All visitors must be in possession of a valid passport that has a validity of at least six months beyond the scheduled departure date. Australians and British passport holders do NOT require visas for South Africa or Botswana but do require visas for Zambia and Zimbabwe obtained at the entry point to these countries, payment is required in US dollars. For all other passport holders please contact the relevant embassies, this includes New Zealand passport holders. Ensure you have at least four blank pages in your passport for stamps/visas

Yes, all tourists travelling with Southern Africa Escorted Tours must have health insurance at a level to cover all medical emergencies. Please supply a copy of the policy must be made available to the tour operator prior to departure.  It is also recommended that all travellers have adequate personal insurance to cover loss or damage to baggage, loss of credit cards and cancellation or curtailment fees.

No, there are no longer any mandatory vaccinations however, it is advisable when travelling to consult your doctor or specialist travel clinic for further advice. http://www.traveldoctor.com.au may be of help.

Anti-malarial medication is recommended for Africa. Please take advice from your doctor or a travel clinic. http://www.traveldoctor.com.au may be of help.

In South Africa the currency is Rand, you can use your credit/debit card throughout the country as ATMs are readily available. In Botswana the currency is Pula, obtained on arrival at either the airport or in the town of Kasane. Zambia’s currency is Kwacha and again this can be obtained on arrival. You will require US dollars for your Zambian visa and US$250 per traveller is recommended. Wherever possible use your credit card to pay for goods and services and your debit card to draw cash.

Your guide and drive has contact details for medical emergencies and will handle all medical matters.

Southern Africa is going into winter in May but you will find the days are still warm with temperatures around 22 degrees. The nights can get chilly so a light jacket is advisable. Cape Town can experience rain at this time of the year but as we head towards Johannesburg we are going into the dry season so there is little or no chance of no rain. Refer to http://www.southafrica.info/travel/advice/climate/htm. Botswana and Zambia are predominantly sub-tropical and May is the start of the dry season. Refer to http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/climate. September is Springtime in Southern Africa and Cape Town has fine days with average day time temperatures around 20 degrees. Night temperatures are on average 10 degrees. There is always a chance of rain but it will light to moderate. Johannesburg temperatures will range between 12 degrees and 24 degrees for most of September with the possibility of heavy showers towards the latter part of the month as the rainy season approaches. Botswana and Zambia are entering the hot period at this time of the year and the average daytime temperature is around 32 degrees with little expectation of rain.

In the larger cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg connectivity is very good but as you travel to remote areas it can become problematic.

Yes, but you will need to have an adaptor as South Africa uses three round pins and Botswana and Zambia generally use the British Type G, three rectangular pins. If you do not have a universal adaptor, you can purchase one when you arrive in South Africa at the airport. All three countries operate on a 220/230V AC system.