Where are we going to sleep? Depending on the Safari you can choose and can afford you can sleep from tented camps, cultural huts, up to 5* Lodges.
What if I need a doctor or medical care? Medical services and doctors are readily available to all. Visitors are advised to secure medical insurance before arriving in the country. You are advised to bring supplies of specialized medication you may require during your stay. Other medication can be obtained at pharmacies and emergency pharmacies are open all night in major centers.
What is the currency in South Africa? The currency unit is Rands and Cents. 1 Rand = 100 cents. Major credit cards Visa & Mastercard are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and stores.
Will I be able to communicate with the public? Most South-Africans can communicate in English. South Africa boasts 11 official languages, English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
What is the local food and wine like? Most of the dishes served in restaurants are similar to those of Europe and America, but typical South African dishes include sosaties (a type of kebab), bobotie (a curried dish), various bredies (meat and vegetable casseroles), boerewors (type of sausage), etc. African cuisine can be anything from chicken, beef, fish, lamb, antelope to crocodile, ostrich or mopane worms. Some of the best wines in the World are produced in South Africa.
Is the water safe to drink? Bottled mineral water is readily available at most places. It is very important that you drink plenty of water especially if you travel during the warmer months. Dehydration is possibly the single biggest cause of ill health on an Africa safari.
Must I take precautions for Malaria? The Kruger National Park is a malaria area. I suggest you contact your own doctor prior to leaving for South Africa, to advise him/her of where you will be traveling and let him/her prescribe the best suited prophylactic. If you become ill on your return, while still on prophylactics or even once you have stopped, make sure that your doctor does everything necessary to establish that your illness is not malaria. Please remember that the best insurance against contracting malaria is to try to prevent being bitten, so use mosquito repellents liberally. Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings.
What about crime in South Africa? Crime has been a much reported evil of certain areas in South Africa, particularly the big cities. The places that we are visiting are in save areas. However I do urge guests to exercise the same common sense they would whilst in any other big city of the world, and not to openly display cash and valuables whilst out on the street.
About Cancellation: You might have to cancel your Africa safari due to unforeseen circumstances. If you cancel a trip close to departure date for any reason you could lose all that the safari was going to cost you. Should you have to leave the safari early, we cannot refund you the portion of the Africa safari you do not complete. Dependant on the reason for cancellation and curtailment, insurance may cover you for this eventuality. In such an event we do try our utmost to get the various suppliers to waiver cancellation fees, but this is something that we cannot guarantee, as each African tour operator will have different views on the issue.
Baggage & Money Insurance It is advisable to take out insurance to cover you for damaged or lost baggage or cash, especially if you are carrying a large amount of cash or expensive and valuable camera equipment. You should always carry such equipment as "carry-on" luggage. Do not put anything of value in your checked baggage!
Is there a suggested packing list?
- Good quality sunglasses
- Bush hat
- Golf-shirts, T-shirts,long-sleeved cotton shirts,Shorts/skirts Long trousers/slacks, Track suit, Underwear and socks
- Good walking shoes that are already worn in (running/tennis shoes are fine)
- Swimming costume
- Warm winter jersey
- Camera & equipment
- If you wear contact lenses, we recommend that you bring along a pair of glasses in case you get irritation from the dust
- BINOCULARS - ESSENTIAL (and Newman's bird book if you are a keen birder)
- Personal toiletries
- Malaria tablets
- Moisturising cream & Suntan lotion
- Insect repellent eg Tabard, Rid, Jungle Juice, etc
- Basic medical kit (aspirins, elastoplast (Band-Aids), Imodium, antiseptic cream etc)
- Visas, tickets, passports, money etc
- A flashlight (torch)
