Here are a few words on WHAT TO TAKE TO WEST AFRICA – based on my own, albeit limited, experience - and given in the wish to make your own trip more enjoyable. I’ve used a few headings to order my thoughts.
CLOTHING…yes, you will need some! But seriously…cotton is good – cool, breathable, easy to wash. White is not a good travelling colour…gets grubby very fast. Trousers, socks and long-sleeved shirts are good for when the mozzies come out at dusk. They can eat you alive…and then there’s malaria…quite debilitating if you get it…and many do. A hat/cap is fairly essential if you don’t want your brain to fry. Comfortable, sturdy shoes are good for the considerable walking you will do along unmade, pot-holed, rubbish-strewn roads. Sore, blistered, infected feet render you immobile and miserable.
Plastic shoes, scuffs or thongs are good for showers, the beach etc. They’re not really recommended for general wear as they offer no protection against cuts or against the worms and parasites that can live in lakes, rivers, puddles etc
Sarongs
are good as sarongs/scarves/shawls/sheets/shade cloths/curtains/towels/room dividers etc…and they pack flat. You can buy beautiful screen prints in West Africa for this purpose.
The synthetic towels that you can buy in sports shops/swimming pools are good…they don’t go musty and moldy like ordinary ones.
LUGGAGE
Now, I don’t want to make you paranoid, and I don’t want to suggest that everyone in West Africa is out to get you, BUT… it is one of the poorest regions in the world, and if an opportunity presents itself, it’s only understandable that some people will avail themselves of it.
At crowded, chaotic venues such as markets or concerts, an old trick is for a pair or team of people to jostle you and during the jostling to dive into your pockets or pull your bag off you…quick as a wink! So, a day pack is good – or a shoulderbag which has a strong strap long enough to wear across your chest. Your passport/travellers cheques/cash should be kept next to your body in a secure pouch or wallet.
A lockable suitcase is good. A determined thief will get into anything, but an opportunist will be deterred if too much work is involved.
A comprehensive MEDICAL KIT is good. You may think that the amount of stuff which TravelVac recommends is over the top, but I actually ended up using nearly everything. And what you don’t use you can give away when you leave.
Syringes. If you need a blood test or antibiotic shot, you’ll want to make sure new syringes are used. Bring your own. Things you can get anywhere in Australia may be unavailable in Africa. Eg tampons, sunblock, good quality cloth bandaids. (Yes, you can buy bandaids there, but like so many other goods, products and services, even when you can find them, the quality is crap.)
Useful items include tea tree oil or metho for cuts/blisters, (in humid, steamy conditions these things just go on & on & ON!!!). Tiger Balm &/or arnica cream for sprains and sore drumming hands, a mosquito net for bite-free sleep, earplugs against the racket of West Africa waking up at 5am!
OTHER ITEMS which you may find useful…
A (solar-powered) torch. Even the capital city of The Gambia has no street lighting, so pot-holed, rutted roads become even harder work in the dark.
Batteries are readily available, but are mostly crappy Chinese ones that quit working in no time at all! Take Australian ones. A solar charger & batteries (Dick Smith, Tandy) can be good, but not so good in rainy season and not if you have nowhere secure to leave it charge.
A stretchy no-pegs washing line. Washing detergent. Rope/cord/string. A padlock. Safety pins. Small sewing kit. Super glue. Citronella & normal Candles. Cigarette lighter. Swiss army knife or similar. A proper drinking bottle. The plastic water bottles available there leak, split &/or lose their tops.
At some stage you may well feel like giving some GIFTS. For adults and children clothing is appreciated, new or second-hand, especially jeans, shorts, t-shirts and caps with logos and Australiana. Eg Calendars or playing cards featuring Australian animals.
Children love toys…but don’t give them shitty plastic rubbish which will break in the first half hour and become environmental pollution. Buy good quality plastic balls, frisbees etc that will last. Parents are often so poor that they cannot afford even basic school materials for their kids, so gifts of exercise books, pens, pencils, rubbers, even old text books are really appreciated. Any medical supplies are appreciated. Antiseptic cream, sore gum tincture…any medication for common ailments is appreciated.
A Walkman is a big prize… a non-recording one is not so expensive in Australia, but is HIGHLY appreciated in Africa.
Have a nice time!
Anne Harkin
(January 2000)