Let me, as an experienced and seasoned African traveller, give some basic do’s and don’ts when you are out there:

• Zip up your tent – no matter how hot it is in side, zip up for various reasons. It keeps out bugs, mosquitoes and slithering things like snakes.  A lion will not bother you in your tent.  They do not realise that they can rip open the canvas with a quick stroke of the paw and no, an elephant will not trip over your tent.  Elephants are amazingly gracious when they walk.
• When you go to bed stow all food (and garbage) either in your tent or vehicle. Inquisitive animals like hyenas, jackal, etcetera will come and have a look what is there to taste.
• Do not wander off in the dark and outside the light of the fire. There are creatures watching you that you do not even know of.  If  you do have to go for a nightly routine walk let somebody go with you with a torch and keep close to your tent.  Night animals have keen eyesight and spot you long before you even notice them, so take care.
• Be extremely vigilant when vervet monkeys and baboons are around. They are very quick and will grab your food before you know it.  Do not challenge a baboon, if this does happen they can be dangerous.  Rather back off.

• Mana Pools is famous for its “dagga boys” (i.e. a lone stray buffalo) that venture into camp even in day times. Be on the look out and try to avoid them totally.
• A rather difficult one to do is if you have an encounter with a lion or elephant – DO NOT RUN!   I say again – DO NOT RUN!  Your instinct will tell you to get out of the way, but stay put, stand very still .
• At rivers and dams be on the lookout for crocodiles that lurk in the muddy waters especially on the banks when you approach.  Also keep an eye out for paths that animals (i.e. hippopotamus) use that lead to the water. A hippo looks clumsy, but they are not.
• Do not misjudge the small animals as they can bite you and there is a possibility that they carry rabies. Rabies are fatal.  Wild animals that are prone to rabies are:  monkeys, mongoose, meerkat, jackals.

Remember that you are in the wild and wild animals can be unpredictable and “a lot” quicker than you think.  Do not party – alcohol impair your judgment towards wild animals and may land you in unexpected trouble.

—oOO—

“You have to look after wealth, but knowledge looks after you. — Zambian Proverb”

The post HOW TO ACT AROUND WILD ANIMALS appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

If you like your own company and have some travel savvy then going solo is for you.  Going solo gives you freedom of choice and total independence to change your travel plans on the spur of the moment if something interests you on the wayside.

Things that you need to consider when planning your next solo African trip are the following.

You will need the ability to navigate.  There are not many countries left on mother earth that is unexplored, thus you will need a basic ability to navigate as there can be hundreds of tracks and footpaths not necessarily indicated on maps.  You must be able to understand and read maps whether it is a paper issue or a digital issue.  Sometimes you need to trust your instinct and basic sense of direction to find your way.

So you own a GPS, but do you know all the functions of your GPS, such as marking waypoints that you can return to later?  This can be of great value when bush camping as you need to mark a nice camping spot early in the afternoon but need to return to it later in the evening after dark when things have quietened down.

A reliable vehicle is not even questionable and some bush mechanics can take you a long, long way as everything is not always available in remote areas.  Even if you can phone somebody on your satellite phone it may take days or weeks for a specific part to arrive.

You will need a willingness to interact with the local people to ask directions or permission to camp or even buy some firewood.  If there is a village around do the decent thing and ask permission from the headman to camp there for the night.  They may even provide some security to you as a sign of respect.

Can you adapt and react to changing situations such as hazardous roads,  political climate, etc or are you set in your ways and love your comfort zone?  If you love your comfort zone you need to reconsider the urge of going solo.

The bottom line, and I think the most important aspect, that you must ask yourself is if you are prepared to rough it at times and skip a shower (or maybe two) to experience the joy that wild camping can offer?

Wanderlust: === the desire and irresistible urge to travel

The post GOING SOLO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK? appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

At Kalizo on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river

Now there are no ”official” rules for having a braai.  The people of the Rainbow Nation each has his/her own preference on the when, how and what to braai.  Some of us like to have a basic fire place where you can sit as close as possible to the fire when it is cold – and do not mind smelling like smoke – and some of us like to do a classy braai in a build-in fireplace inside the house or on the stoep.  For most of my fellow citizens a braai is not about grilling the meat on a gas barbeque.

Lighting the fire in the Klein Karoo

First of all, the choice of firewood has to be sorted.  If you come from the Winelands you will probably prefer old grape vines, but if you are from the maize producing areas you may prefer to build your fire from maize cobs.  A popular wood, which is also freely available, is the alien Black Wattle and Rooikrantz or the option of charcoal.  It is all about taking time to sit around the fire and chat while you wait for the coals to get ready.  As a guest, it is very important to remember that the host is the one who starts the fire and will decide when it is ready for the meat to go on the fire!

Preparing a meal in Northern Kenya

The host will stipulate beforehand whether it is a “bring and braai” or not, but this is not always the case.  You will be notified if you will have to bring your own meat and/or salad, etc.  Remember that you are only allowed to braai your own meat if you are told so.   So, listen carefully!!

What do we like to braai?  Our creative nation loves our meat – anything from red meat, chicken, sausages, sosaties, fish or a braai pie.  We are always ready to try our hand at something new!  And with your choice of meat you will be served braai broodjies or garlic bread or pap en sous and a salad ….. or just meat!

Making a breakfast plan in Mozambique

A braai in South Africa is a social event, most public places have braais available.  In a campsite, you will have braai stands, but mostly each campsite will have an individual braai place.  Apart from braai we love to travel and if you do self catering accommodation the chances are excellent that you will have access to a braai space. And when on holiday, South Africans will braai.

Even in the Sudan we managed to find some wood in the desert

We even made a plan on Christmas eve in Sudan where wood is really a problem to find.  As you can see from the pictures you make do with what you have, as long as we can braai and enjoy some good company.

Do we only braai on National Braai Day?  No!  The Rainbow Nation will always look for an excuse to enjoy their favourite pastime any day of the week and regardless of the weather conditions.  The braai rules are actually very simple:  make your choice of meat and wood and braai regardless the weather!

The post BRAAI – A WAY OF LIFE! appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Most border trouble comes down to inexperience or impatience – not only in Africa, but throughout the world.  The key is to prepare well beforehand and remember, every successful border crossing pans out differently in each country. Regulations change all the time and is rapidly outdated.  There are general tips that you can follow to ease your encounter at the border post, so consider some of the following tips:

SO, THIS SAID, WHERE DO I START? 

Right at the beginning.   Planning, planning, planning and some more planning!  Start doing your homework well in advance, because it might take some time to get your ducks in a row and quacking.

The number one place to start will be at your documents.  Without a passport, the trip is not going to happen …..

• A valid passport with at least two unused pages for all the stamps and does not expire within the next six months.

• As a South African citizen, you do not need a visa for the following neighbouring countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland.  If you are in doubt check with your capable local travel agent, as regulations do change.
• If you travel with children under the age of 18 years you will also need their birth certificates and the non-traveling parent’s consent, if this might be the case.
• Your South African driver’s license should suffice in the neighbouring countries, but when you travel further afield it is a good idea to obtain an international driver’s license. They are obtainable from the Automobile Association.

• Make a list of all the serial numbers of your electronics before leaving home. If possible, make a copy of the documentation.  It makes declaring it at the border post a lot easier.  A scanned version I keep as my backup should any item or copy go missing.

• Arrange with your bank beforehand that you will be traveling outside South Africa otherwise the bank might block your card, presuming that fraudulent transaction are done. I normally submit to the bank the dates within which we are going to travel as well as the different countries to avoid frustration and embarrassment when paying.
• Cards work mostly in the bigger cities only. If you venture to the rural areas make sure you have enough cash on you.  We once arrived at Rakops (Botswana) en route to Central Kalahari Reserve, where we had to refuel, and the garage did not have a card machine. The only ATM was without money for the past two weeks!  Nice, nice, nice ….
• The South African Rand is accepted widely for instance in Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho, but do not always bargain on it.

• Yellow fever is a typical must-have inoculation, which normally has to be administered by a travel doctor a few weeks before your departure. It is valid for 10 years. If you visit countries in Northern Africa this is compulsory.  There are also various other shots such as cholera and typhoid, although we never deemed it necessary.   With common savvy, you can avoid a lot of these diseases.  In our 20 odd years’ of traveling the African continent we have never ever contracted any of these threatening diseases.

Remember to always carry your Yellow fever certificate with you.

• Check with your medical aid whether they will cover the costs if you need to be repatriated after a serious accident. This is not automatically covered in all medical schemes.
• Remember malaria is rife in Africa. Speak to your doctor about prophylaxes and precautions.
• Note:  We found that lots of garlic as well as gin and tonic keep them mostly at bay.

—–OOO—–

A wise person will always find a way. ~ Tanzanian proverb

The post CROSSING THE BORDER (PART I) – PLANNING appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Arriving rather late in the afternoon and after randomly meeting a fellow South African who runs a business in Livingstone we discovered a gem of a shop called Stop Shop (open until late)  in the main street where we could buy everything from beer to fresh bread before heading to Maramba to make camp for the night.  The next morning, after stocking up at the Shoprite in Livingstone, we were heading to Kabula Tiger Lodge in Western Zambia.  Doing shopping at the Shoprite it felt like I was back home.  Everything was familiar, organized and easy to find – you will  even find good old Mrs Balls!

Our aim was to do some tiger fishing and birding at Kabula Lodge (S17º02.404 E24º00.892).  On arrival we were greeted by an enthusiastic Kennestar, the camp boss, who showed us around.  We were booked for three days of fishing and birding on the Zambezi  but did not expect to have the whole camp to ourselves.  Only on the last night of our stay another South African couple heading home after a three month journey through Africa joined us for a chat and  a night of camping.

Kennedy, who lives on the other side of the river and have to cross the Zambezi twice a day for his job, was our river guide allocated to us.  Every morning he arrived on time wearing his purple sunglasses and a warm friendly smile to earn his living on the Zambezi.  Although the tiger fishing was not great this year it was nice to be out on the water with Kennedy, knowing the river like the palm of his hand, avoiding sandbanks and hippopotamuses as he took us 33 kilometres upstream to the rapids and the favoured tiger fishing spots.

Every afternoon after a hard day’s fishing and as the sun was setting, with G&T in hand,  we headed for the deck overlooking the river to watch the local fishermen returning home after another day in Africa.

Please take care with small children on the deck as it is high and quite open towards the river which houses crocodiles and hippos.

And of course to end off a day in the African bush we make the customary fire for a braai to feast on some excellent Zambia beef and a Mosi or two.

What a tough life we have in Africa …!

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow” (Anita Desai)

The post KABULA LODGE, ZAMBIA appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.