Frequently Asked Questions

Included are three hearty meals a day, (unless otherwise specified). Vegetarians can be catered for and we do our best to offer a varied menu. Our guides can produce miracles on a camp-stove but please remember that they are cooking for the whole group on two gas burners. Special dietary requirements can be catered for, but only by special request. In East Africa it is more difficult to cater to certain requirements.

On our camping tours you will be staying in two-man dome tents. We supply a mattress and you supply your own sleeping bag. The accommodated tours stay in traditional huts, permanent tented camps and hotel rooms, the majority of these are ensuite.

On camping tours, single supplements are optional however on accommodated and small group tours, single supplements are compulsory if you are travelling on your own. If you have purchased the single supplement, you will receive your own tent / room for the tour. If you are on an accommodated tour and are interested to share a room with the same-sex guest, we will charge you the single supplement upfront and if successful in pairing you up, will refund your single supplement upon completion of the tour. However, pairing up is not guaranteed.

Of course not, but you will not make many friends! On our tours our guides do most of the work. On a camping tour your participation in camp chores is limited: taking turns to assist with washing-up duties, putting up and taking down your tent and loading your bags. On some of our accommodated tours we include a camp assistant.

All people who join an adventure tour need to be in good health. Medical facilities are not always available. If you have a specific medical condition it is compulsory for you to advise us before departure.

Malaria is a serious problem in Africa however it does not have to be a problem for you as long as you are vigilant about using your mosquito repellent and you take your malaria tablets. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes and is more prevalent where there are high concentrations of people and water. The main points to keep in mind about malaria:

• Prevent getting bitten by wearing clothes that cover your bare skin. Long shirts, socks, shoes and long pants after dark – most mosquito bites occur below the knee.
• Keep your mosquito net closed and be vigilant at sunset as this is when the mosquitoes are most prolific.
• Use an effective prophylactic and speak to your doctor about options for antimalarial tablets.
• Insect repellent is the single most important line of defense. Make sure you bring enough of an effective (preferably stick or lotion) repellent and that you use it liberally and frequently!  You need to look for the active ingredient (DEET) on the bottle.

Malaria prophylactics do not prevent Malaria, but do treat it if you come down with the disease. They also prevent you from getting seriously ill. It is not true that Malaria cannot be cured.

Please ensure you have the relevant vaccinations. Proof of inoculation is required on certain tours. Please see more info on vaccinations from our Predeparture Document:

We recommend that you have the following vaccinations for Africa: Hepatitis A (Havrax), Cholera, Yellow Fever, Tetanus Booster Shot, Rabies. Please note this guide is for information only – you should consult your doctor or travel clinic for the latest requirements. If you have entered a Yellow Fever infected area, you will be required to have a vaccination before entering into other countries.  If travelling further north of Vic Falls, then you will definitely require proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination. Travel Clinics provide vaccinations and Malaria tablets.

YES! Make sure your insurance covers being airlifted in case of serious illness/injury as good hospital facilities are often a long way from where our tours travel. Free credit card insurance is often insufficient, so a separate policy is recommended. As travel insurance is compulsory, you will be asked for the policy number before being allowed to board our vehicle. We recommend World Nomad Travel insurance. (click here for more).

Medical insurance is compulsory and you will be asked for your policy number before embarking on tour. Please make sure that your travel and medical insurance covers cancellation as well as being airlifted in case of a serious illness or injury as our tours often travel a long way from good hospital facilities. If credit card insurance is taken out, this often does not provide sufficient cover therefore a separate travel insurance policy is recommended.

All travellers will be required to sign our indemnity form on departure. Any person refusing to do so will not be allowed on the tour.

Our FULL terms and conditions are detailed here – Full Terms & Conditions

Passengers under the age of 18 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian and are accepted on the tour on a request basis. Passengers over the age of 60 take responsibility that they are fit enough to travel and may be asked to leave the tour if they are hindering the progress of the tour.

Our child policy is as follows:

• 6 Years: No children under 6 years of age may travel on Nomad’s scheduled tours.
• 10 – 15 Years: Nomad will accept a maximum of four children between the ages of 10 to 15 years on any tour without requesting permission from agents or clients. If more children want to join a tour once the maximum has been reached, this will be allowed on a request basis.
• 6 – 9 Years: Children between the ages of 6 – 9 years will be accepted to travel with Nomad on a request basis only.
• No children under the age of 12 permitted on our Kenya and Uganda tours
• Any traveler between the ages of 6 – 16 must be accompanied by a parent, unless specific authorization had been obtained from Nomad

This is covered comprehensively in the Predeparture Information Booklet. South African Rand and Credit Cards work in most of Southern Africa. In East Africa (incl. Zimbabwe and Zambia) USD cash is best.

A sense of fun and a flexible attitude! A full checklist of essential items is included in the pre-departure info document.

Your watch, cellphone, laptop, work, stress, concept of time, pre-conceptions about anything and any attitude that is not pure adventure. :)

Although we will do our best at all times to ensure that the tour remains on schedule we want to make it very clear that this is not always possible. There is always something unexpected on a tour, sometimes the truck gets stuck in mud, or sand, sometimes it rains… Anything can happen, but nothing that a good sense of humour cannot overcome.

The average number of passengers on a tour is 14.  On all our routes – with the exception of our Premium Tours (10 or 12 guests) – the maximum number of guests is 20 on all our combined tours and sections.  Single Supplements are limited to 4 per tour on all tours.

You are responsible for your own visas. Please check the itinerary of your tour carefully and if you need a multiple entry visa be sure to get one. Your passport needs to be valid for 6 months after your departure date from Africa and you must have at least 3-4 blank pages available. Some countries will not allow you to enter without 2 blank pages in your passport.