Southern and East Africa – Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

After traveling Southern and East Africa for over 2 months, I learned A LOT.  A lot of which would have been very useful to know before my trip, had this information been available.

I traveled to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda on a 2 month overland camping tour, and I visited Cape Town in South Africa independently.

Many challenges you encounter while traveling Southern and East Africa are not so different than the challenges you encounter while traveling in many other developing countries (also see What To Expect While Traveling Developing Countries).  However, the difference is that the majority of the places you’ll visit in Southern and East Africa are extremely rural and far apart, which makes things even slower and more challenging.

 

HOW TO TRAVEL SOUTHERN AND EAST AFRICA?

 

South Africa is easy to travel independently by public transportation.  But the rest of Southern and East Africa lack the infrastructure, which makes independent travel via public transportation extremely challenging.  I’m a solo white female traveler who typically travels via public transportation, but I wasn’t sure how this would go in Southern and East Africa.  So I got advice from various friends who have traveled Africa in various ways.

Africa does not have an easy independent and solo traveler circuit like Europe, Southeast Asia or South America.  I know a couple who traveled from Cairo to Cape Town via public transport, but they advised me to not travel alone solely because I could literally be all alone for the majority of my trip (which is not my purpose of solo travel).

And Africa also isn’t the safest continent.  My South African friend told me “you’d probably be fine, but when things go wrong in Africa, they go REALLY wrong”.

Many solo male travelers I met who traveled via public transportation in Southern and East Africa were in a few scary situations where they got mugged.  And some even got attacked.  This is why Africa overland tours are so popular.

But no matter how you choose to travel Africa, you cannot avoid the long travel days of driving all day (my tour covered over 13,000km).  You can only avoid being the driver.

RENT OR BUY A VEHICLE

(like a badass)

You’ll have the ultimate freedom and independence.  BUT you may not have the freedom to take a rental vehicle into every country you want to visit.  And breakdowns in the middle of nowhere are difficult, so you absolutely must know how to change a tire.

However, if you stay in hotels (instead of camping) and don’t book your accommodation in the national parks in advance during high season, you’ll likely have issues getting a room.  So this can lessen the spontaneity and freedom from a strict schedule, unless you travel during the low season and/or camp.

TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

(like a total badass)

Africa lacks infrastructure in the rural and nature areas, which are the areas you want to visit.  This means that if there’s one bus per week to and from the destinations you want to visit, you’ll need A LOT of time.  And a hell of a lot of patience.

JOIN AN OVERLAND TOUR 

(not even the slightest badass, but this is what I chose)

This is the easiest, safest, most organized, time efficient and practical option.  And as a solo traveler, you won’t be alone.

BUT you completely lack freedom.  You do not get to choose the pace, who you’re with, where you sleep, what you eat and when you eat.  You could have some really awesome people on your tour, as well as some not-so-awesome people.

I prefer to travel independently and I try to avoid organized tours because I dislike how they’re rushed, expensive and they lack freedom, independence and authentic local experiences; however, as a solo female traveler, I saw joining an Africa overland tour as my only practical option.  I booked a 54 day budget participation camping tour (the Ultimate Africa 54 day tour, yes, 54 days of camping) with G Adventures and with 8 countries visited, it covered just about everything I wanted to see.

See What To Expect on a Budget Africa Overland Tour

 

WHEN TO GO

 

There’s no bad time to go on safari in Africa because both the dry and wet seasons have pros and cons.

I traveled Southern and East Africa in the wet season and I felt that it was a great time to go.  However, the wet season is hot and often humid, but it cools down at night.  And depending on where you are, it can even be chilly at night, which means it’s even colder in the dry season.

 

DRY SEASON VS WET SEASON

 

In the dry season, water is scarce so the animals are forced to congregate around the few water sources, which makes them easier to spot.  In addition, there’s less vegetation, which improves the visibility of the animals, and the dirt roads are easier to navigate.  The dry season also means less humidity and less mosquitoes, which can carry malaria and yellow fever.  However, the drawbacks of the dry season are that it’s high season, so it’s more expensive and very crowded.  And it can get cold in the mornings and evenings at around or below 10C (which is cold if you’re camping).

In the wet season, the landscape is more green and lush, you’ll see more baby animals, safaris are far less crowded, the rain is typically short and sharp, and it’s a little cheaper to travel.  But the drawbacks are some rain, the denser vegetation decreases the visibility of the animals, higher heat and humidity and more mosquitoes.

 

DRY SEASON BY COUNTRY

 

SOUTHERN AFRICA  (South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe)  –  April to October 

EAST AFRICA  (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda)  –  June to October, and mid-December to mid-March

 

WET SEASON BY COUNTRY

 

SOUTHERN AFRICA  –  November to March

EAST AFRICA  –  April to May, and the end of October to December

 

Be sure to research the specific seasons for each country you’re visiting because they can vary by country.  The seasons can even vary by region or park within the country.

 

BEFORE YOU GO

 

KNOW THAT AFRICA IS NOT A CHEAP TRAVEL DESTINATION

It’s definitely not a budget holiday, even if you’re roughing it and camping because Africa heavily relies on its tourism industry.  Victoria Falls in Zambia and gorilla trekking in Uganda are by far the most overpriced and expensive places and activities in Southern and East Africa.

The low and wet season can actually be a great time to travel Africa because prices are cheaper.

TAKE DUKORAL

Before you leave, take this over-the-counter oral vaccine for traveler’s diarrhea.  I always take Dukoral and eat street food and raw fruit (with discretion) in developing countries which are notorious for stomach problems.  The vaccine protects you for 3 months.  However, Dukoral cannot protect you against parasites, which have very different symptoms.

YOU WILL LIKELY NEED ANTI-MALARIALS

Malaria is rampant in many parts of Southern and East Africa, especially the rural and nature areas.  And the majority of the places you’ll visit are rural and in nature.  Malarone is the superior antimalarial brand, with very few side effects.  Many travelers took Doxycycline because it was cheaper, but it also has weird side effects.  Many had weird dreams and some became more susceptible to sunburn (which is massively counterproductive when you’re in Africa).

YOU MUST GET YOUR YELLOW FEVER VACCINE

Depending on where you travel in Africa, you may need a yellow fever vaccine.  Some places, like Zanzibar, require the yellow fever vaccine if you’ve been in countries with a risk of yellow fever.

YOU NEED TO BRING US DOLLARS

A LOT of US dollars.  You can pay for most tourist activities in US dollars.  And it’s the only currency accepted when paying for a visa-on-arrival and you need exact change.

**US DOLLAR NOTES FROM BEFORE 2006 ARE NOT ACCEPTED ANYWHERE**

Due to the amount of counterfeit bills.  This is great to know before you go to Africa, so you can avoid being stuck with hundreds of worthless US dollars.  This happened to me and every traveler I met.

VISAS

Most countries require a visa, but the majority of the visas can be obtained on arrival.  But be sure to check before you leave.  As a Canadian, all of my visas were on arrival and paid for in US dollars.

VISA IS THE CREDIT CARD OF AFRICA

When credit cards are actually accepted, it’ll be Visa.  MasterCard is rarely accepted.

 

THE COUNTRIES, THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE

 

EXPECT A SLOWER PACE AND BE PATIENT

Things won’t work as quickly and efficiently as you’re used to.  So don’t expect things to run as smoothly as they do in your home country.

AFRICA IS ABOUT THE SCENERY, NOT THE BIG CITIES

Aside from South Africa, typically, the big cities aren’t worth spending time in and they’re not safe.  You have to go into the middle of nowhere to see the good stuff.

THE INSANELY BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE SCENERY AND WILDLIFE WILL BLOW YOU AWAY

YOU’LL HEAR AND BE CALLED “MUZUNGU” (WHITE PERSON) A LOT

But it’s not meant to be offensive.

THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS AT NIGHT ARE UNREAL

And they’re easy to see because the majority of the places you’ll visit in Southern and East Africa are rural.  And if you’re from the northern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere’s constellations will be new and different for you.

POWER OUTAGES HAPPEN ALL THE TIME

A flashlight is essential.

BORDER CROSSINGS ARE UNORGANIZED CHAOS

You’ll fill out entry and exit forms for every country you visit, only for the customs officers to nonchalantly toss them aside, without a glance.

DO NOT GIVE TO BEGGING CHILDREN 

As hard as it is, giving to begging children promotes a begging culture and it keeps them out of school.  Even the locals will advise you not to give them money.  And sometimes there are scams involved with begging children.  If you would like to help out, it is better to do so through a local non-profit.

WI-FI IS EXTREMELY SCARCE AND IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO GO A WEEK WITHOUT IT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE CAMPING

Especially in East Africa.  And when you do find wi-fi, it’s not going to be good.

DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES CAN TAKE A VERY LONG TIME

Driving 300km can take 7-9+ hours because the roads are terrible.  And Africa is HUGE, so the distance between sights are huge.

FLIGHTS BETWEEN THESE COUNTRIES ARE NOT CHEAP

There’s very little demand for flights between Southern and East African countries, so consequently, the flights can be very pricey.

IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER, RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION VERY CAREFULLY 

Unfortunately, a lot of volunteer organizations are unethical and exploitative.  And some organizations are some of the biggest travel scams of all because so many of them charge foreigners a ton of money, but the reality is that the actual cause sees very little of this money.  You should NOT have to pay to volunteer.  If you do have to pay, it should only be a very small amount for food and accommodation.

Some examples of volunteering organizations to avoid are building schools or houses, and visiting orphanages.

The sad reality is that many of these voluntourism companies have made a very lucrative business out of commercializing poverty, so they don’t actually want to help these communities because they will lose their business.

Ultimately, a lot of voluntourism is actually colonialism disguised in the white savior complex.

Africa has a dark history of slavery and colonization, so due to this history, Africans find the “white savior” complex deeply offensive and patronizing.  The West constantly insinuates that Africa is incapable of escaping poverty and violence without their help, but Africa wouldn’t have a lot of these issues if it wasn’t for colonization in the first place.

For more information on voluntourism, see Why You Need To Think Twice About Voluntourism.

ONCE YOU LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA AND NAMIBIA FOR BOTSWANA ETC, YOU’LL FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN THE REAL AFRICA

Apartheid existed in both South Africa and Namibia until the early 90s.  But while it’s technically over, the massive social divide and the racism are still very much alive and apparent.  If you’re against racism and if you have strong feelings about human rights, these social issues are deeply disturbing and difficult to take.  And as a white traveler, you are especially not safe in South Africa.  You can’t escape this apartheid hangover until you travel to the other countries in Southern and East Africa.  While these other countries have also experienced the aftermath of white colonialism, it’s completely different because these countries are no longer dominated by white privilege that continues to oppress the black population.  See more on that and my experience here.

GET USED TO GOING TO THE BATHROOM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

And behind a bush, if you’re lucky enough to find a bush.  But this is typically more ideal and clean than the rare public toilets you’ll find.  And bring or buy toilet paper.

BE PREPARED FOR EXTREMELY EARLY WAKE UP TIMES ON OVERLAND TOURS AND SAFARIS

Most mornings you’ll wake up at 5:30am, before sunrise.  If you’re camping, you must unpitch your tent and pack in the dark, with the help of your flashlight/phone.

Animals are most active in the mornings and evenings because the midday sun is too hot for them to do much aside from lie in the shade.  Therefore, most safari days start in the early morning before the sunrise, or in the late afternoon.

THE SERENGETI IS BY FAR THE BEST GAME PARK IN AFRICA

This is my personal opinion because I experienced non-stop animal action, even during the wet and low season.

I visited the Serengeti in mid-March, when the landscape is more lush and when there’s great birdwatching.  And you can see the massive herds of the Great Migration with their baby animals, along with predator action, which my safari group witnessed a few times.  However, the denser vegetation decreases the visibility of the animals, but I certainly do not have any complaints.

AFRICAN SUNSETS ARE SOMETHING ELSE

Sunset at the Serengeti

POOR DOESN’T NECESSARILY EQUATE TO UNHAPPINESS

Sometimes a simpler life is a happier life.  Anxiety and depression are more common in rich Western countries than in developing countries.

PEOPLE WILL STARE, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS

Which will be the majority of the places you will likely visit in Southern and East Africa.  For example, if you stop on the side of the road to eat lunch, sometimes locals will watch you for the duration of your lunch.  They don’t have diversity, so they aren’t used to seeing people who look so different from them.

THE KIDS LOVE TO WAVE AT TOURISTS AND THEY GET SO HAPPY WHEN YOU WAVE BACK

It’ll brighten your day.

THIS IS NO SECRET, BUT AFRICANS ARE AMAZING DANCERS

If you’re from a western culture where dancing is not a part of your culture, you’ll likely be put to shame.

 

COMMUNICATION

 

ENGLISH IS SPOKEN IN THE TOURISTY AREAS

So that’s easy.

SWAHILI IS SPOKEN IN EAST AFRICA AND YOU’LL RECOGNIZE SWAHILI WORDS FROM THE LION KING

A lot of the words and names used in the Lion King are Swahili and have real meanings.  I.e. Simba means lion and a sante sana means thank you very much.  So when Rafiki, which means friend, says “a sante sana, squash banana”, he’s saying “thank you very much, squash banana”…

 

SAFETY

 

SPEED TRAPS ARE EVERYWHERE

Especially East Africa, so be careful if you’re driving.  And aggressive speed bumps are a thing in East Africa.

BE CAREFUL ABOUT HAVING A “LOCAL EXPERIENCE” BECAUSE HIV IS AN EPIDEMIC IN SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES

With only 5% of the world’s population, Southern and East Africa have half of the world’s HIV cases.

YOU MUST CHECK FOR SCORPIONS, SPIDERS AND SNAKES

Especially in the drier areas.  Always use a flashlight and scan the ground when walking in the dark, shake your tent before taking it down, and check your shoes before putting them on.  You want to avoid going to an African hospital, especially in the middle of nowhere.  I was stung by a scorpion twice in Malawi because it was on my dress (see my scorpion sting story here).  But do not let this frighten you out of going to Africa.  This is extremely rare and I’m just very unlucky.

GOING TO THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE CAMPING IS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE

Due to the wild animal situation.  You need to check outside your tent with a flashlight first.  If you see red eyes, it’s a predator.  If you see green eyes, it’s not a predator, but the animal may charge instead.  But if your flashlight is not very bright, like mine, you pull a Hail Mary and hope for the best.

 

MORE ON AFRICA

 

12 Essentials For Your African Safari Packing List

What To Expect on a Budget Africa Overland Tour

What To Expect While Traveling Developing Countries

Top Things to See and Do in Namibia

Top Things to See and Do in Botswana on a Budget