pre-trip planning page 2 Ron & Viv Africa Overland


Read about Ron & Viv's pre-trip planning and preparation for the big trip.


GO TO PAGE 1 GO TO PAGE 3 Click on the headings below to go direct to the paragraph. MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS Vaccinations & Injections Malaria Medical Insurance More Health Info Water OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS Money Currency Conversion SECURITY Vehicle Car Jacking Personal COMMUNICATIONS & PHONES GO TO PAGE 1 for PLANNING THE ROUTE PASSPORTS & VISAS VEHICLE MATTERS Carnets Comprehensive Insurance Third Party Insurance Other Vehicle Costs Pre-trip Inspection & Maintenance More Information Shipping Vehicles Ferries from Africa to Europe GO TO PAGE 3 for COUNTRY INFORMATION African Websites Country Tourism Websites GUIDEBOOKS FOR OVERLANDERS MAPS & MAPPING OTHER INFORMATIVE WEB SITES		Our water purifiers from Purifiers Australia wil help give us clean, safe drinking water. Lockable door with extra locks. In fact locks on everything possible. Hideaway Safe give us extra security for important documents.
	PAGE 2 - Pre-trip Planning & Preparation Medical Considerations Talk to a Travel Medical Doctor for the latest and best information on what precautions you should take for the countries you are going through. Vaccinations and Injections You'll feel like a pin cushion and be several hundred dollars out of pocket by the time this is over. For an overland trip thru Africa you MUST Have Yellow Fever. Check out the web site at: www.yellowfever.com.au/ Then there's a number you really should have. These include: • Tetnus; Typhoid; Cholera; • Hep A ; Hep B; Hep C; • Rabies; Meningitis. There could be more - talk to your Travel Medical Doctor or visit: www.tmvc.com.au or the Travel Clinic at: www.travelclinic.com.au/ Malaria Much of Africa is plagued by Malaria. Apart from taking precautions such as wearing long sleeved shirts, long pants and using an insect repellant, as well as sleeping in a bug free enclosure, it is mightily advisable to take some kind of drug There's a choice. Talk to a Travel Medical Doctor. Ensure you do the whole course of tablets even after the trip or the threat is over!!! Medical Insurance Talk to your travel agent or shop around on the web for medical Insurance. It may pay to have a 'medical evacuation' coverage as well. Check out: www.internationalsos.com http://www.worldnomads.com/ More Health Info A Health Guide for International Travellers found at www.traveldoctor.com.au is a handy little booklet. The Lonely Planet book, Healthy Travel Africa, is full of useful info. See it at: www.lonelyplanet.com Water Some form of water filtering and purification is required for a trip through Africa. There's too many water born and nasty bugs to do otherwise! You can filter water, boil it, use chlorine or iodine, zap it with ultra-voilet light or expose it to other sophisticated filters and purifiers. See the following for some info on the efficacy of various methods: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentWaterTreatment.aspx http://www.nsf.org . Here's a few websites to check on water purifiers - some are battery powered ultra voilet light purifiers. Purifiers Australia - Ph: 1300 303 605 or check the web at: www.purifiersaustralia.com.au Water Wise - Ph: 1300 880 303 or on the web at: www.aqualease.com.au MSR - www.msrcorp.com/filters/ Steripen - www.hydro-photon.com First Need - www.generalecology.com/portablesystem.htm . For more info: www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.au www.population.health.wa.gov.au/pdfs/Files/Waterfilters.pdf www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Water.htm Return to top of page. Other Important Matters Money After eight trips to Africa we've found a mix of cash, travellers cheques (both in US Dollars) and credit cards are the best way to go. ATMs are also a convenient way to access your bank accounts overseas, but not all countries have the same ATM system. To avoid any problems, make sure: • You have a four digit PIN • Your desired accounts are linked correctly to your cards • You are aware that 'debit' on most foreign ATMs is equivalent to 'savings' in Australia. You can access your savings/cheque account using Cirrus ATMs. Many places take only cash when buying fuel and/or supplies. This includes all of the big fuel servos in South Africa, but at least most have an auto bank teller where you can easily get cash. In other countries in Africa auto bank tellers aren't so common! Currency Conversion Here's a handy website for working out what your money is worth in any country and for quick currency conversion: www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtml Security Without being too dramatic about it, security is an issue when traveling through Africa. The normal rules apply. There are places in every major city in Australia many of us wouldn't go to during the night - the same applies in Africa. There's safety in numbers and with three vehicles in our little traveling group we'll be playing it pretty safe, wherever we go. Be prepared and don't do anything rash has worked for us on our previous trips and that's what we'll be doing this time! Vehicle Lock it up, lock it down. That includes: Lockable canopy; Lockable boxes for roofracks; Locking Wheel nuts. I've fitted a couple of Hide-Away Safes on my vehicle which will be good for carrying documents, money, etc, etc. I've had one for at least 10 years and now have had that old one upgraded and another one big enough for a laptop fitted. Check out: www.hideawaysafe.com.au. They are based in Wangaratta, Victoria. If your vehicle isn't fitted with an alarm and/or immobilizer then it may pay to secure it with a gear shift lock or foot pedal lock. In many car parks in the towns and cities of South Africa (and possibly elsewhere) you'll find unofficial - and sometimes official - 'security guards' patrolling the carpark. It's a good idea to use them. It will cost 2-10 Rand, depending on how long your vehicle stays there for, but it is worth it. Car Jacking For hints and tips to help you stay safe while travelling in your vehicle check out: http://yonkerspd.com/carjack.htm www.womensdefensecenter.com/car.htm www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/carjacking.html Personal Some handy security items, such as flexible steel mesh protection for backpacks, neck straps and hand bags are available through PacSafe. See http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php A good idea for credit card security and more, check out: Secure Sentinel: www.securesentinel.com.au . Think about carry a dummy wallet. A few old credit cards, a colour photocopy of a drivers licence and a few US dollar notes make a good sacrifice. Self defence and taking physical action to defend yourself is something that will depend on the situation. Check out www.womensdefensecenter.com/self1.htm www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/robbery_avoidance.html The information may be aimed more at women but it is just as relevant for men. Return to top of page. Communications and Phones Keeping in touch with home is fairly easy. GSM phones work in most countries in Africa and you'll be surprised at the coverage. For info on your mobile phone and where it will work and who the roaming partners are, check out: GSM World - International roaming: http://www.gsmworld.com/index.htm International Roaming for Telstra (Australia) Mobiles: www.telstra.com.au/mobile/networks/internat_roaming.cfm Internet Cafes have sprung up in every major city and holiday destination. So take your laptop, and cables, and connect to family, friends and business acquaintances. Phonecards, such as the 'eKit', available thru Qantas Airlines and Lonely Planet guidebooks make phonecalls from a fixed line phone very affordable and easy. Sat phones are another option but can be expensive. We've got an Iridium sat phone and have bought 6-months worth of prepaid calls through Tech-Rentals. Check out: www.bearcom.net.au . HF and UHF Radios are frowned on in some countries in Africa while in others you need a licence to operate them. Our HF radios we're leaving at home. Hopefully we can use our UHF radios (hand helds) for inter-vehicle communication without being branded a spy. We will see. A normal AM radio with the short-wave frequencies (for BBC Worldwide Service, Voice of America, etc) is a good way to stay in touch with what is happening in the outside world. wReturn to top of page.