Travelling to Africa for the first time? When Cynthia Boal
Janssens went on her inaugural safari, she discovered a few things she wished
she’d been better prepared for.....
I had dreamed my whole life
of going on safari to Africa. It was the one trip that I always wanted to take
and so, when it became a reality — and my 50th birthday celebration —
I was an eager participant. But there were some details that no one told
me...or they may have been mentioned in the small print, but I didn’t pay
adequate attention.
These are things that I wished I’d known
before I went on my two-week safari to Tanzania and Kenya:
The
Dust. Let me emphasize: THE DUST! Clouds of it. Red, brown, tan and
grey dust. In your hair, in your eyes, in your nose. If you are prepared, you
can cope. The dust was worst in the Serengeti (Tanzania) and in Samburu
(Kenya). If you have any kind of breathing problem, you are advised to bring
some kind of face mask. Otherwise, a bandana to pull over your nose can be
helpful. Contact lens wearers (and I’m one) can have fits on certain days.
It might be worth your while to bring a pair of prescription sun glasses as you
may need to wear your glasses on particularly dry days. Also, bring plenty of
eye drops and large-framed sunglasses to keep as much dust out as possible.
These conditions mean that you will probably have to wash your hair every
day, even if you are wearing a hat. Which means, ladies, that you should bring
a hair dryer. No, they are not provided...whatever the literature says. (I
found myself sharing mine with two other women.)
Vehicles are
important. We did not know this when we chose our safari, but the type
of vehicles used can mean a lot to the quality of your experience. The ideal
number in a vehicle is four, no matter what they tell you. With four, you will
each have a window and there will be enough room for your photo gear and other
paraphernalia. Land Rovers and Toyota Land Cruisers are ideal; mini-vans are
less so. We travelled for three days in a Nissan mini-van and found it rather
uncomfortable. It was very difficult to manoeuver in; particularly because of
the armrests, which get in your way when you want to stand up to look out the
pop-top. Most companies put six people in a mini-van. It’s a way to lower
costs, but consider the inconvenience.
Bad roads. I
mean REALLY BAD roads. Road maintenance is not a priority with neither the
Tanzanian nor Kenyan governments and thus even major arteries are deeply rutted
with potholes of unimaginable size. What this means for you is that any long
drives on your itinerary can be very bone-jarring. Take note if you have back
problems and bring a back brace.
Our company advised bringing a
whoopee cushion-type pad to sit on. These we did not need: the seats were
comfortably soft. It was the ups and downs that hurt. My husband was bounced so
hard at one point that he hit his head on the roof, with a slight cut
(fortunately, not a concussion) resulting. And, ladies, wear those sports
brassieres they told you to bring on all of the longer drives!
No ice. I didn’t know that I would not suck an ice cube
for two weeks after I left the U.S! I probably should have realised that, but I
did not think it through. We drank bottled water everywhere (and plenty was
provided), but the ice was a no-no. Why risk the potential stomach problems?
This means you have to adjust to a gin and tonic without ice. To a Coke without
ice. To ice water without ice. In fact, there was very little cold water. Most
water is served room temperature. You get used to it.
Double
beds. After being told that all the safari lodges have only twin beds,
we learned (on site, of course) that they do have a few double, queen and even
king beds! However, the travel agent must request these in advance. We
discovered that these treasures were being routinely assigned to those who had
made the request; we never knew we could do so.
Larium does
have side effects. Most of us were informed about the side effects of
melfloquine (also marketed as Larium) when we went to the doctor to get our
pre-trip inoculations. But these effects can truly be scary and you might
seriously consider whether the risk of ruining your trip is worth it. Midway
through the safari I had a night of hallucinations accompanied by sweats and
chills that I won’t soon forget. I decided to stop taking Larium
immediately. Fortunately, the episode was not repeated.
Our veteran
guides, Carla and David Keith Jones, declare that they never take melfloquine;
that, in fact, he has had malaria four times and she has had it a couple of
times. David says that in the many years that they have been leading safaris
they have had more problems with melfloquine reactions than any other kind of
medical problem. I should note that my husband took the full course of Larium
with no problems. But if you are drug-sensitive, think about it. (refer to
Travel Africa, editions 1 and 2.)
Sanitation. It is
not great anywhere in Africa. Most of the toilets in the bush (when there are
toilets) are long drops...meaning slits in the floor that you squat over,
ladies. Be sure to bring along some sample-size packages of sanitary wet-wipes.
They are ever so handy for a quick clean-up. Toilets at hotels and safari
lodges are just fine.
Now I know none of this advice is earth-shaking,
but paying heed can help in making your first safari a joy from start to
finish. All that said, I must say that this trip was the best in my life,
memorable from start to finish. Even the hallucinations were colourful!
Cynthia Boal Janssens is the immediate past president of the Society
of American Travel Writers.
