| If you're from the West and your thinking of | | | | country. You might be able to use credit cards |
| travelling to Africa for the first time or for a | | | | and your current bank cards in come countries, |
| holiday, or to meet someone you've met from a | | | | but not in others. You may be able to use your |
| dating website, then congratulations! If you've | | | | bank card in certain establishments, or there may |
| been before you can probably ignore all this, but if | | | | be just one. For example, if you wanted to make |
| it's your first time, then it might be of use to | | | | a cash withdrawal on your credit card in Uganda |
| you.Firstly, you're a lucky person. Not many | | | | (last time I was there), there was only one places |
| people can afford to travel to Africa, it's a | | | | you could do it: Barclays Bank on Kampala Road. |
| long-haul flight in most cases and a lot of Africans | | | | On the other hand, throughout Kenya you can |
| would like to be going the other way! Now, do | | | | use a UK bank card in the machines there. You'll |
| you have family there? Are you meeting | | | | need to check it out. Speak to your bank.Avoid |
| someone for the first time? Are you going on a | | | | taking travellers cheques. These are widely used |
| package tour? If you've got family or you're going | | | | in fraudulent activities and many places will not |
| on a package tour, most things like where you'll | | | | accept them. You might not be able to change up |
| stay and your safety will be taken care of.How | | | | into local currency before you travel (you still can't |
| are you travelling?If you are going alone, then its | | | | buy Zambian Kwacha in the UK!) and might not |
| best to make sure that the person you are | | | | get good exchange rates anyway.It's best to |
| meeting at the other end is genuine and you trust | | | | take cash, in such currencies as British Pounds, |
| that person. If you're not sure, make a | | | | Euros or US Dollars. The US Dollar is the most |
| contingency plan in case you get into trouble. Find | | | | widely accepted. Take how much you are going |
| out where your country embassy is in that | | | | to need and an extra 100 to 200 for |
| country and their phone number. If you're worried | | | | contingencies. A lot of people in Africa will instantly |
| try and make a number of bookings yourself, | | | | convert their prices to US dollars for foreigners |
| such as your hotel. A lot of hotels will take email | | | | anyway, and the dollar is especially useful if you |
| bookings but you can use cheap international calls | | | | are travelling outside major capital cities where |
| to phone up a hotel to make your reservation. | | | | the only foreign money banks will take will be the |
| You'll be charged a lot if you book into a Sheraton | | | | US Dollar. So, even if you're travelling with Pounds |
| or Holiday Inn however, and sometimes those | | | | or Euros, its best to get a few US Dollars to be |
| places can be strict, especially they will charge you | | | | on the safe side. Another thing to take account |
| more if you bring a guest to your | | | | of is that some countries had a lot of fake US |
| room.HealthBefore you go make sure you've had | | | | bills distributed after the Iraq wars and may even |
| your relevant jabs. There are certain health risks, | | | | refuse US Bills which are dated before 1999. So |
| the most significant of which are Malaria and HIV | | | | get US Bills which are dated 2000 and later if you |
| AIDS. Take a trip to your travel clinic, GP or | | | | are unsure.Keep your money safe. Don't put it all |
| doctor and get the relevant jabs. These can take | | | | in the same place and don't put any in your |
| weeks to get, so its best to plan in advance or | | | | suitcase. If you're out and about put some money |
| you may want to find a private travel clinic. Even | | | | in each pocket. Africans like stuffing it in their |
| if you are of African origin, its best to be sure | | | | socks so you might want to put some there as |
| since viruses and other bugs mutate over time | | | | well. Check if your hotel or accommodation has |
| and when you might previously have been | | | | security for passports and money and use them |
| immune, you might not be to more recent | | | | if necessary. Bigger hotels will have a safe in the |
| viruses.MalariaCheck if your travelling to a malarial | | | | rooms.Travel InsuranceDon't ask. Just get it. On |
| area. Get the relevant anti-malarial medication | | | | one trip to South Africa I was set fire to in a |
| from your doctor, and take it. Malaria is a killer | | | | barbecue accident (DON'T light barbecues with |
| and its best not to mess about. And get an idea | | | | petrol) and robbed at gunpoint in central |
| of the symptoms of malaria so you can recognise | | | | Johannesburg a week later - they took |
| it in case you catch it anyway. The general | | | | everything including my passport. And I was |
| symptoms include headache, nausea, fever, | | | | travelling with a Xhosa local who carried a |
| vomiting and flu-like symptoms, although these | | | | semi-automatic pistol everywhere we went. So |
| symptoms may differ depending on the type | | | | get travel insurance. It's mostly sold under "World |
| you've contracted. Malaria can come on several | | | | Wide" policies. You're worth it.Cultural AwarenessIf |
| months after returning from an infected area, and | | | | you are from the west or other rich country it's |
| if you get ill after you come back, make sure you | | | | almost inevitable that local people will have certain |
| mention to any doctor treating you that you've | | | | perceptions of you. The most commonplace is |
| been to a malarial area.Sexual HealthIf you're | | | | that you are rich. If you're white it's even worse |
| intending to be sexually active then take condoms | | | | and they might assume you have a dollar tree |
| with you. Some people slur the standard of | | | | growing in your garden. Remember a lot of these |
| African condoms however, they are generally of | | | | people are broke, in countries where social |
| a high standard and can be bought readily and | | | | security is limited to running orphanages, and |
| cheaply in most African countries. Diseases such | | | | thousands of westerners have passed through |
| as HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea are common. | | | | throwing money away on silly projects or in |
| HIV/AIDS, while treatable in the west, is still one | | | | expensive hotels. So, you're rich. Expect to be |
| of the major killers in Africa, so take care. If | | | | hassled and overcharged, and if you're travelling |
| you're going to get married then you can take all | | | | alone get a local to look after you. Taxi drivers |
| the relevant tests then, in the meantime simply | | | | are sometimes a good choice. On the positive |
| play safe. That's use CONDOMS!If it turns our you | | | | side, most people will just ask for the price of a |
| or your partner are HIV positive, its not the end | | | | beer, which is about a dollar.But whatever you do |
| of the world and there are organisations out | | | | don't be an ass with a big head and don't treat |
| there to help you cope with the diagnosis and help | | | | the locals like idiots. There will be lots you might |
| you find the course of action you are most | | | | not understand but there's no excuse for treating |
| comfortable with.Country BackgroundMost | | | | people with a lack of respect. Mind your language; |
| developed countries will have detailed country | | | | swearing is often frowned upon in many African |
| information for travellers available over the | | | | countries.VisaIn most cases you'll need a visa |
| internet. The most extensive of these are with | | | | when travelling to an African country. These can |
| the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK, | | | | be bought in advance at the relevant embassy or |
| and the US Department of State. Read them and | | | | consulate in your home country, and often can be |
| absorb them but take them with a pinch of salt | | | | bought at the border when you arrive, although |
| as they can scare the living crap out of you and | | | | sometimes there are long queues which can be |
| put you off travelling. In the bureaucrat's world, | | | | worrying if you've got a connecting flight. Visas |
| everything foreign is bad and everything | | | | can cost more than 65 dollars depending where |
| indigenous is good. For example, you might find | | | | you go, and generally you can pay in Euros, |
| warnings against travelling to Bali due to terrorist | | | | Pounds or Dollars. If in doubt, take dollars. If you |
| activity, but not to Spain, although both countries | | | | want to be safe you might want to get your visa |
| were attacked by al-Qaida terrorists.Basically your | | | | in advance, especially if your country has poor |
| government is risk averse and doesn't want to | | | | relations with the country you are visiting. Most |
| get sued for giving wrongful advice, for example | | | | visitor visas will be issued for up to three months, |
| if you based your trip abroad on favourable | | | | or the duration of your stay.Avoiding |
| country advice and then got bombed, you might | | | | TroubleThere's a few of things you can do before |
| be able to sue them. So bear that in mind. For | | | | and after you get into trouble.Information: Tell |
| example the FCO still advises on Kenya that "Do | | | | people where you are going and when you'll be |
| not accept food or drink from strangers as it | | | | back. If you're going for a long time then inform |
| may be drugged" although there is no evidence of | | | | the embassy or consulate on your arrival of your |
| Kenyan locals running around with drugged sweets | | | | stay in the country. Tell your friends or family |
| forcing them into foreigners mouths, and it may | | | | back home where you'll be staying.Documents: |
| even be based on a rumour that is several years | | | | Make two photocopies of your passport - the |
| old.However, before I run the risk of | | | | identity page, and if relevant, any visas you need. |
| pooh-poohing the whole country reports system, | | | | If it gets stolen then a photocopy is often good |
| they do contain valuable information and valuable | | | | enough to prove who you are to get an |
| warnings. It's a good idea to read them and | | | | emergency replacement. Leave one copy at |
| familiarise yourself with the contents and the | | | | home, and take another with you. If you have a |
| particular thing that you MUST take notice of, | | | | driving licence take this also, as it can be |
| such as health information, visa requirements and | | | | considered evidence of identity if your passport |
| do's and don'ts.MoneyThe banking system in | | | | goes missing.Mobile phones: get your phone |
| Africa generally does not provide as many | | | | unlocked - that's network unlocked - so any SIM |
| services as you may expect in a Western | | | | card in the world will work in it. |