• Most of all use sunscreen liberally when in the sun and always carry sunglasses and a sunhat.

Malaria

Unfortunately, we have one of the world's top killers in Africa in the form of the Malaria mosquito. Malaria is a deadly disease, and if you have contracted it once and were lucky enough to survive, it can hit you again at any time in the future without the need for further infected mosquito bites.

You absolutely must arrange with your health care professional for Malaria prophylactics. The high risk period is from December to April in Southern Africa (most of the year in Eastern Africa), but I urge you to play it safe and take precautions at any time of the year.

Malaria is endemic to the northern parts of the country especially in the rainy summer season. Consult your physician at least two weeks before departing for Botswana.

There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of malaria throughout Africa, and Botswana has endemic malarial areas particularly in northern Botswana during the warmer months. Take every precaution advised. The most important thing to do is to take anti-malaria drugs two weeks prior to the visit.

Other precautions should therefore be taken in all malaria areas:

• Apply insect repellent to exposed skin at especially after sunset.
• Wear light cotton clothing, long sleeves, long trousers and closed shoes after sunset where possible.

Malaria symptoms can appear up to six months after leaving a malaria region. As soon as the following symptoms appear consult a medical practitioner:

• Fever
• Rigors
• Headache
• Sweating
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Slight jaundice
• Cough

Tick-bite fever

Ticks can be found in the bush all over Botswana. The best precautionary measures are to keep your body well covered when walking in the bush and to use an insect repellent. Nevertheless, there is the risk of being bitten, so check your body carefully afterwards. If a tick has burrowed into the skin, it will appear as a small black dot (a common area is around the ankles and lower legs) and may go septic.

Common symptoms of tick-bite fever are headache, fever, tenderness in the glands, general body ache and neck stiffness. If you seek medical help early enough, tetracycline treatment can modify the course of the illness.

Bilharzia

Bilharzia is an ever-present threat in many African streams and rivers. To avoid contracting bilharzia one should stay out of the water. The disease is easily cured and cannot be caught by drinking untreated water.

Tap water is safe to drink in Botswana's urban areas.

First Aid training

Safety should be one of your main concerns. Do not even consider going on safari with a photographic safari guide not trained in First Aid. Africa is no more dangerous than any other continent (in many places you will be safer than in big cities abroad) but accidents do happen, and then you want to be in capable hands. A good first-aid kit is a must, as in many instances you will be travelling to areas far from health facilities.

The last thing you want is for your dream vacation to turn into a nightmare vacation. Do your homework and make sure you travel safely in Africa and get back home in one piece.

While on the subject of safety, it is important to ensure that you will be travelling in a safe vehicle.