How To: 5 Ways To Plan Your Travel To Africa

Words by Tia Muhammad

Travelling abroad to Africa can seem like a very unknowing and unattainable feat to some who are not from the native land. Where should you go? Where do you stay? How much money should you bring? Can you really afford it? These questions will all arise no matter where you end up in Africa or what kind of budget you’re working with. With so many unique cultures, it might be vast land to master. However, this magical place should be at the top of everyone’s travel list and we believe anyone can afford the time and money to make the trip.

Looking to make an excursion soon? Check out these 5 Ways To Plan Your Travel To Africa:

1 Tag Along with Native Friends

Image by David Nyanzi- ALARA Lagos

We all know a friend of a friend who is from Africa and still has his or her foot in America and abroad as well. Hit them up. Ask them what their plans are for the holiday or for vacation. More than likely they’re taking a trip back home to visit family and can be your guide while you’re there. If you’re close, they may even have a place for you to stay.

Don’t have any friends abroad? Look into taking the trip with a group of friends, or even invest in a local tour guide. Tastemakers Africa, Travel Noire offer great packages and guided experiences.

2Immerse yourself in the culture/experiences

Image by David Nyanzi-Nike Arts

Use Tastemakers Africa- Tastemakers Africa pride themselves as not the average group tour. They put in a lot of effort to immerse you in the culture. Experience festivals. Eat local foods. Listen to local myths. All of these makes a difference of seemingly “passing by” a country and actually visiting a country. We definitely recommend this. Not interested in group travel? They also offer BeSpoke Personal Travel Planning.

Go For The AirBnB- Of course, this isn’t news anymore. Another way to experience a location is by going for the AirBnB. Many luxury accommodations on the continent are listed on the platform, and this sure brings you to the center the action. Living in the community, which has a lot perks. It brings about a certain peace of mind that you can set a price range, location, amenities, and see what the owner looks like. Filter Tip: Don’t want to gamble it, choose Superhosts to be extra safe. They are the most used and recognized hosts in the area. Check off pool and entire place, you’ll soon see a plethora of safe and luxury apartments.

3 Set Flight Alerts

The first thing people ask when travelling abroad is, how much will it cost? And the complete and honest answer to that is, it depends on you! If you’re looking to travel smart, look to flight alerts. Apps and sites like Hopper, Skyscanner and Google Flights all have filtered alert settings that tell you when flight prices are going up or down. These platforms will always have the most cost-saving flights filtered to the top to save you lots when purchasing a flight to Africa.

Flight Tip: Make sure to put in a range of dates, try to travel off-peak (non-holidays) and always plan far in advance! Travelling for two? Never pay extra for seats together. One thing these handy dandy apps don’t offer is the chance for you to pick your seat when booking and some won’t even let you pay for a seat until the day of your flight. However, if you see that the flight isn’t overbooked, simply arrive to the airport gate (not check-in) a little ahead of time to ask that your seats be changed to be seated together and they’ll happily put you two together if room permits at no cost.

4 Plan In Advance

Do your research! This step is sometimes left out of traveler’s plans but it is definitely the most crucial. Whether you’re planning this trip alone or just tagging along with a group, you must know where you’re going to end up. Google the cities, neighborhoods and villages. Research the costs of the day-to-day things that you will do like restaurants, activities, museums, transportation, resorts and nightclubs. Setting a cost plan of how much you expect to spend while there will help you gauge how much to save, bring with you and leave at home.

Image by David Nyanzi

5 Indulge in the Care-Free

Africa is a vast land of completely free experiences. Taking a walk through the local market, to the beach or take a trip to a nearby farm. Talking and engaging in the community you’re in is an experience in itself. Know that African countries like to have events, festivals, rooftop parties and networking soirees just like the states. You can easily find a free activity or event to attend on AFK Travel or Eventbrite.

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