Namibia Expedition. Pre-Departure Information

Transcription

1 Namibia Expedition Pre-Departure Information

2 TRAVEL INFORMATION Passport Visas Money Tipping Special Diets Communications Electricity MEDICAL INFORMATION Inoculations International Health Card Malaria Prevention Staying Healthy HELPFUL INFORMATION Details of the Trek Photography Being a Considerate Traveler PACKING LIST The Essentials WT Gear Store Luggage Notes on Clothing Laundry Clothing Safari Equipment Personal First Aid Supplies Optional Items Welcome! We re delighted to welcome you on this adventure! This booklet is designed to guide you in the practical details for preparing for your trip. As you read, if any questions come to mind, feel free to give us a call or send us an we re here to help. PLEASE SEND US Trip Application: Complete, sign, and return your Trip Application form as soon as possible if you have not already done so. Medical Form: Complete, sign, and return your Medical Form as soon as possible if you have not already done so. Air Schedule: Please forward a copy of your confirmation, which shows your exact flight arrival and departure times. Refer to the Arrival & Departure section of the Detailed Trip Itinerary for instructions. Please feel free to review your proposed schedule with Wilderness Travel before purchasing your tickets if you have any questions about the timing of your arrival and departure flights or would like to confirm we have the required minimum number of participants to operate the trip. PLEASE CAREFULLY REVIEW Travel Documents & Medical Information: Carefully review the Travel Documents and Medical Information sections of this booklet to familiarize yourself with Passport and Visa entry requirements for your destination, as well as any recommended inoculations. Optional Travel Insurance: Review the Trip Cancellation & Transfer Fee Schedule included in the Detailed Itinerary. We recommend that all trip members purchase Travel Insurance. Extra Services: Request any Extra Services (hotel nights, transfers, extensions) with your WT office contact using the Extra Services Request Form sent with your confirmation packet. Final Documents: Approximately three weeks before your trip, we will send you final departure documents, including hotel and local contact information and rendezvous instructions. QUESTIONS? Call: , go to our website: or us at: info@wildernesstravel.com

3 Travel Information PASSPORT Be sure to check your passport's expiration date, as it must be valid for six months after your date of exit from Africa. Your passport must also contain at least three completely blank visa pages. It is very important that the blank pages say Visas at the top. It is a good idea to carry photocopies of your passport's photo page and any acquired visa pages for your trip (if applicable) in case your passport is lost or as an additional piece of identification, as well as two extra passport photos. VISAS US citizens do not need a visa for Namibia. If you are a citizen of any country other than the US, check with a local consulate for entry requirements. MONEY The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar (NAD), pegged to the South African Rand (ZAR). We recommend you bring your funds in USD in small bills (i.e. $50 bills. No used bills or $100s, as there is a problem with counterfeiting). On arrival in Johannesburg or Windhoek, you should exchange around $300-$350 per person into South African Rand. This will ensure you have enough to pay for beverages and leave tips in local currency. Many public toilets charge NAD 2.00 for use, so it is useful to have NAD 1.00 coins available. You will not have an oportunity to exchange money once the trip begins until you reach Swakopmund. The Rand is accepted in Namibia and is preferable because Namibian currency is hard to exchange back into dollars outside of Namibia. Travelers checks are not recommended as they can be difficult and time-consuming to cash. Visa and MasterCard are usually accepted in all but the more remote areas (Diners and American Express are often not accepted). You will need to budget spending money for gratuities, any meals not included in the trip itinerary, and personal items such as beverages, laundry, or souvenirs. Beverages are included at Okonjima and the Tok Tokkie trail and on the Welcome and Farewell Dinners. TIPPING Tipping is completely discretionary, but over the years, clients have asked us for tipping guidelines to reward guides for outstanding service. A range of reference would be $150-$175 USD per trip member for your leader and the same amount for your co-leader (if the group has 7-12 participants; US dollars or rand are fine). The Trip Leader takes care of gratuities for luggage handling and for local guides and drivers who are with the group for only a short time. SPECIAL DIETS We will do our best to accommodate special dietary needs, however, please keep in mind that certain cultural differences or limitations due to logistics can make it extremely difficult and at times impossible to accommodate dietary restrictions. Please inform us at least eight weeks before your trip if you have a restricted diet. It is important to bring a flexible attitude and supplemental snacks.

4 COMMUNICATIONS Time Zone Namibia is 2 hours ahead of GMT, or 9 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time in the US may affect these times. Telephone The international dialing code for Namibia is 264. Please contact your cell phone company for specific instructions for international use. Nambia has good cell coverage, but most US providers do not currently include Namibia in their international plans so data usage can be expensive. & Internet Access Internet access is available at many of our lodges, but there can be periods of 3-4 days when wi-fi is not available. ELECTRICITY Namibia has 220-volt current. Plugs are either Type D or Type M (Type M is more common at hotels and lodges, but it is best to have both). Bring a plug adaptor kit for appliance use and for charging small electronics such as camera batteries and ipads. Hairdryers are available sporadically during your trip.

5 Medical Information The following recommendations should be used as a guideline only; consult your physician for medical advice. It is vital that you let Wilderness Travel know of any medical problems, allergies, or physical limitations you may have. Please fill out and return the personal medical questionnaire, and feel free to consult us if you have any questions about your ability to undertake this particular trip. Wilderness Travel is not a medical facility and has no expertise or responsibility regarding what medications or inoculations you and your physician decide are necessary for your safe participation in the trip. Traveler's health information is available from the Centers for Disease Control. Medical travel products are available from Travel Health Medicine and from Magellan's Travel Supplies. INOCULATIONS Entry requirements are subject to change; check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updates. Curently, no vaccinations are mandatory, but please consult your doctor for medical advice. INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARD A Yellow Fever vaccination is required if your traveling includes Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda or other countries in the yellow fever zone. Have the shot recorded in your International Health Card and carry the card with your passport as proof of vaccination. MALARIA PREVENTION Malaria is a serious but preventable disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. All travelers are urged to take antimalarial precautions. Please discuss antimalarial medication with your doctor, who will explain various antimalarials and their side effects and recommend a regimen for you. In addition to medication, a further precaution against malaria is to wear long sleeves and long pants at dusk. Thin clothing should be sprayed with insect repellent, especially around the elbows and ankles. Use repellent containing DEET. If, after returning from your trip, you have a persistent fever with chills, muscle aches, and headache, report to your doctor the possibility of exposure to malaria. For further malaria information, consult your doctor or the CDC Malaria Hotline: STAYING HEALTHY Change of diet, climate, and a number of other factors can cause stomach upsets while traveling, especially in underdeveloped countries. On any airline, drink only the bottled water, not the water served in pitchers, and avoid ice. Although many of the lodges provide bottled water, Namibia is an exception to the majority of Africa in that the tap water is mineral quality and very safe to drink. You can brush your teeth and indulge in fruits and vegetables without concern.

6 Helpful Information DETAILS OF THE TREK The Tok Tokkie trail hike brings you close to the desert s stunning beauty, where you can discover many secrets of the Namib that cannot be experienced from a vehicle. After a day's hike, you can relax with a sundowner and enjoy a three-course dinner before falling asleep under the stars. The trail is not difficult, but it is challenging. Fitness and good condition is essential as the trails require about 3 hours of walking on the first day of the trek and 7 to 8 hours walking on the second day of the trek. Depending on the group size, a shorter, easier hike may be available on the second day. Walking does not normally exceed six miles on the longer day. The pace will be set to suit your group. Your main luggage will be transported by a back-up vehicle; you only have to carry a daypack. As some of the hiking leads through rough terrain and over sand dunes, it requires good footing and a sense of balance. Please be aware of the big temperature fluctuations in a desert environment! It can be as hot as 90F during the day and drop as low as 30F at night. Please bring appropriate clothing and prepare yourself for the trail with some fitness training. Here are a few helpful notes: Contact lenses can be uncomfortable in the sandy and dry desert, so please wear your glasses instead. On the trek, there are no facilities to charge batteries for cameras or other electronic equipment, so be sure to have sufficient batteries. You will sleep under the stars, not in a tent, but on comfortable outdoor beds with thick foam mattresses, cotton duvets, and pillow (and you will be able to look up at the star-filled sky above you). Bathroom facilities at the overnight camps on the Tok Tokkie trail are composed of an openair toilet and a bucket shower (shielded for privacy, and with a great view), and a hand basin for hand washing. Fresh drinking water is available at lunch stops and in camp. Tea, coffee, juice, beer, wine and soft drinks are freely available in the overnight camps.

7 PHOTOGRAPHY For most people, a compact digital camera or even a cell phone with a fixed zoom lens works well, and newer point-and-shoots and phones can produce excellent quality pictures. For higher quality images, especially for printing, and the ability to use longer telephoto lenses for closer wildlife pictures, a digital SLR is well worthwhile, though heavier. Lenses of 200mm or 300mm, with image stabilization, allow you to hand-hold the camera with minimal camera shake. A polarizing filter is useful, especially to reduce reflection on water surfaces and to deepen the blue of the sky. Pack your equipment well and use plastic bags to protect it from dust or moisture. Bring wipes and a dust blower to keep your lenses clean. Most digital cameras and phones now have video options, and you may even want to consider bringing a GoPro. Always practice ahead of time with new equipment and bring your manual with you. You may want to consider insuring your equipment. Camera equipment is available for rent from Borrow Lenses with a 10% discount offered to Wilderness Travel clients. We recommend bringing at least two large capacity memory cards. If you take a lot of pictures and save them at a high resolution, it can be helpful to bring a digital storage unit or laptop so you can download your pictures and free up your memory cards for reuse on a regular basis. Bring a backup battery or set of batteries so one is always charged and ready to use, and bring your battery charger (and appropriate plug adapter). If your camera uses replaceable batteries, bring spares with you. Note: for trips where you may be away from power sources for multiple days, consider looking into a solar-powered battery charger. When taking pictures of local people, be aware of cultural considerations. Heed your Trip Leader s guidelines for what is appropriate, and always use gestures or simple phrases to ask permission. If people do not wish to be photographed, please honor their requests. We urge travelers to avoid giving money in exchange for photo opportunities, which only makes it harder for other travelers to take pictures and to have a meaningful personal interaction with local people. We find that our clients create wonderful images that really define the unique aspects of our adventures. We would love to make use of your images in our marketing materials and our photoblog, and request that you send us a small sample of your best images and a simple giving us permission to use the photos. Please your photos to wtphotoblog@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving them! BEING A CONSIDERATE TRAVELER Please show respect for the cultures we are visiting by observing local customs concerning appropriate dress, particularly in sacred places. Your Trip Leader is always available to answer any questions that you may have regarding this. If it is necessary to use a cell phone during the trip, please do so privately. Smoking is rarely an issue these days, but if you do smoke, please do so only away from the group.

8 Packing List THE ESSENTIALS Air tickets (or E-tickets) Passport One other picture ID, such as a driver s license International Health Card ( Yellow Card ) with proof of Yellow Fever inoculation within the last 10 years (if coming from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania) Expense money WT GEAR STORE To help you prepare for your next WT adventure, we've put together a great collection of top brands including Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Eagle Creek, and more at our WT Gear Store. LUGGAGE Please use only soft-sided luggage with a maximum weight of 20 Kg (44 lbs). For the scenic flight on Day 10, your large luggage will be transported by road, and you must limit your carry on to a bag you can carry on your lap with a maximum weight of 15 lbs (maximum allowable weight of carry on is subject to change depending on final passenger weights). We recommend bringing a daypack for camera gear, water bottle, and personal items needed during the day. Any passengers weighing more than 220lbs (100 kgs) need to let us know in advance as it will affect the total number of passengers and the amount of baggage that can be carried safely. Passengers over 100 kgs might be charged for an additional seat. In the event of lost or delayed luggage, we strongly suggest you keep in your carry-on luggage any essential items including medications, cameras, and other valuables, to make sure they arrive with you. NOTES ON CLOTHING On safari, many people wear shorts and a t-shirt during the day and long-sleeved shirts and long pants in the evening. However, long sleeves and pants may be desired during the day for sun protection. If you are sensitive to the cold, bring a warm layer for cold early mornings and late-night game drives. It is preferable that your daytime clothing be in neutral colors such as khaki, bush green, and darker colors to blend in with the surroundings. White and bright colors tend to shy away the animals. For city and hotel attire, we suggest skirts or slacks for women, slacks and shirts for men. No jackets are required for men. LAUNDRY Laundry service is available at your own expense at the following accommodations during your trip: Galton House, Okonjima, and Ongava. Laundry service is not available during the Tok Tokkie Trail. Please note that water is a scarce commodity in Namibia, so please consider laundering only what is necessary. Laundry services may be limited as a result of water shortage.

9 CLOTHING The clothing list below is provided as a guideline only; we encourage you to pack as lightly as possible. Sturdy walking shorts, quick-drying fabric Long pants, light cotton or quick-drying synthetic Long-sleeved shirts T-shirts Fleece jacket for cool evenings Gore-Tex jacket and/or extra sweater if you really feel the cold (optional) Long underwear for camping out on the Tok Tokkie hike Shade hat with wide brim, preferably with chin strap Warm hat/gloves for early morning and evening game drives and for the Tok Tokkie hike Lightweight walking shoes with good traction Shower sandals (if preferred) Bathing suit Buff, bandana, or handkerchief SAFARI EQUIPMENT Strong flashlight or headlamp, with spare batteries Binoculars Camera, spare batteries, spare flash cards Field guides Good quality sunglasses with case Plastic bags to organize items within duffel and protect them against dust Personal toiletries

10 PERSONAL FIRST AID SUPPLIES Every trip member must bring a small kit for personal use. Your own experience will influence your choices. Soap and shampoo (lodges provide these, but you can bring your own if you prefer) Sunscreen of SPF #30 or higher. We recommend mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide because they do not contain harsh chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Brands such as Honest Company, Badger, and Alba Botanica are found in most sporting goods stores and drugstores. Lip balm with sunscreen Aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, Tylenol PM for sleeping Topical antibiotic (such as Neosporin) for cuts, bites, or sores Insect repellent. Repellents with DEET are recommended. DEET content of about percent is ideal (higher DEET content is not recommended). Wipe DEET off your hands before touching plastic surfaces (such as binoculars) because it can damage plastic. Aerosol repellents are useful for spraying on clothes. Blister kit. Look for the long-lasting gel-type bandages that you can apply directly on blisters, such as Band-Aid Advanced Healing Bandages or Curad Gel Multi-Day Bandages. Anti-bacterial gel for hand washing (at least 60% alcohol to be effective) Post-insect bite cream (antihistamine) Antihistamine such as Benadryl and cold remedy such as Sudafed Imodium for diarrhea. If you wish to bring an antibiotic for diarrhea prophylaxis, please consult your physician. Pepto-Bismol tablets for diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion Prescription medications properly labeled Spare contact lenses or spare prescription glasses OPTIONAL ITEMS Water bottle. A water bottle will be provided for you in Namibia. Plug adaptor for appliance use at hotels. Namibia has 220-volt current. For electrical outlets in South Africa and Namibia, you need to use plug adaptor type D or "M" (you can purchase it online at travel suppliers such as Eagle Creek, Magellan or Amazon). These are usually 3 round or 3 square pins or 2 round or square pins if not grounded. Reading/writing material Travel clock/alarm Money belt or neck pouch. Always carry your passport, credit cards, and cash with you in a money belt or neck pouch tucked down inside your shirt or blouse. Revised: July 31, 2018