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Southern Africa is a great destination and in particular Namibia, Botswana and South Africa have great infrastructures usually ensuring you have plenty of choice and goes without a hitch. However, please remember you are in Africa and not in a First World Country, that is part of the charm and character of this great Continent but you need to bring patience and a sense of humour with you. We have provided some travel tips below but if you have any specific questions please do not hesitate to ask |
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Passport: Make sure that you have a signed passport and that its validity will extend to 6 months after the date of your return, you will also need to have at least 2 full blank pages. Your passport must be carried with you on your safari
Visas: Are not required for South Africa, Namibia and Botswana if you are a holder of the following passports:- Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Belgium, Germany and USA. Holders of passports other than those nationalities mentioned should check with their travel agent regarding visa requirements and each client is held responsible to ensure that they have the appropriate documentation for entering the country. Zambia charges different amounts depending on nationality and is payable upon entry. Please note that some nationalities require visas prior to entering the country.
Health Precautions: We recommend that you consult your physician or a travel centre prior to your safari departure, as there are a few health matters that require attention. Here are some guidelines but please remember we are not medical practitioners. General recommendations include hepatitis A & B, polio, typhoid, TB, tetanus but this list is not extensive. Protection against malaria is highly recommended as malaria does occur in Namibia particularly in the north and east. Please check with your doctor the most appropriate malaria prophylaxis. Also bear in mind the sun, it is harsh and we recommend you use a high sun screen factor (20+). If you are on prescription medication then we suggest you bring a sufficient supply with you as well as a copy of your prescription (in case of emergency and you need to replace). Many pharmacies are open extended hours but this is restricted to major towns. Once in the bush it is harder to get supplies.
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Insurance - As part of the Terms and Conditions to Chameleon Holidays & Travel it is essential that all clients purchase comprehensive travel insurance when making final payment for your safari. Your insurance should be inclusive of full medical cover including costs of emergency repatriation and cancellation. Chameleon Holidays and Travel, its agents and associates cannot be held responsible or liable for loss, damage, theft of personal luggage and belongings, nor can they be held for personal injury, accident or illness. Please ensure that you are covered sufficiently.
HEALTH INSURANCE – it is advisable to have fully comprehensive medical and accident insurance that covers you while you are away including emergency evacuation and repatriation
CANCELLATION INSURANCE – you may have to cancel your safari due to unforeseen circumstances, if you cancel close to the departure for any reason you will lose all that the safari was going to cost you. Dependent on the reason, cancellation insurance should cover you for this eventuality.
Safety - Whilst Namibia, Botswana and many of the surrounding countries are often safe and are democratic countries as with any other place in the world there is still crime. By following local safety advice you should be fine but we do not recommend you carry handbags or valuables openly. Ensure that you have a copy of your passport, ticket, travellers cheques etc with you and not carried in the same place as the originals. Do not wear expensive jewellery or flash your cash. Particularly in towns ensure doors to vehicles are locked and no bags etc easily accessible to opportunistic shoppers! We do not recommend walking around the streets after dark.
Water - Tap water in most parts of Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana is safe to drink but not to everyone's taste. Other countries its worth seeking local advice before drinking it and generally worth getting bottled water. Those with sensitive stomachs are often advised to purchase bottled water. Please note that Namibia and many of the surrounding countries are deserts - we request that you think about your consumption of water - please do not take lengthy showers, run the tap while you are cleaning your teeth etc.
Dietary Requirements - Special dietary requirements can often be catered for but please advise in advance. Please remember that vegetarians etc may not have such a wide selection of foods as their home country as many Southern African Countries are huge meat eaters. Food allergies can also be catered for again if given with prior notice. |
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Getting There - Southern Africa has regular flights particularly into Johannesburg so will depend on your final destination and where you are travelling from whether you enter via Jo'berg or one of the other International Airports
Namibia - Air Namibia flies directly from Frankfurt and Gatwick London and is accessible by regular international flights from Europe, LTU. Airlines such as British Airways/Comair and SA Express link to neighbouring countries. The main International airport is Hosea Kotako located 40km outside of Windhoek and handles all international flights. Eros Airport based in the city handles domestic and limited regional flights. All major tourist destinations and a number of lodges have airports, landing strips etc so making it easy for those travelling by air.
By Road - There is a regular Intercape (and other local) bus service from Jo'berg, Cape Town and Victoria Falls. Travelling around the country has good roads and private transfers to/from airports can be arranged. Public transport otherwise in Namibia is very limited and we do not recommend the use of minibus services that travel the length etc of the country.
Road Conditions - There are limited tar roads in the country but many of the gravel roads are well maintained, please also see our self drive section for further details. Note that in some areas 2x4 wheel vehicles are fine but not recommended particularly in rainy season or if there are 3-4 passengers. Signposting is good.
Botswana - Served by Botswana Air and with links to neighbouring countries and airlines such as British Airways, South African Airways etc.
By Road - Major roads are tarred but again need to keep an eye out for animals on the road - cattle, goats, elephants you name it!
South Africa - South African Airways is the main carrier into and around South Africa but there are several options to choose from. British Airways/Comair, Kulula.com, as others can fly you pretty much anywhere around the country.
By Road - A good road infrastructure as well as often good services such as intercape; Bazbus and other bus companies can ensure you get to your destination at a reasonable price. Most of the roads are tarred but in certain areas you need to keep an eye out for animals on the road. Take particular care in major cities for your own safety and against carjacking.
Zambia - Again South African Airways will get you from South Africa, the main carrier for the country is Zambia Airways that can also take you from Livingstone, Lusaka and other main towns/cities. |
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Weather/Climate -
Namibia averages 300 days on sunshine each year. Winter: May to September. Daytime 25°C, Nighttime 0°C or below. Whilst the days are shorter and cooler the air is very dry. Summer: October to April Daytime 35°C+, Night time 15°C. The rainy season is during the summer so you can expect some storms at any time of the day or night during this period, days are a little longer and can be incredibly hot so protection from the sun is essential
Botswana climate ranges from continental to semi-arid. The summer months can be very hot, with average temperatures rising to 39c (or higher). December and January are the hottest months. They also herald the arrival of the rainy season that extends through to March or April. Winters are dry with temperatures, occasionally dropping below zero degrees celsius overnight in June and July.
Things to Pack - Neutral coloured casual clothing (shorts/shirts or long trousers in winter) for everyday wear, stout shoes (with soles thick enough to protect against thorns and for walking), light jacket or jumper (summer time), warm jumper and jacket (winter time), flashlight/torch (though we do supply a torch for use in camp), beach towel, broad brimmed sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, lip salve, light spray jacket when travelling between Nov-April. In winter thermal underwear is useful at night as it does not take up much space and can keep you very warm on those cold winter nights around the campfire. If you are enjoying a camping safari then you will need to bring or hire a sleeping bag, this should be 3-4 season as Winter nights can be very cold. Please advise in advance if you wish to hire a sleeping bag from Chameleon
Other Essential Items - camera, plenty of film, chargers, spare batteries and adaptors; torch, binoculars, toiletries & personal medication eg asthmatics and diabetics.
For photography it may be difficult to either download or buy film in certain areas so recommend you bring sufficient memory cards or films. A lens hood and filter lens are also advisable - particularly in Namibia and Botswana where there is plenty of dust/sand we recommend dust proof packaging. For Vic Falls don't forget something to waterproof it.
Please note when photographing people it is courteous to ask for permission first. Please treat other people with the same regard and respect you would be expect for yourself. Some cultures do not like having their photo taken and as a visitor this must be respected. Some people may ask for a fee. It is recommended you do not photograph anything related to government or military including personnel.
Electricity and Recharging Electricity is available at some of the rest camps/camp sites but certainly not all. Please ensure that you bring your own chargers with you. We will do our best for recharging through the vehicle but this cannot always be guaranteed. Our electrical plug points are 3 point and round – same as South Africa, suitable adaptors are normally available at international airports or you can wait and buy them from some of the larger stores and supermarkets when you are here (though please note that this will depend on where you are staying upon your arrival).
Communications: Phone cards are readily available from stores and post offices for local/international calls at various face values. You are also able to buy SIM cards and numbers for cell phones with various special offers available occasionally. Internet facilities is readily available in the main towns as well as some Parks, however, this cannot be guaranteed. Postal system is not very fast with mail taking up to 3 weeks for overseas delivery |
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Travellers Cheques Can be obtained from your local bank and we recommend smaller denominations in US$, Pounds Sterling or AUD$ as all are widely accepted. If you are using Euros we recommend carrying Euro cash as this attracts a much smaller fee for exchanging to local currency than Euro travellers cheques. Visa and MasterCard are also readily accepted in most banks, shops and restaurants in Namibia, but cash or traveller’s cheques are recommended for Botswana and Zimbabwe. Cash is readily available at ATM machines using credit card and pin number and is the easiest way to obtain money while on your safari as only major towns have Foreign Exchange Depts. There is FX dept upon arrival at International Airport for those arriving by air. The currency in Namibia is the Namibia Dollar, which is fixed to and equals the South African Rand on a one-to-one basis. The dollar and SA Rand are the only legal tender in Namibia and can be used freely in the country. It is not legal tender in South Africa and we recommend that you exchange your money prior to leaving the country into Rand. You are generally able to bring South African Rand from your home country. We do recommend carrying a credit card and a little cash as changing travellers cheques in some places can be difficult particularly durig weekends or public holidays. Please note that credit card fraud is on the increase worldwide - DO NOT let your credit card out of your sight when making any payments and ideally put your own credit card into the machine yourself so you are aware of how/when your credit card is being used.
Tipping - 10% is customary in restaurants but only if you are happy with the service, tipping for other services is not compulsory. Some places do include a service charge so please check your bill first. We are often asked about tipping for guides and camp assistants, please note that this is at the discretion of the clients and tends to vary for the size of the group and length of safari
Begging/Donations - Unfortunately there is an element of begging, sometimes by street kids in all parts of the world and Southern Africa is not unaffected by this. We do ask that you do not give money away to anyone simply because they ask as it creates a begging and dependent society. You are welcome to bring gifts such as pens, pencils, paper etc and we request no sweets etc - who will pay for these people's dentist bills! Along your travels you are welcome to donate to various orphanages, schools etc - there are plenty to choose from, or indeed if someone has provided you with a service - helping with a flat tyre, taken you around their local village etc - this is a good way of payment.
This information is provided in good faith for the use of tourist and business travellers visiting the countries on our website. It is deemed to be accurate at the time of presentation, but conditions are subject to change. This is after all, Africa, a fantastic continent still growing and developing in many areas. |
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