Safari health advice
On safari holiday – go healthy; stay healthy
You will, no doubt, read the health tips for travellers to your chosen region, including action to avoid malaria and tips on eating and drinking. Here are a few more ideas:
Before you go:
- A medical check-up a few weeks prior to departure is a good idea. You may well be mixing luxury with physical exercise – at the very least you will be subjected to different sleep patterns. Should you have a chronic illness (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sinus problems or a nervous disorder) check the correct medical regime you will need. At the same time your doctor can give you a letter explaining the problem and details of treatment/medicines involved.
- Have a dental check-up, too.
- Travellers to Africa should consider long-term basic health protection. This means vaccinations against Tetanus, Typhoid, Yellow fever and Hepatitis A. It is mandatory for Kenya and Tanzania visitors be vaccinated for Yellow fever. You have to prove this so bring your inoculation card and it will be checked at the airport.
- Some parts of Africa also have malaria. Consult your doctor for information on malaria prevention preparation alongside any Web information on the region.
- Pack a medical kit with pain killers, insect repellent , bandages and an antiseptic cleaner for yourself and any children travelling with you. If you are on regular medication, ensure you carry enough to last the duration of your time away.
During your trip:
- To relive symptoms of jetlag, eat lightly, drink a lot of fluids but avoid alcohol and caffeine for a few days after your trip. Some people avoid jet lag altogether simply by altering their watches to destination time as the plane takes off; by the time they land they have already been “thinking” in the local time for several hours.
- - Try to relax and sleep on your flight so you can be awake and energetic on reaching your destination.
- Try to sleep when locals do to get used to the local time.
- The most common reasons for death abroad is car accidents; visitors are not always aware of the driving culture of the place they visit, so watch out for road signs.
- Do not spend time in the sun in the middle of the day (Mad Dogs & Englishmen…) and be especially careful when swimming and snorkelling.
- If you intend to do mountain climbing, go prepared with the necessary altitude sickness medication from your doctor. To avoid the possibility of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), take time to acclimatise. AMS symptoms are dizziness, nausea, headaches, insomnia, breathlessness and loss of appetite. Should this happen, rest, eat well, drink lots of water and (duh!) do not climb further up. You should be fine in a couple of days. For completeness, stage 2 symptoms are dry cough, vomiting, confusion, loss of balance and co-ordination and finally, pulmonary oedema.
- Avoid drinking or even brushing your teeth with tap water in your rooms. Drink only bottled water.
Safari health advice
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