Traveling is one of the most enlightening and amazing experiences of life, but sometimes rumors and myths restrict us from visiting some places, and one such place is Africa. Africa is known for its wildlife across the globe, but there are few stereotypes that make people either hesitate or restrict their traveling to Africa. If you are planning to travel to Africa this holiday season, you need to know some common stereotypes that are not true.
Here is the list of top 10 stereotypes of traveling to Africa:
Dangerous Animals roam freely
Do you see people roaming on Kangaroos in Australia or children going to their schools on Kangaroos? no right! Well Just like that, Africa has free-roaming animals, but they are restricted to their own path. You will rarely see any animal freely roaming in cities or in the towns. the animals are restricted to certain areas, though you might see some, they are not that close to cities.
Africa has hot weather all the time
No! Africa has a pretty dramatic climate, many parts of Africa experience hard winter weather like frost, and many parts of Africa experience monsoon during certain periods of the year. So, depending on when and where you visit you might experience different weather than you thought you would. No doubt it can be pretty hot in summers, but they also experience other weather conditions.
Africa is violent and dangerous
If you believe in media reports of war, violence, crime, terrorism, and more, you probably might not think about traveling to Africa, but it’s not. You can Safely visit Africa, it’s not harmful to tourists, in fact, you will get great hospitality. However, there are certain areas in the continent that you need to avoid. you can explore Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, and Malawi for exploring wildlife and South Africa for other adventures.
Africa is cheap
Living in various parts of Africa is cheap, but traveling to Africa is quite expensive. Consider the guided tours of safari or any other adventure activities such as ferry rides in lakes. Getting to Africa by flight and staying in luxury lodges and hotels near rivers or safari can be quite expensive. so, you need to form a particular budget or you can contact a travel company for better planning.
Africa lacks access to technology
No! That’s not true, most of the countries in Africa have access to wifi and a 4G network, so you will not face any issues with mobile networks or the internet. Almost everyone in Africa has mobile phones and access to technology, so even if your phones are not up to the mark, you can communicate back home easily. However, there might be areas reserved for wildlife where mobile phones are restricted. They have their banking systems so you will not face issues with currency exchange or anything.
Africa only has wild animals
No! Africa has tons of tourist attractions such as lakes, bird species, water activities, ferry rides, fishing, and gorgeous views. Let’s begin with Cape Town. It has some gorgeous artforms, rich colonial history, and Egypt? Egypt has some unique historical places that you will not see in any other part of the world. Moreover, there are several caves, and lakes that you can explore, and adventures like trekking in South Africa, etc. All in all, there is a lot for tourists to see apart from animals.
Different races do not mix in Africa
South Africa has passed that behavior, you will not face any race-related issues during your visit. people in South Africa accept foreigners heartedly, you will get good hospitality when visiting South Africa for the first time.
It’s not safe to travel in Africa
It’s completely safe to travel in Africa, many people either believe the media reports of terrorism and war while others believe that the animals are dangerous. Popular tourist attractions like Botswana, cape Town are safe to visit. except for a few countries, you can travel to Africa without worrying. Moreover, animals are restricted to certain areas, there are people who take care of them, they know dos and don’ts. animals will not harm you till the time you are not harming them.
South Africa is small
No! Africa is the second largest continent, and South Africa captures some of the largest counties, and some countries are even bigger than the UK, you can not explore south Africa in a day or two or even a week as it has tons of tourist attractions across various countries, so you need to plan your itinerary accordingly.
Africans can only speak African
African is not any language, there is not a common language spoken in Africa. you can find people speaking English, German, French, Spanish, and Swahili that a large population of Africa can understand. So, there will not be any communication barriers, although you will have your guide with you.
To wrap up: These are some of the common misconceptions or stereotypes that often travelers believe about Africa, but Africa is safe and enjoyable to visit and create lifetime memories.
