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As vaccination requirements change on occasion, we recommend that you check with your local doctor or health department for the latest health precautions. The most important health consideration in Southern Africa is Malaria and it is strongly recommended that prophylactics (i.e., oral tablets) be taken as a preventative precaution. You are not legally required to have any vaccinations unless you are traveling from a region where yellow fever is prevalent, in which case an inoculation will be required against the disease.
 
Certainly you need not rush off and get every possible innoculation and take every pill under the sun just to travel to Africa. Do not go overboard with the information put out by the disease control centers. We return time and again to Africa and to the bush and have only ever taken Malaria prevention tablets. A course of anti-Malaria tablets is advisable and many doctors advise a dose of Hepatitis A vaccine. We recommend that you visit with a local travel health specialist for complete details and safety.

Many parts of Africa do have problems with their water and foods; however, the food and water in Southern Africa is much safer than the rest of Africa, especially in the safari camps and hotels you will be travelling to. Please do not over-react to the detriment of you own enjoyment. We have never experienced any problems with the food or water in any of the camps or hotels we have travelled to over the years. 

As long as we're discussing water, one thing you must be careful of, especially during the hotter summer months and in the desert areas, is dehydration. Plenty of fresh bottled water is always available at all of the camps throughout the day and should be consumed regularly and in quantity. We have seen many guests, even experienced African travellers, who forget to drink enough water and become dehydrated. A case of dehydration will usually put you out of action for up to a day and is no fun. All the camps stock rehydrating tablets which help to set you right again, but we wanted to mention it as this is the most common ailment we have observed among guests on safaris. Drink lots of water!

More on Malaria: The most serious risk while travelling in Southern Africa on safari is malaria. We will not "talk down" this risk as we both know people, albeit all individuals who live and spend time in the Africa bush, who have contracted malaria. This is NOT something to take lightly and it can be a lethal and at the very least, a long and uncomfortable disease.

Malaria Stats

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the parasite called Plasmodia. There are four identified species of this parasite causing human malaria, namely, Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale and P. malariae. It is transmitted by the female Anopheles Mosquito. It is a disease that can be treated in just 48 hours, yet it can cause fatal complications if the diagnosis and treatment are delayed. It is re-emerging as the # 1 Infectious Killer and it is the Number 1 Priority Tropical Disease of the World Health Organization. The CDC estimates that 300-500 million cases of malaria occur each year worldwide and 1.5 million to 3 million people die of malaria every year (85% of these occur in Africa), accounting for about 4-5% of all fatalities in the world.

Humans get malaria from the bite of a female malaria-infected Anopheles mosquito. When a mosquito bites an infected person, it ingests microscopic malaria parasites found in the person's blood. The malaria parasite must grow in the mosquito for a week or more before infection can be passed to another person. If, after a week, the mosquito then bites another person, the parasites go from the mosquito's mouth into the person's blood. The parasites then travel to the person's liver, enter the liver's cells, grow and multiply. During this time when the parasites are in the liver, the person has not yet felt sick. The parasites leave the liver and enter red blood cells; this may take as little as 8 days or as many as several months. Once inside the red blood cells, the parasites grow and multiply. The red blood cells burst, freeing the parasites to attack other red blood cells. Toxins from the parasite are also released into the blood, making the person feel sick. If a mosquito bites this person while the parasites are in his or her blood, it will ingest the tiny parasites. After a week or more, the mosquito can infect another person. The safari camps in Southern Africa are not located in densely populated areas and this greatly reduces the risk of being infected by malaria.

Anopheles mosquitoes start biting by late evening and the peak of biting activity is at midnight and early hours of morning. Protect yourself against the bites in the evenings and early mornings by applying mosquito repellant, wearing garments that cover the body as much as possible, and at bedtime, by using mosquito nets without fail.

All of the camps provide mosquito repellant in the tents and in the lounges and on game drives. Most also provide mosquito "coils", an incense-like slow-burning substance that produces a smoky repellent that can be lit inside the tent before heading for dinner so that the tent is cleared by bed time. Finally, the majority of the camps also provide a mosquito netting over the beds to keep the "mossies" out while you sleep. Wearing lightweight long pants instead of shorts and covering the ankles especially is also very helpful during dinner and in the evening hours. Use the bug spray after sundown on game drives as well.

Remember that the best precaution against malaria is to reduce the likelihood of being bitten. The next best precaution is to begin and complete a full regimen of anti-malarial medication for your safari. The medication usually begins before you leave and is completed after returning home. Check on the internet or with your physician for further information.