A Travellers Guide to some F.A.Q (South Africa)

With SUKULU SAFARIS you will be accompanied by a professional safari guide who will try his utmost best to answer all of your questions whilst on safari. However, there are a few things you need to know as you start preparing for your trip. The answers to some Frequently Asked Questions have been compiled to the best of our knowledge as well as  Do’s and Don’ts which may be of assistance to you. We will deal with the most important ones.

Clients suffering from any medical condition/s, disabilities, or have special dietary requirement/s are kindly requested to notify us in advance (see Contact Us) before your departure on safari.

Visa and Passport Information

Immigration policies and regulations in each country may change from time to time without notice. It may be advisable to check these requirements with your local travel agent and or embassy before your departure for southern Africa. It is important that you kindly ensure that your passport has enough blank pages and is endorsed with a visa, if required, for the country to be visited. Sukulu Safaris, their agents or staff will not be held responsible for clients travelling without a valid passport or visa(s)

What about health precautions I should take when travelling in southern Africa?

South Africa is generally safe regarding health and other diseases. The possibility of contracting malaria is a great concern to travelling clients. We have structured our 3 pre-planned itineraries (see Itineraries) to avoid the “high risk” malaria areas of the country. Although most lodges provide mosquito nets on beds and insecticide sprays etc, you may want to bring a personal supply of mosquito repellent with you. As mosquitoes are more active during our summer months, taking basic precautions like wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants in the evenings will help you avoid being troubled by them.

However, for peace-of-mind, please consult your local doctor for more specific advice. You may also consider taking a course of anti-malaria tablets 2 weeks prior to your departure.

Regarding your medication, please bring a sufficient supply of any special medication you may need. It is also important to us that we are aware of any medical condition/s which may affect you during your safari.

What airline should I use to travel to Africa?

We would like to suggest that you try and co-ordinate your arrival time at Johannesburg International Airport for around 09:00am South African time. There are a number of Airlines you can choose from and we would like to recommend that you book your flight to South Africa using the South African Airways flight from example Atlanta, Frankfurt and Heathrow etc (Your nearest major airport)

Kindly remember that for international flights you require two hours prior “check in” time. Sukulu Safaris will not be held liable for any act, omission or unexpected event resulting in a client missing a flight/s.

What happens if I get unavoidably delayed before the Safari?

We will try and be as flexible and accommodating as possible but cannot be held responsible for airlines running late. We will endeavour to reunite you with your group a.s.a.p, but please remember that we also remain responsible for the other members/clients on the trip as well.

What happens if I lose my baggage on a flight?

Lost luggage on a scheduled flight can be an unpleasant experience. Should you travel as a small group we recommend that you ‘check in’ your baggage as a group at the same airport to avoid possible loss and misplacement.

If bags are lost, your safari leader will help you complete all the necessary documentation required by the airline and arrange to forward your baggage to one of the lodges if it is found (we cannot guarantee this). The responsible airline will have to compensate you if your bags are lost or damaged. Please keep your baggage tag numbers safe as these will assist in tracing your lost luggage.

What travel insurance do I need?

We strongly suggest that you consider purchasing full and comprehensive travel insurance to cover any eventuality before travelling to include cover such as: Safari Cancellation, injury, illness, accident, death, medical expenses, emergency evacuation and loss of money or personal belongings. Please consult your personal insurance broker or agent in this regard prior to your departure.

Sukulu Safaris will not be liable or held responsible for any loss to personal baggage, for any damage incurred, injury, death, safari cancellation, accident or illness during the safari trip.

What sort of baggage should I carry on Safari?

We encourage our clients to keep their clothing and baggage as ‘casual and comfortable’ as possible.

Due to lack of additional space in our safari vehicle massive sized suitcases are not necessary or appreciated. A laundry service is provided when and where possible during your safari so an excess of clothing will not be necessary. Should this be absolutely necessary please first consult with our office/safari leader.

What sort of clothing should I bring on Safari?

The weather from April to September (winter months) can be cool to very cold in the morning and evening with fairly warm midday temperatures. Spring months (September to November) can vary from cool mornings and evenings with warm to hot midday temperatures. Our summer months range from November through to March comprising mild morning and evening temperatures to hot midday temperatures. It is therefore advisable to pack clothing according to the season in which you will travel –early morning frosts during an African winter are not uncommon. We suggest you bring a selection of clothing inneutral colours so as not to startle the game animals.  Herewith is a suggested list of clothing items:

Good pair of walking shoes (leather or trainer type) with some ankle support, comfortable sandals, long trousers (jeans, chinos or slacks) long-sleeved shirts for evenings & short for day wear, warm track suit, shorts, skirts for ladies, T-shirts (cotton) warm sweater, beanie, gloves for winter mornings, scarf, khaki/green peak cap or bush hat, warm Anorak/Parka type jacket for cold morning/evening game drives, a lightweight raincoat/wind cheater, underwear and  socks, swimming costume/bathing suit, personal toiletries, moisturising cream/sunscreen lotion, contact lenses with enough cleaner and solution for the trip and spare pair of prescription glasses, basic first-aid kit consisting of personal medication, antihistamine cream/tabs, elastoplasts, antiseptic cream, aspirin, anti-inflammatory cream/tabs and anti-malarial tablets, small torch/flashlight with spare batteries, good quality sunglasses (polarised) and your valid passport !

What kind of camera equipment and binoculars should I bring?

For your safari, a good quality compact digital camera with high zoom magnification of up to 18x is an excellent choice. Clients who wish to make use of standard digital or analogue SLR cameras should consider bringing along a standard 28-50mm lens as well as a 70 – 300mm zoom lens or bigger (ideal for shots of game and bird life). A small hand-held digital video camera is also an excellent alternative.  As for binoculars, a good quality, light-weight pair of either 8x30mm or 10x40mm will be a good choice. We recommend that you visit your local camera shop for some advice before departure.

Please do not forget extra film, memory cards, batteries and battery charger for your camera. A retractable type camera tripod can be very useful, a small hand tripod or monopod is ideal. Clients should consider packing their camera, lenses, filters and accessories etc, into a suitable and lockable camera case before boarding a flight. Mark your camera case clearly and label it with a ‘Fragile’ sticker.

What sort of electrical power outlets do they use in South Africa?

The 220/230v electrical outlets are commonly used. We have the round plug system very similar to the American type. We recommend you bring a Travel Adapter/Power Converter (220/230v to 110/120v) which will fit most household type electrical sockets in South Africa.

Can I bring my mobile/cell/radio phone?

By all means ‘yes’ provided it does not impose on the privacy and the enjoyment of your holiday in Africa. Please ensure that you keep and use it in your room only and should never interfere with other guests on safari.

Is the water safe to drink?

Generally ‘yes’. For peace of mind we recommend you drink only bottled water. The tap water in your room can be used for brushing teeth and to wash with. To avoid possible effects of dehydration, we strongly advise you drink lots of bottled water while travelling, especially during the hot months of the year. It is also advisable to take 1 or 2 bottles of water with you on a game drive, bush walk or if you wish to participate in a form of outdoor activity.

Recommended reading – Wildlife/Nature books

There are a great number of books available on the subject of fauna and flora in Southern Africa. Reading about and identifying the various species of birds, game animals or even plants, is an enjoyable part of your safari and strongly recommended. Since you are travelling light, you may want to purchase one or two of the following recommended reference books:

• Mammals: Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa (Chris & Tilde Stuart)
• For the birders: Birds of Southern Africa (SASOL)
• Trees: Sappi Tree Spotting of Kwazulu-Natal

How much money may I bring on safari?

We would suggest you bring small denominations in cash  (US$1, US$2, US$5 etc) for easy exchange, tips, airport departure taxes, for shopping etc and the balance of your money should be in Travellers cheques as this the best and safest way to travel with your funds. Credit cards can also be used in South Africa.

For more details or question/s you may have, please feel free to raise these with us directly by using either the ‘CONTACT US’ page or standard e-mail.