Here’s How To Plan Your First Trip To Africa

15 May Here’s How To Plan Your First Trip To Africa

Are you thinking about planning your first trip to Africa? This is definitely one of the most exciting adventures that you can experience. Africa is packed full of wonderful places (trust us, we’ve seen a few of them), and you are going to make some incredible memories on a trip like this. However, there are some things that you need to keep in mind, so let’s explore a few of the key details, and some of the issues that you might run into.

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Is It Safe To Travel?

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The first step is always going to be making sure it’s safe to travel to the places you want to visit in Africa. Be aware that there are lots of parts of Africa where it’s advised that tourists tread carefully. Indeed, if you look at travel restrictions (as made by the American government, for example), you’ll find that it is recommended that citizens don’t even consider visiting certain countries – this is usually due to the threat of terrorism. However, that could change in the future, and it’s likely that the coronavirus pandemic will make some places even more dangerous than others, so the best idea is to do your research before you start planning the details. By checking the danger level before you travel, you can ensure that you won’t have any nasty surprises once you arrive.

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Making Things Safer

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There are ways, though, to ensure that you will be safe on your trip to Africa, regardless of which country you are planning to visit. Firstly, you should make sure that you are booking your trip through a reputable travel company. They will ensure that you have everything you need, and that all the procedures are effectively taken care of. Believe it or not, this might involve bribing certain officials (hey, #TIA as we Africans say). The good news is that if you choose the right company, all the costs will be included in the initial plan for your vacation, so there won’t be any surprises later on. 

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It’s important for us to mention here that not all companies that offer African travel packages are equal. Some will provide a mixed bag (in terms of the experience that you can get) which is why you need to make sure that you are checking the reviews, and finding out exactly what different businesses can offer you.

You might also need to arrange a guide for parts of your trip to Africa – especially if you want to do certain experiences. For instance, you might want to go on a game drive at the Etosha National Park in Namibia (like we did recently), or maybe Zambia is on your bucket list to visit Victoria Falls (which is honestly, one of the best sites that Africa can offer, and it’s quite a thrilling experience).

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If you do visit Victoria Falls, then you can head up to the Devil’s Pool – a natural pool at the top of the waterfall where you can swim safely. However, to get there you are always going to need a guide, as they’ll help ensure that you don’t run into any issues. We are yet to do it ourselves, but on our next trip to Zambia, it’s definitely happening!

This is just one of the tips for traveling to a place like this. You can find more if you click here.

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Be Realistic

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You might not have a lot of money in your budget for a trip to Africa, and you might be wondering whether you can get the experience you want on a shoestring budget. The answer is: it largely depends. You can save money on an African vacation (some exchange rates at the moment are incredibly low, for example), however you probably won’t be able to get all the experiences that you want if you come over with a really tight budget. For instance, you might not be able to enjoy a safari (as these tend to get quite pricey), and if you do find a budget safari, it probably won’t be through the right channels – which can make things dangerous again.

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Ultimately, you’ll be looking at spending close to US$5000 on a true adventure in Africa, so it’s good to be prepared for that. This is going to depend on where you want to go (of course), what you want to see, and what you want to do. But, it could be worth saving a little more to ensure that you are able to make the most of what could be a once in a lifetime trip.

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Be Prepared

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Africa is an interesting place because there are parts of the continent that are incredibly rich, and others that are dirt poor. In some cases, these are sandwiched together. You can literally drive two blocks and see both poverty and royalty. This is an experience that can shock and devastate some people, so you need to be prepared. There are a lot of places in Africa that are ripe with suffering and it’s worth remembering this, even when you are enjoying a fun-filled vacation. 

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Remember, you can always ensure that you do some good during your trip to Africa too. Plenty of locations are desperately searching for volunteers to help with everything from education in schools, to building houses, so do some research and see if and how you can get involved to help out.

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Pack Right

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You should make sure that you are packing correctly for your trip to Africa. It’s important to guarantee that you have everything you need in your luggage. The temptation is to pack light, particularly if you are going to be traveling to lots of different places. However, you’re going to need a few different types of clothes (depending on where you intend on going), and you shouldn’t forget to bring your camera, as well as a pair of binoculars. This is particularly true if you are planning to enjoy a safari while you are visiting the continent.

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You may also want to consider purchasing a mosquito net (though most places will tend to provide one for you) especially if camping in the African wild is on your bucket list. 

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Finally, it’s important that you are carrying just a little cash on you, when you are visiting virtually any country in Africa. Not many places accept cards, and you may want to do some shopping at the local markets for which you will definitely need cash.

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The Right Time

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Finally, you should think about when you want to visit Africa. Travel is quite restricted right now, but that’s certainly going to change in the not-too-distant future (we’re feeling hopeful!) However, it’s important that you choose the right season for your destination, once the travel bans are lifted. Selecting your season is going to impact the weather, as well as the temperatures that you experience. It could even change the type of experiences that are available to you when you are visiting certain locations. You can find lots of information about this online, so just do your research. 

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We hope this post helps you plan your trip to Africa the right way. There’s definitely a lot to keep in mind here, but if you take the right steps, you can ensure that your vacation does go off without a hitch. The most important thing is that you are being sensible, and you don’t take too many risks when you are preparing for an adventure like this one.

For more inspo for your trip to Africa, check out our #hffhinkenya #hffhinnamibia #hffhinethiopia #hffhintanzania #hffhinsouthafrica and #hffhinmalawi hashtags on Instagram.

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