Africa is well served by international airlines and its main hubs in Southern Africa are Johannesburg OR Tambo and Cape Town International airport. Once you’ve arrived, a shuttle will be  arranged that will take you directly to your hotel hotel close to the airport or you connect straight with your onward flights.

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For the safari destinations you can use one of the many scheduled flights to the nearest airport and then a pre-arranged transfer to the lodge or you drive to the gates where you will get instructions how to get to your camp.

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For the more independent-minded visitor, South Africa and Namibia are great self-drive destinations, and suitable vehicles can be rented and dropped off at their major and most regional airports.

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For some camps mainly in Botswana's Okavango Delta you will need to be flown to the camp's landing strip via a small chartered airplane which itself is an experience of its own.

The question first-time visitors to Africa never fail to ask is: “Is it safe?”. Well, the safari destinations are some of the safest in the world and many are ideal for families travelling with children. There are even child-friendly safari lodges, from malaria-free Big 5 reserves to beach resorts and city hotels in safe neighborhoods. Medical facilities in Africa’s cities and major tourist destinations are good and staff at safari lodges will brief you about camp safety on arrival.

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Security issues are no worse in Africa than the rest of the world; it’s simply a case of using your common sense and not exposing yourself to risk. Your detailed itinerary will have all the advice you need – and it always pays to ask for local advice once you’re in Africa, your lodge or guesthouse will be more than happy to help.

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One thing that you will need to take care of is any medication you need for your trip, whether it’s malaria prophylactics or a yellow fever injection. Always consult your doctor before you are traveling to Africa!

With ATMs and bureaux de change found throughout Africa’s major towns, you can access cash almost anywhere. Most African countries accept US dollars or Euros as their currency of choice , but you’re most likely to need rand (ZAR) in South Africa.

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As for cards, Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted across the continent. But be aware of incurring high transaction fees in certain countries. Nowadays there are many world currency cards like REVOLUT or WISE which make it possible to withdraw in local currency from a prepaid card which adds another level of safety.

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While tipping and gratuities are not compulsory on your African safari, they are always appreciated. However tipping should always reflect how happy you are with a service and is not by force. Here too your lodge will be more than happy to give you advice if needed or simply ask us before leaving.

While most hotels and guesthouses and airports in the major cities will have fast wifi networks the more rural areas the lodges and guesthouses may only be able to provide a basic connection.

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As for mobile networks you can either buy a local sim card right at the airport or use the international data packages you can buy ahead. Please bear in mind that if you use your card from home roaming rates will apply and can cause an unpleasant surprise when you return home so we always recommend to switch the data roaming option on your phone off the moment you land. Network coverage is again generally good in the cities but much less in the rural areas.

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But either way we do recommend to rather enjoy the serenity and beauty Africa has to offer rather than doing home (or holiday) office and watching your favorite series. If you have kids that can not be without their series we recommend to download them either at home or at a place with strong wifi and surely before you head into the bush.

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If you plan on using your phone as GPS please download the necessary maps beforehand since otherwise you risk to get stuck when you drive out of network coverage. If you do please always follow our directions no matter what the GPS says, we do have our reasons to send you the way we send you. 

In Southern Africa, vehicles are mostly open unless they are used for road transfers as well as off-road game viewing. Open-sided 4×4 Land Cruisers and Land Rovers are mostly used with seating at the back in rows. Although these safari vehicles have completely open sides, many of them have permanent sunshades (roofs) which will also help keep you dry during the odd shower.

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Open safari vehicles allow you to feel ‘closer’ to the wilderness – sounds and smells are easier to pick up – and offer greater visibility and unobstructed opportunities for photography. Some game drive vehicles in South Africa may have a bucket seat mounted on the front of the car for the tracker, allowing this expert to watch the road for tracks and spoor, which he communicates to your driver-guide who will give you the information about the sightings.

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The rental car you will be using will be chosen by you and according to the destination you choose. We have everything from small town cars to big 4x4 cars and from automatic to manual. 

So, although each day in the bush is different, your daily schedule would typically be as follows:

• Wake-up at first light
• Coffee / tea / rusks
• Morning drive around 06h00
• Breakfast around 09h00-09h30
• Siesta and leisure time at the lodge
• Lunch around 13h00-13h30
• Afternoon drive around 16h00 with sundowners
• Dinner around the fire around 19h30

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Please also bear in mind that you are in natural reserves which stretch over many km2 and even though your guides and trackers will to their very best to show you as many animals as possible you never have a guarantee to see all you were hoping for.