Travelling to Africa has got to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. However, it can be daunting, especially during the planning stages. In 2018, I took Acacia Africa’s 25 day Desert Tracker tour around South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was such an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone! Below, I have shared my travel tips for Southern Africa, specifically for if you’re travelling with the company Acacia Africa.
If you’d like to read about what I got up to on the tour, check out my other Africa posts here.
*DISCLAIMER* I’m not sponsored by Acacia Africa or any of the companies mentioned/linked; this article is purely based on my experience with them in 2018 and is my honest opinion on the tour I did.
Packing for Africa
What better way to kick off my travel tips for Southern Africa post than with a packing list! Below, I have included some information that you may find helpful when it comes to packing for your trip. But you can also download my packing list from my resource library! All you have to do is subscribe to my monthly newsletter, and I’ll send you the password! If you’re interested, you can sign up below.
Choosing a bag
Who knew choosing what bag to take would be so difficult! Surely you can just grab any bag? But no, the packing list that my tour company (Acacia Africa) provided listed a really specific size of bag. I had no bags at home that were short enough for the lockers, apparently, so my mum and I headed to the shops to buy something new. Turns out there’s not many bags that fit those specifications but we managed to find one. Once I got on the bus, I actually discovered we didn’t need to stress at all because there was LOADS of space in my locker! It ended up being good, though, because I could fit all of my other stuff (initially my shoes, then everything I couldn’t be bothered putting BACK in my bag) around it.
What to pack?
Clothes
One of my top tips for travelling Southern Africa has to be to be prepared for all kinds of weather! I was pretty lucky and only had one rainy day which was just spent travelling. But it was unexpectedly cold in Namibia, considering (a) it was summer and (b) we were in the desert. I actually ended up wearing my jacket every day! Luckily, I brought two jackets with me, one fleece-lined jacket and one puffer jacket which acts as a windbreaker. It was definitely good to have both. On the other hand, swimmers are also a must for the days which really ARE hot!
For mosquito and sun protection, I brought lots of pairs of light pants and a heap of long shirts that I could wear over t-shirts. I wore the pants all the time because they were light enough to not be too hot. Conversely, I didn’t wear the shirts very often because it was way too hot! Instead, I just slathered myself in sunscreen and insect repellent. Speaking of which, I brought two roll-on sunscreens (and used one-and-a-bit) and two roll-on insect repellents (but only used about half of one).
Shoes
I brought three pairs of shoes with me: thongs (flip flops) for the shower and walking around campsites, sneakers (runners) for day to day use, and hiking boots. Thongs are an absolute must: I practically lived in them! Make sure you bring runners that you don’t mind getting wrecked, especially if you’re going white water rafting. However, you don’t need to bother with hiking boots if you’re not going to do any major hikes. I only wore my boots after I ruined my runners on the rafting day! If you’re not planning on bringing hiking boots, I recommend you consider bringing a backup pair of runners. You know, just in case…
Toiletries
I usually use anti-dandruff shampoo but didn’t want to bring a whole big bottle! Knowing my luck it would have exploded on the plane or something… Instead, I bought a pack of three silicone reusable bottles from Biome to fill up and bring with me. I didn’t use the anti-dandruff shampoo all the time so I also had a soap/shampoo bar. It was great having my soap and shampoo in one but unfortunately it melted on a really hot day in Namibia! I literally had to put it in the fridge once I got home!! So while I would totally recommend it overall, maybe stick to body wash for hot countries…
Bedding
Another thing you need to consider is bedding. I have a sleeping bag which is suitable for up to -5 degrees but it’s HUGE! So I ended up borrowing my dad’s old sleeping bag which took up way less space in my bag! I also brought a sheet for when it was too hot for the sleeping bag (often) and a convertible travel pillow from Kathmandu. You can have it as a neck pillow OR you can turn it inside out and make it into a square! It’s very cool! Anyway, I’d definitely recommend you either bring or buy a proper pillow for your trip. My tour group will tell anyone who plans to travel in Southern Africa: DO NOT bring a blow up pillow!! Everyone who had one said they hated it and ended up buying a cheap real pillow in Swakopmund.
What money should I bring?
Card or cash?
In case you haven’t noticed, in this travel tips post, I’m trying to include things that I wish I had known before heading to Southern Africa. I wish I had a bit more clarity on money, because it was something I was really worried and confused about before heading off. The documents I received from Acacia Africa seemed to imply that I needed to bring a mix of USD and local currency, and that in most places we wouldn’t be able to use card. While it’s true that you can’t use card to pay for most of the optional activities (you know, because it’s the middle of nowhere), shortly after arriving in each country we stopped at an ATM so we could get out some local currency. I had a travel card from Australia Post (Cash Passport – MasterCard) which I pre-loaded USD on to and it worked everywhere.
A note on US dollars
As for the USD cash I brought, I didn’t need to bring that much. Once we were on the bus, we were told that if we paid for things in USD it would be more expensive than using the local currency. I payed for a couple of things in USD, especially in Zimbabwe where they use it anyway, but I ended up tipping my guides in USD just to get rid of it. Not implying I wasn’t going to tip them, but rather I could tip them in any currency. I would recommend bringing enough for the Adventure Pass and for some spending money in Zimbabwe if you’re heading there.
Advice on medical stuff
What to pack
Another thing we spent a lot of time sorting out before my trip was medications and a first-aid kit. I read somewhere that you need to take hypodermic needles in your first aid kit, but really that’s not necessary. I did bring a full first aid kit, though, as well as what felt like a whole entire pharmacy’s worth of medications!
Despite bringing all those medications, it turns out I was missing one super important thing: over-the-counter antihistamines. Apparently I’m actually allergic to something! I still don’t know what it was but I ended up with a nasty rash that spread all over one of my fingers and thumb. It was super weird. Anyway, one of the girls on my tour had a basic over the counter antihistamine which really helped. I’ve never actually had to take antihistamines before but I’m going to get some next time I go overseas just in case I encounter this random allergy-inducing thing again… To be honest, I didn’t use most of the stuff in my pharmacy. However, after the rash disaster, I figure it’s better to have it and not use it!
Vaccinations (the worst part)
Vaccinations to get for Southern Africa
I spent AGES trying to work out what vaccinations I would need to get to travel in Southern Africa. And I ended up needing quite a few. Really, you should all be proud of me because I’m scared of needles! Anyway… I was vaccinated for Rabies, Tetanus, Typhoid and Meningitis, and was already covered for Hep A and Hep B.
I only got Meningitis because it was going around at home at the time, although it is prevalent in some areas of Africa north of where I went. Also, I only got Rabies done because I work in the animal care industry. While there were quite a few dogs and cats at our campsites, it’d be easy to avoid them if you’re worried. Therefore, I don’t think the expense is worth it for just one trip. I got it “cheap” at my university but still payed $150 AUD PER VACCINE. AND THERE’S THREE!!!
I’d highly recommend getting a tetanus booster before you go, because even if it’s been less than 10 years since your last one, they give you a booster if you get a tetanus-prone injury after five years. Are you going to be able to get a tetanus vaccine in the middle of the African desert? Probably not. So I just got it done. This one can be done just before you go, so no need to pre-plan too much.
Vaccinations I chose not to get
Because I went to Southern Africa, I didn’t need to get the Yellow Fever vaccination. I did have to do a lot of research for Zimbabwe, though, because if you’re entering the country from certain other countries you need to provide a vaccination certificate for Yellow Fever. Zambia used to be one of those countries but now it’s not! Hooray! For my first appointment I saw a doctor who insisted I had to have it based on that old rule. So I’d highly recommend doing your own research as well rather than just following what they say. I also opted against having the cholera oral vaccine, even though it was recommended for the area and MIGHT protect you against normal stomach bugs. I thought it was an unnecessary expense for something that only might work. And I didn’t get sick at all! So yay for that!
Anti-malarials (Doxycycline)
Whether you need anti-malarials to travel in Southern Africa depends on where you go. I was entering some areas where malaria was prevalent (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Northern Botswana and Northern Namibia) so was prescribed Doxycycline for the duration of my trip. Out of the two options that were suggested to me, I chose Doxycycline because it was cheaper. Plus, I had taken it once before for my acne without any major side-effects.
Cons of Doxycycline
I mentioned above that I didn’t experience many side-effects of Doxycycline the first time I took it. However, in Africa I did experience one of the side effects: getting majorly sunburnt!! I had a burnt nose for the whole trip then I got really badly burnt when I went white water rafting since my sunscreen kept washing off! Many of my tour mates had bad side effects, though, including nausea and vomiting. Another downside is that you have to take Doxycycline for a whole month after you get back, whereas people on other medications only had to for a couple of weeks.
Pro of Doxycycline
On the bright side, Doxycycline is an antibiotic, which is certainly not a bad thing to be taking in Africa. At one point, I discovered I had a huge hole (cut) in my foot and freaked out because “what if it got infected!?” (this is why I got my tetanus shot). However, it never did. It healed itself when I got home and didn’t have permanently dirty/wet feet. I really think this is because I was taking those antibiotics. Long story short, Doxycycline has its pros and cons, you just have to decide what’s best for you.
How long should I take it for?
Another thing to note is that my doctor suggested I take my anti-malarials for the whole trip, despite travelling through a number of areas where there was little to no risk of contracting malaria. I just went with it but in some ways I wish I hadn’t. The reason I chose to take it for the whole trip was because I could get into the habit of taking it before I left and see if I had any really bad side-effects before I got to Africa where I couldn’t do anything about it. Knowing me, I totally would have forgotten to start taking it… However, I was kind of envious that a lot of the others on my trip didn’t have to take it for as long!
Tips for travelling with Acacia Africa
I thought I’d finish my travel tips post with a bit of information about the tour company I travelled around Southern Africa with! There are heaps of travel companies that take a similar route, with Acacia Africa being one of them. This company is owned by Topdeck and I found them really great. Anyway, if you’re interested in travelling with this company, read on.
Why I chose this company
I chose to travel Southern Africa with the company ‘Acacia Africa’ for a number of reasons. Obviously, the places appealed to me, the dates suited me and it was a good length of time. But if you’re looking at a tour to Africa you’ll notice that quite a few companies take very similar routes to the same highlights. My cousin actually recommended Acacia Africa to me. She had travelled to Africa the year before and really enjoyed her tour, which went from Johannesburg to Zanzibar. So I decided I would do a trip with them too, just to different places.
I initially wanted to go to Eastern Africa, but it was going to be a lot more expensive. Also, one of the places the tour went was classed as ‘reconsider need to travel’ by the Australian Government. In the end, I decided to play it ‘safe’ and travel to Southern Africa instead (where most countries were just listed as ‘exercise usual caution’). It was a really great decision in the end because I saw some amazing sights and met wonderful people.
I wish I had known that Acacia Africa is a network of buses
This wouldn’t actually impact on my choice of tour company (I’d definitely travel with Acacia Africa again) but I didn’t know that the company was based around a network of buses. I literally didn’t know until I got to Livingstone and had to change to a different bus. There’s no guarantee you’ll have the same truck, guides or group for the whole tour. In fact, chances are you won’t. Multiple buses meet up at certain hubs, like Livingstone, then continue on in different directions.
The truck I moved to at Livingstone headed south while my original truck and half my group headed north. Two of my other friends then had to change buses AGAIN at Kruger to head around the Garden Route, rather than back to Johannesburg with us. It was a little annoying having to shift all my stuff from one bus to another and to have to get to know a whole new group of people for the last 5 days of the trip. Really, I can’t complain, though. Our new group was really cool and our new guides were just as awesome as our old ones.
Should I get the Adventure Pass?
Instead of having everything included in their tours, Acacia Africa has something called an ‘Adventure Pass’. You pay a certain amount in USD at your first tour meeting which includes a bunch of other activities throughout the tour. On some tours the Adventure Pass is compulsory but for mine it wasn’t. On my tour, the Adventure Pass included a Cape Town Township Tour, the 4WD to Sossusvlei, the whole trip to the Okavango Delta, the safaris at Chobe National Park, and a half-day tour around Matobo National Park. Of course there were also some activities included in the tour itself (like the safari at Kruger) and other optional activities (like the Quadbiking in Swakopmund) on top of those included in the Adventure Pass.
One of the girls on my tour decided not to get the Adventure Pass because she didn’t want to go to the Okavango Delta. Since this is such a big part of the Adventure Pass, she thought it would be best to just pay for what she wanted. Makes sense to me: if you’re that sure you don’t want to do something then don’t. However, in the end it felt to me like she missed out on a lot of cool things we did. I personally loved all of the activities that were included in the adventure pass, so would highly recommend you do get it. That said, my friend also had the time of her life on this trip, so you’ll have an awesome time regardless!
Is there anything else you want to know about travelling to Africa? Ask me in the comments!
Well, that’s all the travel tips for Southern Africa that I can think of for now. Leave a comment below if there’s anything else you want to know and I’ll make sure to answer! You can also get on touch on social media (linked in my menus). Overall, I’d definitely recommend travelling to Africa and travelling with Acacia Africa. It was such an incredible trip and I can’t wait to go back some day! Don’t forget you can sign up to my newsletter below to gain access to my Africa packing list.
Missed the rest of my Africa journey? Click here to see all my previous articles!
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