Top Tips For Travelling Through Africa

Africa is one of the largest continents in the world, and is made up of dozens of different countries, each with it’s own governments, cultures, history, and more. Africa does not have the most pleasant history, and many countries around the continent are still recovering from years of economic oppression, civil wars, and poverty.

Regardless, travelling through Africa can be one of the greatest adventures of all time, and it’s something that any traveller should consider doing at least once in their lives. Here we will look at home to stay as safe as possible while travelling the breadth of the African continent.

  1. Avoid Specific Countries

Most of the countries in Africa that have bloody pasts have come a long way in recent decades. Most of the wars have come to an end, and for the most part it’s generally perfectly safe to get into a car and travel around the country without worrying. There are some exceptions, however, and some countries are better avoided in order to not get into any trouble.

One of these is Zimbabwe, which even to this day is rife with poverty and a violent police force. It’s common to be pulled over while in Zimbabwe and held at gunpoint by the police force until a fee is paid before moving on. Although Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, it’s painful history has left it as something of a hotspot.

  1. Take A Guide

When entering a new country for the first time, sometimes one of the only ways to successfully navigate it is by having a local guide to help with the language barrier and to assist when it comes to getting through the region. Local guides are generally extremely cheap to hire, and they are always willing to help a traveller get to where they are trying to go.

Especially in countries where English is not widely spoken and GPS coverage is poor, it might be worth forking out those few extra bucks to find someone that is familiar with the local area and can help getting through the busy cities as well as to see the many hidden sites that aren’t always in the travel magazines or online, or even just a nice place to sit and check out the latest video poker casinos on offer.

  1. Self Defence

Despite the fact that Africa is relatively stable in terms of overall crime, it’s still a good idea to travel the country well-prepared, which means having adequate self-defence. This can be in the form of pepper spray, a non-lethal airgun, or even by just travelling with a few friends, as travelling in a group is generally much safer. It’s important to recognise that poverty is everywhere in the country, and many people out there are desperate.

  1. Hire A Good Vehicle

Not all of the roads in Africa are up to standard, so it can be worth having a 4×4 on hand to get over the more difficult terrain. Along with the bad roads, there are some parts of the country that are only accessible with a 4×4, so it’s something that’s almost a necessity to have during travels.