How to Prepare for a Trip to Africa (Or Anywhere)

Once a person determines where they are going, they need to figure out what they are going to need.  For places like Europe or Australia, it is relatively simple, at least for a Canadian.  

<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/relexahotels/">relexahotels</a> / Pixabay

Immunizations

I’ve never been concerned about them before other trips but I knew this time I needed to be more aware.  Because there is yellow fever in Kenya, and I was traveling south, I needed to get my yellow fever with the card proving I had it.  Where I live, only one place is able to do this so I had to get that organized.  I needed to get typhoid, a tetanus booster, malaria pills and my hepatitis as I had never got them in the past.

If you are looking to travel somewhere, you should check out your own countries website to see what they recommend.  If you go to your destination’s website, you may have a harder time finding that information.  

Canadian Travel Health Information  

Canadian Travel Advice and Advisories

Visas/Travel Documents

On top of that, I had to look into visas which were their own hassle.  On my trip, four of the five countries required a Visa at the time I booked.  But, you could only do them 3 or 6 months out, depending on the country.  I ended up doing two before I left but didn’t know if I would have time to do the rest before my trip plus I was advised that I could get them at the borders and that time was built into our trip for it.   We were advised about a month before our trip that the fifth country was adding a Visa requirement and it would be in place by the time we arrived.  Due to the timing, and lack of information, I decided to wait and get it there.

To find out what you need in regards to paperwork, visit the website of the country you are visiting.  It will tell you what type of paperwork you need, how soon you can apply for it, as well as the cost and where you need to send it.  Be prepared to have to mail your passport off, or if you are lucky, they will have switched to an online format.

Clothing Choices

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to packing clothing for your trip.  Read about where you are going and if there are any considerations you need to be aware of.  For instance, in many places tank tops or clothing that shows shoulders or knees can be offensive.  Camouflage may be restricted to those in the army/military.  Be respectful of those places that you are visiting and honour their traditions and views, even if they do not make sense to you.

Currency

Look into what you need for money.  Figuring out how much you need could be tricky as everyone has different spending habits.  If in doubt, it is always best to take US currency with you as it can be converted pretty much anywhere into local currency.  If possible, you want to start your trip with some local currency so you can pay for a cab or a meal.  You will want to order your currency at least two weeks before your trip from your bank as it can take them a little bit to bring it in, especially if it is not a common currency.  Check into what fees will be if you use the ATM or debit card to get more cash.   On my trip, some of the travelers were using theirs regularly and the fees were adding up quite quickly.  

Off I go to Africa!

I worked the day before I left on my trip.  But I was mostly ready except for some last minute things.  I had been packing for a week and had a list of what I still needed to throw in a bag.  Unfortunately, my ride to the airport arrived early, but a few hours, and I had to rush.  

Got to the airport, put a few things in my bag that hadn’t made it in there yet, and got checked in.  Due to my flights being international, I hadn’t been able to check in online the night before.  Got that handled and went through security.  There was no sense sitting outside security as I wanted a cup of tea and knew I couldn’t take that through.

 

As I had several hours to kill, I sat down on a bench with TCM (Who is TCM?) and read for a while.  Finally it was time to board and take the first of three flights to Calgary.   This is one problem with being in Saskatoon; we have to fly to a larger center to get anywhere.  

I had time to kill in Calgary so I had some lunch and chatted with friends via my tablet.  I decided to leave my smartphone, kindle and iPod at home and just take one device instead.  I already had enough other things to take with me.  I ultimately regretted this but that is another post.

Waiting for our Flight

My next flight was 9 hours to Amsterdam.  In the past, I have been able to sleep but I couldn’t this flight.  We were fed twice, there was TV to watch, but I just couldn’t get comfortable.  I was surprised how long it took to cross Canada; I think at least half of the flight.  Made me think next time I flew to Europe to go via Toronto instead.  

Eventually we made it to Amsterdam.  I did the security thing and all that and went to my gate to play on the Wi-Fi.  But the time zone differences struck and no one was around back home to entertain me.   There were no chargers in this area of the airport so reading was a bit of a challenge as my tablet just did not have the battery stamina that my kindle does.  (One of the main drawbacks of my tablet when Wi-Fi was running).   The gate was in an area that felt a bit older and was under renovations.  Even using the washroom was a bit tricky as it was small and there were a lot of people going in and out.

Plane from Amsterdam to Nairobi

After hanging out in there for many hours, it was onto another plane to fly another 9 hours to Nairobi, Kenya.  We got off the plane, loaded onto a bus and taken to the arrivals area.  Here we had to go through customs and show our visa’s and then we could go claim our luggage.   After waiting on my luggage for a good half an hour to an hour, I realized it did not arrive and that I had to go to the service desk to figure it out.  A post about this will be coming.

By the time I got out of the airport, my ride had left, or at least, I couldn’t find it.  I ended up getting a ride with a local cab, overpaid (my fault for not double checking my currency) and arrived at my hotel.  As I arrived, someone at the hotel asked my name and I told them.  I guess my pre-booked cab was waiting for me.  I had taken so long that they thought I hadn’t been on the flight. 

A Teaser of my Africa Trip

I originally scheduled several informative posts for December but decided to delay them a little bit and share some photos.   And really, isn't that what people are the most excited about seeing when you get home from a holiday?  I am going to share some of my favorite photos in this post and hope it gets you excited enough to come back every Wednesday to see what else I have to say.  Won't remember to visit?  Subscribe via the button on the right hand side!

This first picture was from an Elephant orphan centre outside of Nairobi, Kenya.   Most of the elephants were orphaned due to their mothers falling into a well, poaching, or natural causes.  There were two different groups of elephants - those under 2 years old and those who were older.  The older ones were able to hold the bottles themselves - the food is actually human baby food as they found that was best for the elephants.  As they get older, they are introduced back into the wild and they end up joining a herd.

The next several photos are from the Serengeti.   We spent two nights and three days here and several wildlife drives.  We were safe in our trucks and sometimes the animals would get quite close.  I have a lot of great pictures from this part of the trip, and sometimes wished I had a camera with a better zoom.

One of the things that I really wanted to do was a hot air balloon over the Serengeti so I did it.  This was the first time I ever did a hot air balloon trip and it was great.  This is one of my favorite pictures that I took but I have some from others that are great.

A highlight was all the lions we saw while in the Serengeti.  This is one of several but we came upon this family of mom and her cubs.  Such playful little guys!

The tour I was on did several different countries and once we passed through the Serengeti we had a lot of long days as we headed southward towards Zimbabwe.  Along the way, we passed through South Luangwa National Park and went on a night safari.   While we weren't able to see a lot of animals in the dark, we did come across a group of lions that had recently taken down a zebra.  Amazing to see!

Last, but not least, is a photo from Victoria Falls where my tour ended.  I will have a complete post on this area later but the Falls were great, especially the mist that came off them as it was likely around 40C!

Why Africa?

When I told people that I was going to be travelling to Africa in 2015, one of the first questions that I would get was “Why?”  If I was being a smart aleck, the answer was, “Why not?” But realistically, it was the next place on my list to see and there were two places that I wanted to see.

Ngorongoro Crater (there will be a post coming up)

Planning this trip was not as easy as my other trips.  First, it was figuring out what trip was going to work for me.  I had traveling with Intrepid before and decided to use them again as I knew what to expect.  I spent an evening on their site looking for a trip that would take me both places I wanted to see, the Serengeti and Victoria Falls.  I finally emailed them to ask if they had such a trip and within half an hour of emailing them (it was evening), I found the trip that would go where I wanted.  It ended up being the same trip they recommended which told me I was on the right track.

Kenya to Victoria Falls

 

Before I searched and found the trip, I had a time frame and budget in mind.  By having a long time frame to work with (I was looking well over a year in advance), I was able to create a budget and have an idea of the cost.  That said, with such a long time frame, prices changed and I had to rework my budget.  

One thing that I was bad about was doing my research about what I needed.  I didn’t really start looking into immunizations and Visa’s until after I had already booked everything.  I might have been able to save a few dollars if I had gone from Victoria Falls to Kenya instead of Kenya to Victoria Falls.  But it all worked out and that is all that matters.

Are you Getting a New Carry-On?

It was recently announced that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has come up with the ideal dimensions when it comes to the size of your carry-on luggage. This size was set so that if everyone on a fight with 120 or more seats had a bag of this size, they could fit it in the overhead compartments.   But, will this ultimately help when it comes to what the passengers are bringing on board?

Let us compare:

IATA: 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches (55 x 35 x 20 centimeters)
Air Canada: 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches
WestJet:21 x 15 x 9 inches

(Sizes provided courtesy of this article: CTV article on Carry-On Sizing)

At this point, both Air Canada and WestJet have said that they have no plans to change their dimensions. But realistically, why do they need to bother? If someone has a bag that fits the IATA guidelines, it will make the other guidelines. But, someone who starts out on one of the two airlines and then transfers to another airline which is following the IATA standards, they will potentially have to check their luggage due to a few inches.

Is this fair for travellers? For those who only fly domestically within Canada, it isn’t likely to be much of an issue. But the moment you fly international, or even on a different airline within the country, that bag no longer qualifies as a carry-on.

Personally, I don’t bother with the overhead bins anymore. I got tired of having to fight for space and prefer to put my bag under the seat in front of me. This allows me to easily access my bag while in flight. As I prefer a window seat, I don’t want to have to bother the people in the seat next to me to get my book or have a snack.

Right now, you cannot buy a bag that has been marked as “IATA Cabin OK” but they are hoping by the end of this year. So far now, you are responsible for remembering and checking the dimensions on any new bag to see if they conform.   Only new bags will get the new labels once they start manufacturing.

Will you purchase a new carry on that is acceptable in this size? Do you prefer to check your luggage and pay a fee if there is one?

Note:  This has been put on hold as of June 17, 2015 but it is something to keep in mind if you are looking to purchase new luggage.

Flying with Only Carryon Luggage

Flying to Ohio was a bit different for me this year as I decided to fly with only carryon luggage. I was not bringing huge amounts of things down with me nor did I plan to bring a lot of things back home. I figured that the space occupied by the items remaining in the States would be plenty (it was) and coming home wouldn't be an issue. I was wrong on that.

Traveling with a carry on only

Would I recommend flying with only carryon? Yes, if you can manage it. But, depending on your flights and your planes, it can be a bit of a problem. On the one flight I was on, they did gate check for our luggage as they did not have a lot of overhead compartments. Anyone who did not think they could fit their luggage under their seat had to check it (free) but you got it back after landing. I checked my purple bag as I had nothing valuable or breakable in it but I did take my bag with my laptop and other bits and pieces onto the plane with me.

Vacuum Bags
Another thing that I did was bought some vacuum bags to pack my clothing and other "squishable" items in. You can buy pumps to use with them if you will not have access to a vacuum at one end of your trip. But, if you are going to use them, keep in mind that just because the items take up less space, they will weigh the same and you could get in trouble for being overweight.

Restricted Items
Make sure to check the list of restricted items before you travel if you are going to only use carryon luggage. I didn't think I could take a razor along with me but that is allowed. But things like a small blade is not (shouldn't be a surprise).

TSA prohibited items
CATSA what can you bring.

If in doubt, leave it at home!

TCM's First Flight, February 2015

One of the problems with flying is that depending on where you are starting, you cannot get anywhere direct. You also have to start out early as you have to get to a major hub to connect with anywhere else. For this reason, the day started out early, 4 am to be precise Had to be at the airport by 5 am or so and get checked in (online wouldn't cooperate) and then through security and to the gate.

By the time TCM and I got through security, we had probably half an hour before our flight. Grabbed a quick Tim Horton's tea and headed to the gate. TCM was yawning by this point but I told him he had to stay awake at least until we boarded. While he wanted some tea, I thought he was maybe a bit too young for such a drink.

We finally got boarded and TCM wanted to sit in the seat beside me. I buckled him in and tightened the belt as tight as possible considering that TCM doesn't actually have any hips or body shape to speak of. Once I told him he was secure, he proceeded to fall asleep.   Unfortunately, he doesn't have eyelids so you can't actually tell he was sleeping but he snores quite loudly so it was not a problem to tell!

Buckled in

Nap time!

Three hours later we landed in Toronto.   Did the security thing as we were headed to the States and then went to our gate. We still had a few hours to kill before our flight.   We wandered around the airport. In the one area, there were iPods attached to tables and there was no fee to use them. You could order from the restaurants in that part of the terminal or just browse the Internet on them.   But, nothing on the menu appealed so we left and went elsewhere.

Pondering some lunch

Eventually we went back to our gate and were relaxing when we found out that our flight was delayed by several more hours out of Toronto. Thankfully, there was free Wi-Fi, and some other travelers in the same situation, so we sat around, chatted and just waited.

Hanging out at the airport

We arrived at our destination airport just after midnight, only close to five hours late. Then an hour drive after that and bed. TCM and I were both exhausted at this point!

airport delays, traveling, traveling canuck's minion, waiting in airports

Introducing Traveling Canuck’s Minion aka TCM!

I’ve been having a hard time getting posts written on here so I decided to change things up a bit. I had recently ordered some Minion dolls via eBay but didn’t really need three of them hanging out around my house. I decided that one of them should become like a mascot for this blog and go on some adventures and post about them.

I took a quick poll of my friends and we decided on the little guy you see below

Hello TCM!

Naming him was a little bit more difficult. I thought of calling him Canuck, Jr as he was going to be the mascot for this blog. But my wonderful friend Amanda came up with Traveling Canuck’s Minion (TCM) which was perfect! The abbreviation is obvious as to what it stands for but it is a bit cooler than Jr, in my opinion.

With that said, TCM went for his inaugural trip in Feb/March 2015 to Ohio. There will be a separate post about his experiences and pictures. He has also setup an account at Instagram if you are there, “travelingcanuck” for you to follow. He is not the most tech savvy, especially when you consider he has no fingers, so you may not see a lot of posts. He has asked me to post for him but I have to admit that I tend to forget about the account.

TCM told me that he found the trip to Ohio fun but he did get a bit tired. He wanted to watch the "Lord of the Ring" movies with us but only ended up watching the first one. It was a bit long and scary for him. With that said, he is looking forward to more adventures.   The weather has finally improved here so he wants to go exploring in the near future as well.

Travelling Alone – Advantages and Disadvantages

When I refer to travelling alone in this article, I am referring to when you go on a trip by yourself. Whether you meet up with other people or not does not matter. For instance, a few years ago I went on a trip by myself but I went on two tours when I arrived. While I was technically not on my own, I was not with others who had come from home with me

Advantages

<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/omourya/">omourya</a> / Pixabay

Typically, if you are travelling alone, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. These are the main advantages that I see to travelling alone.

Freedom to do what you want – If you want to see something in particular, you can do it and not have to worry about the people you are travelling with. If you want to leave after five minutes or stay there for five hours, you have that ability and you do not have to rush for their happiness.

Learning – When you travel alone, you are more likely to talk to the people you meet and find out about them and where they are from. I have many fond memories of hostel kitchens and people talking the evening away talking about home and asking questions about others. In New Zealand, a gentleman made a crawfish and gave everyone in the kitchen a bit so we could taste it.

Schedule – If you are on your own, and not on a tour, one advantage is that you can set your schedule how you want. If you do not want to get up until noon but stay out partying until 2 am, it is not an issue. Keep in mind though, if you are staying in a hostel, that there is a good chance your roommates will be sleeping when you come in.

Disadvantages
Like anything, there are downsides to travelling by yourself beyond having no one to watch yoru luggage at the airport. But are they enough to keep you at home?

No one to share with – Travelling on your own means you have no one to share the experience with. While you may have travelling companions, it is not the same as a friend/partner/family member.

Lonely – One problem with travelling alone is that you can get lonely. This is especially true if you are shy but like having other people around you. Depending on your personality, this may end up causing you to make friends and get to know others though. Be careful of getting in a trap of calling home/emailing too much, as it can make it worse.

Costs – Depending on how you are travelling and where you are travelling, it can be more expensive if you are on your own. Thankfully, many places have hostels you can stay in that are a fraction of what a hotel room costs, but you will likely end up sharing a room for the price. The more you pay, the fewer roommates you will have. If you are joining a tour, many give you the option of having a room to yourself or if you want to save some money, you can opt to share with someone of the same gender. You won’t meet them until you arrive.

Undecided
There are some items that could be advantages to being on your own or could be disadvantages, depending on how you look at things. For this reason, I created a separate category.

Decisions – All the decisions are up to you. This isn’t always bad but sometimes it can be tiring to decide everything yourself. If you are travelling with a group, some decisions may be made for you though which can help.

Accumulating Points to Pay for Travel

When it comes to traveling, it can be expensive. Between accommodations for the night, food while you are on the road and transportation it can be overwhelming. But, it is possible to earn part, or all, of your trip for “free” with rewards plans and point rewards.   That said, is it worth it? Only you can figure that out.

<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt/">geralt</a> / Pixabay

Cost of the Plan
One of the first things to consider is much the reward plan is going to cost you. Is it a premium credit card that has a yearly fee attached to it or is it something free that you just sign up for? That said, how fast do the points accumulate? I have a free MasterCard that gives me AirMiles™ for every $40 I spend, although, it may be $20 now; I do not use this card a lot so have not paid much attention to it. I also have a premium Visa card that gives me their points and I earn one for every dollar.   But, this one I pay a yearly fee for.

Cost of the Reward
Just based on the above, the Visa card sounds like the better deal with a point per dollar spent. But when it comes to what I want to spend my points on, it becomes much more difficult to figure out.
Let’s say I want to visit my friend in Ohio, how many points will each program cost me?

• Airmiles™   - 3400 low season, 4600 high season; additional discount if you have a BMO Airmiles World Mastercard (additional fee)
• Visa – 35,000 points

Neither of these includes fees or taxes which have to be paid in cash although my Visa will let me use more points to pay those costs.

Cost to Accumulate
Another consideration is how much it is going to cost you to accumulate the points. If you have a reward card that you do not use that often, or one that costs you yearly but you do not charge a lot each month, it may not be worth it to have that particular card.

Types of Rewards
These days, there are so many different options out there that you should be able to find one that works for you and your lifestyle. For instance, I have a friend who does not travel very much so a card that she can redeem for flights and hotels is not worth it for her. But, her and her husband tend to buy a new vehicle every few years so they chose to have a credit card that got them points which they could convert to funds towards a new car. Many cards allow you to redeem your points for a wide variety of merchandise including gift cards if that is your preference.

With all that said, there are a lot of options and decisions to make. The card that you have today may not be the card you use tomorrow. For instance, Airmiles ™ changed their rules a few years ago so that their points expire after five years.   I know of a few people who have quit using them, or changed their plans on how they were going to use their points for that reason. I am re-thinking my card choice due to the yearly fee versus how much the flight I want to redeem them for costs. Overall, my flight will cost less in yearly fees than paying cash outright, but not by a lot.