For the intrepid backpacker, the enigma that is Africa will always be a unique temptation. However, it’s not for the faint-hearted and even seasoned travellers will undoubtedly face a steep learning curve during their time there.
Here are some of the things you need to know before you embark on the adventure of backpacking Africa.
1. Africa is a continent
Africa is an amazingly diverse continent of 54 countries, with a billion people and, incredibly, two thousand languages! Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ll ever really “do” Africa. That would take a lifetime.
2. Forget about timetables
When it comes to public transport, you may as well start a campfire with that timetable you frantically procured at the tourist information centre. Timetables here are a kind of virtual concept.. Buses and trains generally leave when they’re full up. That can take a long time
3. Public Transport is a fluid concept
The public transport itself is also fluid in concept. Minivans, trucks, motorbikes, bicycles, steamboats, horses and carts, donkeys and camels all form part of Africa’s informal public transport networks.
4. Flora and Fauna can be fatal
Africa’s amazing flora and fauna is one of the main draws for many visitors, but you must treat them both with the utmost respect. If you don’t, then you’ll likely be travelling home in a less than ideal state, possibly boxed.
There’s nothing like a marauding lion or elephant wandering through your campsite to heighten your sense of vulnerability and remind you of that comfy, safe sitting room back home. Listen to the locals and respect the rules.
5. The scale of time and distance is ... epic
Africa makes Europe look … tiny, to be honest. In ten hours, you can drive from London to southern France. In South Africa, ten hours will just get you across one province.
Also, in many parts of Africa, “main road” is a very subjective term, making the already long distances an even more epic undertaking.
6. The dust gets - literally - everywhere
Africa’s dusty at times. You need to accept that fine red dust will enter every corner of your luggage, and every orifice of your being.
7. Chicken is a vegetable
"I’m a vegetarian" is a phrase that does not readily translate to any African language. In most parts of Africa, chicken is apparently considered a “vegetable”. Meat and maize porridge are the two main staples for most Africans.
8. Don't be tight with your tour budget
However tight your budget, don’t be tempted by budget tour operators. You’ll soon find there are a number of unscrupulous operators willing to throw ethics and professionalism out of the window in the name of cutting costs. So, if you want your Kilimanjaro trek, Maasai Mara safari or Cape Town township tour to be memorable for the right reasons, don’t stoop too low when booking it. Invest in reliable operators and you’ll be rewarded with incredible experiences.
9. In restaurants, stick to bottled drinks
In many restaurants and diners across Africa, if you order juice you will probably receive some kind of concentrate diluted with tap water. Unfortunately, many only find this out when making a mad dash for the toilet clutching their stomachs.
10. Livingstone, I presume?
Even in the most remote corners of the continent, you’ll will probably find a few red-faced Europeans who continue to defy the changing world around them in their incongruous outpost of colonial grandeur, whilst subsisting entirely on a diet of stiff gin and tonics. They’re harmless enough, so enjoy any hospitality that they might offer.
11. More beer than water
In many small and remote towns and villages across the continent, you’ll find more (often unlicensed) bars than inhabitants. Beer is sometimes cheaper and more readily available than bottled water, which is, after all, the way it should be.
12. The media fantasy
If the newspapers are anything to go by, Africa is constantly at war, run by power-hungry maniacs and terrorised by gun-toting militias. In fact, Africans are generally too busy getting on with life to engage with all that. You’re more likely to encounter violence on Saturday night back home.
13. Watch the campfire instead of the telly
There is something truly mesmerising about a good campfire. With obligatory sundowner in hand and the sounds of the African bush reverberating all around you, you’ll find yourself staring into the fire for hours on end, entranced, thinking about nothing in particular.
14. You'll never be bored!
Backpacking in Africa can be exhausting, frustrating, taxing and sometimes risky but, never boring. There is always something happening here, whether it’s a monumental sunset or a small number of children materialising out of nowhere, flocking towards your vehicle screaming for sweets!
Title Image Credit: Mon Œil (Image Cropped)