[VIDEO] Mosi-ao-Tunya - An helicopter ride over Victoria Falls

The Mighty Victoria Falls were named Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The
Smoke that Thunders" by the Kololo tribe in the 1800's and are considered the largest sheet of falling water in the world.

 

3 helicopter rides of a lifetime

There is something adventurous and exciting about boarding a spinning helicopter. These are three of the most memorable rides.

1. Helicopter to Everest Base Camp

You can choose to trek to Everest Base Camp but, if you don't have 7-14 days to spare the fastest way to the highest place on Earth not requiring life threatening training is via an helicopter ride to 5,300m

The most glamorous stop over for photos

Around the world in 180 days - the ultimate journey of a lifetime

With the 2015 journey almost instantly sold out bookings for the 2016 Oceania Cruises' Around the World in 180 days cruise have opened just this week.

10 things I discovered working in Africa

I spent almost 5 years working in Africa. My work took me to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Zambia, Malawi, Congo, Nigeria, Sudan and South Africa and I topped the list with holidays in a few other.

These are some reflections from my time interacting with senior executives and with laymen (taxi drivers, shop assistants, hotel staff, etc.)

Long-term exposure to malaria risk - How to protect yourself?

I spent almost 5 years working in and out of Africa on various consulting assignments. I travelled to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Ghana and Sudan for work and also visited Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Morocco for holidays.

I was not living there full time but travelling every week on Sunday and returning home to Dubai for the weekend. Repeat. Every week. Often, I would chose to spend the weekend there too.

Although I wasn't exposed to the full-time risk of malaria that living there poses the reality is that it only takes one mosquito bite to be infected.

At the beginning, as much as I was totally excited to spend so much time in Africa, I did not want to overlook the risks associated with this and many other diseases. The GP or the tropical units at the hospitals are used to dealing with vacationing people who are exposed for a short period of time only and are unclear and contradictory when it comes to long-term exposure. So I got several messages, contradicting advice, confusing instructions and simply unrealistic recommendations.

If you have ever travelled to a malaria risk area you will have been prescribed the typical malaria tablets available in your country, something that is one of the most universally accepted form of prevention. And you will also know that nothing really protects you from malaria but only helps you recover if you are infected.

You would think, what is the issue then if there are tablets one can take?

The answer is two fold.

On one hand, the side effects of some of the tablets are simply unacceptable. You may feel dizzy, confused and most likely will have trouble sleeping with surreal nightmares and hallucinations. That is pretty much the norm for almost everyone. Regardless of what the information sheet tells you, these are all very common and at least one of my travel party members had that every time we travelled somewhere. Do you want your holiday be ruined by feeling ill for a couple of days every week (most tablets are taken weekly)

On the other hand if you want to avoid these side effects you can take the famous Malarone tablets which have much less side effects but cost a small fortune so are not really an option if you are travelling for an extended period of time (I used to pay euro 50 per packet which coveres you for less than a week's worth of travel). Not to mention that the drug being quite new, the long-term side effects are unclear. 

Malarone never gave me relevant side effects but it is not great for the liver. And who can afford euro 300 per month on malaria tablets? Not to mention that they were not available in Dubai where I was living so had to smuggle them into the country. Not a viable solution.

So trying to weight the alternatives I found myself in a lose-lose situation where no option was really a valid one for the long term. Did I really want to put my body through the processing of so much chemical madness for years to come?

Given the answer was a rotund No I had to be creative with the solution.

After a few weeks of Malarone while I was exploring the reality on the ground and asking the locals what they did I realised that these are the best steps to reduce the risk of catching malaria:

1. Wear long sleeves. No matter what the temperature outside was I was always wearing long sleeves. The only way to truly avoid malaria is to simply avoid being bitten so, logically, avoiding exposed parts is the only way. And not every fabric is born the same way, thin cotton or silk are not going to rpevent a mosquito from biting you, malaria prone areas have smart and adapted mosquitoes who can deal with this adn bite you through the clothes. Same applies for very tight leggings or alike which only offer mild protection
2. Wear socks. Again, the easiest way to get bitten is while sitting in an office with holes on the wall and mosquitoes dancing in the air. You can't see your ankles and mosquitoes are quite keen on that part of the body so wearing socks eliminates that risk too. No matter what the weather was like, I always wore closed shoes and socks, thick ones, mosquitoes can pierce through the thin stocking like socks
3. Create a halo of mosquito repellent. Mosquito repellent is extremely toxic so I did not want to constantly spray it on my remaining exposed parts or when I was sitting by the beach/pool when wearing socks and long sleeves was not an option so whenever possible, I sprayed it around myself to create a physical barrier, on the desk and chair, on my clothes, on the mosquito net
4. Sleep under the mosquito net. Always. Be consistent and anal about it. Make sure the net is tucked under the bed once you are inside and check for any holes of any size which are an entrance for the tiny mosquitoes. Mosquito nets save lives in Africa and it is such a simple item. Most of the bites I used to get back home were always while asleep. High end hotels will usually not have mosquito nets because they constantly spray the rooms and have AC (see next point) but if you are in the bush or in a more basic accommodation make use of them
5. Turn the AC on. Mosquitoes don't like cold areas so if you have it, turn it on and try to set it at a lower temperature than usual to keep them away
6. Use mosquito spray sparingly. I always made sure to carry portable plug-in mosquito repellent which I plugged in even at high-end hotels like Hilton, Serena, etc. because even high-end hotels cannot control every single room it is best to be safe than sorry. Many hotels provide mosquito spray, I almost always sprayed the room with a good amount before leaving for dinner. Because these things are also toxic you don't want to be there when you push a large amount into the air. And if I did not have a bottle in the room I would cal the hotel to come spray in the evening. Most hotels will be able to do so
7. Last but not least, spray mosquito repellent on yourself. There are several brands and options available in the market but if you are going to a truly plush and tropical area where mosquitoes are everywhere the only repellents that will really keep them away are the ones which contain DEET. In some countries DEET is limited by law to 20% content only, I tried to stock on this type of repellent in Africa where the limit can go as far as 50% and whenever possible I sprayed it on my clothes not on my skin because this is really toxic. But be careful, if you spray it on your clothes it may damage them. Avoid delicate fabrics because the DEET will indeed melt certain fabrics like plastic of silk, I have seen it.

Why is the obvious measure, aka spraying mosquito repellent, the last resource?

Repellent is very toxic and if you are constantly keeping it in contact with your skin you will damage it, no kidding so if possible, avoid it. Obviously, if you are by the beach or in an extremely hot place where long sleeves and socks are not an option by all means use it but try to minimise it.

Given that I was in Africa and in high risk areas for so long I carried mosquito repellent with me everywhere, it was one of the staple items in my purse. Even today, when I have not worked in Africa for 3 years, I still carry it in my bag because I realised that with my innate obsession with less travelled places malaria remains a risk in many places in Asia and South America too.

What are your tricks for long-term exposure to malaria?

Tree Climbing lions

Tree climbing lions

Queen Elisabeth National Park is 376 kms by road southwest of Kampala, the capital and largest city. With how bad roads are in Uganda that is a day's worth of driving in potholed roads.


QENP is known for its wildlife. Although many animals were killed in the Uganda-Tanzania War, most species have recovered to pre-war levels, including hippopotami, elephants, leopards, lions and chimpanzees.

But the most smile-inducing sight? The tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area. And believe me, lions on trees is a pretty funny thing to watch. They are large animals trying to balance on the flimpsy thin branches of the fig tree looking anything but comfortable. One leg falling on one side, the tail on the other, heads resting on their shoulders... take a laugh, it is real and it is comical. 

And they are everywhere (lions are otherwise quite hard to spot even in popular safari parks) and seem very tame (although they are completely wild) so you can get close to them like on these photos.

Siesta

Uncomfortable rest

The reason why lions climb trees is unknown but it is believed to be associated with their escaping either the tsetse flies or the heat. The ones found in QENP are one of two groups of tree-climbing lions. The other one is next to Lake Manyara in Tanzania.          

Apart from the lions, the rest of the wildlife in the park is well worth a visit and you are most likely going to enjoy it on your own. You will see hippos, deers, impalas, buffalos, elephants, civets and if you are really lucky, elusive leopards.

Hippos swimming in the river

Despite QENP is the most important tourist destination (after the gorillas) of Uganda, the country is not well known for its safaris like the rest of East Africa is and you will barely see any other tourists when observing wildlife. This is what made our stay all the more enjoyable. At the risk of sounding arrogant and posh I have tried to avoid what I call the Big 5 of parks (Krugger, Serengeti, Masai Mara...) favoring other less known alternatives because they are surely going to guarantee you luxury accommodation and uncountable opportunities for wildlife spotting but you will also hardly be on your own but rather surrounded by other jeeps staring at the same poor animal, it makes me feel less unique and it also makes me feel bad about the animals who are, practically speaking, in a life size zoo. This is also not a difficult task because East and Southern Africa has so much to offer that the smaller less known parks are equally as good and, as the safari industry is rapidly develping in the last 5 years, there will be less and less alternatives which can be considered off the beaten path and in which you can truly enjoy the solitude of the savannah, something that, to me, is the msot beautiful ingredient to a safari. 
 

The details

 

How to get there

View from above - flying over Ugand's rivers

Uganda is connected via some of the main airliners like KLM/AF and Emirates/Etihad which run direct flights. Otherwise, you can also reach via Nairobi which has several international flights with the local carrier, part of the AF/KLM Group, Kenya Airways. Once you are in Entebbe, the main airport but not the capital, you need to make your way to the south where the park is. That can be a pretty daunting task as there are no real connections and your only chance is either to charter your own two-seater or get a driver. The drive is a time consuming (6h on a good day from Kampala acording to the park adn 10-12h according to a ewll-reputed guide I've used several times) if more affordable option. Flying is fast (around 2h) but comes with a heafty price (we paid 3,600EUR return for the two of us!) yet it not also saves you time but also gives you the incredible opportunity to see the plains and mountains from the sky. But if you are pressed for time what is the price you would put on having two more days (one on the way there and one on the way back)? The advantage of the little planes is that they can land on any strip so our flight landed very close to the park entrance. But remember that they are "little planes" so they are unstable and can be a bit scary. We flew through a storm and despite being well-travelled explorers felt uneasy at the vulnerability felt up in the air
 

Best time to visit 

Avoid the rainy season at all costs, particularly if you plan to drive as the roads are just simply impassable. Also some of the lodges may not be reachable in the rainy season or may no even be open. The dry season also affords a higher chance to see animals as they congregate around watering holes. The word finds its true meaning in Africa!
 

Where to stay

Pre-dinner drinks and bondfire

There are a few lodges and hotels in the area and more are springing up since I visited. We stayed at a tented camp which I high recommend Ishasha Wilderness Camp. It is  made of 10 luxury tents with hot water showers and flush toilets. The food and common areas were pretty nice and because it is by the river you get to see a lot of local fauna. Beware though, it is not fenced therefore animals roam at night at their leisure and you may encounter some of the big ones face-to-face. 
You get given a torch at night and are escorted by a ranger to and from the tent and you hsve a whistler at all times in case of an emergency. While we were there the tent next to ours was attacked by ants in the middle of the nigt and we heard them blowing it to call for help. We also had out moment of reality one morning when while taking a shower we felt a big reptile (crocodile?) was rubbing itseld against the tent's wall on the outside. I peeked through the window and saw a large tail. Looking at the guide's local fauna books we figured it must have been a monitor lizard. After all, our tent was between him and the water!

How to get around

The lodge will take you around on a 4x4 for safaris but if you are driving yourself or with someone from Kampala/Entebbe then you are free to drive around the park on the well maintained roads

What to do

You will have plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife in the form of the large predators, birds and other representatives of the Big 5.

     

We went out several times a day at dusk, dawn and in between and saw plenty of animals but no other human being or vehicle. The rangers were very helpful and happy to tell you all about the local species
 

Practicalities

1. Nothing beats a trip to get geared up with the neutral-colored safari clothes completed with the pockets, the vest and the boots. Although useful and certainly well suited the reality is that you won't be walking around much so any comfortable clothes are good. Long pants and airy linen or cotton are highly appreciated to keep you cool and protected from insects
2. You are not in a zoo, animals are wild and so it's always better to keep arms inside the car just in case... 
3. Mosquito repellent, as in most of Africa, is a must. Uganda has an endemic tesetse fy and Malaria problem, take precautions. To me, the best was always to cover up arms and legs and to spray repellent over my clothes - having spent 5 years in Africa I could not afford, financially and physically to take malaria tablets continuously and prevention is always better - avoid getting bitten. African mosquitoes are resilient so DEET is most effective. BUT! Avoid getting any DEET in your mouth or you are guaranteed an upset stomach straightaway
4. Bring a book, evenings are long as life revolves around the sun so expect to wake up early 7-8am but also to be done with dinner by 7-8pm
5. Don't miss the wonderfully warm tea/coffee in the early morning usually acompanied by cookies which most lodges deliver to you with a wake up call

MY TIP


Spend time listening to the sounds of the jungle, it is extraordinary, and to watch the stars, in the African Savannah you will surely enjoy the most incredible starry nights without any pollution in miles