Africa is a huge part of the modern world. It is also one of the most exciting outfield destinations for the contemporary traveler left on the planet. There is an aura in Africa that it is travel on the front line, and in many ways it is. However the reputation the continent suffers for gratuitous violence, corruption and unrest is largely exaggerated, and with a few simple precautions travel in Africa is as reliable, reasonable and enjoyable as anywhere else in the world.
General Safety
Africa has a shocking reputation for violence and civil unrest, and there are certain places where the life expectancy for a westerner on the streets is measured in hours, if not minutes. However in general, for example Sierra Leone, a nation with arguably the worst legacy of violence in the world, is also one of the friendliest tourist destinations in Africa.
A fact worth remembering is that African political violence usually has an internecine flavor that rarely includes random or misdirected acts of violence against outsiders. You can get caught in the crossfire, so make a point of avoiding war zones, but don’t assume that because a country has experienced violence in the past that violence is endemic in the national psyche. In fact Africans continent wide have a reputation for openness and friendliness that is unparalleled anywhere in the world.
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It might shock you. You might not believe it to be true. The best of Africa is free – it always has been, and it always will be. How do you find it? Where do you go? Keep reading.
Over the years, I have spoken to countless people, groups, and organizations about coming to explore Africa. Before I started learning the concept of world travel, I used to have the same mental block as them. It just seemed too dam difficult. First, I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t have any idea on how much it would cost. …
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The tourist with the tan safari hat, the Birkenstock-wearing aid worker who speaks only the local language, the Texas missionary coming to Africa to help spread the word of god. The list of Africa traveler personalities are long. Although we hate to admit, there tends to be some degree of truth to traveler stereotypes – they act a certain way, wear a certain article of clothes or even eat a certain type food.
Much like BootsnAll’s traveler stereotypes, there are whole new sets of characters that tend to travel, live, and vegetate on the African landscape. Our goal …
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I will never forget my first encounter with a police bribe in Africa. I had heard about it from other Africa travelers, but was never sure if I was going to experience it. In fact, many travelers shrugged it off as no big deal, “just a part of traveling here,” one said. My African friend, my girlfriend and I were driving down the road, minding our own business, when all of a sudden a cop flagged us down. When I say “flagged” down, I literally mean waving his hand to stop us since, unfortunately, many police officers in the …
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Organized chaos is difficult for the average westerner to understand because it’s a contradiction of terms. Can anything really be organized and chaotic at the same time?
Is organized chaos like wandering the streets of Manhattan or walking through a crowded shopping mall? No – unless you have traveled in a developing country, you have probably never experienced organized chaos. We live in a society where you, and everyone else, can pick and choose your own environments, the people who you hang out with, if you choose to ride in a bus vs. a vehicle, or even which room in the …
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Traveling to Africa is usually a difficult first step for many people. It’s a big continent, with so many diverse places and people; it’s almost overwhelming to know where to begin. Through the media, we also tend to read a lot about Africa and its problems, and this gives it a negative stereotype - and sometimes scares people into not traveling. While there are problems in Africa, a huge part of the more than 50 countries are wonderful, safe places to travel. You just need to take that first step.
Usually most travelers come to Africa to volunteer for an aid …
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