>>508326
Reported.

>>508234
Never been, but it's on the "next up" list. Monitoring thread for info.

Pic not related, probably.

Never been to Western Africa but in Southern Africa I've been to:

South Africa
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Swaziland
Malawi
Zambia
Mozambique
Tanzania

If you've got any questions I'll gladly answer them.

>>508328
Sorry didn't read the part about "This goes for any part of the continent"
Also been to Libya, Morocco, Egypt and the Central African Republic

That picture is very similiar a "Circunvalar street" in barranquilla colombia loool

>>508328
Well.. First off, what do you do that enables you to go to all these places? And since that's a long list of places; I'm just going to list off a couple general questions to get started.

-Friendliest country?
-Scariest country, if any (I would just imagine that Zimbabwe might be, due to dictator and all)?
-Cheapest one to travel to?
-If you've ever been to Cape Town, did you like it? Is it comparable to any United States cities (if you're even a US citizen or been to the US..)? I was thinking about studying at the University for a semester.
-Is easy to get cheap, quality food in any of these countries?
-Which one is the most different from the Western world?
-Which country was your favorite?
-Cool/memorable travel experiences?

>>508344
I didn't travel to these places on business (studentfag), I save money during some time and then travel on the cheap every now and then. I have a part time translation/copyediting job online which enables me to get some money while travelling, but not quite enough to get by (it was enough to travel throughout Asia though, which is much cheaper than Africa).

continued...

>>508344

>> -Friendliest country?
All of them; I've travelled quite a bit and Africa is as friendly as it gets. Other travellers I talked too also usually agreed on that. People will really go out of their way to help you out, and they're rarely ever doing it for tips/money like you could expect in some other places. If I had to choose, I'd say probably Zimbabwe and Tanzania though.

>> -Scariest country, if any (I would just imagine that Zimbabwe might be, due to dictator and all)?
This one street kid followed us for a couple blocks in Lusaka Zambia asking for money but eventually people chased him away. Usually in Africa you'll be safe if there are people around as most of them will have your back. Cops/Soldiers can be scary when asking for bribes but they're usually just bluffing. There were some riots in Malawi when I was there this summer; but I think that's all over. If there's trouble brewing people will warn you beforehand anyways. If you get mugged or pickpocketed or just feel threatened you can scream for help and tons of people will come to help you out. If they catch the thief they'll probably lynch him in public though, I've heard of thieves being killed by angry mobs because they stole worthless shit from stores or tourists; so think twice about accusing someone of stealing; even if they're guilty.
The Central African Republic is not exactly scary but you should not go there by yourself; same goes for most of Central African (Chad; Sudan; DRC)
The things you should really watch out for are diseases and crazy drivers.

>>508350
Oh and Zimbabwe is not scary at all. Beautiful country, good infrastructure, awesome tourist spots and friendly people. The dictatorship is bad; the country isn't.


>>-Cheapest one to travel to?
Tanzania definitely; buses, hostels and restaurant are cheap although the tourist attractions can be a little expensive (safaris are cheaper in south africa). The rest of Southern Africa is a bit pricey compared to say South East Asia. A cheap hotel would cost between 10 and 20 USD, I'd say. A lot of these countries do not have a backpacking scene so finding a hostel with dorm beds can be tough. If you stay at "local inns" (which most likely won't be listed in travek guidebooks) you can find cheaper accomodations around 5 bucks but don't expect much (I'd recommend sleeping in your own sheets/sleeping bag rather than the sheets provided by these hotels (bedbugs; scabies, etc...). Prices for food are not that high; but only if you eat local stuff. Anything imported costs more.

>>-If you've ever been to Cape Town, did you like it? Is it comparable to any United States cities (if you're even a US citizen or been to the US..)? I was thinking about studying at the University for a semester.
I've never been there but judging from other cities in SA, I'd say Cape Town could definitely compare to U.S. cities. Actually cities like Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe reminded me a lot about Philly.

>>508355

>>-Is easy to get cheap, quality food in any of these countries?
Depends what you mean by quality food. You certainly won't be starving and the food will be good but you might get a little sick at first (except in SA and Botswana where you'd be 100% fine). If you don't trust local restaurants or street foods the big cities all have supermarkets with a take away section where you can buy fried chicken/beef and side dishes or salad for a very decent price. The hygiene is strict and ingredients are fresh. But you'd miss out if you didn't try to eat at random typical restaurants or from street stalls. If you can make friends and they invite you for dinner you're in for a treat as real homemade African food is far superior to anything you'll get in a restaurant.


>> -Which one is the most different from the Western world?
I'd say Southern Tanzania and Northern Mozambique. The South and North of Tanzania are completely different; same goes for Mozambique. Though don't expect anything too exotic, even smaller provincial cities are Westernized to some extent. You'd need to go to villages off the beaten track to get an insight into tribal life and stuff.

>> -Which country was your favorite?
I really loved them all, albeit for different reasons. I might have a slight preference for Zimbabwe and Mozambique tough.

>>-Cool/memorable travel experiences?
Too many to choose from :)

>>508359

Well, all sounds pretty good. I didn't plan on eating from supermarkets or tame restaurants anyway (well, not that often). Were you ever able to get one of those home cooked African meals? Did you do any hiking or anything like that?

I've also been listening to a lot of African music lately. It's sort of fueling my desire to visit the continent.

>>508328
How prevalent is english in these countries? I know it is probably common in South Africa and Zimbabwe, but what about the others? I don't know exactly which ones speak French and which ones speak English.

>>508396

yeah, definitely. It's more common for people to invite you to share a meal in smaller villages. Keep in mind however that people are extremely poor there; so you might consider making a donation or giving something. If you're invited by someone more affluent in a city it'd be rude to offer money.

I did some hiking in Malawi; we hired a guide which doesn't cost much and really is necessary. I hear Lesotho and the Drakensberg in SA are absolutely fantastic for hiking though I still have to go.

Biking is also a lot of fun and I think Malawi's prolly the best place for biking around the country.

>>508432
Definitely; Mozambique has great local music, some of it inspired by Cuban music. The main music scene there is in Maputo.
Tanzania is also famous for its Jazz (which is very different from western jazz actually) and has got a lively music scene in Daar es Salam and Arusha.
Christian church music is also nice to listen to there; just go to any church on a sunday and you'll be amazed.

>>508443

English is ubiquitous in Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe and SA you will not have a problem finding someone that speaks English even in rural areas.

In Tanzania, you will find a lot of people who speak English in the North around tourist areas (Arusha; Zanzibar; Dar) in the South you'll find almost none; everybody will speak Swahili so learning a few words will be helpful.

In Mozambique I heard from a lot of people that they had trouble because no one speaks English. I can get by in Portuguese though and thus never had any problems as almost everyone will speak some Portuguese.

People are a lot more patient than in the West when it comes to communication, so with enough time you should be able to make yourself understood. also if you have an urgent problem people will try to go and find someone they know who speaks English to help you out.

>>508467
Yea, that sounds cool. But mainly it's been Congolese soukous an South African township jive. I would definitely check out the stuff you mentioned though. Have you seen Victoria Falls?

good to see downtown Kinshasa there , takes me back

>>508633

You've been? Cool place? Please discuss..

Anyone been to Kenya, specifically Nairobi?

I may wind up there for work soon, and this thread has piqued my interest.

To stay on topic a little; the wife has been to Cape town and loved it. Try the calamari.

>>508332
What did you think of Libya? I would love to go to Libya after everything has stabilized. I would like to see Leptis Magna, Sabratha, Cyrene, etc.
Is Egypt as bad as everyone says it is? Many people said that they didn't like Egypt because of all the hassels and scams. How come you skipped Tunisia?

Did you feel that black Africa looked and felt the same after a while? Did you ever have any fears of being raped, robbed, or killed by the locals for not looking like them?

>>508709
I can't say much about Lybia as I've stayed only in Tripoli the two times I was there. I'd also love to go back and visit the rest of the country. Tripoli's a fun city and locals are pretty cool, I remember that quite a lot of the people I met spoke good English.

Egypt was great but I went with an Egyptian friend during the revolution. There were no other tourists when we visited the sights, even at the pyramids and therefore not many touts. Also it probably helped a lot that my friend looked egyptian and spoke arabic. I could definitely see how some insistant sellers could be a problem around tourist spots and I must say I have heard some other travellers complain about the things you've mentioned. That being said, it is a great country and definitely worth a visit. I am really dying to go back, smoking a sheesha at night in Old Cairo's backstreet is amazing.

I live in Europe so Northern Africa is close by. I didn't "skip" Tunisia, just didn't get the opportunity to go there yet :)

>People will really go out of their way to help you out, and they're rarely ever doing it for tips/money
>This one street kid followed us for a couple blocks in Lusaka Zambia asking for money but eventually people chased him away
>If you get mugged or pickpocketed or just feel threatened you can scream for help and tons of people will come to help you out. If they catch the thief they'll probably lynch him in public though

This made me laugh and warmed my heart.
Africans sound like they should be at the top of every bro-themed tier list on /int/ for being such intensely nice bros

>>508709
Definitely did not feel Black Africa looked and felt the same. I am actually planning on visiting Western and Northeastern Africa next :p It's common for people to refer to sub-saharan African countries by just saying "Africa", however when you get there, you will be struck by the diversity of cultures, landscapes and so on even within the same country. You might grow tired of the food though as the options in restaurants do not vary that much (basically chicken or meat, some greens and rice, cassava or maize).

As for rape, and such I never felt anything like that. I never felt threatened in any way, just apply the same rules you'd apply at home (watch your pockets in crowded areas, don't leave your valuables unattended...). People talk more freely about skin color than in the West and they might joke about you being white or a tourist but it is never offensive. I've only heard racist stuff twice (once in the Central African Republic, once in Zimbabwe) but each time it was some guy mumbling under his breath until people told him to shut up.

>>508623
I went to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side, definitely worth a visit. The tourist town around the falls in Zimbabwe is nice and a short walk away from the falls (in Zambia the closest town in 10 miles away). Prices are a little higher than in the rest of the country but nothing horrible. The falls are purely amazing. Do believe the sellers trying to rent you raincoats as you will get soaking wet. You can visit the Falls at night during the full moon to see a so-called "lunar rainbow" for a pretty high price. (I didn't go, it looks disappointing)

>>508721
Are visas expensive for most African countries? Did you always have a strong desire to see Africa? Most people do openly avoid visitng brown and black countries. Also, someone here once said Africa is actually quite expensive to travel around because of the transport costs (need to fly to get around since there are few paved roads) and accomodation (few cheap options available).

If you can, please post some pictures of your travels.

How dirty is most of Africa? I hate to see the streets being treated as a public toilet or a garbage can.
How much poverty do you see in Africa?

>>508722

I can't say I always had a strong desire to visit Africa, I used to travel to Asia a lot when I was younger. I have family in the Central African Republic so that's the only place I really wanted to go to for a long time (I'm 1/4th black but it's pretty much impossible to tell).

For the visas it depends where you go to, some countries do not need a visa (Malawi, Botswana, South Africa,...) for EU/US nationals, otherwise the visa is usually around 50 USD.

The fact that there are few paved roads does not mean that there is no transportation. Each time I traveled in Africa I only flew in and out. Buses and minibuses to travel around are not particularly expensive, though the prices have increased recently because of oil supply problems in some country (Malawi). But to be honest, they're still very decent. If I had to give an average price I'd say 500k in a bus would cost you around 10 dollars. The buses are not up to Western standards of comfort, they might break down during the trip, they might be overcrowded, they will never depart nor arrive on time, there will be animals travelling with you and most likely you'll have kids screaming or puking on you. Honestly you get used to that really easily. The awesome thing is that you'll have people selling everything from drinks and grilled corn to live chickens at every bus stop.

Accomodations I've talked about in a previous post, >>508355

picture is a tea plantation in Malawi

>>508724

Depends on the country and depends on what you consider dirty.
People pay a great deal of attention to personal hygiene and houses and shops are usually neat and tidy.
Littering is a problem along the roads. In villages people usually sweep often and burn their stash of trash. Most big cities pay people to sweep and collect trash. I gotta say I was less worried about hygiene in Africa than in some south east asian countries.

pic is lake Malawi

Has anybody traveled while getting visas along the way? Is it doable?

>>508724

poverty you'll see everywhere I guess. though the situation varies greatly from country to country (Botswana has a higher GDP per capita than Turkey or Serbia). beggars are very rare and crime is not higher because of poverty (Johannesburg is the richest place in Africa and also the worse in terms of crime).
you might see people suffering from diseases you thought had long been eradicated (goiter, elephantiasis, leprosy...) and you will definitely get depressed if you visit a local hospital.

pic is downtown Nampula in Mozambique, as you can see it's pretty clean.

>>508732

Yes only visa I got in advance was in Mozambique because I was crossing in from a remote border point. Unless they're suffering from some sort of inner conflict (Angola, Congo, Central African Republic, Sudan...) most countries will deliver visas to EU/US nationals at their main border points.

pic is a beach in Mozambique

Fisherman in Ilha de Mozambique

Ilha de Mozambique 2

>>508740
Ilha de Mozambique 3

A small beachtown in southern Tanzania

>>508742
Inside a dhow, you can ask the people on these boats to take you to closeby cities on the coast if you're tired of buses.

Omani fort ruins in Tanzania

>>508746

Victoria Falls

>>508747
Great Zimbabwe

>>508749
Okavango Delta, Botswana

"Been to South Africa Guy" that has been posting here, really appreciate your help. It's great to hear some real stories about Africa and not just the usual random fear mongering that goes on here. As I'm going to do Istanbul - Cape Town end of this year I really hope you could help me out with some questions that I have.

1. Did you use malaria pills? Because I'm thinking about skipping them altogether.
2. What is your recommended minimum budget per day?
3. You say that Sudan is unsafe. I've heard that it's the safest and friendliest country in all of Africa and crime is basically non-existent. Have you been there?
4. Did you bring a tent along for camping?
5. How much did you pay for safari?

>>508771
If you are going to area with a high Malaria risk i'd strongly advise taking them.I spent a while travelling around Madagascar and halfway through i stopped taking my malaria meds. On the way out i got a nasty flu type thing, and was convinced i'd gotten malaria, since the symptons are similar. Luckily i didn't have it, but you don't want to risk it. Its dangerous and can do long term damage.
You wouldn't skimp on your vaccinations.

>>508771
I didn't take malaria pills. I don't like the idea of taking pills for a such a long time (also it gets really expensive). The medication can have some pretty severe side effects, though I hear new ones have improved. In any case see with a doctor beforehand. If you do get malaria symptoms, medication is widely available and cheap. Get tested in a private NGO/Western run clinic as misdiagnosis is common in public hospitals.
I am not a doctor and I don't have any advice to give on whether or not to take them. If you're travelling at the end of the year, be aware that it will be the rainy season in several countries and that risks will be higher than if you were travelling during winter (that is June-Sept).

for budget it depends on the country and what you plan to do. I'd say the minimum you could get by with would be about 25$ a day in most countries (food+hotel+short distance transport).

>>508771

Sorry my previous post was indead a bit misleading, Sudan is a big country and from what I hear the North is indeed very safe and friendly. While I was in the middle East, I met quite a few people who travelled there without any problems. I'm actually planning to go from Cairo to Kenya next summer and will be going through Northern Sudan (Meroe and Karthum).

However, the area around the Darfur region and the Central African Republic border is still very unsafe (ongoing Darfur conflict and I heard the Lord's Resistance Army has lately been crossing from the Central African Republic into Sudan to pillage). As for the newly born South Sudan, I don't exactly know what the deal is since independance, but I'd advise you to be cautious and try to get information beforehand if you plan to go.

No, I didn't bring a tent though you can save quite a bunch of money by doing so, A lot of the guest houses in Southern Africa have campsites for around 5USD. The premises are safe and you usually get to use a shared bathroom.

I think the Okavango was about 100USD per day, and I paid about 150 for a daytrip to Kruger (we didn't bring our licences and couldn't rent a car so we hired a tour guide). I think the Kruger Park is the cheapest option (not to mention one of the best).

One question, will you be travelling by bus or by car?

I've been to kenya in a tourist resort.

They have mugged and beated up a couple of tourists, and the usual hassling for money or to sell stuff.
Also the doctor ripped off the tourists that got mugged.

>>508790

Neat. More Kenyan stories please.

>>508785

Exactly what I thought. It's very expensive and the side effects are horrible. After some research I also came to the same conclusion: screw those pills and if I do happen to catch it get some medication then. South East Asia is an equally high risk area, I was there for 7 months and didn't took a single pill. I'm still here to tell the story. I shall not be sponsoring the pharmaceutical companies.

>>508786

You are right, I was talking about the north, basically the route most people take through Sudan: Merou to Khartoum onwards to Ethiopia. The south is still a little shaky and I have no intention of going there. It does seem to be reasonably stable though now that they have become independent.

I will buy a tent as soon as I get to Kenya because from there on out there will be lots of opportunities to camp, which will save me a lot of money.

As for transportation, I will be going by bus mostly, hitch hiking, train etc, i.e. local transport. I've heard African transport can be hell at times but I really enjoy traveling as the locals do and you get to see and experience so much more of the country itself.

Cairo to Kenya is nice as well, make sure you have lots of time for Ethiopia as that country sounds really awesome with lots of things to see and do. It's one of the countries I look forward to seeing most. Why didn't you go to Namibia, it looks incredible.

Anyone ever been to the DRC?

>>508786
Just wanted to chime in quickly about South Sudan--I've got friends who live in Juba, the present capital (they're moving it north eventually). There's some inter-ethnic conflict and some fighting in Jonglei state at the moment, north of the capital. It's not political--armed cattle raids, basically, and herders shooting each other over access to water--but it could be dangerous in the wrong place at the wrong time. Juba is safe and ferociously friendly, but also preposterously expensive given what a little dump it is. Post-conflict states are usually a ripoff, all the more when the entire visiting population comes on a UN expense account. Wait five or six years--it will eventually be a world-class safari/nature reserve tourism destination--but for now South Sudan is an expensive hassle with some small risk of accidental danger.