Let's Get Ready For The Trip
Let's Get Ready For The Trip
Taking a trip to Africa involves planning. If you want to see the animals you'll need to go on a "safari" and tour the wildlife parks. Safari is a Swahili word that means "trip". First, you'll need to find a tour company or guide because you can't travel through the wildlife parks alone. You'll be led on a guided tour of the parks in a safari vehicle with an open roof so that you can safely view the animals and take their pictures. They will also arrange for your lodging and meals each day. Sometimes you might stay in tented campgrounds and other times you might stay in lodges with running water, electricity, restaurants and swimming pools very much like hotels in the United States.
Next you'll need to make flight reservations. You'll be flying from Oakland, Ca. to Amsterdam for the first part of the trip. You'll spend three nights in Amsterdam so that your body can get used to the time change before you leave for Africa. Zanzibar is only three time zones away from Amsterdam time, but 11 time zones away from California time. You'll be traveling almost half way around the world or about 12,000 miles from California to Tanzania. Sacramento, Ca. is located 38 degrees north of the equator and 121 degrees west of London, England. Zanzibar is 7 degrees south of the equator and 40 degrees east of London, England.
You'll need to visit the doctor before you leave. Whenever you travel to remote areas you have to protect yourself by taking the necessary shots ahead of time. You might also need to take pills while you travel. The Center for Disease Control Travel Information site will let you know what you'll need to take. To visit Tanzania you'll probably need to get a Yellow Fever vaccination, a Typhoid vaccination and a Meningococcal vaccination. You'll also have to make sure that your Polio, Tetanus and Hepatitis A & B vaccinations are up to date. To help prevent malaria you'll need to take Melfoquine pills before, during and after the safari and use insect repellent with DEET to lessen your chances of being bitten by mosquitoes. You should also wear light weight clothes that cover most of the body and sleep under mosquito nets. It is very important to only drink bottled water and to eat only thoroughly cooked foods to avoid becoming infected with parasites.
Do some research and reading before you leave to find out something about Tanzania and the people who live there. You might want to try to cook something that is a traditional African dish. You should learn some of the language that is spoken in the country you'll be visiting. In most of eastern Africa people speak a tribal language and Swahili. Many people also learn to speak English. Wouldn't it be fun to learn some Useful Swahili Words so that you can talk to the people you meet?
When it is time to pack your bags you'll need to make sure you have the right clothes and supplies. Make sure you get a passport and get visas ahead of time for the countries you'll be visiting. You'll want to have enough money so take traveler's checks, a credit card and some United States dollars that you can convert to Tanzanian shillings. Take a camera and enough film to last for the whole trip. You can also take a video camera if you want to capture not only the sights but the sounds of Africa. If you have binoculars they will help you view the animals and birds up close. For your protection you should take a sun hat, sun glasses, sun screen, chapstick, insect repellent and medication. You'll also need a transformer kit and adapter plugs if you plan to take any electronic equipment with you such as a hair drier, video camera or laptop computer. Take your friends' addresses so that you can write to them about your adventure. Leave a little room in your suitcase for souvenirs!
