Touring the great African continent in your own vehicle is a very liberating experience. But it always helps if you have some insider knowledge from those who know who have been doing this for years.
These are the 10 best practical tips for touring Africa in a 4×4.
1. The biggest mistake travelers make is overpacking. No need to pack a 6-month supply of shampoo, toilet paper, and soap; nor a 3-month supply of dehydrated military rations. Yes, Africans use toiletries and eat too. Okay, your 6-ply extra soft toilet paper may not be available everywhere, but you can surely get by with 2-ply!
2. Africa is not like home. So don’t expect it to be like that and don’t complain and make stupid comments about what is different. Of course it’s different, that’s why you like to travel around Africa.
3. “You whites have a watch; we Africans have time” This statement was made to me years ago in Dar es Salaam by a very wise old man. If he is told something will take 10 minutes, he turns on the kettle and makes a cup of tea; It will be at least an hour.
4. “It’s just down the road” can mean anything from 3 km to 300 km in African distance. Whenever you ask for directions, get a second and third opinion and then you might be lucky enough to find where you want to go. Most places do not have street names or numbers, but are described in terms of landmarks. Don’t bother asking a local in a town for directions to a place 200km away; he’s probably never been there, but to save face he’ll convincingly tell you how to get there (sending you in the wrong direction).
5. Police checkpoints are the norm throughout Africa (as are weaponry); It is not common for the police to stop you just to say hello. As everywhere in the world, the police can be very friendly or very grumpy. When a policeman asks for some money for Chai (cup of tea) he really doesn’t want a cup of tea but some money from you. Unless you know you’ve done something wrong and want to get out of it, don’t pay bribes to the police.
6. If you’re coming from Europe, Australia, or the US, we assume gas stations are the ideal place for a quick bathroom stop. Unless it’s southern Africa, don’t bother; Even if you don’t pass out from the smell 10 meters before you reach the toilet, the mess in and around the toilet is sure to lead to some sort of seizure. Do your business in the bush; It’s the best advice I can give. But if you do this, there is a golden rule; stop the car and immediately get out, go behind the bush and do your business. The reason; There are always dozens of children intrigued by Mzungus (white people) and they are not shy to come up to you and watch as you go about your business. The later you get out of the vehicle, the greater the chance there will be a crowd of spectators.
7. Maps purchased locally are not always accurate. A few months ago I bought the new edition of the map of Nairobi (capital of Kenya) and discovered that half of the roads had not yet been built or simply did not exist. Another catch is that roads often change names, but the new edition map still has the old names.
8. Put it on Visa. Credit cards should only be viewed as emergency backup. Most places between Cairo and the Cape do not accept credit cards. In reality, you will see very blank stars if you apply to pay for fuel with Visa/MasterCard. Traveler’s checks are also good for emergency backup only, and regardless of what Thomas Cook or AMEX tells you, they attract hefty fees. A couple of years ago, I was leading a West African Trans when one of my clients in Cameroon went to the bank to change USD$50 into CFA. The teller took a good 5 minutes of clicking the buttons on his calculator before turning to my customer and saying, “I can cash this $50 traveler’s check, but doing so will cost you $56 in fees and charges!” Cash is king.
9. Never believe everything you read. In 2000 I left my home in Australia armed with a backpack and a Lonely Planet guide to South America. It wasn’t long before I discovered that while it was a useful guide, it wasn’t always accurate. The route I wanted to take this particular day seemed too easy (according to the Lonely Planet) and should have been 1 bus and ferry ride, but turned into 7 modes of transportation (bus, back of truck with farm animals, rent a leaky boat, ferry, donkey cart, back of a van, and the last 2 km on foot). The reality is that writers cannot visit all the places in the guide and in this case the service mentioned in the LP stopped 5 years before my arrival.
10. “Shorts and T-shirts all the way.” A poor virgin traveler arrived in Nairobi to start her 8-week trip to Cape Town in August dressed only in shorts and t-shirt. I asked if she was cold. “Freezing” was her reply, but an agent in the UK had told her that Africa was hot and she didn’t need warm clothes. That day it was raining, windy and no more than 13 degrees Celsius!
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