Water: drink more than you think
It is hot in Africa, and a body working in the heat needs at least two litres of water a day. The water in your food is not enough. A loss of just two per cent of the body’s water can reduce physical capacity by as much as twenty per cent, and by the time you feel thirsty you are already a little behind. Drink regularly, before, during and after exertion, even if you do not feel the need. Dehydration and heat stroke arrive quickly: fatigue, headache, irritability, sleeplessness, even collapse.
Muscular work generates heat; only around twenty per cent of the energy a muscle burns becomes mechanical work, and the remaining eighty per cent must be shed as heat. The water you lose as sweat has to be replaced. Wear light clothing that lets sweat evaporate, and avoid waterproof, windproof layers when it is hot.
Our guides watch your water consumption and will keep inviting you to drink, as often as necessary.
First-aid kit
Grand Safari keeps fully stocked first-aid kits in every camp, but we advise you to bring:
- Prescription drugs, including malaria medication and a broad-spectrum antibiotic for Tanzania
- Non-prescription remedies: ibuprofen, decongestants, eye drops and something for travellers’ diarrhoea
- Sunscreen (SPF 30 or better), lip balm, antiseptic cream, and balm for sore muscles
- Insect repellent
- Cloth tape and moleskin for blisters, and plasters
- Tweezers for thorns (in your checked baggage)
Vaccinations and malaria
- South Africa and Namibia: no vaccinations or shots required.
- Tanzania: yellow fever vaccination; consult your physician and cdc.gov for other recommended shots, such as tetanus and hepatitis.
- Cameroon: a yellow fever certificate is compulsory.
- Malaria: none in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, nor in the Etosha conservancy in Namibia. Anti-malarial drugs are strongly recommended in Tanzania and Cameroon.