We recently spent 4 months travelling through southern and central Africa<\/a>, and we compiled all the things we either learnt along the way (through misfortune or trial and error!), or wish we\u2019d known before<\/em> we left for you, so you can focus on having the stress-free African adventure of your dreams!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re worried you\u2019re going to get stuck at the airport in Tanzania forever because you can\u2019t direct your taxi driver in fluent swahili, stay calm.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be mighty relieved to discover that despite the 1,500-2,000 local languages spoken in Africa<\/a>, English is actually an official language in many countries (along with German or French in a few countries!).<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss out by being lazy and relying solely on English though; learn some key phrases. The locals will appreciate it and you\u2019ll have a much richer experience for it – like the time a friendly Malawian fruit stall owner threw in a few extra pieces because we attempted our best Chichewa with him!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Forget what you\u2019ve seen in the movies; collectively, Africans are some of the friendliest people on the planet. It\u2019s common to be greeted with a huge smile and hello, and most are keen to learn your name, where you’re from and why you\u2019re visiting.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll probably encounter the phrase \u2018Mzungu\u2019 being thrown your way – often by locals smiling as they wave out of car windows or pass you on the street. The literal translation from Swahili is \u2018person who wanders without purpose\u2019, though these days it\u2019s used to describe any white foreigner. It\u2019s mostly said in a friendly, joking way – so try not to take offence.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to remember that Africa as a whole is very religious (Christianity and Islam are widely practiced) and quite conservative so be respectful of this in your speech and dress.<\/p>\n Unfortunately corrupt border processes are one aspect of African travel that can be seriously frustrating for travellers.<\/p>\n Most of the time you\u2019ll pass with no issue, other times you may have to wait hours for your passport to be processed without explanation, or be asked to pay a corrupt official a bribe. Then there are the touts offering to exchange your money at rates that are totally ridiculous, or trying to sell you anything from bangles to samosas (side note: always buy the samosas, guys).<\/p>\n Thankfully, we managed to make it through eight\u00a0different border controls with minimal hassle, and you can too, by following these tips:<\/p>\n One of the best things about travelling in Africa<\/a> is no matter where you are or where you want to go, getting from A-to-B is always possible. How you get from A-B however, is another story altogether.<\/p>\n Taxis, tuk tuks, mopeds, rickshaws, you name it\u2026 If it has wheels and appears capable of travelling some distance, you can probably travel on it. You might find yourself sitting on a flight or bus, crammed into a local mini bus with 25 other people (and the odd goat or chicken!), or hitching a ride in the back of a pick-up with half a village heading home from the markets.<\/p>\n For the record: travelling by mini-bus is an African rite of passage and we totally recommend embracing the uncomfortable seat and cramped conditions for this insight to how the locals live!<\/p>\n For a journey you can relax into, our tips are:<\/p>\n From tailor-made luxury safari tents where you can live like Prince Harry, through to your standard backpacker dorms where snore-proof earplugs are a must – the options of where to lay your head in Africa are many and varied.<\/p>\n Many travellers actually choose to camp their way through Africa (we often did!), because the camping facilities are accessible, safe, full of good amenities, and super cheap. Plus, what better way to make new friends than by sitting round the campfire swapping stories about your day?!<\/p>\n Larger cities have all the usual accommodation options, the further into the countryside you venture, the less options are available. Don\u2019t fear though, you\u2019ll ALWAYS find somewhere to rest up after a hard day\u2019s adventuring!<\/p>\n Things to consider:<\/p>\n Medication & health<\/strong>: Check with your GP about what vaccinations and medication you\u2019ll need before you depart.<\/p>\n Hot tip:<\/strong> Most countries require Yellow Fever vaccination proof just to enter the country.<\/p>\n We also packed the following to keep us fighting adventure-fit on the road:<\/p>\n * Sadly, though the lakes in Africa look inviting, many are home to a horrible parasite called Bilharzia. We\u2019re not in the business of horror stories, so we\u2019ll leave you to investigate the delights of that one yourself – but you DO NOT want to get it. Always check with locals before taking the plunge.<\/p>\n Water:\u00a0<\/strong>There\u2019s a pretty common misconception that there\u2019s no clean drinking water in Africa, but we\u2019re here to tell you it is<\/em> possible to drink water straight from the tap in South Africa, Namibia, and parts of Zambia and Botswana. Head north and you\u2019ll need to be cautious, but carry iodine tablets and you\u2019ll be fine!<\/p>\n Food:\u00a0<\/strong>All you really need to know is that food in Africa is delicious. It\u2019s also mostly high quality – though perhaps avoid meat in remote areas due to a lack of proper refrigeration.<\/p>\n We actually felt more safe in African countries than we did in other regions of the world we\u2019ve visited. However, as always it pays to do your research before you go.<\/p>\n Keep the following in mind and you\u2019ll have a stress-free trip!<\/p>\n Africa is a wonderful place to travel solo. If you\u2019re open, you can have wonderfully rich experiences while meeting incredible people. You\u2019ll also find that it\u2019s pretty safe – any dangers that exist for both males and females are pretty the same as anywhere else you\u2019d travel to.<\/p>\n Where possible, follow these tips and you should have no issues:<\/p>\n Africa isn\u2019t a cheap holiday by any stretch – generally the daily costs for a traveller are much higher than in Asia or even South America.<\/p>\n Budget around $100USD per day per person for transport, accommodation and food. Safaris and adventure activities bump up the cost substantially, so you\u2019ll need to allocate more for those.<\/p>\n There are 54 currencies in Africa, so things can get tricky if you\u2019re travelling to multiple countries. Here are a few tips to handle it all:<\/p>\n Our general rule of thumb is \u201cif it sounds too good to be true, it probably is\u201d; live by this in Africa and you should be okay.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to avoid:<\/p>\n Electricity, or lack of it, is big issue in Africa. Many areas have it, yet over 600 million people still go without. As technology develops so does access, however if you are travelling, please take this into consideration. Switch those lights off and unplug your chargers!<\/p>\n We recommend carrying a worldwide travel adaptor and a solar charging device (not all rest camps will have consistent access to power!).<\/p>\n Same goes for water – Africa is a dry continent, and has long-suffered droughts. Short showers = benefit for all.<\/p>\n Ready for a proper African adventure? Check out our small group trips<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![\"looking-out-over-africa-from-a\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/looking-out-over-africa-from-a.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow to speak the language<\/h3>\n
What the locals are like<\/h3>\n
![\"friendly-locals-in-malawi\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/friendly-locals-in-malawi.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow to avoid border hassles<\/h3>\n
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How to travel around<\/h3>\n
![\"border-crossings-in-africa\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/border-crossings-in-africa.jpg\")
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Accommodation<\/h3>\n
![\"accommodation-in-africa\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/accommodation-in-africa.jpg\")
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How to stay healthy<\/h3>\n
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![\"packing-clothes-into-a-satchel\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/packing-clothes-into-a-satchel-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow to stay safe<\/h3>\n
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Going it alone<\/h3>\n
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Money matters<\/h3>\n
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Staying scam-free<\/h3>\n
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Be mindful of resources<\/h3>\n
![\"charging-stations-in-africa\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/charging-stations-in-africa.jpg\")
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![\"feeling-inspired-2\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/feeling-inspired-2.jpg\")
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