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travel africa....is it safe?



 
 
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  #11  
Old October 12th, 2004, 04:57 PM
Steve Bougerolle
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Hi Miles

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 07:45:57 -0700, Miles Seegmiller wrote:

I would very much like to do the whole african safari thing. But I
have heard it can be dangerous in Africa. Not the wildlife so much,
but the people. What are some of the places to stay away from and what
would be the best places to travel and experience.


As lots of people have pointed out to you, Africa is relatively safe so
you shouldn't worry, go ahead and have fun.

On the other hand, too many people equate "relatively safe" with "totally
safe" and/or are misled by lots of smiling locals into thinking everyone
there is wonderful. Here are some specific things to watch for:

1) No matter how many wide-eyed backpackers tell you "the people are
wonderful, you'll be fine" don't be tempted to go on safari in active war
zones or places with heavy rebel/poacher activity. Some years back a
dozen-odd tourist got themselves killed on a gorilla-watching trip that
way. Keep up on the news (from reputable and relatively unbiased sources
like papers from other African countries), as well as keeping up on the
gossip. Some hotspots are permanently risky (NE Kenya near the Somali
border), and some places are pretty obviously unstable and therefore risky
(Congo), and some others you'll want to check up on - rural Zimbabwe? Some
places don't always get the risk rating they should - northern Uganda is a
good example, near the Sudanese border.

2) An immediate application of "using your head": when you see overcrowded
minibuses which look horribly unsafe and not fit to travel in, you are
correct; they are horribly unsafe and not fit to travel in. Spend extra
and go in good transport. You are FAR more likely to die in a
traffic accident there than to be killed by hostile people.

3) You can drive yourself around on safari but it's usually not a good
idea. A bad driver might hassle you wanting to go visit his cousin's
souvenir stand, but even despite that they'll know the country better than
you can hope to and will know which places must be seen and which must be
avoided without thinking. Also having a local driver will often get you
into places you couldn't go yourself (or at least, will get you in
cheaper). Good drivers are not necessarily associated with big companies;
there are lots of small one- or two-man operations which are great to deal
with. Again, just use your common sense and avoid guys who come up to you
in bars and say "psst buddy, want to go on safari with me?" Look for
references and what not.

4) Rather than avoiding particular areas, you'll be more safe if you are
careful in the big cities, whether they be Nairobi, Harare, Johannesburg
or lots of others. Many African cities have very high crime rates and you
have to be accordingly careful; don't look rich, don't wander around dodgy
places carrying an expensive camera, don't walk at all if it's a really
dodgy part of town.

5) At the risk of starting a perennial flame war, be aware that you can
also ruin your holiday and get hurt or dead by not doing your medical
homework before you go. You should get certain vaccinations (yellow
fever is legally required most places and it'd be smart to pick up tetanus
and typhoid and similar others while at it, as well as looking at Hep A).
You MUST protect yourself against malaria, and on the other hand you must
also be aware that many doctors in the west don't have much clue about it
and will blithely hand out prescriptions that either don't protect you or
do more damage than malaria is likely to (Lariam is the usual
controversial drug). Don't forget that it's far more effective than any
drug to cover yourself so as to not get mosquito bites in the first place!

Now some other tips:

You may meet people who come up and ask you for gifts, and you may hear
that it is an African custom for rich people to give gifts to poor people.
As self-serving as this may sound, it is apparently true in lots of
places! You don't have to give stuff away to everyone who asks,
just don't be insulted and try to say no politely. CERTAINLY don't
go around tossing out Bic pens and other small gifts to kids, as some
companies recommend. In some places there are entire generations of young
people who've been raised to see foreigners as money farms because of
habits like this.

Those stories you hear about "African time" are often true and you may
find people totally unconcerned about schedules in situations that will
frustrate you tremendously. Try to keep your cool. Losing your temper is
one of the easier ways to make trouble where it doesn't really exist.

--
Steve Bougerolle
http://www.bougerolle.net
http://www.sebgitech.com
http://www.imperialrealms.com

  #12  
Old October 12th, 2004, 04:57 PM
Steve Bougerolle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Miles

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 07:45:57 -0700, Miles Seegmiller wrote:

I would very much like to do the whole african safari thing. But I
have heard it can be dangerous in Africa. Not the wildlife so much,
but the people. What are some of the places to stay away from and what
would be the best places to travel and experience.


As lots of people have pointed out to you, Africa is relatively safe so
you shouldn't worry, go ahead and have fun.

On the other hand, too many people equate "relatively safe" with "totally
safe" and/or are misled by lots of smiling locals into thinking everyone
there is wonderful. Here are some specific things to watch for:

1) No matter how many wide-eyed backpackers tell you "the people are
wonderful, you'll be fine" don't be tempted to go on safari in active war
zones or places with heavy rebel/poacher activity. Some years back a
dozen-odd tourist got themselves killed on a gorilla-watching trip that
way. Keep up on the news (from reputable and relatively unbiased sources
like papers from other African countries), as well as keeping up on the
gossip. Some hotspots are permanently risky (NE Kenya near the Somali
border), and some places are pretty obviously unstable and therefore risky
(Congo), and some others you'll want to check up on - rural Zimbabwe? Some
places don't always get the risk rating they should - northern Uganda is a
good example, near the Sudanese border.

2) An immediate application of "using your head": when you see overcrowded
minibuses which look horribly unsafe and not fit to travel in, you are
correct; they are horribly unsafe and not fit to travel in. Spend extra
and go in good transport. You are FAR more likely to die in a
traffic accident there than to be killed by hostile people.

3) You can drive yourself around on safari but it's usually not a good
idea. A bad driver might hassle you wanting to go visit his cousin's
souvenir stand, but even despite that they'll know the country better than
you can hope to and will know which places must be seen and which must be
avoided without thinking. Also having a local driver will often get you
into places you couldn't go yourself (or at least, will get you in
cheaper). Good drivers are not necessarily associated with big companies;
there are lots of small one- or two-man operations which are great to deal
with. Again, just use your common sense and avoid guys who come up to you
in bars and say "psst buddy, want to go on safari with me?" Look for
references and what not.

4) Rather than avoiding particular areas, you'll be more safe if you are
careful in the big cities, whether they be Nairobi, Harare, Johannesburg
or lots of others. Many African cities have very high crime rates and you
have to be accordingly careful; don't look rich, don't wander around dodgy
places carrying an expensive camera, don't walk at all if it's a really
dodgy part of town.

5) At the risk of starting a perennial flame war, be aware that you can
also ruin your holiday and get hurt or dead by not doing your medical
homework before you go. You should get certain vaccinations (yellow
fever is legally required most places and it'd be smart to pick up tetanus
and typhoid and similar others while at it, as well as looking at Hep A).
You MUST protect yourself against malaria, and on the other hand you must
also be aware that many doctors in the west don't have much clue about it
and will blithely hand out prescriptions that either don't protect you or
do more damage than malaria is likely to (Lariam is the usual
controversial drug). Don't forget that it's far more effective than any
drug to cover yourself so as to not get mosquito bites in the first place!

Now some other tips:

You may meet people who come up and ask you for gifts, and you may hear
that it is an African custom for rich people to give gifts to poor people.
As self-serving as this may sound, it is apparently true in lots of
places! You don't have to give stuff away to everyone who asks,
just don't be insulted and try to say no politely. CERTAINLY don't
go around tossing out Bic pens and other small gifts to kids, as some
companies recommend. In some places there are entire generations of young
people who've been raised to see foreigners as money farms because of
habits like this.

Those stories you hear about "African time" are often true and you may
find people totally unconcerned about schedules in situations that will
frustrate you tremendously. Try to keep your cool. Losing your temper is
one of the easier ways to make trouble where it doesn't really exist.

--
Steve Bougerolle
http://www.bougerolle.net
http://www.sebgitech.com
http://www.imperialrealms.com

  #13  
Old October 23rd, 2004, 05:14 PM
Iceman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I would very much like to do the whole african safari thing. But I
have heard it can be dangerous in Africa. Not the wildlife so much,
but the people. What are some of the places to stay away from and what
would be the best places to travel and experience.


Some parts of some African cities should be avoided at night, but much
of Africa is safer than most American cities, and the vast majority of
travellers to Africa have no problem at all. The more you are open to
the people, the better an experience you will have.
  #14  
Old October 25th, 2004, 02:30 PM
Voice of reason
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Iceman wrote:

I would very much like to do the whole african safari thing. But I
have heard it can be dangerous in Africa. Not the wildlife so much,
but the people. What are some of the places to stay away from and what
would be the best places to travel and experience.



Some parts of some African cities should be avoided at night, but much
of Africa is safer than most American cities, and the vast majority of
travellers to Africa have no problem at all. The more you are open to
the people, the better an experience you will have.


Tourists rarely experience the horror of African life that the citizens
experience. The beaten track of the traveler usually runs around the
safer areas. Those areas where you can "admire" the backward cultures
(because you don't have to live under its rule yourself) and take happy
pictures of naked breasted women in traditional outfits.

Don't worry, Europe will be a little Africa all unto itself within a
century or two if you don't tighten up your borders soon. Wait, its too
late already! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Enjoy!

Bye bye

 




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