Monday 10 November 2008

Safari Ready!

In two weeks I will be heading off to South Africa for the first time, to do a safari (Kruger National Park) and to visit two of my friends doing their bible college and mission work in Cape Town.
I have to admin that my preparations for this trip were haphazard at best. I had booked my flight to SA early (check) but the whole safari thing was relatively last minute.

Going to stay in one of the lodges inside the park, named Kambaku, for a few nights. I was planning on doing the safari tour, with the sleeping in the tents experience, but the thought of not being able to go to the toilet in the middle of the night was too traumatic to think about. The other option (lodges outside of the park) meant that even if the tracking of the animals was good, we would still have to leave the park at a certain hour.

Getting my vaccination shots was even more last minute. Got my Hep B, yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus/diptheria/something starting with "p" shots last week. I ashamed to admit that I had absolutely no idea what shots I have had, and having doctors in the family means that my medical record is so not up to date, as nothing gets written down. I have a feeling that the polio shot last week was probably redundant.
A word of advice for anyone doing this kind of trip, make sure you add to your budget the medical expense, those shots aren't cheap.

I think everything is all good now. Just have to pick up the malaria tablets this week, and get my photography stuff all sorted (just bought a new 70-300mm lens, woo hoo!) and I should be ready to go. It's going to lots of fun!