"How will I be able to contact people and will people be able to contact me?"
In the hotels and cities, of course, phones will be available in each room. In most bush camps, however, there are usually not phones in each of the rooms, but instead a central telephone, which everyone is able to use. People will be able to contact you by using the numbers from the general fax and phone list. Even if the camp does not have an immediate telephone, urgent messages can be transmitted by radio.

"Will I be able to do laundry?"
In hotels, laundry can be done for you for an additional fee. In most bush camps, however, daily laundry service will be available for no extra charge.

"Will the bush camps be able to meet my special dietary requirements?"
Most bush camps will be more than happy to make special meal arrangements. Please let The African Experience know of any such requirements as soon as possible, or no later than a month in advance of your departure.

"Will the bush camps do anything special for birthdays or anniversaries?"
Again, they are happy to accommodate as long as they have advanced notice. Please inform The African Experience of any such occasion as soon as possible, or no later than two months in advance of your departure.

"Should I bring a hairdryer, curling iron, etc.?"
Most hotels have hairdryers already in their bathrooms. At the bush camps, it is not necessary for you to bring them because you will be in an open vehicle in the bush for most of the day and hairdryers will also drain the limited amount of power supplied by your generator, but you may bring them if you would like. If you do bring these appliances along, please remember to also bring along an appropriate converter.

"Should I purchase a converter or an adapter?"
An adapter is necessary so that the plug on your electrical appliance will fit the standard outlet for each foreign country you visit- most African countries use electrical plugs that will not fit a U.S. plug.
A converter makes sure that your electrical appliance can use the correct voltage- most African countries use electrical voltage that will not operate a U.S. appliance.

Ideally, you will be able to purchase a converter / adapter combination to make sure that your electrical appliances will work safely and have the correct voltage for each foreign country you visit.

"What is the time difference between the United States and Southern Africa?"
During Daylight Savings Time (USA spring/summer), South Africa is 7 hours ahead of Dallas. (e.g. 12pm in Texas is 7pm in South Africa.) During Standard Time (USA fall/winter), South Africa is 8 hours ahead of Dallas. (e.g. 12pm in Texas is 8pm in South Africa.)

"Will I ever participate in shared group activities?"
Although your itinerary is customized to your party, you may be grouped with other people for such activities as game drives and boma dinners. Arrangements for private game drive vehicles can be made when planning your safari.

"What is the weather like?"
Because Southern Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons there are reversed from the seasons in the United States. For example, when it is summer in the United States, it is winter in Southern Africa (although the winters there are milder). We will provide a suggested packing list of appropriate clothing for your trip.

"What about a passport?"
It is critical that EVERY SINGLE PERSON traveling, no matter what age, have a valid U.S. passport before departure and throughout their entire trip. For information on how long it takes to receive a passport, where to go to get a passport, and any other pertinent questions, please visit the very helpful site, http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html. Usually a visa is not required for South Africa. For more information on visas, please contact your State Department or The African Experience office.

"Do I need travel insurance?"
The African Experience recommends medical evacuation insurance. American Express Travel and SOS International are two companies that will be able to help you obtain this insurance.

"What about currency exchange?"
You may obtain local currency ahead of time at any bank or at the airport. You may obtain it at your destination in various hotels of the cities. The United States dollar and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, except Zimbabwe, where credit cards are not excepted. For this reason, it is not necessary to bring along a large amount of spending money. The spending money you do bring should be in small bills as there is not a lot of "change" available in most remote areas of Africa. It is customary to tip almost everyone, i.e. rangers and trackers at the bush camps, etc., with U.S. dollars. Baggage handlers and cabs in the cities are usually tipped with the South African Rand.

"What sort of camera do you recommend?"
This choice depends on what level of photographer you are. While you will want to get some good animal shots, we have found that your most memorable shots are those with people in them. We recommend one good point and shoot camera per family, such as a Canon Sure Shot with zoom lens. For the more avid photographers a good 35mm SLR with an 80-200mm zoom lens or a fixed 300mm lens will cover your needs.

Film: We recommend Fuji film for its ability to reproduce the colors of the bush. Their 100 ASA "Reala" and 200 ASA "Fujicolor" are outstanding products.

"Do I need to bring my own binoculars?"
Yes. There are so many good lightweight binoculars on the market to choose from. We recommend anything in the 7x25 to 10x40 range. Good lightweight 7x25 and 7x30 models include Minolta and Nikon. The top-of-the-range field glasses in the world are the Zeiss 10x40 or the Leica 10x40. The African Experience can sell these to you at a rate often below the suggested retail price. Please ask for details.

"What if my question has not been answered?":
If an answer to your question cannot be found within our website, please do not hesitate to contact The African Experience office at 214-528-9760.