escape Alabama heat?  Was it hot?  Sure.  Was it as miserable as June in Alabama?  Far from it!  Most of our days were in the low eighties with incredibly low humidity which meant cool nights where we wanted to cuddle up with a sweatshirt.  We experienced one rain shower in Tanzania, and a few in Zanzibar, but otherwise, our time in central Africa was practically perfect weather.  These are not places that experience hurricanes nor earthquakes, so their weather is relatively moderate.  Lou said he could remember one tornado in his entire life.  Cape Town was a bit of a different story.  While the weather was not horrific nor brutal, several of the days were not at all pleasant.  If possible, I would make sure to go in a time not in the heart of their winter.

Always consult a physician before you travel.  I've had several vaccinations throughout the years, so most of those were up-to-date, but I did have to take the dream-inducing malaria pills as a precaution while traveling.  Although, I've gotten more bites in the week I've been home than in the month I was traveling.  I'm afraid that Imodium has become a regular companion for me in my travels.  I don't need it all the time, but with all of the different foods I encountered along the way, it can be very helpful.  And while I hate, absolutely hate, buying bottled water, it is necessary as the water isn't clean for anyone to drink.  I gobbled up cold tap water as soon as we got to Cape Town where it was safe to drink!

My friends and family are always anxious when I travel to a country that is a little off the beaten path, and I understand that.  I never once felt unsafe, though.  Yes, it is impossible to blend in, so you do stand out, but that did not mean I was any less safe.  As in anywhere, be aware of your surroundings, and make good decisions.  The people that we encountered along the way were incredible.  We had gracious, welcoming hosts at each of our stays and helpful people at every step in between.  The people we came across were proud of their country and honored that we had chosen to visit it.

So, should you travel to Africa? YES!  Go ahead, book it now.  Then, please tell me all about it so that I know where to go next time!  I am in no way an expert on this topic, but I took good notes and would love to chat if you ever want to talk.

Thank you for reading, and thanks for following along!