Travel Tips - Avoiding Trouble African Travel
Author: Jerry Wanga

Other than avoiding trouble spots and regions of instability in
Africa, your journey should go well if you use common sense
while traveling around Africa.

For most travelers to Africa, the main hassle is always finding
how to best fit in as much as possible so as to avoid standing
out which could lead to you being a target for hustlers and
hawkers mostly in tourist areas who will be trying to sell you
just about everything from safaris, to even drugs depending on
where you are in Africa.

No need to wear old clothers in the name of trying to fit in.
However with clean or new clothes lots of luggage, a little
awkwardness, and if you are white skinned you are sure stick out
like a sore thumb.

You could dress down a bit to avoid the attention and you
certainly don't really need long sessions on a sunbed before
leaving home because by and large there is nothing much you can
do to avoid looking wet behind the ears especially when you have
just got to your destination.

To minimize on your chances of being conned or talked into
buying stuff you might neither want nor need avoid buying stuff
the likes of curios or suveniors for the first few days or until
you at least have an idea how much stuff costs.If you must, try
bargaining because often hawkers and street vendors might
initially offer you goods at outrageous sucker prices.

When it comes to insecurity, robbery and theft rural areas of
Africa tend to be extremely safe and until recently robbery and
theft were unheard of. In Towns and cities it is a completely
different story which act as magnets for rural Africans looking
for a "better life" than their parents in the villages.
Unfortunately the majority wind up eking a living by any means
possible because jobs even for university graduates are very
hard to find leave alone the semi-skilled or unskilled.

It should be a bit comforting to know though that even in
cities with the worst reputations for crime in Africa, namely
Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg, only a handful of travelers run
into real problems. In fact travelers to Nairobi are often left
wondering what on earth all the fuss about safety was about when
it's time to leave.

Having said that one should exercise caution especially walking
in the streets at night because like any other city in the
world, walking in certain areas unaccompanied at night could be
asking for trouble.

There are certain areas a tourist or traveler should always be
wary of. These areas are bus stations, crowded market places,
the streets around ferry ports or docks,places with poor or
nonexistent street lighting. In there areas avoid walking with
jewelery and if you have lots of cash on you be vigilant and
avoid any action that might signify to someone that a particular
pocket has got valuables or a certain hand or backpack has got
cash because pick pockets tend to target these.

Speaking of cash, avoid carrying cash. Most countries in Africa
now have ATMs and you can search if the African country or city
you are traveling to has ATMs.

Most of Africa's ATMs tend to be either inside banks, or in
shopping centers with security guards. Avoid lingering around
once you have with drawn and take the same precautions you would
take while withdrawing money anywhere.

Although chances of being robbed are slim should you be mugged,
don't resist, since the thief might have a knife or a gun. It
should be over in an instant and you are unlikely to be hurt.You
should go to the police station for a statement but don't expect
that the police will do a great job in getting your property
back. Most of these policemen are often under paid,lack the
resources or have more important stuff to deal with than
investigate your "precious" camera.

It is worth noting that thieves caught in the act are usually
mobbed - and occasionally linched so should you shout "Thief!"
be ready to intercede once you've retrived your belongings
otherwise the fellow who stole your purse could very easily lose
his life for it.


About The Author: Jerry Wanga is editor of http://naady.com is
an online website on African Safaris and Balloon Safaris in
masai mara and Tanzania. You can view more info on the website.