So all the paperwork is done, the date is set, and you've finished packing for your trip to Africa ahead of time. You're all done- or are you? A very common mistake people make is to look for packing lists or guides about packing for their trip to Africa, but rarely do people think to research supplies specific to the COUNTRY in Africa that they are visiting. Morocco's seasons and recycling system are completely different from South Africa, South Africa's is different from Chad's, and so on, and so on. Now before you panic, this doesn't mean all your hard work gathering supplies and packing was all for not. It simply means some further research and changes are going to be necessary before your trip to Africa.
1. The Weather- It's very common for tourists to think "oh, my tour guide" "my host" "my safari leader" etc, will know the weather ahead of time before our safari, or hike, or trip to a new city, but you have to keep in mind that the weather in many African countries can be volatile. Though your tour guide may have a good idea of what nature has planned for that day, you, as the traveler, should also be prepared for anything. That also means that your gear needs to be ready for anything. This is when researching your country of interest is important. Maybe while visiting South Africa the weather is very hot and so you need a lightweight bag with breathable material to keep from overheating, but in Chad it might be raining for days straight, and that same bag that was useful for South Africa, is now useless under Chad's torrential downpour. Researching the weather before every trip- and to every new country- will save you a lot of headaches later on.
2. Recycling- Great! So you've now researched about the weather, but wait, did you research recycling? At first it might not seem like these two topics are connected, but they are actually more interwoven than you may think. For example, maybe you're ready for the hot weather and bought some disposable water bottles for this one trip, but can it be recycled? Though many foreigners that visit Africa come from countries in which recycling has been established for a while, and every day things like water bottles can be recycled, a lot of countries in Africa do NOT have well established recycling plants yet. So maybe you and each member of your family brought a water bottle for the trip- that's not so bad right? An approximated 12.5 million foreigners traveled to Africa in 2011. Keep in mind that number, and how many perhaps also brought plastic bottles or other non-biodegradable items to countries that did not have the means to recycle them. Please try to make sure you only bring items that, if you know you'll be throwing away, fit into the recycling system set up by your country of visit. Also, help support groups aimed at clean-up and recycling during your visits, such as The Waste Pickers Alliance of Mooi River, who are based in South Africa.
3. Drinking Water- A big worry for many travelers is healthy drinking water, and this directly ties in to the problem of recycling and trash caused by tourism. Though many hotels that you stay at will have clean drinking water available to you throughout the time of your stay, it always better to be safe than sorry. Some tourists carry canteens with their own water inside, but it is also very smart if you're going on a safari or hike to have a cooking pot in your belongings. In the case of an emergency flat tire or other unplanned pause to your trip, a pot and the means to start a fire is all that's needed to make local river water safe for drinking.
" Some tap and natural water may have a slight brown tinge from humic acid, which is harmless and does not affect drinking water quality in South Africa." - www.SouthAfrica.net
Take these things in to mind, and do a last check of your supplies and plans before the date of your departure. Safe travels!
Helpful Links:
Mooi River Waste Pickers:
http://www.greengrants.org/our-grants/grantee-highlights/south-africa-waste-pickers/
CDC( Centers for Disease Control) on Water Purification:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/water-disinfection
CDC( Centers for Disease Control) Health Information for Travelers to South Africa:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/south-africa
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