How do I charge my electrical equipment?

The trucks have 600-watt Intelligent Power Inverters converting 24v DC to AC mains electricity (220-240v). There are several power points that take UK style plugs. This will be sufficient for charging photographic or other standard equipment you might bring. In the unlikely event that this equipment experiences difficulties a 12 volt d/c adapter can also be useful, fitted with a standard cigarette lighter plug, and all necessary cables.

It is sensible to also bring an international/universal adapter to charge any equipment from mains power at the campsites, as charging on the truck can only be done while driving.

Please note, when charging appliances or video cameras when the power from the mains (AC) is fed directly into the equipment, to always then check the power source at campsites are protected from power surges by a voltage regulator as failure to do so may result in your equipment being damaged.

Remember to bring enough memory and all accessories and cables etc you might need for your equipment. Extra batteries are always wise.

How do I store my digital photos?

You will not find many places in Africa that can burn your photos from your memory card or stick so be prepared to bring along extra memory cards. It is possible to use your iPod as a hard drive for storing photos if you have one.

Can I listen to my music on the truck?

Apart from being able to charge your iPod & MP3 Player you will also be able to connect it to our music system allowing your sound to be heard through the truck's speakers.

If I book on a gorilla safari will I see the gorillas?

Absolute Africa pre-purchases gorilla permits for our gorilla safaris.

If booking on a gorilla safari you will be billed for your permit ahead of time. Once you have a permit it is 99.99% certain you will view the gorillas whilst there can never be 100% guarantees as the gorillas are wild animals and the trek is in their natural habitat. The trek to the gorillas can take from 3 to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are. The total time you spend with them is no more than 1 hour, so the gorillas are not stressed by your presence and to minimise any risk of the transmission of disease as they are so genetically close to humans. If you have any transmittable ailment that could infect the gorillas like the flu you are also not allowed to trek.

Do I need to get visas prior to going?

Most visas are easily obtained while on safari payable on the borders in USD cash, so it is not necessary to get them prior to your trip. This advice applies to most passports including Australians, Americans, Canadians, British and most European passport holders.

Do note that New Zealanders now need to get a visa for South Africa prior to the tour.

Visa costs can be found in the budget section for each individual tour. Feel free to check with our office if you are unsure about the visa requirements for your particular passport.

Do I need to take malaria pills?

Some form of malaria prophylactic (pills) is usually regarded as essential. We strongly recommend that you visit a travel clinic or your GP to get the latest advice.

How do I carry my money for my trip?

Convenient efficient Western style banking and payment facilities are not regularly available on most overland routes. Some of your payments will need to be made in USD cash including your local payment and your visas. A few optional excursions also can only be paid in USD cash.

We travel to remote places and keep very busy day to day. Where ATM access is available you can usually only draw local currency, not USD.

Whilst it is ultimately your choice the best advice is usually to carry your money to Africa partly in cash leaving some to access by card, particularly if you have a visa card or a Maestro bank card.

Some pounds or Euros cash can also be worthwhile carrying.

We strongly recommend that you carry your cash on you when you fly. Organising USD cash once in Africa when you land can be very expensive, and it can be difficult to actually get hold of all the cash that you need at one bank.

When arranging your cash remember small denominations can be useful but the larger denominations will give a better exchange rate. Request that your notes are not torn, written on or damaged in any way. USD notes need to be post-2004.

How do I stay in touch with friends & family?

You will be able to send and receive emails from internet cafes or by using wifi at campsites on the way usually on a weekly basis.

There is also now good mobile phone coverage along most main roads.

If you have a roaming agreement it will be possible to make and receive calls and text message whilst on the trip.

It is though very expensive to make and receive calls on mobile phones either with a local sim card or roaming agreement and with the latter you will be paying for the international incoming call. If your phone is not blocked you will be able to buy a pay as you go sim card for each country that you travel through allowing people to ring you without paying for the international call sector.

Remember though that you are on a safari and we do not want phones ringing all the time while in Africa spoiling the ambience and peace, as most people like the idea of getting away from modern communication for a while travelling in Africa.

Where can I find out about power and plugs for the countries I'll be visiting?

Please go to our Links page and visit the 'Power & Plugs' link. This can be found under the 'Miscellaneous' section.

Most countries use UK power points, while Namibia and South Africa use South African style power points.

When is the best time to view the migration?

Have a look at the click option on the home page for a detailed overview of the migration's constant movement month by month.

The prime time to visit the Serengeti is usually regarded as being from late November through to March when the big herds of wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle and zebra head on to the southern plains of the Serengeti.

To get the best viewing on the other hand in Kenya's Masai Mara July through to September are usually regarded as the best months.

I am travelling on my own. Is this OK? Will I pay a supplement?

Regularly on the trucks our customers are traveling on their own.

Travelling overland on a truck is regarded as one of the easiest, securest and safest ways to see all the big highlights. As the trips are based on group participation this does give you some security. You won't feel alone day to day. Regularly people make fabulous friendships on the trips due to the relaxed nature of a camping trip in Africa, and the exciting things you are sharing together.

There is no single supplement on the price of the trip.

Note that the Kruger safaris are an exception to this and there is a single supplement for these tours.

What bathroom/shower facilities do we have along the way?

With the exception of one or two campsites and the Delta excursion pretty much all camps have proper bathroom facilities with flushing toilets and showers.
Note that there may not always be hot water but you will be able to shower pretty much every day on the tour.

What laundry facilities are available?

You will be able to hand wash your clothes at almost every camp, we carry bowls on the truck for this also. At most camps you can hand in your washing to the staff to do for a small fee, note that this is usually done by hand washing as well. On the rare occasion you will be able to have your things washed in a washing machine at a small fee too.

Is a yellow fever certificate really necessary to bring?

For almost all our tours except the Garden Route, Kruger Safari and Namibian Nomad you will need a yellow fever certificate. This is asked for at several borders and on Zanzibar and should you not have this then you might need to get the vaccination then and there. We strongly recommend to check into getting this vaccination if you don't already have it as soon as possible as there is a shortage of the vaccine.

In case your doctor advises you not to have the vaccination due to age or medical issues ensure you get a medical waiver for this to show at the border crossings, this is usually accepted without issue.

What type of sleeping bag do I need for my trip? Can I hire one?

If you are travelling between December and March then a 2 season sleeping bag or even a good blanket will suffice as this is the hot time of the year.

If you travel in April/May and October/November then a 2-3 season sleeping will be fine, these are the cooler times and you might encounter a few chilly nights here and there.

If you travel between June and September then a 3 season sleeping bag is best as this is the cold time of the year and nights at altitude and in the Namibian desert can get quite cold.

We do not have sleeping bags for hire, so you do need to bring one with you. It is possible to buy these in South Africa or Nairobi, but they are hard to find in most other places so we strongly recommend to get one before your travel.

For the Kilimanjaro treks we have 4 season sleeping bags for hire, suitable for treks all year round.

Are your tours suitable for children?

Due to the nature of our tours we cannot accept small children on most of our tours including any tours visiting the gorillas. On a few short tours we can take children above 12 years old on request. Please contact us as to which tours are suitable.

I want to climb Kilimanjaro as well as do a tour, how does this work together?

A Kilimanjaro climb needs to be done either before or after the main safari tour as there is no time during the tours to do this. So this will add about a week to your overall travelling time.

For tours starting in East Africa and travelling south it is best done before, while for tours starting in Southern Africa and travelling north it is best done after the tour.
We can arrange transfers between Nairobi/Arusha and Moshi to meet up with the tour /trek.

For a tour starting in Nairobi and travelling to Arusha on day one we will arrange for you to meet the group in Arusha on the first day as this will save you having to travel to Nairobi just to come back

Please contact us as to the arrangements specific to the tour you would like to combine with a trek

I see breakfast and dinner is provided most days, how does it work in regards to lunches?

On our tours lunches are not provided. The tour leader will let you know the options day to day as you go along.

These range from stopping in towns to try local food, to stopping at shops to stock up for picnic lunches and when we stay a few nights in a town there are options to try the local restaurants as well.

This way everyone has the option to take for lunch what they like. On drive days or in national parks we tend to stop along the way for a picnic where you can prepare your own lunch.

The budget we recommend on each trip for spending money includes the cost for the lunches.

Can I bring a drone with me?

You can bring a drone, but please note that drones are not allowed to be used inside National Parks, at borders, near any official buildings and you need to be very careful as to where you use it in towns as people can be very sensitive about this. For our Kilimanjaro Treks, a permit must be obtained for the use of drones on the mountain. These permits are quite difficult to obtain and very expensive plus there are no charging facilities during your trek, therefore we recommend not using a drone during this part of your journey.

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