Non-motoring > Africa trip Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 12
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 11:39 
 Africa trip - smokie
Seems I will shortly have to do a business trip to Botswana and Mauritius, with time in Jo'burg. All within two weeks.

So the middle weekend - if I have a choice, where's the place to be? Mauritius sounds the obvious one, but I could be holed up in a city centre business hotel.

I doubt I'll be hiring cars at any place.

And does anyone have any good tips on things to see and do in each place, which won't bust a limited budget and not put me in places of risk? I've no idea if a mini safari would be possible or desirable in my time frames, or affordable!!

Lastly - colleagues have said not to bother with any jabs - but avoid tap water, salad etc (neither of which are usually high on my diet!) - would the team agree?
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 11:53 
 Africa trip - sooty123
>>
>> Lastly - colleagues have said not to bother with any jabs - but avoid tap
>> water, salad etc (neither of which are usually high on my diet!) - would the
>> team agree?
>>

I get all the jabs before going anywhere thankfully for free, I assume your employer won't pay for them? Might be worth looking at what diseases are in the local area and what the chances are. Foreign office will have the info I would have thought. I doubt you'd get much but a bit of the travellers runs, but no doubt safe to stick to the bottled stuff. What sort of accomodation you staying in? Top notch 5* or standard fare?
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 12:28 
 Africa trip - No FM2R
Also avoid ice in your drinks, any cold drink made with water and make sure you see the seal on any bottled water you buy. The bottles are regularly refilled.

Be careful of fruit and anything else which may have been washed. Make sure anything you do eat is well cooked.

Be careful of anything which may have been left around, even in a kitchen, and had flies landing on it - a major cause of upsets.

Remember also that something does not necessarily have to be bad to upset your stomach, just different.

I don't bother with jabs either, but I am terrified of needles.
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 12:45 
 Africa trip - smokie
Should be in 4* or 5* hotels, judging by the prices they are anyway!!

I'm a contractor so not sure they will want to pay jabs, but I will see if I can negotiate an extra day for weekend travelling which would cover a lot of additional expenses.

Foreign office site says no jabs mandatory but recommends some, so I have a £144 menu of:

Diptheria, tetanus & polio - £32
Hep A, B & typhoid - £82
Malaria tabs - £30

I am inclined to go for the full set (if not too near date of travel) as I may have to travel a bit more next year, to other African countries. Better safe than sorry I suppose...

So no rare steaks then? :-) People tell me steaks are great in SA... Will keep to bottled beer, don't want to risk the water!! :-)
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 12:51 
 Africa trip - sooty123
>> Should be in 4* or 5* hotels, judging by the prices they are anyway!!


Very nice !


>> I am inclined to go for the full set (if not too near date of
>> travel) as I may have to travel a bit more next year, to other African
>> countries. Better safe than sorry I suppose...
>>

Good idea I always do get jabbed up, if you take the malaria tablets. Do start them before you go as per. I've know some people have a reaction and need to change their tablets.
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 14:03 
 Africa trip - Armel Coussine
I would say, get the jabs, including one for tetanus. Also take the malaria pills starting in good time (if malaria is a possibility). I've never been in any of those places.

Water and uncooked vegetables washed in water are risky in Asia, but not so much in Africa. I always drank the tap water and it never did me in. However I might have been lucky. Home and restaurant cooking won't hurt you unless you are very fragile indeed, but it is worth being picky with street food. Locals will advise you and see you all right.

Oh, and don't imagine you are less likely to be poisoned in a five star hotel than in some humble establishment. More likely if anything.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Fri 11 Oct 13 at 14:08
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 14:09 
 Africa trip - Alanovich

>> Oh, and don't imagine you are less likely to be poisoned in a five star
>> hotel than in some humble establishment. More likely if anything.
>>

True enough, but at least it leaves your heirs with someone to sue.
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 15:58 
 Africa trip - No FM2R
>>Home and restaurant cooking won't hurt you

Agreed on the home cooking, but restaurant cooking can be really bad. Frequently street food that you can see being cooked and stored can be safer.

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 Fri 11 Oct 13 17:29 
 Africa trip - Armel Coussine
>> restaurant cooking can be really bad. Frequently street food that you can see being cooked and stored can be safer.

Yes, up to a point. Roast meat and roast maize should be OK. But some other things can be dodgy. You have to weigh up the person cooking or selling them.

Small restaurants tend to be careful because their reputation hangs on not making people ill.

Someone has pointed out that unfamiliar food can upset some stomachs. That's true too, but the worst you can expect is indigestion or allergic queasiness.

Ate a lot of stewed liver and rice once in the street in Ghana. The old lady cooking it there was very maternal and kept giving me more liver. It was very good.

Another time, also in Ghana, bought a fish ready-cooked, which turned out to have maggots wriggling in it when broken open. It had been 'stored' for too long. Pity because the Ga are fishing people and their fresh fried fish can be superb, especially the local equivalent of whitebait.
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 17:36 
 Africa trip - smokie
Ghana is a possible for next year. If I last the project out that is. Along with Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda and a couple of others.

Will avoid the maggot fish!!
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 14:32 
 Africa trip - bathtub tom
>>I am inclined to go for the full set

Save yourself thirty two quid and tell your GP you've stepped on a rusty nail. I got the diphtheria, tetanus & polio for free last year after doing so. Apparently the tetanus is no longer available on its own.

;>)
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 15:55 
 Africa trip - smokie
Called the doc's re the jabs, too much of a performance - go and collect a form, fill it in, take it back, nurse will review and call me with suggestions, then make an appt. Found a website with a local private centre, did me a free fancy document with full recommendations based on where i was going. Expecting to call them up for an appt, drop in and all over PDQ.

I think I already have tetanus and maybe one or two more but another shot won't harm.

Flight now booked, nearly £2k below originally predicted cost - still with BA (could have saved £000s more going SA Airlines but they were OK with BA, but wouldn't stretch to Virgin). Business class, very nice.

@ AC - I'm usually not at all fragile stomach-wise but most of my worst experiences in the bottom region have been when I've been on holiday. I suppose it's because I'm not used to being picky over my food, but I'm going to take note of the recommendations above... it'd be a long flight back with a case of the trots...
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 11 Oct 13 at 15:56
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 Fri 11 Oct 13 16:09 
 Africa trip - henry k
In suspect areas don't brush teeth using tap water - an easy one to forget.
If no other source available use Coke or another fizzy bottled by them - Fanta ?.
I have always been told you can trust that Coke is bottled to the same standard world wide.
( yes I know it can rot your teeth :-( )

A good friend said their staff were told to take a shot of Scotch ( if available ) at the start of every meal. Their staff had no problems with local food. have not tried it but it sounds a good idea.

Re JNB- contact my old friend Ian in CPT

Beware of AK47s in JNB and do take security for real.
Last edited by: henry k on Fri 11 Oct 13 at 16:12
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